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GDOE launches ‘one-stop shop’ for attendance information

State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox believes that community-based solutions which enhance school attendance will help boost the achievement of Georgia’s students.

“Each tardy or absence means a student has lost an opportunity to learn,” Cox said. “You can’t teach students who aren’t in class and I am committed to helping communities work together to tackle this problem.”

The Georgia Department of Education has created a new Web page that is chock-full of information that will help parents and students understand the state’s new attendance law, while providing school systems with the guidance they need to implement it. To access the page, follow the Student Attendance link from the department’s homepage at www.gadoe.org.

Recognizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to combat truancy, “best practices” are available on the new site, which will help school systems learn from one another. Visitors will also find links to the state attendance law and State Board Rule, as well as guidelines to help systems establish Attendance Protocol Committees and develop local attendance and progressive discipline policies.

The Georgia Department of Education recognizes the direct relationship between daily school attendance, student performance, graduation, and good work habits. There are many reasons why a student may become truant, which is why Georgia’s new attendance law requires school systems to pull together an Attendance Protocol Committee made up of local government leaders, community partners, parents, and students.ÊThe group will work to find local solutions to this unique community problem.

The Georgia General Assembly strengthened our state’s school attendance law during the last legislative session.ÊShortly thereafter, the State Board of Education adopted a new attendance rule to enact the law.ÊBefore the final policy was adopted, Cox sought input from parents, teachers, counselors, local school superintendents, juvenile court judges, and other educational partners from across the state. The approved attendance policy (160-5-1-.10) is available online at www.gadoe.org.

It is important to understand that under this State Board Rule, school systems are required to notify the parent or guardian of any student who has five unexcused absences. Contrary to what some may believe, this is simply the beginning of a process established to get truant students back on track, not to unfairly punish students or parents.ÊThe severity of student discipline and/or legal penalties for parents will be determined by the local Attendance Protocol Committee. The committee brings together the education and legal communities, as well as parents and students.ÊTogether they will develop consequences for chronic absence and truancy, while seeking solutions to local issues that may be contributing to the problem.