Excused vs unexcused Absences

[Anonymous]

Does it matter whether absences are marked excused or unexcused? kid has missed a few days for swim meets..

Is there guidance on what is considered excused vs unexcused? Our HS has marked all days missed for swim meets as excused but MS has been inconsistent this year. Once it was marked excused then recently they have been unexcused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does it matter whether absences are marked excused or unexcused? kid has missed a few days for swim meets..

Is there guidance on what is considered excused vs unexcused? Our HS has marked all days missed for swim meets as excused but MS has been inconsistent this year. Once it was marked excused then recently they have been unexcused.

In the past, swim meets were marked as excused but the policy was changed this year in response to the chronic absenteeism issue. Technically, this school year they should all be marked as unexcused according to the AP I spoke with at DDs HS.

The difference is that in theory, teachers do not have to allow late/make up work for an unexcused absence. The AP told me that he's never heard of a teacher enforcing that (although DD did have a teacher one year who absolutely checked SIS before giving make up work and apparently refused kids who had an unexcused absence). If your kid hasn't had an issue up until now you're fine with past unexcused absences. I'd just be aware moving forward in case you come across a teacher who is difficult; in our case, had DD had another swim meet this year I'd simply have marked her as sick that day to be safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does it matter whether absences are marked excused or unexcused? kid has missed a few days for swim meets..

Is there guidance on what is considered excused vs unexcused? Our HS has marked all days missed for swim meets as excused but MS has been inconsistent this year. Once it was marked excused then recently they have been unexcused.

In the past, swim meets were marked as excused but the policy was changed this year in response to the chronic absenteeism issue. Technically, this school year they should all be marked as unexcused according to the AP I spoke with at DDs HS.

The difference is that in theory, teachers do not have to allow late/make up work for an unexcused absence. The AP told me that he's never heard of a teacher enforcing that (although DD did have a teacher one year who absolutely checked SIS before giving make up work and apparently refused kids who had an unexcused absence). If your kid hasn't had an issue up until now you're fine with past unexcused absences. I'd just be aware moving forward in case you come across a teacher who is difficult; in our case, had DD had another swim meet this year I'd simply have marked her as sick that day to be safe.

good to know. I will just start to mark my kid as sick.

I usual all for honesty, but I am not going to watch as my kid who is good student possibly get screwed over for being an athlete. Other than a few swim meets he hasn't had a single sick day or missed for religious observances/ at all this year.

I really hate the inconsistency. HS has always marked my older child as excused for swim meets this year.

They should just allow a certain number of excused absences a year.

[Anonymous]

Excused absences are usually not an issue unless it's extremely excessive.

It's all the ski vacations, Disney World trips, dance competitions, sleeping in days, extended spring breaks, extended winter breaks, skipping school to avoid an assessment days, and so on that are the problem.

If your kid misses school a couple times for illnesses and appointments, no one is going to bother you about it. If your kid sleeps in so often that he has 21 absences in one class, that's a big problem.

My daughter said that at least six kids in her general friend group have already said that they'll be sick on the Thursday and Friday before spring break because they're going on vacation early. I know two of those kids and know they are in fact going on vacation early. I don't know about the other four, but I don't doubt my daughter is telling the truth. My kids will be in school unless they are legitimately ill. We don't allow them to miss school unless it's necessary.

[Anonymous]

It used to mean F for the class after 3 unexcused this was back in 2000s class of 2002..

[Anonymous]

From what I understand, it doesn't matter anymore how they are classified, but if you have missed 10% of the school days to date, you are considered Chronically Absent and the school will get on your case.

I know folks whose kids have been sick for about 10% of school days (e.g. at this point in the year they have missed, say, 12 days) and the principal is all over them, even though they are excused.

[Anonymous]

It’s different at each school. Had to take a day off during thanksgiving week for travel, ES kid was marked excused, while MS kid was marked unexcused.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:From what I understand, it doesn't matter anymore how they are classified, but if you have missed 10% of the school days to date, you are considered Chronically Absent and the school will get on your case.

