Rationale
The ttendance policy for Jackson County Comprehensive High School and
East Jackson Comprehensive High School requires that students attend class
85 out of the 90 days in a semester for a student to receive credit in a
class. Additionally, a student with excellent attendance may exempt final
exams. These policies exist for three primary reasons:
- The classroom experience is a critical part of our students' education. While make-up work can be done, it does not equal lectures, discussions, and classroom activities. When students graduate from our high school, we want to know they have received the best education possible. That can only happen when students attend class.
- Our schools are charged with the task of teaching effective work ethics for our students. Businesses tell us that one of their primary problems with employees is poor attendance patterns. At JCCHS, we want our students to learn that being effective in school or work requires regular attendance.
- Since establishing the No Credit policy and the Exam Exemption policy, JCCHS's attendance has been phenomenal when compared to most high schools. Our average daily attendance has risen to 95% and above for most months. Clearly, students' educational experience is enhanced greatly when attendance is good, and these policies have produced such attendance.
The Rules and Other Considerations
If a student misses more than five days in any class, he/she will lose credit for that class automatically and must appeal to regain credit. Please note the following:
- The attendance listed on report cards and progress reports is the official attendance for the school day. This is used for such things as determining perfect attendance, average daily attendance for our student body as a whole, etc. For those purposes, a student is considered present if he/she attends for half the day. On the other hand, the attendance policy for granting credit is determined on a class by class basis. Therefore, a student could have perfect attendance shown on the report card, but lose credit in a class if he/she checks out and misses fourth period more than five times.
- Students must be in attendance at least 75 minutes out of the 90 minute period to be counted present for that class period.
- When teachers report grades at the end of the semester, all students who miss more than five days and have averages of 70 or above are given a grade of NC (No Credit). This is done automatically. If the student appeals and the appeals committee grants credit, the NC is replaced by the grade the student earned in the class. If a student does not appeal, he/she will receive NC (No Credit) for each class in which his/her absences exceeded five days.
- Students who go on field trips or engage in other school related activities are counted present in their classes.
- Students who wish to visit colleges, technical colleges, or other postsecondary institutions will be counted present in classes if they follow the proper procedure. The procedure is:
- Make an appointment with a postsecondary institution.
- Obtain a "College Visit Permission Form" from the counseling department and return it at least one calendar week before the visit. A parent and all of the student's teachers must sign the form before it is returned to the counseling office. The time and date of the proposed visit is entered on the form before it is given to the student, consequently the student must make an appointment before requesting the form.
- When the student returns the permission form to the counseling office, he/she is given a "College Visit Verification Form." The student must have a college official complete that form before leaving the postsecondary school's campus. Upon return to school, the student must have each of his/her teachers sign the verification form. He/She then returns the form to the counseling office.
- When the student is absent from class, the teachers record that as an absent which will count against the five allowed days for absences. The student's absence is also entered into the school's attendance records. When the student returns the verification form, the absences are removed by the teachers and from the school's attendance records.
- Students may take up to three college visit days each year. If a student wishes to make more than three days for visits, he/she must obtain permission from the principal.
- Students who miss classes to be inducted into the United States armed forces will be counted present if proof is provided by the students' recruiters.
What parents and students should do during each semester.
Parents and students should remain aware of the attendance policy and the appeals procedures throughout the semester. Here are some suggestions:
- Students should attend all classes for at least 85 of the 90 days of the semester if at all possible.
- Parents and students should keep a file at home to hold doctor's excuses, court summonses, funeral notices, etc. These documents will be necessary for an appeal, if necessary.
- If students come into a class late for any reason, they should verify that the teacher has counted them present. Teachers generally will not stop teaching to make the correction when the student enters. By the end of the class, the teacher may forget to remove the absence. It is the students' responsible to be sure the teacher removes the absence.
- When the time for attendance appeals comes, the student should verify his/her attendance with each teacher.
- If the student should have more than five absences in any class, he/she should follow the appeals procedure precisely.
Appeals Procedure
Students who miss more than five days in a class may file an appeal to have credit restored. Students and parents must follow the appeals procedure precisely. The procedure is as follows:
- Appeals forms will be available to students approximately two weeks before
the end of each semester. Students will be informed of the exact time line
through the JCNS televised announcements, at lunch, on pantherhelp.com, and
via the PantherHelp
E-mailed newsletter. Also, most teachers will remind students
of the appeals procedures. It is the student's responsibility to listen
to announcements for this information.
- After an appeals form is obtained by students, they must take them home.
The parent and student should complete the form. On the form, parents and
students will explain the reasons for excessive absences. Documents such as
doctors' excuses, court summonses, funeral notices, etc. must be attached
to the form. These must be original documents. Faxes and copies will not
be accepted.
- Students will return the forms on a single, specified day. He/she must submit the form to each teacher as he/she goes from class to class on that single, specified day. The teachers will sign the appeals forms and make comments. The student's last period teacher will collect the form. Remember: This activity will take place on a single day. If the student is absent on that day, he/she must submit the forms on the first day he/she returns to school.
- The forms will be reviewed by the attendance committee. The committee may
restore credit based on the content of the appeals form. If the committee
does not restore credit, Dr. Hines will meet with the student and a
final determination regarding credit will follow.
Remember: This procedure must be followed precisely.
Exam Exemptions
As an incentive for students to attend school regularly, students with excellent attendance may exempt final exams. Students who exempt exams do not have to come to school for the portion of the day that final exams are given. Students who exempt all exams, will earn two additional holidays at the end of each semester. The exam exemption rules are as follows:
- Students with a 75 average and no days absent may exempt.
- Students with an 80 average and one or less absences in a class may exempt.
- Students with a 90 average and two or less absences in a class may exempt.
- Students must be in attendance at least 75 minutes out of the 90 minute period to be counted present for that class period. (Reminder: Checking out at 3:00 every day is not acceptable)
- Any student who has three or more tardies to a class will lose the exam exemption.
- Any student who has a dress code violation, parental suspension, Saturday School, In-School Suspension, Out-of-School Suspension, bus suspension, Alternative School Placement, or other discipline problems will lose exemption.
- School sanctioned field trips; functions and/or competitions do not count against the absence totals for exemption status.
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