Why has DCPS started tracking excused absences this year? Will 10 excused absences still require contact fem a social worker?

Yes. Click on documents above in this thread.

What counts as excused? If I write a note because my child was sick for a day, is that excused?

Anonymous wrote:We're talking about 2 different things here, folks. They will not notify MPD or CFSA for kids in PK3 or PK4, but they will indeed contact DCPS social workers.

Correct. They are not REQUIRED to do anything and they are unable to take legal action. My son missed at least three weeks of his pk3 year. First a few days to celebrate his grandfather's 70th birthday which was a family reunion planned over a year before he even got to school. Then his other grandfather died unexpectedly and we had to handle arrangements, his estate and the Funeral and were away for about two weeks. In pk4 we took him out for two weeks for an overseas trip to visit relatives. So long as we informed his school no action was taken.

He is now in a different school and his principal just confirmed this policy to me. 10 days unexcused for K and above triggers truancy proceedings, for younger students it is not an issue.

Bump

Schools struggle with parents who treat them as free day care.

Anonymous wrote:You need to accrue at least 25 unexcused absences before a case may be referred to CFSA.

http://www.dcappeals.gov/internet/public/aud_juvenile/jtruancy.jsf

Not only that the truancy administrator (whom ever that is) will call and arrange to meet with the parent first to explain/provide documentation for the unexcused absences. The explanation does not even have to be that official but there must be some sort of documentation in the folder; I suspect that there is some missing information in the Washington Post article for this case to have gone this far.

I teach at a charter. Three of my kids went on separate 7-14 day family trips "back home" and the administration did nothing about it. These kids are the lowest performing kids, so they needed to be there more than anyone else.

I had another kid who missed about 15 days and no one batted an eye. The parents were given a slap on the wrist, but that was it.

Google CFSA to read aboit what it did to the Caplan family.

For GOD'S SAKE!

They should be prioritizing the social workers for the folks who are far less likely to be able to look after themselves and their kids, rather than trying to send them to nanny around rich people who can probably afford to hire nannies of their own.

Send the social workers to look after the Relisha Rudd types of hard cases FIRST.

We're talking about 2 different things here, folks. They will not notify MPD or CFSA for kids in PK3 or PK4, but they will indeed contact DCPS social workers.

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/In+the+Classroom/Expectations+of+Students/Student+Attendance+and+Support+Services

http://dcps.dc.gov/DCPS/Files/downloads/In-the-Classroom/ENGLISH%20Attendance%20Brochure%20SY1415.pdf

The Attendance Accountability Act, only applies to children aged five years and above, compels DCPS to notify MPD, OSSE and CFSA after 10 unexcused absences. DC Code sec, 38-208(a), (b) & (c)(1)(A); DCMR sec. 2103.5(a). However, the law requires that referral be made to the Superior Court Social Services Agency and Attorney General only if a student is between the ages of 14 and 17. DC Code sec. 38-208(c)(1)(B); DCMR sec. 5-2103.5(b).

Coincident with providing the notices required by Section 38-208, DCPS is required to send a letter Under the signature of the Chief of MPD providing notice that the parent may be in violation of School attendance requirements and could be subject to prosecutuion, DCMR sec. 5-2101.9(b), while OSSE is required to provide the parent with a copy of its Truancy Preventiom Resource Guide, DCMR sec. 5-2101.10. The regulations provide further that parents have the right to due process, a referral to a school-based support team after five unexcused absences, DCMR sec. 5-2103.2(c)(3), as well as the right to appeal any attendance violation decision, presumably to the Chancellor, who is on record as saying that she will work will families facing unique or exigency circumstances. DCMR sec. 5-2103.2(c)(5).

With respect to children attending a school other than the one for which their are IB, my understanding is that school has the right to send an OOB student of any age back to their IB school at the conclusion of the school year in the event of 10 unexcused absences or 20 unexcused tardies.