The Board of Education recognizes that cell phones are valuable and important communication devices in today’s society, however, the use of cell phones during the instructional day distracts from the learning process.

For the purpose of this policy, cell phones are defined as: cell phones, tablets, electronic watches, tracking devices unless issued by the District, iPads, video game consoles or any other device which has the capability to send/receive messages, take pictures or record video/audio.

Grades K-8

Cell phone use is prohibited during the instructional day.

Grades 9-12

Unless given explicit directions for instructional purposes by faculty or administration, cell phone usage is restricted on campus during instructional time. Cell phone use is permitted in the cafeteria during their scheduled lunch period, however, recording video, taking photos or recording conversations without the permission of all involved are expressly prohibited.

All Students

Students may use personal cell phones on the bus, before or after school hours where it will not serve as a distraction to educational activities including teams, clubs or other school sanctioned programs. When using a cell phone on District property, the following applies:

• Cyberbullying will not be tolerated. Engaging in cyberbullying during school hours or during any school sponsored event will result in disciplinary action.
• Inappropriate use of social media or cell phones, such as vulgar pictures, text messages, or videos, etc. will not be permitted.
• At no time is livestreaming permitted during the instructional day.
• The student is solely responsible for their cell phone.
• Cell phones are not to be used or displayed in hallways during class passing.
• Cell phones are not to be used or displayed in the cafeteria for grades K-8.
• Cell phones are not to be used or displayed in restrooms, locker rooms or any location where there is an expectation of privacy.
• Pictures are not to be taken without the consent of those in the picture.
• Audio or video recording is not to take place without the knowledge of all being recorded. The only exception is when a student has permission from a faculty member to appropriately do so.
• Cell phones are to be powered off during any and all testing.
• Unauthorized recordings are to be deleted in the presence of a district administrator.

It is permissible to record during a school play or sporting event where there is no expectation of privacy. In addition, class syllabi may govern the acceptable use of a cell phone during class time at the secondary level.

During instructional time, students will keep their cell phone and headphones out of sight and set to silent mode. If cell phones are being used during class time or inappropriately, the following may occur.

• Warning to student.
• Notification to parent.
• Confiscation of device: Confiscated items will be returned to the student at the end of the day or to the parent/guardian.
• Privilege revocation – the student may lose their right to bring a cell phone to school.
• Additional disciplinary measures – as deemed appropriate by the principal. This may include detention, suspension or expulsion.

Ref: 5300, Code of Conduct

Approved by the Board of Education: 03/21/24

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                   The Board of Education recognizes that regular school attendance is a major component of academic success. Through implementation of this policy, the Board expects to minimize the number of unexcused absences, tardiness, and early departures (referred to in this policy as “ATEDs”), encourage full attendance by all students, maintain an adequate attendance recordkeeping system, identify patterns of student ATEDs and develop effective intervention strategies to improve school attendance.

Notice

To be successful in this endeavor, it is imperative that all members of the school community are aware of this policy, its purpose, procedures and the consequences of non-compliance. To ensure that students, parents, teachers and administrators are notified of and understand this policy, the following procedures will be implemented. 

• A plain language summary of this attendance policy will be included in student handbooks and will be reviewed with students at the start of the school year.
• Parents will receive a plain language summary of this policy by mail at the start of the school year. Parents will be asked to sign and return a statement indicating that they have read and understand the policy.
• When a student is absent, tardy, or leaves early from class or school without excuse, designated staff member(s) will notify the student’s parent(s) by phone and mail of the specific ATED, remind them of the attendance policy, and review ATED intervention procedures with them.
• A back-to-school event will be held at the beginning of each school year to emphasize that every day of attendance counts, explain this policy, and stress the parent’s responsibility for their ensuring their children’s attendance.
• School newsletters and publications will include periodic reminders of the components of this policy.
• The district will provide a copy of the attendance policy and any amendments thereto to faculty and staff. New staff will receive a copy upon their employment.
• All faculty and staff will meet at the beginning of each school year to review the attendance policy to clarify individual roles in its implementation.
• Copies of this policy will also be made available to any community member, upon request.
• The district will share this policy with local Child Protective Services (CPS) to ensure a common understanding of excused and unexcused ATED’s and to work toward identifying and addressing cases of educational neglect.

      

Excused and Unexcused Absences

Excused ATEDs are defined as absences, tardiness, and early departures from class or school due to personal illness, illness or death in the family, impassable roads or weather, religious observance, quarantine, required court appearances, attendance at health clinics, approved college visits, approved cooperative work programs, military obligations, or such other reasons as may be approved by the appropriate building administrator (including, but not limited to, absences due to circumstances related to homelessness).

All other ATEDs are considered unexcused absences.

All ATEDs must be accounted for. It is the parent’s responsibility to notify the school office within 24 hours of the ATED and to provide a written excuse upon the student’s return to school. For homeless students, the homeless liaison will assist the student in providing or obtaining documentation if needed.

