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Principal's Plan

The Attendance Credit Appeal process is a requirement for a student that has received no-credit (NG) or Asterisk status on their Six Weeks Cycle or Semester Report Card. Per the Texas Education Code (25.092) and FEC (LOCAL), a minimum attendance requirement of 90% of class meetings for the award of course credit. Students who lose credit due to excessive absences may appeal if the student achieves an average of 70 or above at the end of the semester in which the no-credit (NG) status appears. If a student’s absence percentage is

A student who is in attendance for at least 75 percent but less than 90 percent of the days a class is offered may be given credit or a final grade if the student completes a plan approved by the school’s principal that provides for the student to meet the instructional requirements of the class.  However, a student under the jurisdiction of a court in a criminal or juvenile justice proceeding may not receive credit or a final grade without the consent of the judge presiding over the student’s case. To obtain a copy of the Principal’s Plan please contact your home campus.

Attendance Committee

In accordance with legal requirements, the Board shall establish a District-level attendance review committee and the Superintendent or designee shall establish campus-level attendance committees for efficient implementation of Education Code 25.092. The student or parent shall be given an opportunity to present any information to the committee about the absences and to discuss ways to earn or regain credit or be awarded a final grade. For students in kindergarten–grade 5, the award of a final grade shall be based on attendance during the entire scheduled school year rather than on semesters.

Parental Notice of Excessive Absences

A student and the student’s parent or guardian shall be given written notice prior to and at such time when a student’s attendance in any class drops below 90 percent of the days the class of days as established by HISD.

Parents will be asked to conference with an administrator or counselor in their child's school to set up a conference to discuss their child's absences. If there are special circumstances involved concerning your child’s absences, please notify a campus administrator and/or counselor as soon as possible. Resources are often available to assist families who are in difficult circumstances, and your child’s administrator and the counselor can assist you with investigating potential solutions.

• Excused Absences

  All excused Notes are due to your Campus Attendance Clerk within 3 school days of absence.

  Examples of excused student absences include but are not limited to the following reasons:

   

  A student not actually on campus at the time attendance is taken may be considered in attendance for FSP purposes if the student:

   

  Unexcused Absence

  If an absence does not meet the criteria for an excused absence or one of the extenuating circumstances specified in Board policy, the absence will be considered unexcused for attendance accounting purposes. Examples of unexcused student absences include but are not limited to the following reasons:

