The Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program
Grades K--12
Dr. Faron L. Hollinger
Superintendent
Ms. JaNay C. Dawson
Mr. Eddie Tyler
Assistant Superintendents
Ms. Angela M. Isaac
Attendance Coordinator
Revised June 2009
Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program
Background Explanation:
During the 1989—90 school year, Baldwin County Board of
Education had an average enrollment of 16, 700 students.
Approximately 1,100 student absences occurred each day. The
results of a survey taken at the end of the school year indicated that
there were more than 2,000 students who had been absent twenty
(20) or more days during the year. Many of these students were
considered to be “At-Risk” (student’s functioning below grade level,
had poor attendance, and eventually dropped out of school). There
were also 344 known dropouts during the same school year.
The concept of the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program was
developed through the joint efforts of the Alabama State Department
of Education and Alabama’s Administrative Office of Courts.
Baldwin County’s Program was developed through the joint efforts of
the Baldwin County Board of Education and the Baldwin County
Juvenile Court System; with technical assistance supplied by the
Alabama State Department of Education.
Adopted by the Baldwin County Board of Education to
ensure that school administrators, teachers, parents and
students are in compliance with the enrollment and
attendance requirements pursuant to
Act Number 93-672, which amended
Section 16-28-12 of the Code of Alabama-- May 17, 1993.
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Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program
Personnel Responsibilities
A. Superintendent and/or Assistant Superintendents
1. Approve the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program
administrative procedures to insure that all schools are
uniform in implementation of the program.
2. Give directives to school principals on the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program.
B. Attendance Coordinator
1. Enforce the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program’s
administrative procedures approved by the Baldwin
County Board of Education.
2. Represent the Baldwin County Board of Education at all of
the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program meetings.
3. Provide students a legal excuse for attending the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
4. File petitions with the Juvenile Court System.
C. Attendance Supervisor/Attendance Officer
1. Represent the Baldwin County Board of Education at all of
the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program meetings.
2. Monitor student attendance.
3. Provide follow-up conferences with the
parents/guardians after the Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program at the parents/guardians request.
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D. Principal
1. Send a copy of the Pupil Responsibilities/Code of Conduct
Pamphlet, which requires the parent/guardian’s signature.
2. Appoint Attendance Secretary/Clerk who will be
responsible for all aspects of student attendance and
records such as registration, withdrawals, students’
permanent records, monthly attendance reports, daily
absentee lists, weekly unexcused absentee lists and etc.
3. Verify the Weekly Unexcused Absence Reports (Must be
three different reports) containing Unexcused Absences,
Questionable Absences, and Unexcused Tardies. The
Weekly Unexcused Absence Reports MUST be verified by
initialing next to the students’ name if you wish for that
student to participate in the Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program.
4. Monitor homeroom teacher’s Weekly Unexcused
Absences report ensuring each homeroom teacher knows
the importance of making necessary corrections to the
Weekly Unexcused Absence Reports given to them on
Friday and submit changes to the Attendance
Secretary/Clerk by Monday at noon.
5. The three reports should be sent to the Student Support
Services Office on Wednesday morning in the courier.
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E. Attendance Secretary
1. Prepare Weekly Unexcused Absence Reports—Unexcused
Absences, Excessive Excused Absences, Unexcused
Tardies for each homeroom teacher.
2. Place the reports in the homeroom teachers box on Friday
afternoon.
3. Collect all Reports from homeroom teachers by Monday at
noon and prepare a Weekly Unexcused Absence Report
for your school.
4. After you have a report for your school, submit it to your
principal or his/her designee for verification. The
principal or the designee should initial beside each student
that he/she wishes to submit to the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program. Only the students with the
appropriate initials will be submitted to the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program.
5. Print all Courtesy and Mandatory letters. A copy of the
letter should be placed in the students’ permanent record.
6. Mail ALL letters. Do not try to filter through the letters.
7. Once a letter has been sent to the parents/guardians make
sure you have entered the date in your STI Office
program before sending the report to the Attendance
Department.
8. Please make sure you prepare a separate report for the
following: (a) Unexcused Absences; (b) Excessive
Excused Absences; (c) Unexcused Tardies. Do not
include all codes (X, U, Y,) on one report.
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9. Send the three reports to the Attendance Office in the
courier or fax the report to 970-4416. Make a copy for
your records before sending the reports.
