The federal programs staff of the Claiborne County Board of Education would like to invite all stakeholders to attend an informational meeting related to district policies and procedures for identifying and working with homeless children and youth.

When creating community awareness, regarding the needs and rights of the homeless students in Claiborne County, stakeholder collaboration is an essential part of the process.

The meeting will take place on Tuesday,  January 15, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in the boardroom of the central office at the Claiborne County Board of Education Building.

For more information, please call Georgia Rush or Sandra Williams at 423-626-3543.

Thank you.

The Claiborne County Board of Education would like to invite all families to attend an event for stakeholders who would like to learn more about the following resources:

ESL Networking

Homework Hotline

Literacy Skills and Concepts

Community Resources Available

This event will be held at the Claiborne County Board of Education on November 9, 2018 in the boardroom at 10:00 a.m.  For more information, please contact Georgia Rush or April Davis at 423-626-3543.

Your child’s daily, on-time attendance is critical to their success in school. And while some challenges to your child’s school attendance are unavoidable, it’s important to understand the impact of each absence.

A student is considered chronically absent if they miss only two days of school per month(18 days in a year), whether the absences are excused or unexcused. This is true for children as early as elementary school, when they are at a higher risk of falling behind in reading. Even one year of chronic absence can cause a child to fall behind academically and decrease a child’s chances of graduating from high school, which can have long-term consequences on their financial independence, physical well-being and mental health.

The good news? Attending school every day increases a child’s chances of success in school and in life.

PARENTS PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO VISIT THE ABSENCES ADD UP HOMEPAGE.

Absences Add Up Homepage

                                                CLAIBORNE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION

                                                                     ATTENDANCE POLICY

Attendance is a key factor in student achievement and therefore, students are expected to be present each day school is in session.

The attendance supervisor shall oversee the entire attendance program which shall include:
1. All accounting and reporting procedures and their dissemination;
2. Alternative program options for students who severely fail to meet minimum attendance 5 requirements;
3. Ensuring that all school age children attend school; 7
4. Providing documentation of enrollment status upon request for students applying for new or 8 reinstatement of driver’s permit or license; and 9
5. Notifying the Department of Safety whenever a student with a driver’s permit or license
withdraws from school.
Student attendance records shall be given the same level of confidentiality as other student records. Only authorized school officials with legitimate educational purposes may have access to student information without the consent of the student or parent/guardian.

Absences shall be classified as either excused or unexcused as determined by the principal/designee. Excused absences shall include:
1. Personal illness;
2. Illness of immediate family member;
3. Death in the family;
4. Extreme weather conditions;
5. Religious observances;
6. College visits;
7. Pregnancy;
8. School sponsored or school endorsed activities
9. Summons, subpoena, or court order;
10. Circumstances which in the judgment of the principal create emergencies over which the student has no control.
The principal shall be responsible for ensuring that:
1. Attendance is checked and reported daily for each class;
2. Daily absentee sheets contain sign in/sign out sheets and indicate students present or absent for the majority of the day;
3. All student absences are verified;
4. Written excuses are submitted for absences and tardiness;
5. System-wide procedures for accounting and reporting are followed.
TRUANCY
Truancy is defined as an absence for an entire school day, a major portion of the school day or the major 15 portion of any class, study hall or activity during the school day for which the student is scheduled.
Students who are absent five (5) days without adequate excuse shall be reported to the director of schools who will, in turn, provide written notice to the parents/guardians of the student’s absence. The director of schools shall also comply with state law regarding the reporting of truant students to the proper authorities.  If a student is required to participate in a remedial instruction program outside of  the regular school day where there is no cost to the parent(s) and the school system provides transportation, unexcused absences from these programs shall be reported in the same manner.
The Board shall determine annually and include in the school calendar a plan for using three (3) abbreviated school days and the procedures for making up missed instructional days. In addition, the Board shall determine annually whether to use flexible scheduling for kindergarten students.
Students participating in school-sponsored activities whether on- or off-campus shall not be counted absent. In order to qualify as “school-sponsored,” the activity must be school-planned, school-directed, and teacher-supervised.
MILITARY SERVICE OF PARENT/GUARDIAN
School principals shall provide students with a one-day excused absence prior to the deployment of and a one-day excused absence upon the return of a parent or custodian serving active military service.  Principals shall also allow up to ten (10) excused cumulative absences per year for students to visit a parent or guardian during a deployment cycle. The student shall provide documentation to the school as
proof of his/her parent’s/guardian’s deployment. Students shall be permitted to make up schoolwork missed during these absences.
MAKE-UP WORK 
Make-up work will be provided for those students who miss assignments due to absences. The following conditions apply to make-up work:
1. Arranging to make up work missed is the responsibility of the student.
2. All requests for make-up work should be made to the teacher within five (5) days of return from the absence.
3. Tests missed during absences will be taken during the regularly scheduled class time or another time agreeable to the teacher and the student.
4. A zero (0) may be recorded for all work a student fails to make up.
STATE-MANDATED TESTS/END OF COURSE EXAMS
Students who are absent the day of the scheduled End of Course Exams must present a signed doctor’s excuse or must have been given an excused release by the principal prior to testing to receive an excused 18 absence.

Students who have excused absences will be allowed to take a make-up exam that will count as 25% of their grade. Excused students will receive an incomplete in the course until they have taken the End of Course Exam.

Students who have an unexcused absence shall receive a failing grade on the course exam which shall be averaged into their final grade at 25%.
Students in grades 3-8 who take the TN Ready Assessment must have the scores count as 15% of the second semester average in the appropriate classes. For elementary students who are absent and unable to make up the TN Ready Assessment, an excused will be exempted for this score and an unexcused absence will count as a zero.
CREDIT/PROMOTION DENIAL
Credit/promotion denial determinations may include student attendance, however, student attendance may not be the sole criterion.  However, if attendance is a factor, prior to credit/promotion denial, the following shall occur:
1. Parents and students shall be advised if a student is in danger of credit/promotion denial due to excessive absenteeism.
2. Procedures in due process are available to the student when credit or promotion is denied.
DRIVER’S LICENSE REVOCATION 
More than ten (10) consecutive or fifteen (15) reported unexcused absences by a student during any 36 semester renders a student ineligible to retain a driver’s permit or license, or to obtain such if of age.  In order to qualify for reclaiming a driver’s permit or license, the student must make a passing grade in at least three (3) full unit subjects or their equivalency at the conclusion of a subsequent grading period.
ATTENDANCE HEARING
Students with excessive (more than 5) unexcused absences or those in danger of credit/promotion denial  shall have the opportunity to appeal to an attendance hearing committee appointed by the principal. If the student chooses to appeal, the student or their parent/guardian shall be provided written or actual notice of the appeal hearing and shall be given the opportunity to address the committee. The committee will conduct a hearing to determine if any extenuating circumstances exist or to determine if the student has met attendance requirements that will allow him/her to pass the course or be promoted. Upon notification of the attendance committee decision, the principal shall send written notification to the director of schools/designee and the parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student of any action taken regarding the excessive unexcused absences. The notification shall advise parents/guardian(s) of their right to appeal such action within two (2) school days to the director of schools/designee.
The appeal shall be heard no later than ten (10) school days after the request for appeal is received.
The director of schools/designee shall ensure that this policy is posted in each school building and disseminated to all students, parents, teachers and administrative staff.