CW Truancy Policy

Truancy Definition

Attendance is very important to a student’s success in school. The Charter School expects that both students and parents take responsibility for ensuring that each student attends school each day. Students enrolled at Connecting Waters Charter School must engage in an educational activity or activities required by the School on each of the days of the regular school calendar (175) per year. Due to the unique nature of an independent study program, the definition of "truancy" for this Charter School is defined in the policy below as a missed assignment/attendance period or missed appointment. This is not the same definition of "truancy" in a traditional, site based school. 

Truancy Policy

Pursuant to the Independent Study Policy adopted by the Charter School Parent Council Board, students who fail to demonstrate adequate and appropriate monthly progress toward the student standards (missed assignment/attendance) or after a missed appointment will be subject to the truancy policy and an Evaluation Hearing may be held to consider whether it is in the best interest of the student to remain in independent study. Parents/guardians or adult students will be informed of this policy as part of the Student Agreement signed each semester.

A missed assignment/attendance period is defined on the Attendance Roll Sheet as 50% or less attendance during any consecutive school days on the student's calendar track (example: 7 truant school days over a 14 day period, 3 out of 5 days). Full attendance is based on work in the 6 growth areas for a K – 8 student or a high school student attempting a minimum of 25 credits. For allowable variations, consult your ES Advisor.

A school appointment may be defined as learning record meetings, classes, tutoring, any required testing appointments, special education meetings, CAHSEE Intensive, and Contract Program courses (including HQT Moodle/Elluminate courses) for grades K-12 in English, Math, Science, Social Science, VPA and Foreign Language.

It is this Charter School’s policy to dismiss students who are truant for two school attendance periods (length of time between meetings with an ES, but no more than 20 days maximum) or have 2 missed appointments within the same school year, or a combination of the above. Please note that the truant attendance periods within one school year do not have to be consecutive. An Evaluation Hearing will be held to determine whether it is in the best interest of the student to remain in independent study.

Warning

Student’s who miss an assignment, school appointment, or are at risk of falling below the required attendance requirements as defined above shall be sent a warning letter, reminding the student of this policy and requirements of the Student Agreement and may be invited to attend an Evaluation Hearing to determine whether independent study is in the best interest of the student.

Evaluation Hearing:

Students who have missed two assignments/attendance periods, (who have an attendance record of less than 50% during two attendance periods) or two school appointments shall be invited to attend an Evaluation Hearing to determine whether it is in the best interest of the student to remain in an independent study program. This Evaluation Hearing will be held as soon as possible and will be conducted by the Administration. The Executive Director shall provide written notification to the parent/guardian or adult student of the Evaluation Hearing date. The parent/guardian or adult student may request one postponement, not to exceed five (5) school days, of the Evaluation Hearing for good cause.

At the Evaluation Hearing, the parent/guardian or adult student shall be informed of the reason for the Evaluation Hearing and the evidence supporting a finding that independent study is not in the student’s best interest. If the student and/or representative do not attend the Evaluation Hearing, the Administration will review the relevant information and make a determination in the student’s absence.

The student and/or his/her representative shall be given the opportunity to present information and/or witnesses to the Administration either orally or in writing or both during the Hearing. The Administration shall take any information presented by the parent/guardian or adult student into consideration when determining whether it is in the best interest of the student to remain in independent study. Additional factors to be considered include but are not limited to the following:

a) student’s grades at the time of the evaluation

b) teacher observation/feedback

c) standardized testing data

d) student’s progress in independent study curriculum

The Administrations decision shall be provided in writing to the parent/guardian or adult student within three (3) days of the evaluation. The Administration may:

a) find independent study is in the student’s best interest,

b) place the student on attendance probation to be evaluated again at a later time if the student continues to fail to engage in daily activities,

c) use other alternatives to improve attendance, or

d) find that it is not in the student’s best interest to remain in independent study.

If the Administration finds that it is not in the student’s best interest to remain in independent study, then the student shall be withdrawn from enrollment at the Charter School and the parent/guardian or adult student shall immediately enroll in a site based program through the local school district or other appropriate educational program.

Appeal:

The Administration’s decision shall be subject to an appeal to a Committee of the Parent Council Board. The parent/guardian or adult student shall submit a written request to the Parent Council Board, outlining the reasons for the appeal.

The appeal must be requested in writing and received within five (5) school days following the Evaluation Hearing. The written appeal must be received by the Charter School office in Waterford on or before the close of the business day (4:00 pm) within five (5) school days following the Evaluation Hearing. The school office in Waterford must be called or emailed to confirm receipt of appeal.

Upon receipt of a request for an appeal hearing, the Parent Council Board Committee shall schedule the appeal to be heard within fifteen (15) school days of receipt of the request. The Parent Council Board Committee shall send out written notice of the date, time and location of the meeting to the parent/guardian or adult student. The Parent Council Board Committee shall hear the appeal in closed session, unless the parent/guardian or adult student requests in writing to have the matter heard in open session.

The appeal hearing shall proceed as follows:

1. The Committee shall review the request for appeal document and any other documents submitted by the parent/guardian or adult student. The Committee shall also review all records considered by the Administration at the Evaluation Hearing.

2. The student or his/her representative may address the Committee regarding the appeal.

3. The Administration may address the Committee in response to the parent/guardian or adult student’s appeal.

The final decision by the Committee shall be made within five (5) school days following the conclusion of the appeal. The parent/guardian or adult student shall be informed in writing of the Committee’s decision. The decision of the Charter School Parent Council Board Committee is final.