OSPI Seeks Input on Absence Reporting Changes

Provide your Feedback on the Absence Rule for Next Year

OSPI is proposing changes to Chapter 392-401 WAC – Statewide Definition of Absence, Excused and Unexcused. Find the proposed changes below. 

Please submit your comments by 5pm on July 27 to krissy.johnson@k12.wa.us.

Proposed Attendance Changes 2021-22

I am troubled by the changes in the section on expelled/suspended students. Plus, they want attendance taken twice a day in elementary. 

I am going to suggest a survey of parents/districts before changes.



Comments

Seattle Parent said…
This year SPS required teachers to mark a student present if the student logged in to Schoology once during the day even if the student skipped the synchronous class period, which is one possible interpretation of the asynchronous rules defined by the law. Of course, with schools not allowed to require student cameras to be turned on, it was impossible for teachers to know if students were “tuned in” during the synchronous learning periods as well.

Probably there were both administrators and students that manipulated the online attendance rules for their own purposes. Its possible administrators manipulated them to make the attendance numbers look better than they were, and students manipulated them to cut class.

Given that online learning is here to stay, the related rules probably need to be tighter than those proposed. For example, if there is both synchronous and asynchronous learning during the day, students should probably be required to attend the synchronous portion to be marked as present. And the definition of “attending” synchronous class probably needs to be tighter than simply, “the student was logged into to MS Teams.”
7/13/21, 2:04 PM
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