Twin Rivers - Child Welfare and Attendance

Child Welfare and Attendance

5115 Dudley Blvd., Bay C, McClellan, CA 95652

(916) 566-1615

VISION

All services through the CWA Office seek to maximize students' learning opportunities to progress toward graduation and prepare for college and career success.

Mission Statement

Mission Statement

The Child Welfare Attendance Team mission is to promote positive and engaging school climates while increasing attendance by removing educational barriers and connecting resources for students and families who are experiencing homelessness and attendance concerns.

Attendance matters!

Being at school every day and on time supports student learning and success. This includes academic achievement, students social emotional well-being, and their ability to obtain life skills that will benefit them in the future. California compulsory education law requires everyone between the ages of six and eighteen years of age to attend school full-time (E.C. 48200). Every minute of every school school day counts! Child Welfare and Attendance Department (CWA) supports student attendance through the process of:

Conducting Student Attendance Review Board Hearings (SARB)
Educating parents about the law and district policy
Enforcing California’s Compulsory Attendance Laws
Partnering with the Department of Social Services and community based agencies
Providing school site support with Student Attendance Review Team conferences (SART)
Referrals to truancy court
Team Home Visits

CWA supports school sites, students and their families to ensure that all students attend school regularly. Many factors may influence school attendance and our goal is to help families overcome barriers. CWA also provides supportive services that consist of:

Case management
Bullying prevention support
Homeless education and resources
Parent education
Referrals to mental health support
Referrals to school/ community-based resources

Why Attendance Matters

Students who attend regularly are more likely to succeed in school and prepare for college and careers.
Missing school can make it harder to keep up with lessons and assignments.
Students who are not in school may be at greater risk for unsafe situations.
School helps students build social skills and learn how to work with others.
Students who miss two or more days each month are more likely to fall behind academically.

Tips to Support Good Attendance

Prepare the night before (clothes, backpack, homework).
Set a consistent daily routine.
Make sure your student arrives on time every day.
Know your student’s school schedule.
Ensure your student gets enough sleep (9–10 hours recommended).
Turn off screens 1–2 hours before bedtime.
If your student is sick, notify the school office as soon as possible.
Submit absence verification within five (5) days to your child's school.
Schedule vacations during school breaks.
Plan medical and dental appointments outside of school hours when possible.

District Attendance Policy

Students with Chronic Absenteeism are referred to a site level meeting called SART (School Attendance Review Team).
If there is no improvement after site level interventions, students may be referred to SARB (School Attendance Review Board), a district-level meeting with community agency representatives. (Education Code 48263)
Student and Family Handbook

Attendance Resources

What is the difference between an excused absence and an unexcused absence?

EXCUSED ABSENCE

CA Education Code 48205 states that a student shall be excused from school when the absence is:

Illness
Quarantine directed by a county or city health officer
Medical/Dental/Optometry/ Chiropractic Appointment for Student
Attending Funeral service or grievance of an immediate family member (no more than five days)
Written verification desired. Verbal notification accepted.
Justifiable personal reasons including, but not limited to:
- - Appearance in court for student
  - Religious Holiday or Instruction
  - Participation in a cultural ceremony or eventSchool college tours
  - Funeral: After the allowable number of days for an excused absence are used
  - Middle school or high school pupil engaging in a civic or political event, as provided in subparagraph (B), provided that the pupil notifies the school ahead of the absence.
    - Only one school day absence per school year.
- A personal reason absence should be requested in writing and approved by the principal
  - - Written verification required

After 10 days of excused absences, you will be required to provide verification from your son/daughter’s physician to clear additional absences. Verification may include notes from doctors, dentists or other medical professionals (on letterhead), funeral notices or other supportive documentation.

UNEXCUSED ABSENCES AND TARDIES

Missing a full day of school, being tardy 30 or more minutes without a valid excuse. Absences for which advance approval is necessary and was not obtained before the absence is considered unexcused.

Unexcused reasons include, but not limited to:

Unverified absence/tardy
Overslept
Lost shoes, no clothes
Shopping/errands
Transportation problems (missed bus or car trouble)
Baby-sitting
Vacations

When a student is absent for any reason, the parent/guardian should notify the school the morning of the absence, and send a parent-signed note (explaining the absence) on
the day the student returns to school. Absence must be cleared within 5 days, or it will become unexcused.

What is a SART?

Student Attendance Review Team (SART)

A collaborative, school-site intervention designed to identify barriers causing chronic student absenteeism and to develop solutions through partnerships with parents. It includes staff, parents, and sometimes the student to create actionable plans to improve attendance before further truancy measures are taken. Students may be referred for a SART meeting after receiving a second truancy letter notification.

What is a SARB?

SARB was established by the California legislature in 1975 for the purposes of making a better effort to meet the needs of students with attendance or behavior problems and promoting the use of alternatives to the juvenile court system. To achieve these goals, the legislation provides for a multi-agency SARB which includes the following agencies:

Children’s Services
Law Enforcement
Community-Based Organizations
School-Based Services
District Attorney’s Office

SARB process starts with the identification of attendance and/or behavior problems followed by classroom, school site and district level interventions.
SARB is specifically charged with finding solutions to unresolved student attendance and discipline problems by bringing together, on a regular basis, representatives of agencies that make up the SARB Panel.
SARB further surveys available community resources, determines the appropriateness of their services, and makes recommendations to meet the needs of referred students.

SARB seeks to understand why students are experiencing attendance and behavior problems, and serves as a vehicle to correct those problems.

CA Labor Code Parent to Attend School Meetings

California Labor Code Section 230.8 –

This law allows parents, guardians, and grandparents (with custody) to take time off work to attend school-related meetings.

No employer shall discharge or in any manner discriminate against an employee who is
the parent or guardian of a pupil for taking time off to appear in the school of a pupil pursuant to
a request made under Section 48900.1 of Education Code, if the employee, prior to taking the
time off, gives reasonable notice to the employer that he or she is requested to appear in the
school.
(b) Any employee who is discharged, threatened with discharge, demoted, suspended, or in any
other manner discriminated against in the terms and conditions of employment by his or her
employer because the employee has taken time off to appear in the school of a pupil pursuant to
a request made under Section 48900.1 of the Education Code shall be entitled to reinstatement
and reimbursement for lost wages and work benefits caused by those acts of the employer.

California Attendance Laws

Compulsory Education Law (Education Code 48200):
All students ages 6 to 18 must attend school and are subject to compulsory full-time education. Parents/ Guardians have a legal responsibility to ensure their child’s attendance.
Chronic Absenteeism (Education Code 60901(c)(1)):
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10% or more of school days in a school year.
Truancy (Education Code 48260):
A student is considered truant if they:
- Miss 3 full days without a valid excuse, OR
- Are late/tardy or absent without a valid excuse 3 times, OR
- Any combination of the above

Further Action (Education Code 48263):
Continued attendance issues may result in referral to SARB, Truancy Court, Juvenile Probation, or Juvenile Court.

Prior Approval Excused Absence Request Forms