Attendance Procedures - Online Instruction

PreK - Grade 5 and Special Education Regional Programs:
● Teachers will take attendance visually in synchronous settings (Google Meets).
● A school staff member will follow up with phone calls, email, etc. with students within a 3-day window after repeated absences from live sessions or activities.
● Teachers will keep a record of live instruction participation.
● If students are unable to log in and/or submit a required assignment for 3 consecutive days, teachers will reach out to families.
● If students are unable to log in and/or submit a required assignment within the assigned timeframe, and a staff member makes 3 attempts to reach the student, the student will then be counted absent, provided no communication is received from the student/family.
● Attendance and participation may also be recorded through assignments, small group activities, and events specified by individual teachers.
● Teachers will not grade students based upon attendance in daily instruction. Work
completion/submission can be included in the students’ work habits portion of the report card.

Excused/Unexcused Absences:
WCPSS will follow board policy for excused/unexcused absences. York Elementary will offer grace to families impacted by COVID-19 or extenuating medical needs.

Strategies to Engage Students at Home:
● Create a remote learning environment/routine that encourages students to attend every day.
● Share information on the importance of attendance and engagement as a family.
● Consider the following best practices:
○ Help your student become familiar with Google Meet.
○ Explain what engaged listening may look like at home.
○ Discuss the home routines your family will use to support your child and their learning at
home.

A Special Note:
Counselors and School School Social Workers will work with school staff to coordinate additional supports when needed. If your family has specific needs for additional supports, please reach out to our Counseling and Student Services Team through our website.

Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide families with a brief overview of grading and reporting norms. Specific information will be shared from individual teachers and grade levels as it will depend heavily on the student’s grade level.

Board Policy 3400
Board Policy 3400, Evaluation of Student Progress, and the related Policy 3400 R&P are the core basis of any grading in schools for 2020-2021.

In reviewing these policies, here are a few important notes:
● Grades must appropriately and consistently measure and communicate an individual student’s
level of mastery of defined learning standards/objectives.
● Grades shall not be punitive. This includes lowering a grade due to lack of access to technology or
failure to log into a live instruction meeting.
● Grading Plans should align with Board Policy 3400
● Teachers will communicate grading expectations to students and parents.
● Regular timely feedback will be provided on student work to promote learning, self-evaluation,
and growth. Feedback will be dependent on student grade-level and needs.

Grading Norms, K-5
Below are basic grading norms for elementary students.
● Elementary schools will operate using the standards-based grading system (Levels 1-4) for all
elementary courses. The 100 point scale will be used for middle school courses taken in
elementary school.
● Due to the structure of the online environment, students will be engaged in independent activities,
which may be graded after adequate instruction and feedback have been provided.
● Missing assignments and participation are communicated through the work habits grade on the
report card.

The Extended Content Standards are substantially modified standards that are aligned to the NC Standard Course of Study. Students accessing those Extended Content Standards will be graded on his or her achievement in the Extended Content Standards curriculum and this would be reflected in the ECS report card.

Interim Reports & Report Cards
In alignment to board policy, all students in grades K-12 are issued report cards each quarter. Interim
reports will be issued to students either by written or electronic means by the midpoint of each grading
period.

Interim/Report Card Dates for 2020-21 - Traditional Calendar

Interims (Week of) , Report Card issued, Quarter Ends
Q1 – (I) September 21, (RC) October 30, (QE) October 22
Q2 – (I) November 30, (RC) January 22, (QE) January 15
Q3 – (I) February 15, (RC) April 22, (QE) April 9
Q4 – (I) May 10, (RC) June 10, (QE) June 10

Report cards will be issued in the following manner:
● York Elementary students will receive report cards electronically via individual email in elementary. In this model, families can request a printed copy of the report card that will be mailed to them.

Promotion & Retention
Promotion and retention practices in 2020-2021 will align to Board Policy 3420, Student Promotion, and Accountability. Promotion and retention concerns will be addressed beginning in February 2021.