CHS Attendance Policy

 

Attending school on a regular basis allows your student to build relationships with their school community and to be fully engaged in their learning. 

 

CHS Attendance Policy 2024-2025

 

This attendance policy was updated to reflect the current policies of Poudre School District and was developed with input from staff, students, and community members.  The PSD Attendance Policy can be found at this link for reference: https://bit.ly/PSDAttendancePolicy.

 

Centennial High School Attendance Philosophy

Centennial High School serves the Poudre School District as an alternative high school. Students may choose to enroll at Centennial at any time in order to earn a high school diploma.  Students are not guaranteed a place at Centennial High School unless they follow school norms and pledge card expectations, and demonstrate a positive mental attitude and a commitment to learning and earning a high school diploma.

 

Consistent daily attendance is paramount to success in school and contributes to developing life-long habits for showing up and taking care of business. Consistent daily attendance also shows a student’s commitment to learning and earning a high school diploma. The consistency in attendance is what provides the greatest opportunity for success through ongoing grade/credit earning toward graduation, but more importantly, building the necessary skills for one’s success in the real world, post-graduation.  Again, WE BELIEVE IN STUDENTS and know they choose Centennial for a reason.  Let’s take care of business and get it done!

 

Centennial High School Attendance Policy

Centennial High School will reference the Poudre School District Attendance Policy with regard to excused absences, unexcused absences, and make-up work procedures.  Students are expected to frontload, self-advocate, and communicate with their teachers and office staff whenever possible regarding past or potential absences, and parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the office as well. School Administrators will monitor attendance and may not approve absences as excused if students are habitually absent.

 

Students will remain in a full class schedule (three or more classes), and students’ excused and unexcused absences will be monitored to provide the best possible opportunity for success for all students each Hexter. 

 

All students will still earn ABCU grades with either full or reduced credit-earning.

 

Students with excused absences will be provided with their missed work and they will be allowed one day for every day absent to make up the work at full credit. Students with unexcused absences may be provided with work so as to keep up with the class, but per PSD Policy, may receive partial credit for their work. 

 

Student Attendance Monitoring and Interventions

Students at Centennial are expected to self-advocate and be responsible for their attendance, complete work, and in general, take care of business. Centennial staff also play an integral role in students’ attendance through daily, weekly, and Hexter monitoring and tracking.  Families will receive daily phone calls alerting them of students’ absences, and teachers should also notify families of any attendance concerns through email, phone, or Parent Vue notifications.

 

As students’ absences increase, various interventions and/or consequences will be assigned and documented accordingly.  Depending on the frequency of absences, students’ grade or credit-earning potential may be reduced, and students may be excluded from various campus opportunities.

• For 1-6 total absences:
  • Excused Absences - students will receive full credit and the grade earned, based on completion of the required (or made-up) work for the Hexter.
  • Unexcused Absences - students will receive the grade earned and may receive reduced credit based on the number of absences (seat time), per the CHS Semester Credit Chart.
  • After 3-4 absences, students will meet with counselors to help reduce barriers and provide resources.
  • After 5-6 absences, students will meet with the AP/Dean or Principal to develop an Individualized Attendance Intervention Plan.*

*Individualized Attendance Intervention Plan

Students who are struggling to have consistent attendance will meet with an administrator to develop an Individualized Attendance Intervention Plan, similar to an attendance contract, to best support each individual student with their success. Students will remain on a full schedule (a full schedule is 3-5 class periods) but class periods may be adjusted to best provide support during the school day.

