Provide Feedback on DCPS’ Revised Attendance and Graduation Policies

By Cathy Reilly: the Executive Director of the Senior High Alliance of Parents, Principals and Educators (S.H.A.P.P.E) and member of the State Board High School Graduation Requirements Task Force. 

DCPS recently released draft regulations and policies for attendance, promotion, secondary grading and graduation. The public can provide feedback and comments online or at two in-person feedback sessions scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday, July 19^th). Here is a brief description of what’s being proposed:

The recommendations of the State Board of Education (SBOE) Advisory Committee on the Graduation Requirements are not part of this revision.  After being accepted by the SBOE they will be forwarded to OSSE who will need to put them into regulation language and bring them back to the SBOE for a vote.  OSSE has discretion over what they bring to the SBOE For a vote.

The DCMR are the regulations put forward by agencies. For DCPS, the Council has the power to review and disapprove of these regulations if they so choose, otherwise they move into the DCMR. These emergency rules took effect on June 19^th, 2018. They will remain in effect for 120 days unless they are superseded by a notice of final rulemaking.  The final rulemaking is what we are being asked to comment on.

I urge you to respond to the on line surveys before July 22^nd and attend the listening sessions on July 19^th noted here.  The online survey is a discussion with comments. These revisions attempt to remedy some of the policy problems that were evident in the high schools this past year. The question for us is does it create different problems?  Do they get the balance between School system, teacher and student responsibility right?  It is important to remember that teachers still grade their students on mastery of the content.

Here are some highlights of the proposed changes or of controversial things that remain:

• Students with 30 unexcused absences in a year or in a course will be given a grade of Failure due to Absence. This revision removes previous requirements for grade reductions at 5 and 10 unexcused absences. Students can also receive an F for failing to master content.

 

• The 80/20 rule for attendance remains. DCMR 2199.1 defines Present as a full or partial day where a student is physically in attendance for at least 80% of the approved instructional period or a school approved activity. Period absences are combined to determine daily absences for the student.  Changing this rule may need to go through the State Board of Education, this may explain why it remains.

 

The 80/20 rule was cited during the discussions following the extensive number of failure due to absence cases, this past winter, as part of the problem. While high school students will get credit for attending a course after 1^st period, they will be marked absent for the day in the school’s data for ESSA accountability purposes. These two systems should not be separate. If secondary schools are counting absences by course absence, that could be noted and be consistent across metrics.  This rule, as written communicates that once you have missed one fifth of the day, it will not matter if you come.  Attendance is a high stakes metric figuring into a school’s classification in the ESSA calculation and on the report card.  It is not clear why the metric is different for the school versus what it is for the student.

• No minor can be expelled or removed from their school for absenteeism including students attending an out of boundary school. However, a school may dis-enroll a student for 20 or more full school day consecutive unexcused absences.

 

• In this revision half day schedules for students are clarified so these students are not classified as truant.

 

• In the appeals process for a failure due to absence, this amended document no longer provides for the teacher to provide information. The phrase “testimony shall be heard from both sides” has been removed from 2103.19. Also for an appeal of failure due to absence, the final appeal is heard by the Chancellor’s Official Grade Appeal Designee.  Formerly this was handled by the Hearing Office.

 

• Progress Reports: Teacher comments are required. Teachers must notify parents in writing if child is in danger of failing at any time. All students should be given the opportunity to pass even if they are failing when they receive a progress report.   Students are given two warnings in this revision, one at 10 absences and one at 15, (warning that they will fail a course if they have 30 unexcused absences.) Instructional support plans must be developed – students should be encouraged to participate in composing their own plan.

 

• Each school shall have a make-up work policy noting a reasonable period of time to hand in make-up work. It can be no less than 1 day for each day absent. Standard grading procedure will apply for work missed due to absence. Grades cannot be lowered for late work due to absence. Grades are given for the content of the work.

 

• Notification of graduation status changed from 10 to 12 days after the close of the third advisory period.

 

• The name and dress code for DCPS graduations has been amended to be gender neutral. DCPS Student Name and Gender Change Policy.

 

• For grade appeals not due to absence they go to the Instructional Superintendent not to the Chancellor’s Official grade appeal designee as in the case of failure due to absence. The appeal goes first to the principal, the teachers is not mentioned in the grade appeal process.

 

• For Students Who Transfer into a Class after a Course Has Begun: If students enter in the first term – they can make up work and get a grade for the course. If they enter in the second half – they are considered a late entry. Students may enroll in the course and should be provided the opportunity to make up the missed work from that term until the end of the following term, the student should then receive a grade to override the Late Entry code.

 

Certainly some of these changes will absolutely clarify policy for example on half day schedules and grade reductions.  A designation of failure due to absence remains, regardless of mastery of subject matter. This may be necessary to make clear that attending school is important and that make up work without instruction is really not a viable option if one wants a full education.  It will be very helpful to hear the input of our professional educators and families on these issues.