  1. Download and complete the Attendance Loss of Credit—Appeal Application Form (Fillable pdf) completely and before starting the process, gather the information that will help in completing the form. You will need to know which classes/teachers you need to appeal.
  2. Once you have completed the form, the Attendance Committee will review your request. The committee has the authority to approve the appeal upon the initial committee review, you will be notified of the granted appeal and the next steps through the campus principal plan.
  • 10-25% complete the Principal’s Plan
  • 26% or more complete the Attendance Credit Appeal
    1. Personal illness (includes healthcare visit without documentation) – parent note or phone call required;
    2. Death of an immediate family member (immediate family is defined as parent, guardian, grandparent, sibling of the student or parent, or a person living in the home) – note required;
    3. Emergency in the immediate family (as defined at item #2);
    4. Illness of the student with note;
    5. School-imposed absence necessary to treat lice;
    6. Illness resulting from ongoing medical or psychiatric treatment (chemotherapy, radiation, dialysis, etc. with a doctor’s note indicating specific timeframes and anticipated absences);
    7. Removal by CPS/law enforcement and related days [including an arrest or incarceration for non-school-related matters or incarceration beyond three (3) days for school-related matters (if not withdrawn)]
    8. Medicaid-eligible; participating in Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Program (with documentation);
    9. Nurse sent home from school and/or any consecutive days approved by the campus nurse;
    10. Out-of-school suspension for a disciplinary reason(s) [including an arrest or incarceration for school-related matters for up to three (3) days];
    11. Activity required by a probation officer (other than court appearances) or Human Services activity required by a caseworker (with documentation; requires all missed assignments to be successfully completed within the timeframe established by the teacher); (this moves to the top list)
  1. is enrolled in and attending off-campus dual credit program courses and is not scheduled to be on campus during any part of the school day.
  2. is participating in an off-campus work-based learning opportunity and is not scheduled to be on campus during any part of the school day.
  3. is enrolled full-time in Texas Virtual School Network (TXVSN) courses.
  4. is participating in an activity that is approved by your local school board and is under the direction of a professional staff member, an adjunct staff member, or a paraprofessional staff member of your school district. The adjunct staff member must have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and be eligible for participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
  5. is participating, with local school board approval, in a short-term (for example, five-day) class that is provided by the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI) or the Texas School for the Deaf (TSD) at a location other than the student’s campus.
  6. misses school for the purpose of observing religious holy days, including traveling for that purpose.  Church retreats, camps, and mission trips and individual religious rites (baptisms, christenings, bar mitzvahs, etc.) are not considered holy days.
  7. is in grades six through 12 and misses school for the purpose of playing “Taps” at a military honors funeral held in Texas for a deceased veteran.
  8. misses school for the purpose of attending a required court appearance, including traveling for that purpose.
     • Important: Absences to meet with probation officers and other absences related to court- ordered activities outside the courtroom do not qualify as required court appearances
  9. is in the conservatorship of the DFPS and misses school:
     • to participate in an activity ordered by a court under the Texas Family Code, Chapter 262 or Chapter 263, provided that scheduling the participation outside of school hours is not practicable or
     • to attend an activity under a service plan under the Texas Family Code, Chapter 263, Subchapter B 
  10. misses school for the purpose of serving as a student early voting clerk, if your school district has a policy allowing for this type of excused absence, 83 or an election clerk or student election clerk.84 Your school district may excuse a student’s absence for this purpose for a maximum of two days in a school year 
  11. misses school for the purpose of appearing at a governmental office to complete paperwork required in connection with the student’s application for US citizenship, including traveling for that purpose.
  12. misses school for the purpose of taking part in the student’s own US naturalization oath ceremony, including traveling for that purpose.
  13. is temporarily absent because of a documented appointment for the student or the student’s child that is with a health care professional licensed, certified, or registered to practice in the United States.  A documented appointment with a health care professional includes an appointment of a student diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with a health care practitioner to receive a generally recognized service for persons with that disorder. To be considered temporarily absent, the student must begin classes or return to class on the same day of the appointment. The appointment must be supported by a document, such as a note, from the health care professional.  A consultation over the phone or via video (telemedicine) is considered an appointment with a health care professional. An appointment with a school nurse will not count for FSP funding as an appointment with a health care professional. 
  14. is absent as the result of a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes the student’s attendance infeasible. Documentation from a health care professional licensed, certified, or registered to practice in Texas must be provided that specifies the student’s illness and the anticipated period of the student’s absence relating to the illness or related treatment.  A student with a mental health or substance abuse condition who is being treated for a serious illness (TEC, §25.087(b)(3)) in an outpatient day treatment program or partial hospitalization program, under the care of a health care professional licensed, certified, or registered to practice in Texas, shall be excused for the authorized treatment period, and shall not be withdrawn from school. The discharge summary from the outpatient day treatment or partial hospitalization program must include treatment admission and discharge dates to be provided to the school by the family upon return to school as documentation to excuse absences for the duration of the authorized outpatient treatment plan or partial hospitalization.
  15. is in his or her junior or senior year of high school and misses school for the purpose of visiting an institution of higher education accredited by a generally recognized accrediting organization to determine the student’s interest in attending the institution.
  16. is 17 years of age or older and pursuing enlistment in a branch of the US uniformed services or the Texas Army National Guard. Your district must not excuse the student for this purpose for more than four days of school during the period the student is enrolled in high school and must adopt a policy stating when an absence will be excused for this purpose and a procedure for verifying the student’s activities related to pursuing enlistment in a branch of the US uniformed services or the Texas Army National Guard.
  17. is absent to visit with a parent, stepparent, or legal guardian who is an active duty member of the uniformed services and has been called to duty for, is on leave from, or is immediately returned from continuous deployment of at least four months outside the locality where the parent, stepparent, or guardian regularly resides. Your district is required to excuse up to five days for this purpose in a school year. An excused absence for this purpose must be taken no earlier than 60 days before the date of deployment or no later than 30 days after the date of return from deployment.
  18. misses school for the purpose of visiting a driver’s license office to obtain a driver’s license or learner permit. The student must be enrolled in high school and 15 years of age or older. Your district may not excuse the student for more than one day of school during the period the student is enrolled in high school for each purpose (obtaining a driver’s license and obtaining a learner license). Your district must verify the student’s visit to the driver’s license office in accordance with the procedures adopted by your district.
  • 1. Any "excused" absence (including personal illness) without required documentation;
    2. Failure to bring required doctor's note (after the student has been placed on "Doctor's Note Required" for excessive absences for personal illness);
    3. Non-school sponsored activities (both athletic and non-athletic activities/competitions);
    4. Family illness (non-emergency);
    5. Death other than immediate family (as defined under EXCUSED ABSENCES at item #2);
    6. Family trip/vacation;
    7. Welfare and WIC visit;
    8. College visit (beyond limit; without appropriate verification and approval);
    9. Student's application for U.S. citizenship or obtaining a Visa without documentation requiring appearance and proof of attendance;
    10. Private lessons, tutoring, counseling, and other services;
    11. Religious retreat or other church-related events other than a religious holy day of obligation;
    12. Runaway;
    13. Truancy; 
    14. Driver's license-related visit (beyond limit and/or without required documentation);
    15. Student's application for Passport.