• Students will receive appropriate individualized interventions. 
• Students may be connected to additional school or district support personnel.
• Students may select multiple Mind Center periods, in lieu of their regular class schedule, to provide opportunities for recovery through the end of the Hexter.
• For more than 6 total absences:
  • Students will receive reduced credit based on in-class seat time, whether absences are excused or unexcused.
  • Students will meet with the AP/Dean or Principal to review and adjust their Individualized Attendance Intervention Plan.*
  • Depending on the severity of absences, a variety of interventions may be utilized to best support each individual student.  Examples of potential interventions include:
• Check and Connect
• Data-Driven Incentives
• Family-School Partnerships
• Graduation Advocacy Mentor
• Attendance Contract or Support Plan
• Staff Mentor
• Students with two or more classes of 6 or more unexcused absences must attend Re-entry at the end of the Hexter to refocus and reflect on their purpose for attending Centennial High School, and to develop an improvement plan for their attendance for the following Hexter.

 

• Tardy Policy

Tardies will be distinguished between Tardy Excused (TE) and Tardy Unexcused (TU); TE = any reason that falls under the excused absence list.

• 4 TU’s = 1 absence
• 2 EXTs= 1 absence
• Tardy is up to ten minutes after the bell
• EXT is more than ten minutes, up to half of the period

 

Students' attendance and credit-earning will be monitored in each class during each Hexter to monitor overall progress. In a Hexter, students have the potential to earn 12.5 credits (2.5 credits per class), and a total of 37.5 credits each semester, not counting the additional E-Week credit-earning classes.  Seniors and other students wishing to accelerate their credit-earning may also take additional online courses through an independent sixth period.  To be in overall good standing with attendance and credit earning, the expectation is that students earn 72% (or 9 credits) per Hexter. 

 

Students who fail to meet the attendance and credit-earning expectations, after two repeated Hexters, will be brought to a summit.  At the summit, a panel of teachers, counselors, and administrators will meet with the student to determine obstacles, to determine options for school attendance, and to provide supportive resources and recommendations.  The summit will determine if Centennial is the best option for each student’s ongoing progress toward graduation, or if another placement in an alternate setting would be more appropriate.  For students with an IEP or 504, the integrated services teacher will also be present at the summit.

 

NOTE: All students with disabilities who qualify for special education and related services pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (“Section 504”) or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (“IDEA”) are entitled to a free and appropriate public education (“FAPE”). In addition, students receiving services pursuant to the IDEA or Section 504 are entitled to receive FAPE in the least restrictive environment (“LRE”).

If a student receiving services pursuant to an IEP or Section 504 Plan accrues too many absences per this policy, those students will continue to be provided the same services available to them in their IEP or 504 plan. Prior to significantly changing a student’s placement in a 504 plan or IEP, a reevaluation must occur. Thus, if dropping a student receiving services pursuant to their 504 plan or IEP would significantly change their placement, a reevaluation must occur prior to such action being taken.

For further information, please reference the following links to understand your rights, and your child’s rights pursuant to the IDEA and Section 504.

Students and classroom communities, who achieve high attendance each Hexter, will be eligible for rewards and randomized incentives. 

 

E-Week Intervention 

During E-Week each Hexter, at least one day will be designated for students to receive supported make-up work time.  Students will have the opportunity to do either unit or grade recovery; teachers will provide the necessary work and information as related to the credit/grade earning potential.  All CHS students also have the opportunity to participate in supported make-up work time to continue to progress through their credit-earning or credit-recovery coursework.

 

Re-entry

Re-entry will be scheduled on the Friday of E-Week to provide a time to “welcome students back to the circle.”  Administrators and counselors will spend time with students to identify barriers to attendance and overall school success. It will also be a time to create a plan to overcome future obstacles, to provide reinforcement of Discovery Skills, to explore social-emotional supports, and to provide students with a sense of belonging.

 

Re-entry is required for students with two or more classes of 6 or more unexcused absences, students who have stopped attending, or students who are returning from a prior Hexter. Students who do not attend re-entry will need to meet with an administrator prior to beginning the next Hexter and receiving a schedule.

 

Attendance Office Information

To excuse absences, or if you have any questions regarding the current attendance policy, please call 970-488-4940.

 

 

 

 

All components of the attendance policy will be regularly reviewed and adjusted accordingly.

 

 

 

Revised 11/1/2024