Skip to content

Attendance Accounting – Elementary

MANUAL  -  Regular daily school attendance is an integral component in supporting a student’s success in academic and life skills. Utah State Law requires that parents have their minor student (ages 6-17) enrolled in an educational program and attending on a regular basis. Utah law also requires the school to monitor a student’s attendance and communicate with the legal custodial parent(s) or guardian(s) when a non-attendance pattern develops (§53G-6-202).

Any time a student misses class it is considered an absence whether excused or unexcused. Students may be excused from school attendance for valid and legitimate reasons (§53G-6-201). Each school shall have an attendance policy that includes a plan to monitor and track student attendance with appropriate consequences,

An elementary attendance day consists of two (2) periods. The first half of the day is considered first period and the second half of the day is considered second period. Skyward is the official program for attendance accounting and shall be used for any student enrolled in a Jordan District school.

Entering Absences using the "Changing at the 2-Hour Mark":

  • If no attendance is entered into Skyward during the day, the student is considered present.
  • If the student checks in during the first two (2) hours of the morning, the student is tardy.
  • If the student checks in after the first two (2) hours of the morning, the student is absent for 1st period.
  • If the student checks out after the first two (2) hours of the morning, the student is counted present ½ day (marking an absence for 2nd period).
  • If the student checks in during the first two (2) hours of the afternoon, the student is counted present ½ day (marking an absence for 1st period).
  • If the student checks in after the first two (2) hours of the afternoon, the student is absent all day.
  • If the student checks out after the first two (2) hours of the afternoon, the student is counted as present, indicating the reason for leaving in Skyward.
  • On short day, adjust the check in and check out hours to fit the shortened day.
  • Enter attendance notes in Skyward in the “Comment” field of the attendance entry.
  • You may use Attendance notes in the Attendance tab to make any additional comments for check-in and check-out.

Entering Absences using the "Secondary School" style:

  • When a student comes in late without a parent note or parent contact, the student is considered tardy (T).
  • When a student checks in or comes in late WITH a parent note/contact, mark C-I.
  • When a student  checks in or comes late without parent note after lunch, mark A for first period and T or C-I for second period.
  • If a student checks out during the morning period (1st period), mark with a C-O.  If they will be absent the rest of the day, you may mark the 2nd period of the day as an excused absence (E).  If they return in the afternoon, change the E to a C-I.
  • When a student checks out, mark C-O.
  • If a student checks out and then back in during the same period, C-SP.

Be aware that when you use the check in and check out codes, they will report as a absence code for the period of the day in which they are entered.  If you choose the C code in the "Absence Types" when you  run attendance reports, they will count in the report absence totals.

Resources:

 

Back to Manual Table of Contents