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YPS Chronic Absentee Instructions
YPS Chronic Absentee Instructions
End of Year Processes
Review information from the Attendance section of the accountability app in Single Sign on.
Recommended Site Procedures
Recommended Site Procedures
Identify students with lowest percentage of days absent from your list of Chronic Absentees and work your way toward the highest percentages. It may only take a few days to remove some of them from the SDE list.
Search for DVA attendance codes-Do any DVAs qualify as DVP? DVA is counted as an absence and will need to be included in a exemption request, DVP is counted as present and does not need to be included.
Look for consecutive days absent (search for 10 or more initially as this may indicate a significant medical condition)
Gather medical notes associated with these absences. All absences must be documented in order to qualify.
Next look for patterns (student was absent every Tuesday during 1st period). Was the student receiving mental health related services or ongoing treatment like chemotherapy? These types of absences may qualify if they are attributable to severe, chronic, or life-threatening physical or mental illness, injury, or trauma. Gather medical notes for these absences as well.
Document any qualifying absences on the appropriate form. Click Here to access the form.
Submitting an Exemption Request
What MAY COUNT for a potential Chronic Absence Appeal?
Terminal disease, degenerative illness or hospice care
Comatose
Serious chronic medical condition lasting 3 months or more and absent for that purpose such as chemotherapy or dialysis
Death or life-threatening injury of an immediate family member of the student (parent/guardian, sibling, child or another member of the student’s own household)
Serious mental or physical injury as a result of a catastrophic event
Examples of possible scenarios
Hospitalization due to something more serious than a broken ankle, such as a traumatic brain injury, diabetic crash, etc
Hospitalization for 11 days or more or placement in a residential treatment facility or mental health crisis detainment
Ongoing treatment for an injury - missing first hour 10 times for a physical therapy appointment would NOT apply, but missing regularly for a mental health related counseling appointment would likely count.
Death of any family member in the household or any family member that meets the stated criteria. Also, if the site can document a significant relationship, this too could be allowable. For example, someone passes away that has essentially “raised” the person even if they are not in the household or directly related.
What DOES NOT COUNT for a potential Chronic Absence Appeal?
Minor illness or injuries, other than COVID, that do not incapacitate the student or require recurring treatment
Short term illness or injuries, including hospitalization, that results in absences of 10 or fewer consecutive school absences
Pregnancy, unless there are medical complications
Refusal of a parent/guardian to permit the student to attend school or receive homebound services due to the illness, injury or trauma
Absences related to McKinney-Vento and homeless - see other criteria for these absences
Student absences due to a severe, chronic, or life-threatening physical or mental illness, injury, or trauma must be supported by documentation for it to be considered for exemption in the calculation of the chronic absenteeism indicator of the applicable school site so long as the determination of eligibility is made by the district’s medical exemption review committee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Significant Medical Condition?
Significant Medical Condition is a severe, chronic or life threatening physical or mental illness, infection, injury, disease, or emotional trauma that meets the following criteria:
The condition affects the student so severely as to incapacitate the student from attending school for an identifiable time period or number of days or for which student must receive regular medical care requiring absence from school
Student unable to receive homebound services or homebound education is nor appropriate due to brief recurring absences for purpose of treatment
School district has been provided written documentation of the condition verified in writing by a licensed physician
How does this relate to students who are on 504/IEP who receive an SPS absence?
The criteria for SPS absences are separate from Chronic Absenteeism. Students who meet the established criteria from Special Services and have SPS absences documented in PowerSchool are not counted absent as it relates to Chronic Absenteeism.
What form do sites use to upload an appeal at the end of the school year?
What form do sites use to upload an appeal at the end of the school year?
Click Here to access the form. You will not upload individual medical documentation. By uploading this form, you are stating the site person(s) have reviewed the students reason for absence and determined they meet the criteria for a Chronic Absenteeism Appeal. The site team must include at least one administrator in this process.
What form does the District use to document approval of appeals?
What form does the District use to document approval of appeals?
Click Here to access the District form?
How many days must a student miss to be considered Chronically Absent?
How many days must a student miss to be considered Chronically Absent?
A student who is absent 10 percent or more of the school days (8 per semester) may be considered chronically absent. It is important to note that as monthly and quarterly reports are reviewed, a student could be considered chronically absent early in the year, but then if attendance improves, because the percentage of the absences versus the total school days could decrease, the student may not be on the list at the end of the year.
Do virtual days count toward Chronic Absenteeism?
Do virtual days count toward Chronic Absenteeism?
DVP (Distance Learning Present) does not count toward the student being considered chronically absent. DVA (Distance Learning Absent) does count toward the student being considered chronically absent.
Do Out of School Suspension Days count toward a student being considered Chronically Absent?
Do Out of School Suspension Days count toward a student being considered Chronically Absent?
Yes, a day listed as OSS does count toward the student’s absences.
To qualify for an appeal for Chronic Absenteeism, documentation of providing the student educational services AND verification the student participated in the provided services would be required.
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