I know folks whose kids have been sick for about 10% of school days (e.g. at this point in the year they have missed, say, 12 days) and the principal is all over them, even though they are excused.

Are there monetary awards for principals this year if less absences or if penalties, what are they? Curious why more principals actually following up as strongly this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I understand, it doesn't matter anymore how they are classified, but if you have missed 10% of the school days to date, you are considered Chronically Absent and the school will get on your case.

I know folks whose kids have been sick for about 10% of school days (e.g. at this point in the year they have missed, say, 12 days) and the principal is all over them, even though they are excused.

Are there monetary awards for principals this year if less absences or if penalties, what are they? Curious why more principals actually following up as strongly this year.

I know our ES principal once said she does NOT encourage "Perfect Attendance" as it leads to kids being sent to school sick.

That said, I'd think there's some kind of report or email that comes to them and they choose how they want to deal with it. I know this happens with Lexia (which is whole different conversation) and the schools are "graded" as to completion/hours spent and some principals are very tuned into it.

It's probably as simple as do you want folks from Gatehouse on your back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:From what I understand, it doesn't matter anymore how they are classified, but if you have missed 10% of the school days to date, you are considered Chronically Absent and the school will get on your case.

I know folks whose kids have been sick for about 10% of school days (e.g. at this point in the year they have missed, say, 12 days) and the principal is all over them, even though they are excused.

Are there monetary awards for principals this year if less absences or if penalties, what are they? Curious why more principals actually following up as strongly this year.

I know our ES principal once said she does NOT encourage "Perfect Attendance" as it leads to kids being sent to school sick.

That said, I'd think there's some kind of report or email that comes to them and they choose how they want to deal with it. I know this happens with Lexia (which is whole different conversation) and the schools are "graded" as to completion/hours spent and some principals are very tuned into it.

It's probably as simple as do you want folks from Gatehouse on your back.

Definitely seems has been added as a performance review item for this year - so if no monetary awards, principals to get dinged if absences over certain number as opposed to a general goal in past years. Know of T classes doing pizza parties if no absences in a month.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Are there monetary awards for principals this year if less absences or if penalties, what are they? Curious why more principals actually following up as strongly this year.

A state law was passed that attendance rates now count for school accreditation. Schools are now forced to act on any student who missed 10 or more school days (iirc) when in reality it's a very small percentage that are chronically absent - like missing 70% of school days.

[Anonymous]

We found this extremely schools dependent during our time at FCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excused absences are usually not an issue unless it's extremely excessive.

It's all the ski vacations, Disney World trips, dance competitions, sleeping in days, extended spring breaks, extended winter breaks, skipping school to avoid an assessment days, and so on that are the problem.

If your kid misses school a couple times for illnesses and appointments, no one is going to bother you about it. If your kid sleeps in so often that he has 21 absences in one class, that's a big problem.

My daughter said that at least six kids in her general friend group have already said that they'll be sick on the Thursday and Friday before spring break because they're going on vacation early. I know two of those kids and know they are in fact going on vacation early. I don't know about the other four, but I don't doubt my daughter is telling the truth. My kids will be in school unless they are legitimately ill. We don't allow them to miss school unless it's necessary.

We are on of those families because we saved thousands by flying out on the Thursday before spring break and the kids have only had 2 absences this yr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Excused absences are usually not an issue unless it's extremely excessive.

It's all the ski vacations, Disney World trips, dance competitions, sleeping in days, extended spring breaks, extended winter breaks, skipping school to avoid an assessment days, and so on that are the problem.

If your kid misses school a couple times for illnesses and appointments, no one is going to bother you about it. If your kid sleeps in so often that he has 21 absences in one class, that's a big problem.

My daughter said that at least six kids in her general friend group have already said that they'll be sick on the Thursday and Friday before spring break because they're going on vacation early. I know two of those kids and know they are in fact going on vacation early. I don't know about the other four, but I don't doubt my daughter is telling the truth. My kids will be in school unless they are legitimately ill. We don't allow them to miss school unless it's necessary.

How is a dance competition any different than a swim meet?