10. Enter the date the student attended the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program in STI Office.
F. Homeroom Teacher
1. The homeroom teacher will identify a truant student when
the student fails to provide an excused reason for
absence.
2. If the teacher or principal has not received a note,
telephone call (make sure this is documented), or other
personal contact from the parent/guardian explaining the
students’ absence within three (3) days after the student
has returned to school, the student is considered truant
and must be recorded as unexcused.
3. Verify the Weekly Unexcused Absence Reports each
week and return the report to the Attendance
Secretary/Clerk in the principal’s office by Monday at
noon. The reports should include all students who have
had unexcused absences; questionable excused absences;
and unexcused tardies.
The physical (911) Address and the Post Office Address
are required for students’ who have their mail delivered at
a post office. Make sure address is the same for guardian.
G. Student Support Services Department
1. Enter an Early Warning Truancy Prevention date in DAISI.
2. Prepare a weekly report of students who are required to
attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
Give copies to Coordinator and Supervisors. Send a copy
of report to Special Services Department.
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3. Prepare letters for all students required to attend the
Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
4. Mail the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program
letters two weeks before the parent/guardian’s appointed
time to attend the program.
5. Prepare excuses for all students required to attend the
Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
6. Once the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program has
been held for the week; the student support services
secretary will send excuses of all attendees to the school
principal.
7. Follow same process each week. If a student has
additional absences or tardies after attending the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program, a petition is filed in
the Juvenile Court by the coordinator.
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Student Support Services Department
To:
Principal
From:
Angela Isaac, Coordinator
Date:
_______________________________
Subject:
Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program Attendance
Please excuse ____________________________________ from school. He/she was
attending the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program that was held in
Robertsdale. Checkout time should be considered on the basis of the amount of
time it takes to drive from your school to Robertsdale.
BY ORDER OF THE COURT: (After the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program)
1. All absences due to illness that occur after this date will require a doctor
or other health care professional’s excuse to be coded as excused.
2. All suspensions from school that occur after this date will be coded
unexcused.
3. Students are only afforded one opportunity to participate in the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program. Should you reach that point in
future years…A Petition of Truancy will be filed.
4. Early checkouts will be considered the same as tardies and must be
excused, otherwise the student may be brought back to Court.
5. Regardless of the reason your were required to attend the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program today, if you should have additional
absences; either unexcused absences, or unexcused tardies, or excused
absences not satisfactorily explained, a Petition of Truancy will be filed in
Juvenile Court against the student and/or parent.
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Excessive Unexcused Tardies
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: ___________
The Pupil Responsibilities/Code of Conduct Pamphlet was sent home at the
beginning of the school year explaining the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, which has been implemented by the Baldwin County Board of
Education.
Perhaps you may recall from the pamphlet the Early Warning Truancy Program
states…”that students who have had Excessive Unexcused Tardies may, with
approval of the school principal, be required to attend the Early Warning
Truancy Prevention Program”. Should you and your child be required to attend
the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program, any tardy or absence due to
illness which occurs after you have attended the Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program will require a doctor or other health care provider’s excuse
in order to be recorded as excused. Additionally, please be advised that should
your child have an unexcused absence, unexcused tardy, or excused absence
not satisfactorily explained after attending the Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program, a Petition of Truancy may be initiated.
Your child, ______________________________________, has had ________ unexcused
tardies so far this school year. After the tenth “unexcused” tardy, he/she may
receive a “Notice to Appear” in the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
If you have questions concerning this letter, NOW is the time to contact me by
calling the school office at ___________________________. Once your child’s name
has been submitted to the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program there is no
way to remove his/her name from the program.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Excessive Excused Absences
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: _______________
The Pupil Responsibilities/Code of Conduct Pamphlet was sent home at the
beginning of the school year explaining the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, which has been implemented by the Baldwin County Board of
Education.
Perhaps you may recall from the pamphlet the Early Warning Truancy Program
states…”that students who have had Ten Excused Absences which have not
been satisfactorily explained may, with approval of the school principal, be
required to attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program”. Should you
and your child be required to attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, any absence due to illness which occurs after you have attended the
Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program will require a doctor or other health
care provider’s excuse in order to be recorded as excused. Additionally, please
be advised that should your child have an unexcused absence, unexcused tardy,
or excused absence not satisfactorily explained after attending the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program, a Petition of Truancy may be initiated.
