DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STANDARDIZED CALCULATION FOR COUNTING STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND TRUANCY 1 CCR 301-78 [Editor’s Notes follow the text of the rules at the end of this CCR Document.] _________________________________________________________________________

1.00 Statement of Basis and Purpose

This regulation is adopted pursuant to the authority in section 22-33-104 (4)(c), C.R.S. and is intended to be consistent with the requirements of the State Administrative Procedures Act, section 24-4-101 et seq. (the “APA”), C.R.S.

This regulation shall govern the standardized calculation for counting unexcused absences of students, including the circumstance in which a student is absent for part of a school day, and the format for reporting the number of students identified as habitually truant. Many research studies have concluded that truancy is a problem that impacts a student’s ability to attain the maximum benefit from the education process. Families, schools and communities must work together to ensure regular daily and punctual school attendance. Students should be advised that each scheduled school day will count in their attendance records. Further, students are required to attend classes, unless excused for good reason, in accordance with the Colorado School Attendance Law (C.R.S. 22-33-101). The purpose of this regulation is to provide specificity for consistency in reporting attendance and truancy data across school districts and BOCES. This regulation intends to increase data accuracy by generating uniform indicators for aggregate excused and unexcused absences and habitually truant student numbers. Another purpose is to allow the usage of these indicators to leverage resources to support the complete success of children and youth in school.

2.00 Definitions

2.00(1) “Absences” means the scheduled school days or portions thereof missed by the student. 2.00(2) “Attendance Period” means the period of time in which student attendance is recorded. 2.00(3) “Attendance” is one collection of the Data Pipeline system to obtain attendance, excused and unexcused absences and habitually truant information.

2.00(4) “Data Pipeline” means the state reporting system to collect, through electronic transfer where possible, all student and public school performance data as required by 22-7-603 C.R.S. 2.00(5) “BOCES” means Boards of Cooperative Educational Services. 2.00(6) “Department” means the Colorado Department of Education. 2.00(7) “Excused Absence” means the student is absent for a reason as identified within the attendance policy set by local school board of education as declared in 22-33-104 (4)(a) C.R.S. which may include, but is not limited to, the following reasons: funerals, illness, injury, legal obligations, medical procedures and religious observations.

2.00(8) “Habitually Truant” means a student who is at least the age of six on or before August 1 of the school year in question and under the age of seventeen years having four total days of unexcused absences from public school in any one calendar month or ten total days of unexcused absences from public school during the reported school year in congruence with C.R.S. 22-33-107(3)(a).

2.00(9) “Level of Detail” means the most detailed data available for reporting purposes of attendance information.

2.00(10) “Month” means a named calendar month regardless of the number of school days within each month.

2.00(11) “Reported School Year” means the full school year as defined by the local school board of education.

2.00(12) “Tardies” may be defined by local school district/BOCES board policy, generally meaning a student entering classes after the scheduled start time. 2.00(13) “Truancy/Unexcused Absence” means a student is absent from school without a valid and verifiable excuse by the parent/guardian that is consistent with school or board policy as defined in 22-33-104 (4)(a) C.R.S. or the student leaves school or a class without permission of authorized school staff.

2.00(14) “Unexcused Absence/Truancy” means a student is absent from school without a valid and verifiable excuse by the parent/guardian that is consistent with school or board policy as defined in 22-33-104 (4)(a) C.R.S. or the student leaves school or a class without permission of authorized school staff.

3.00 Standardized Calculation for Counting Absences of Students

3.01 District/BOCES Uphold Written Attendance Policy.

3.01(1) The local board of education shall adopt a written policy setting forth the district's or BOCES’ attendance requirements. Said policy shall provide for Excused Absences, including those listed as exclusions from compulsory school attendance as declared in 22-33-104 (4)(a).

3.01(2) The school district or BOCES shall uphold its written attendance policy. To ensure consistency in reporting attendance and Truancy data, districts and BOCES shall enforce uniform interpretations of the definitions of Excused Absences and Unexcused Absences across all schools within the school district or BOCES, according to the adopted district/BOCES attendance policy.

3.01(3) The district/BOCES attendance policy shall be implemented in accordance with 22-33- 107 C.R.S. which states that school district/BOCES policies shall include provisions for the development of a plan with the goal of assisting the child who is habitually truant to remain in school and when practicable, with the full participation of the child’s parent, guardian or legal custodian.

3.02 Excused Versus Unexcused Absences.

3.02(1) Excused Absences.

3.02(1)(a) Excused Absences occur when the student is absent for an acceptable reason as identified within the attendance policy set by local school board of education as declared in 22-33-104 (4)(a) C.R.S. which may include, but is not limited to, the following reasons: funeral, illness, injury, legal obligation, medical procedure and religious observation.

3.02(1)(b) Local schools may require appropriate documentation to verify excused absences.

3.02(1)(c) Absences due to suspension or expulsion of a child shall be considered excused absences for purposes of calculating habitually truant students (22-33- 107 (3)(a) C.R.S.).

3.02(2) Unexcused Absences.

3.02(2)(a) Unexcused Absences occur when the student is absent without a reason or for an unacceptable reason as identified within the attendance rules set by local school board of education policy as declared in 22-33-104 (4)(a) C.R.S. 3.02(2)(b) If authorized school officials determine that the parent’s excuse is not valid or verified, the absence shall be unexcused.

