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PHILIP REILLY ELEMENTARY

Be Respectful, Be Responsible, Build Relationships and Work Hard
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Attendance Matters
WHY DOES ATTENDANCE MATTER?

WHY DOES ATTENDANCE MATTER?

  • The attendance rate is important because students are more likely to succeed in academics when they attend school consistently. It's difficult for the teacher and the class to build their skills and progress if a large number of students are frequently absent.
  • It helps us build opinions and have points of view on things in life. People debate over the subject of whether education is the only thing that gives knowledge. Some say education is the process of gaining information about the surrounding world while knowledge is something very different. They are right.
  • School budgets may suffer when students don’t attend. In many states, school budgets are based on the average daily attendance at a school. If many students enrolled at a school fail to consistently attend, the school has less money to pay for essential classroom needs.
  • In addition to falling behind in academics, students who are not in school on a regular basis are more likely to get into trouble with the law and cause problems in their communities.
 
A 2008 study conducted by the Rodel Community Scholars at Arizona State University that tracked students from kindergarten through high school found that dropout patterns were linked with poor attendance, beginning in kindergarten. Gregory Hickman, director of the Rodel Community Scholars program and former director of the Arizona Dropout Initiative, notes they discovered that as early as kindergarten, behavioral differences are apparent between those who go on to graduate and those who drop out, with dropouts missing an average of 124 days by eighth grade.
You can find helpful tips on developing positive attendance patterns for your children and resources for parents here.
 
Attendance Matters
INDEPENDENT STUDY

INDEPENDENT STUDY

Please complete the form to request a Short-Term Independent Study (STIS) contract for your student under the Tab for it.
Short-Term Independent Study (STIS) provides students with an opportunity to continue learning during certain temporary absences from school. Please review the information below before submitting your request.
Important Information
  • STIS may be requested for planned absences of 1 to 15 school days.
  • Requests should be submitted at least five (5) school days before the planned absence. Requests submitted with less notice may be considered at the principal's discretion.
  • A maximum of 15 school days of Short-Term Independent Study may be used during a single school year.
  • STIS is intended to support continued academic progress during a temporary absence and is not a replacement for in-person instruction. In-person instruction remains the most effective mode of learning for students.
  • STIS is not available during the first week of school. Requests during the last two weeks of a semester (secondary) or the last two weeks of the school year (elementary and secondary) may be limited based on whether instruction can reasonably be provided.
  • Students will complete assigned work during the STIS period. Depending on grade level, assignments will be provided in a paper packet and/or through Canvas. This work is in lieu of classroom instruction, not make-up work.
  • A Short-Term Independent Study contract must be signed by both the parent/guardian and the student before the independent study period begins.
  • Attendance credit is based on the percentage of assigned work successfully completed in accordance with California Education Code. Students will initially be recorded as absent during the STIS period. Once the completed work has been reviewed and attendance eligibility has been verified, attendance records will be updated as appropriate.