Your child, ______________________________________, has had ________ absences,
which were coded, excused but were not satisfactorily explained so far this
school year. After the tenth “questionable” excused absence, he/she may
receive a “Notice to Appear” in the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
If you have questions concerning this letter, NOW is the time to contact me by
calling the school office at ___________________________. Once your child’s name
has been submitted to the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program there is no
way to remove his/her name from the program.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Unexcused Absences
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: ___________
Your child, _______________________________ was recorded absent from school on the following
dates: ________________________________. These absences were also coded as truancy. Truancy
is a violation of Alabama’s Compulsory Attendance Laws. Section §16-28-12 of the Code of
Alabama as amended May 17, 1993, requires parents and/or guardian to keep their children in
school everyday and to conduct themselves properly. The Baldwin County Board of Education
had previously approved a measure, which made the attendance requirement applicable to all
students—grades K through 12.
At the beginning of the school year you were sent written information concerning the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program. Your child is in the second step of the truancy prevention
program (student has had two or more unexcused absences). If you disagree with the absences
that are reported and coded as unexcused, notify the school office within five (5) days of receipt
of this letter. Please be advised that the next time your child is unexcused/truant from school
(the third truancy) you and your child will receive “NOTICE TO APPEAR” and will be required to
attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program. Absences due to illness after the Early
Warning Truancy Prevention Program will require a doctor or other health care professional’s
excuse in order to be coded excused. If you fail to appear for the Early Warning Truancy
Prevention Program, a petition will be filed requiring you and your child to appear in court.
Additionally, should your student have an unexcused absence, unexcused tardy, or excused
absence not satisfactorily explained after attending the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, a Petition of Truancy may be initiated.
If your child is truant for the fourth time during this school year, a Petition of Truancy or a
Petition to Disenroll your child will be initiated and you will be required to Juvenile Court. If
convicted of parental neglect, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or if your child is found
to be in need of supervision, Section §12-15-13; of the Code of Alabama, states (c) Whoever
violates any provision of this section shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction
thereof, shall be fined not more than $500.00 or sentenced to hard labor for the county for a
period not to exceed 12 months or both.
Please have your child in school every day. What your child learns today may make him or her a
better citizen tomorrow. The school accepts the responsibility to provide an education for your
child. It is a parent’s/guardian’s responsibility to see that their child/children attend school. If
Once your child’s name has been submitted
to the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program there is no way to remove
his/her name from the program.
our children are not in school, we all lose.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Unexcused Absences—COURTESY LETTER
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: ___________
Your child has been recorded absent from school without a valid excuse, thus
receiving his/her first unexcused absence. These absences were also coded as
truancy. Truancy is a violation of Alabama’s Compulsory Attendance Laws.
Section §16-28-12 of the Code of Alabama as amended May 17, 1993, requires
parent and/or guardians to keep their children in school everyday and to conduct
themselves properly. The Baldwin County Board of Education had previously
approved a measure, which made the attendance requirement applicable to all
students—grades K through 12.
This letter is sent to you as a warning measure before it is necessary for you
and/or your child to attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Excessive Unexcused Tardies—COURTESY LETTER
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: ___________
The Pupil Responsibilities/Code of Conduct Pamphlet was sent home at the
beginning of the school year explaining the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, which has been implemented by the Baldwin County Board of
Education.
This letter is sent to you as a warning measure before it is necessary for you
and/or your child to attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program. At
the time the letter was prepared your child had four unexcused tardies.
If you have any questions, please contact your school principal.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Student Support Services Department
Notice of Excessive Excused Absences
COURTESY LETTER
Dear Parent(s)/Guardian:
Date: _______________
The Pupil Responsibilities/Code of Conduct Pamphlet was sent home at the
beginning of the school year explaining the Early Warning Truancy Prevention
Program, which has been implemented by the Baldwin County Board of
Education.
This letter is sent to you as a warning measure before it is necessary for you
and/or your child to attend the Early Warning Truancy Prevention Program. At
the time the letter was prepared your child had four excused absences.
If you have any questions, please contact your school principal.
Sincerely,
School Principal
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Recording Absences
The roll should be called each day at a time designated by the
principal. In your STI Office program if a student is absent from
school you double click on that student; once you have finished
calling roll click on the post button. This step will post all absences
to the office computer. An absence is considered excused when
“there is a good cause or valid excuse for such absence…Code of
Alabama §16-28-13”. The following list includes, but is not limited
to, reasons which are generally accepted as excused:
1. Pupil is too ill to attend school. A physician’s certificate may be
required after four consecutive absences due to illness.