3.02(2)(c) Unexcused Absences are used to calculate Truancy rates.

3.03 Aggregation of Absences.

3.03(1) A district or BOCES, and its schools, shall report truancy/attendance data as specifically as its student information system (SIS) allows, i.e., by minutes, hours or by periods. 3.03(2) At a minimum, attendance shall be recorded once during each scheduled school day. 3.03(3) For Department reporting purposes, a student who is absent more than 50 percent of any Attendance Period during a scheduled school day shall be considered absent for that entire recorded and reported period. For the 2020-21 academic year, during any period during which students are participating in remote learning due to public health and safety requirements, students may be recorded as present when participating in that remote learning. Districts should record absences and attendance consistent with the district’s attendance policy as it applies to these remote learning situations. 3.03(4) For Department reporting purposes, a student who is present 50 percent or more of any Attendance Period during a scheduled school day shall be considered present for that entire recorded and reported period. For the 2020-21 academic year, during any period during which students are participating in remote learning due to public health and safety requirements, students may be recorded as present when participating in that remote learning. Districts should record absences and attendance consistent with the district’s attendance policy as it applies to these remote learning situations. 3.03(5) All units of time shall be summed and converted to the number of days absent for reporting to the Department.

3.03(6) Student Excused Absences shall be totaled for each student utilizing the most specific Level of Detail collected and reported to the Department through the Attendance collection. When totaling this sum, the calculation shall include percentages of each student’s scheduled instructional day as applicable.

3.03(7) Student Unexcused Absences shall be totaled for each student utilizing the most specific Level of Detail collected and reported to the Department through the Attendance collection. When totaling this sum, the calculation shall include percentages of each student’s scheduled instructional day as applicable.

3.04 Days Suspended/Expelled.

3.04(1) Days suspended or expelled shall be totaled within the student Total Days Excused reported to the Department in accordance with 22-33-107 C.R.S. through the Attendance collection.

3.04(2) Absences due to suspension or expulsion of a student shall not be totaled into the student Total Days Unexcused reported to the Department through Attendance collection.

3.04(3) For expelled students enrolled in a district-sponsored or BOCES-sponsored expulsion program, attendance shall be taken and counted toward the school that administers the program or the student’s school of record at the discretion of the district/BOCES. Absences for students in such programs shall be determined to be excused or unexcused in accordance with the rules in this document.

4.00 Format for Reporting Habitually Truant Student Data to the Department

4.01 Habitually Truant.

4.01(1) A Habitually Truant student is one who is at least the age of six on or before August 1 of the year in question and under the age of seventeen years having four total days of Unexcused Absences from public school in any one calendar Month or ten total days of Unexcused Absences from public school during the Reported School Year.

4.02 Habitually Truant Status.

4.02(1) The status of a Habitually Truant student is calculated using the sum of Unexcused Absences converted to days and fractions of days.

4.02(2) A student shall be reported as a Habitually Truant student if, at any time during the Reported School Year, their Unexcused Absences from public school in any one calendar Month equals or exceeds four total days.

4.02(1) A student shall be reported as a Habitually Truant student, if at any time during the Reported School Year, their Unexcused Absences from public school equals or exceeds ten total days.

4.03 Days Suspended/ Expelled.

4.03(1) Student Absences due to suspension or expulsion shall be considered excused for purposes of determining student Truancy status (22-33-107 (3)(a) C.R.S.) and as such, shall not be included in the calculation of Habitually Truant status.

4.04 Tardies.

4.04(1) Tardies shall not be included in the calculation of Habitually Truant students for Department reporting purposes.

4.05 Reporting Categories.

4.05(1) Districts and BOCES shall report Habitually Truant students in each school during the entire Reported School Year. Each student will be reported only once in one of three categories.

4.05(2) “Four or more days in any one month” indicates that the Habitually Truant student accrued four or more total days of Unexcused Absences from the reporting public school in any one calendar Month, but never accumulated ten or more total days Unexcused Absences from that public school during the Reported School Year. 4.05(3) “Ten or more days in one school year” indicates that the Habitually Truant student accrued ten or more total days of Unexcused Absences from the reporting public school during the Reported School Year, but never accumulated four or more total days of Unexcused Absences from that public school in any one calendar Month. 4.05(4) “Met both conditions” indicates that the Habitually Truant student accrued four or more total days of Unexcused Absences from the reporting public school in any one calendar Month and also accumulated ten or more total days Unexcused Absences from the same public school during the Reported School Year.

4.06 Data Collection.

4.06(1) Districts and BOCES shall provide Habitually Truant student data in the Data Pipeline Attendance collection.

4.07 Beginning Date.

4.07(1) Districts and BOCES shall provide Habitually Truant student data beginning with the 2009-2010 school year.

4.08 Duplication of Data.

4.08(1) The Habitually Truant student counts provided may be duplicated across schools within a district or BOCES, and will be duplicated in state totals because of student mobility between schools and districts.

_________________________________________________________________________ Editor’s Notes History Entire rule eff. 01/30/2009.

Entire rule eff. 10/30/2020.