Cherry Creek Academy Revised Attendance Policy Approved June 8, 2016

1. Cherry Creek AcademyRevisedAttendance PolicyApprovedJune 8, 2016 Jay Cerny, Principal/CEO

2. SUMMARYOFCHANGES

3. CCA Attendance - Philosophy • Consistent attendance in all classes is essential to academic success. • Cherry Creek Academy (“CCA”) cannot teach students who are not present, and the classroom experience can never be duplicated with assignments outside of school. • It is the parents’/guardians’ responsibility to assure that his/her student attends school. • Excessive absences or tardies disrupt the flow of curriculum and make it difficult for ALL students to attain the required skills. • Further, excessive absences place an unfair burden on CCA’s dedicated teachers and staff.

4. Types Of Absences Excused Absences – Any student who is: • temporarily ill or injured • absent for an extended period due to physical, mental, or emotional disability (as determined by a qualified medical professional). • suspended or expelled. • absent in observance of an established religious holiday (2 day max) • taking bereavement leave for a parent/guardian, sibling or grandparent. • Attending “Take your Child to Work Day.” (CCSD exception we follow) Unexcused Absences • All other absences not specifically outlined as an excused absence. NOTE: Even if the CCA Administration receives notice of, and acknowledges, an unexcused absence, this acknowledgement does not convert an unexcused absence to an excused absence.

5. New - October Count Withdrawal • “October Count” is the official Colorado Department of Education (“CDE”) attendance window on which per pupil revenues are based. • It may fall shortly before or after October 1. • If a student is not at school for at least one day during the “October Count” window, CCA will not receive that student’s per pupil funding. • Failure to attend school and be counted during the “October Count" window due to an unexcused absence will result in immediate withdrawal from CCA

6. Absence Limits and NotificationsA - Excused Absences • There is no cumulative limit to the number of days that a student may be absent due to an excused absence due to illness, injury or physical, mental or emotional disability. • However, a doctor’s note will be required for any absence lasting more than 4 school days. • The doctor’s note is due the first day the student returns. • Excused absences due to suspension and expulsion will be limited to the specific days of the suspension or expulsion. • Excused absences due to the observance of an established religious holiday shall be limited to no more than 2 days.

7. Absence Limits and NotificationsB - UNexcused Absences • A student shall be determined Truantif he or she accrues 4 unexcused absences in any one month or 10 unexcused absences in any one school year. • Upon a student accruing 4 unexcused absences in any one month or 10 unexcused absences in any one school year, the CCA Dean will attempt to work with the student and parent/legal guardian to develop a plan with the goal of assisting the student to remain in school or avoid exceeding the truancy limit. • If for any reason adherence to the plan is unsuccessful, the student will be reported to the CCSD truancy officials or Arapahoe County Truancy Court for remedial action. • New - 2016-17, the CCA Dean Will Contact Truancy Officials

8. Absence Limits and NotificationsC – Extended Absence Advance Notification • Excused absences with prior parent/guardian awareness and unexcused absences of more than 3 days with prior parent/guardian awareness must be reported to the CCA Administration by completing and returning the Notice of Extended School Absence Form at least one week prior to the contemplated absence. • NOTE: Returning the Notice of Extended School Absence will not convert an unexcused absence to an excused absence.

9. Absence Limits and NotificationsD – CompulsoryAttendance Minimums • If a student does not attend school for the minimum number of hours legally required for their grade level (C.R.S. §22-33-104), the student can be held back to repeat their grade level in order to receive adequate instruction. • Mimimums: • Kindergarten – 900 Hours (450 Hours) (129 Days) • 1st through 5th – 968 Hours (134 Days) • 6th through 12th – 1056 Hours (141 Days)

10. Make-Up Work for AbsencesA - Excused Absences • When a student’s absence is excused, the student is expected to pick up all missed assignments on the first day back to school. • To receive full credit for make-up work, a student will have one day, not including the first day back, for every excused day missed, to complete the assignments. (For example, if a child misses school on Monday and Tuesday, the student should pick up any missed work on Wednesday and will have Thursday and Friday to complete the work. The missed work must be turned in at the beginning of class the following Monday.) • For excused absences related to bereavement leave, receiving credit for make-up work will be limited to five days for any given bereavement leave. • No more than 10 total days of make-up work per student shall be allowed during any given academic year for excused absences related to bereavement leave.

