Bill > A5051

Introduced Session

This bill clarifies public school student attendance recording and reporting requirements for State and federal accountability purposes. Under the State Board of Education's regulations, students are required to be recorded as present, absent, or excused for a State-excused absence. The six State-excused absences include: 1) a student's religious observance; 2) participation in observance of Veterans Day; 3) participation in district board of election membership activities; 4) participation in "Take Our Children to Work Day"; 5) a certain number of college visits for students in grades 11 and 12; and 6) a closure of a busing school district that prevents a student from having transportation to a receiving school. Under current law, absences based on a student's physical and mental health are not recognized as excused absences. Pursuant to New Jersey's federally approved Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) State Plan, the Department of Education is required to report on chronic absenteeism as an indicator of school quality. Under the ESSA State Plan and current regulations, State-excused absences do not count toward the 10 percent of days missed before a student is considered "chronically absent." This bill clarifies that students are to be recorded on the student's attendance record as present, absent for an excused absence, absent for a State-excused absence, or absent for an unexcused absence. Under the bill, a student is to be recorded as absent for an excused absence for: (1) the physical health of the student, including the experiencing of symptoms of a menstrual disorder; (2) the mental or behavioral health of the student; (3) the student's required attendance in court; or (4) a death in the family. Under the bill, an excused absence, like a State-excused absence, cannot be used to exclude a student from any awards or recognition on the basis of attendance. As an excused absence, students are required to be given the opportunity to make up any school work that was missed during the absence. In order to have the absence recognized as an excused absence, the student is required to submit medical documentation, non-medical documentation, or documentation from a parent or guardian of the student to prove the student meets the requirements for an excused absence. Medical documentation is to excuse a student for up to five school days. If the student's absence is the result of the mental or behavioral health of the student, appropriate school support personnel are to meet with the student, review the documentation submitted, and make a determination on whether the absence qualifies as an excused absence. This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to develop guidance concerning the reporting of student absences and calculating chronic absenteeism. Additionally, this bill requires the school district to report student attendance pursuant to the categories established by the act for School Report Cards. The bill clarifies that for purposes of chronic absenteeism reporting, excused absences, as established in this bill, are to be considered absences and counted towards a student's absentee rate. State-excused absences are not to count for purposes of calculating a student's absentee rate. Finally, the bill clarifies that unexcused absences are considered in determining whether a student is truant.

AI Summary

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Sterley Stanley (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee (on 12/09/2024)

Official Document