2. Inclement weather as announced by local news media that
makes it dangerous for students to attend school.
3. Legal quarantine
4. Death in the immediate family.
5. Emergency conditions determined by superintendent or
principal.
6. Absence with prior written permission of principal or a
designee and written consent of parent/guardian.
7. Absence to observe traditional religious holidays of local,
national, or international origin.
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School Attendance
§ 16-28-7. Report of Enrollment
At the end of the fifth day from the opening of the public school, the principal
teacher of each public school, private school, and each private tutor, but not
church school, shall report on forms prescribed by the State Superintendent of
Education to the county superintendent of education, in the event the school is
operated in territory under the control and supervision of the county board of
education, or to the city superintendent of schools, in the event the school is
operated in territory under the control and supervision of a city board of
education, the names and addresses of all children between the ages of seven
and 16 years who have enrolled in such schools; and thereafter, throughout the
compulsory attendance period, the principal teacher of each school and private
tutor shall report at least weekly the names and addresses of all children
between the ages of seven and 16 years who enroll in said school or who,
having enrolled, were absent without being excused, or whose absence was not
satisfactorily explained by the parent, guardian, or other person having control
of the child. The enrollment and attendance of a child in a church school shall be
filed with the local public school superintendent by the parent, guardian or other
person in charge or control of the child on a form provided by the
superintendent or his agent which shall be countersigned by the administrator of
the church school and returned to the public school superintendent by the
parent. Should said child cease attendance at a church school, the parent,
guardian, or other person in charge or control of the child shall by prior consent
at the time of enrollment direct the church school to notify the local public
school superintendent or his agent that said child no longer is in attendance at a
church school.
(School Code 1927, §309; Code 1940, T. 52, §306; Acts 1982, No. 82-218, p.
260, §5.)
§ 1-16-28-12 A, B, & C
Person in loco parentis responsible for child's school attendance and behavior;
noncompliance; local boards to promulgate written behavior policy, contents,
annual distribution, receipt to be documented; school officials required to report
noncompliance; failure to report suspected violation; district attorneys
vigorously to enforce provisions.
(a) Each parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of any child
required to attend school or receive regular instruction by a private tutor who
fails to have the child enrolled in school or who fails to send the child to school,
or have him or her instructed by a private tutor during the time the child is
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required to attend a public school, private school, church school, denominational
school, or parochial school, or be instructed by a private tutor, or fails to require
the child to regularly attend the school or tutor, or fails to compel the child to
properly conduct himself or herself as a pupil in any public school in accordance
with the written policy on school behavior adopted by the local board of
education pursuant to this section and documented by the appropriate school
official which conduct may result in the suspension of the pupil, shall be guilty of
a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be fined not more than one hundred
dollars ($100) and may also be sentenced to hard labor for the county for not
more than 90 days. The absence of a child without the consent of the principal
teacher of the public school he or she attends or should attend, or of the tutor
who instructs or should instruct the child, shall be prima facie evidence of the
violation of this section.
(b) Each local public board of education shall adopt a written policy for its
standards on school behavior. Each local public school superintendent shall
provide at the commencement of each academic year a copy of the written
policy on school behavior to each parent, guardian, or other person having care
or control of a child who is enrolled. Included in the written policy shall be a
copy of this section. The signature of the student and the parent, guardian, or
other person having control or custody of the child shall document receipt of the
policy.
(c) Any parent, guardian, or other person having control or custody of any child
enrolled in public school who fails to require the child to regularly attend the
school or tutor, or fails to compel the child to properly conduct himself or
herself as a pupil in accordance with the written policy on school behavior
adopted by the local board of education and documented by the appropriate
school official which conduct may result in the suspension of the pupil, shall be
reported by the principal to the superintendent of education of the school system
in which the suspected violation occurred. The superintendent of education or
his or her designee shall report suspected violations to the district attorney
within 10 days. Any principal or superintendent of education or his or her
designee intentionally failing to report a suspected violation shall be guilty of a
Class C misdemeanor. The district attorney shall vigorously enforce this section
to ensure proper conduct and required attendance by any child enrolled in public
school.
(School Code 1927, §305; Code 1940, T. 52, §302; Acts 1993, No.
93-672, p. 1213, §1; Acts 1994, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 94-782, p. 70, §1.)
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