11. Make-Up Work for AbsencesB - UNexcused Absences • Only up to 5 days of make-up work will be allowed for any given unexcused absence. • No more than 10 days of make-up work total per student shall be allowed during any given academic year for unexcused absences. • For unexcused absences, the student is expected to pick up all missed assignments on the first day back to school. • To receive full credit for make-up work, a student will have one day, not including the first day back, to complete all missed assignments, up to a maximum of five days. (For example, if a child misses school on Monday and Tuesday, the student should pick up any missed work on Wednesday and will have Thursday to complete the work. The missed work must be turned in at the beginning of class on Friday.)

12. Make-Up Work for AbsencesC – AdvanceRequests for Assignments • When an excused or unexcused absence is known in advance, a student may request up to 5 school days (usually Monday through Friday) worth of missed assignments **if** the teacher is notified at least 1 week in advance of the absence **and** the assignments are available. • CCA Teachers are not required to provide all assignments in advance. (Why?)

13. Make-Up Work for AbsencesD – CompulsoryAttendance Minimums • Even with proper notice of an Excused or Unexcusedabsence, a teacher may not be able to provide, assess, or grade all assignments missed during an absence. • Examples of this may include the end of a grading quarter, the end of an academic year, un-reproducible lab assignments, un-reproducible classwork, or any other un-reproducible activity. • These circumstances may negatively impact the student’s ability to complete the assignment and receive credit.

14. Make-Up Work for AbsencesE – Absences as the End of a Quarter • Regardless of any other work make-up schedules outlined in this policy, students with Excused or Unexcused absences occurring at the end of a quarter, and who are allowed to make up work under this policy, will be given 5 days from the last day of the quarter to return all outstanding work for credit. • Students with Excused or Unexcused absences occurring at the end of the school year, and who are allowed to make up work under this policy, must return all outstanding work by the last day of school if credit is to be given.

15. Make-Up Work for AbsencesF – TutoringEligibility • One of the Non-Negotiables at Cherry Creek Academy is that free after-school tutoring is offered to CCA students. • Tutoring may be used to catch up on work or concepts missed as the result of an Excused Absence. • Tutoring cannot be used to catch up on work or concepts missed as the result of an Unexcused Absence.

16. Tardies – Part I • Because of the disruptive nature of tardiness and the negative effect on uninterrupted learning for all other non-tardy students, penalties shall be imposed for excessive tardiness. • Tardiness is defined as the appearance of a student without proper excuse after the scheduled time that a class begins. • CCA starts at 8:00 AM. Students are “tardy” at 8:03 AM. • Students arriving for school after 8:03 AM must stop at the front desk and obtain a tardy slip in order to enter the classroom. • Students arriving after 8:15 AM must be escorted into the building by a parent and signed in by that parent. • Tardy penalties for any given day may be waived by CCA Administration due to inclement weather.

17. Tardies – Part II • Every 4 tardies accumulated by a student shall be treated as equal to 1 Unexcused Absence. • Any student arriving more than 1 hour late without reason will receive an Unexcused Absence regardless of whether the student attends school for the remainder of the day. • This policy addresses only first period/morning tardies. • Tardies accrued between middle school class periods will not be counted for purposes of this policy, but will be addressed separately by the Dean of Students. • In an unavoidable situation, a student detained by another teacher or administrator shall not be considered tardy provided that the teacher or administrator gives the student a pass to enter the next class.

18. Unexcused Absences & TardiesWill Be Combined for Truancy • The cumulative total of unexcused absences and tardies will be ultimately be subject to the penalties associated with Truancy. • For example, if a student receives 20 tardies (which equals 5 Unexcused Absences) and 5 additional Unexcused Absences, the student has received a total of 10 Unexcused Absences, and may be referred to Truancy Court.

19. Questions ???