General Procedures/Data Collection

• Attendance will be taken during each class period.
• At the conclusion of each class period or school day, all attendance information will be compiled and provided to the designated staff member(s) responsible for attendance.
• The nature of an ATED will be coded on a student’s record.
• Student ATED data will be available to and must be reviewed by the designated school personnel in an expeditious manner.
• Where additional information is received that requires corrections to be made to a student’s attendance records, such correction will be made immediately. Notice of such a change will be sent to appropriate school personnel subject to applicable confidentiality rules.
• Attendance data will be analyzed periodically to identify patterns or trends in student absences. If patterns emerge, district resources will be targeted to understand and eliminate barriers to attendance.
• Continuous monitoring will be conducted to identify students who are absent, tardy, or leave class or school early. A student will be considered chronically absent if they miss ten percent or more of the school year. Satisfactory attendance is missing five percent or less of school over the course of the year. If a pattern of ATED’s for an individual student is identified a designated staff person(s) will follow-up in accordance with this policy.

Attendance Incentives

The district will design and implement systems to acknowledge a student’s efforts to maintain or improve school attendance. For example:

• At the building and classroom levels, Building Principals and teachers are encouraged to schedule special events (quizzes, game days, debates, etc.) for days of chronically high absenteeism, like Mondays and Fridays.
• At the classroom levels, teachers are encouraged to assign special responsibilities (distribute and collect materials, lead groups, assist the teacher, etc.) to students who may need extra motivation to come to school.
• At all grade levels, improving the school climate through student surveys in order to provide a safe, supportive school environment and engage students in school.
• Engaging students and families determine whether systemic barriers to attendance exist for students and develop solutions to remove those barriers.

Consequences of Excessive ATEDs

A designated staff member(s) will contact the student’s parents and the student’s guidance counselor in the event that a student’s record reveals excessive ATED’s, excused and/or unexcused. Excessive ATED’s is defined as: 18 or more absences per year. Such staff member(s) will remind parents of the attendance policy, explain the ramifications of excessive ATEDs, stress the importance of class attendance and discuss appropriate intervention strategies to correct the situation. Students identified as chronically absent will be considered for a mentor program.

Unexcused ATEDs may result in disciplinary action consistent with the district’s code of conduct. Those penalties may include, for example, detention or denial of the privilege of participating in or attending extracurricular events. However, absences related to homelessness will not result in negative consequences where the district determines that it would be in the best interests of the student in retaining the student in school.

In addition, the designated staff member will contact local Child Protective Services (CPS) if they suspect that the child is being educationally neglected. The designated staff member will provide CPS with the information necessary to initiate a report. If other staff members suspect education neglect, they must follow the procedures outlined in Board policy and regulation 5460, Child Abuse in a Domestic Setting, and advise the Coordinator of Registration and Census.

Attendance/Grade Policy

The Board of Education recognizes an important relationship between class attendance and student performance. Consequently, each marking period a student’s final grade may be based on classroom participation as well as student performance on homework, tests, papers, projects, etc.

Students are expected to attend all scheduled classes. Consistent with the importance of classroom participation, unexcused ATEDs will affect a student’s class participation grade for the marking period.

At the high school level, any student with more than nine unexcused ATEDs for one-half year or 18 unexcused ATEDs for a full year may not receive credit for that course. However, students with properly excused ATEDs may make up the work for each ATED, and those ATEDs will not count toward the minimum attendance standard. Teachers will still have final discretion on student grades.

To ensure that parents and students are aware of the implications of this minimum attendance requirement, the teacher or other designated staff member(s) will advise the student and contact the parent(s) by telephone and mail at appropriate intervals prior to the student reaching nine or 18 unexcused ATEDs.

In implementing the policy set forth above, students who are unable to attend school or a class on a given day due to their participation in a school-sponsored activity (i.e., music

lessons, field trips), may arrange with their teachers to make up any work missed. This also applies to any student who is absent, tardy or leaves early from school or a class due to illness or any other excused reason.

All students with an excused ATED are expected upon their return to consult with their teachers regarding missed work.

Only those students with excused ATEDs will be given the opportunity to make up a test or other missed work and/or turn in a late assignment for inclusion in their final grade. Make up opportunities must be completed by a date specified by the student’s teacher for the class in question.

Annual Review

The Board will annually review building-level student attendance records and, if such records show a decline in student attendance, the Board will revise this comprehensive attendance policy and make any revisions to the plan it deems necessary to improve student attendance.

Cross ref:
4710, Grading Systems
5151, Homeless Children
5300, Code of Conduct
5460, Child Abuse in a Domestic Setting

Ref:
42 USC §11432(g)(1)(I) (McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act)
Education Law §§1709; 3024; 3025; 3202; 3205-3213; 3225
8 NYCRR §§104.1; 175.6
Social Service Law §34-a

 

Approved by the Board of Education: 01/21/10
Revision approved by the Board of Education: 03/14/19
Revision approved by the Board of Education: 07/02/20

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