Section 5-A2101. ATTENDANCE RECORDS AND REPORTING

 

2101.1 Each educational institution operating in the District of Columbia shall maintain an accurate, contemporaneous, and daily attendance record for each student who is enrolled in or who attends the educational institution.

 

2101.2 Records shall be maintained as follows:

 

(a)The requirement to maintain an attendance record for a student who has completed the enrollment process for an educational institution shall begin on the educational institution’s first (1st) official school day and continue throughout the school year, unless the student officially withdraws from the educational institution;  fails to attend at least one (1) day of school in the first three (3) weeks of school without notification for such absence; or transfers to another educational institution; and  

 

                     (b)Expulsion or suspension of a student during the school year does not relieve the educational institution of the duty to record and report the student’s daily attendance for the school year in which the expulsion or suspension occurred until such time as the student officially withdraws from or enrolls in another educational institution; or such time as the educational institution that, despite best efforts, it is unable to contact the parent or guardian.

 

2101.3The attendance record for each student shall contain the following:

 

(a) Dates of enrollment;

 

(b) Daily legible or machine-readable records of daily attendance, noting the student as present or absent for a full or partial school day;

 

(c) Determination of the nature of each absence as excused, unexcused; suspension-related; or expulsion-related;

 

(d) Dates of withdrawal from the educational institution or confirmed transfer to another educational institution, including the name and location of the educational institution to which the student transferred and follow up notation(s) to confirm the child’s new placement;

 

(e) Dates of each referral to the school-based student support team, the Child and Family Services Agency (“CFSA”), the Court Social Services Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (“Court Social Services”); or the Office of the Attorney General Juvenile Section (“OAG-Juvenile Section”) related to absenteeism or truancy;

 

(f) Dates of marking periods;

 

(g) Dates on which a law enforcement officer enforcing compulsory attendance laws returns the student to the educational institution;

 

(h) Daily late arrival time,  beginning with school year 2015 or at such time that the school is capable of implementing this subsection, whichever is earlier;

 

(i) Dates and times of early dismissals from the school day, as authorized by the educational institution, beginning with school year 2015 or at such time that the school is capable of implementing this subsection, whichever is earlier;

 

(j) Dates and brief description of communications with student, parent(s) or guardian(s) with regard to school attendance and absences, including the record of or a cross-reference to the record documenting:

 

(1) Contact with parents, guardians, or other primary caregivers; and

 

(2) Interventions, services, and service referrals related to absences other than those listed in subparagraph (d);

 

(k) Underlying causes for student’s absenteeism or truancy as determined by the school-based student support team;

 

(l) Action plans and strategies implemented by the school-based student support team to eliminate unexcused absences; and

 

(m) Services utilized by the student to reduce unexcused absences.

 

2101.4Prior to the beginning of each school year, an educational institution shall designate an attendance monitor(s) to be responsible for collecting, maintaining, and reporting the attendance data required for each student consistent federal and District requirements. An attendance monitor shall:

 

(a)Ensure timely submission of attendance in conformance with this chapter; and

 

(b)Submit corrected attendance records via an automated, electronic feed, or such other format.; and provide any corrections to attendance records within fifteen (15) business days of submission; and

 

(c)Timely respond to requests for clarification of submitted attendance records.

 

2101.5The name and contact information of the designated attendance monitor shall be reported by the educational institution prior to the first (1st) official school day of each school year. 

 

2101.6Within sixty (60) days after the completion of each school year, an educational institution shall submit to OSSE the report described in D.C. Official Code § 38-203(i). Such report shall include attendance information in aggregate form, excluding individual student data.

 

2101.7Prior to the beginning of each school year, OSSE shall issue a report including the following information: 

 

(a) Truancy rates for each educational institution;

 

(b) Progress in improving attendance and reducing truancy for each educational institution; and

 

(c) Each educational institution’s compliance with key attendance and truancy requirements.

 

2101.8An educational institution shall maintain attendance records as part of the student’s permanent record and for such periods of time as may be otherwise specified by applicable laws and regulations.

 

2101.9Within two (2) business days after each occurrence of a student’s tenth (10th) unexcused absence during a school year, the educational institution shall:

 

(a) [REPEALED];

 

(b) Send the student’s parent a letter, under signature of the Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department, notifying the parent that he or she may be in violation of the school attendance requirements and subject to prosecution under District of Columbia laws; and

 

(c) Notify OSSE of the student’s ten (10) days of the unexcused absence.

 

2101.10Upon notification from the educational institution under § 2101.9, OSSE shall provide the parent with a copy of the Truancy Prevention Resource Guide published by OSSE.  

 

 

authority

Article II of An Act to provide for compulsory school attendance, for the taking of a school census in the District of Columbia, and for other purposes, as amended, effective February 4, 1925 (43 Stat. 806; D.C. Official Code § 38-201 et seq. (2001 ed. & 2012 Supp.)); as amended by Section 302 of the South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act of 2012, effective June 7, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-141, 59 DCR 3083 (April 20, 2012); D.C. Official Code §§ 38-201 et seq. (2012 Repl.); Mayor’s Order No. 2012-116, dated July 26, 2012; Sections 3(b)(11), 3(b)(15) and 7c of the State Education Office Establishment Act of 2000, as amended, effective October 21, 2000 (D.C. Law 13-176; D.C. Official Code §§ 38-2602(b)(11), 2602(b)(15) and 2609(c)(2) (2012 Supp.)); and Section 403 of the State Board of Education Establishment Act of 2007, effective June 12, 2007 (D.C. Law 17-9; D.C. Official Code § 38-2652(a)(14) (2012 Supp.)).

source

Final Rulemaking published at 24 DCR 1005 (July 29, 1977); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 40 DCR 1573 (February 26, 1993); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 56 DCR 8978 (November 20, 2009); as amended by § 304 of the South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act of 2012, effective June 7, 2012 (D.C. Law 19-141; 59 DCR 3083, 3087 (April 20, 2012)); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 9725 (June 28, 2013); as amended by Final Rulemaking published at 61 DCR 222 (January 10, 2014); as amended by the School Attendance Clarification Amendment Act of 2016, effective July 26, 2016 (D.C. Law 21-0140; 63 DCR 8207 (June 10, 2016)).