Hillcrest High School
Attendance Policy
2024-2025
Attendance is a significant factor affecting student achievement in school. Opportunities for success during and beyond secondary school are also directly affected by a student’s attitude toward attendance in high school. The single greatest factor determining the likelihood of high school graduation is school attendance. In order to afford students, the opportunity to be academically successful and responsible citizens, Hillcrest High School expects students to be in class, prepared, and on time each day.
We understand that during the worldwide pandemic school attendance became a significant issue in terms of trying to curb the spread of disease. Schools attempted to develop different methods of instruction to try and meet the various needs of families. The objectives of the Hillcrest High School Attendance Guidelines are to: 1) provide students with successful learning experiences in each class, 2) teach responsible behavior by encouraging students to be accountable for their attendance, 3) support parent efforts in promotion of student attendance, and to 4) provide a safe, effective, and uninterrupted learning environment for each student.
In an effort to proactively support student attendance, Hillcrest High will provide positive reinforcements to those students who keep their attendance in line with the approved thresholds. Each term, the Hillcrest High School Administration will reward all students that have maintained at least 90% attendance and also did not exceed the tardy threshold (5 per class) each term.
Hillcrest High School supports state and district attendance policies which call for fairness and to provide flexibility and accountability on the part of students, parents, and the school. HHS believes school attendance is a student-parent-school responsibility which involves all three entities in order to resolve attendance concerns prior to referring attendance problems to a school mediation panel. High attendance expectations have proven to improve academic achievement, graduation rates, responsibility, respect, school climate, and school safety. Students who demonstrate excessive attendance problems (defined as unexcused absences and tardies) will be subject to potential school disciplinary actions.
Research has shown that school performance significantly declines once a student exceeds a 10% absentee rate. Students should be in attendance no less than 90% of the time. This includes both excused and unexcused absences. If students fall below the 90% threshold, they are increasing the likelihood that they will not be successful in their coursework and therefore not complete the graduation requirements for high school.
Each Student is expected to keep their attendance within the following thresholds:
- No more than 5 unexcused absences per class period during the duration of the trimester.
- No more than 5 tardies per class period during the duration of the term.
As per state code, students will be held harmless for absences that are excused by a parent or guardian. This does not mean that students are not responsible to complete any work that is missed as a result of absences. Students are expected to complete all work, regardless of the type of absence that is recorded.
Tardies
Punctuality is an important life skill and tardiness is extremely disruptive to the educational process. A student is considered tardy if they are not in the classroom when the bell rings. If a student arrives more than 15 minutes late to class it is recorded as a “W” which refers to “Way Late”. This still only counts as a tardy but serves as a reference for teachers, students, and families regarding the significance of the late arrivals.
Check in / Check Out
Students arriving to school late or returning to school from a mid-day appointment should check in at the office. Parents need to call to notify the attendance office when a student is being checked in so we can record it appropriately. Students arriving late to class without parent notification will be marked with a tardy or way late as described above.
Definitions of Absences
HHS has set standards for class attendance based on research, district and state guidelines and policies that have proven to improve success in high school. The following is a list of absentee codes used throughout Canyons School District on Skyward.
E = Excused Absence
A = Unexcused Absence
A-VT = Unexcused Absence (Verified Truant)
T = Tardy
W = Way Late (more than 15 minutes late)
C-IN = Checked-in
C-O = Checked-out
N = School Excused Absence (Field Trip, Testing, Home/Hospital, RUF)
Attendance Interventions
Tier 1: Once a student has a decline in attendance in any of their classes, teachers will meet with student before or after class to discuss attendance concerns and work with student to set attendance goal(s). Teacher will continue to monitor student attendance.
Tier 2: When a student fails to meet attendance goal(s) and continues to struggle with attendance and/or tardies, the teacher will send home an attendance postcard or call home to notify parent of absences.
Tier 3: When a student has exceeded the recommended number of absences and/or tardies in any of their classes, the administration will schedule an attendance mediation with the student and the parent. At this mediation we will discuss the student’s current grades and attendance and potential solutions to the attendance problem.
Some of the potential interventions that may help student attend class include but are not limited to:
- Placement on a daily attendance tracker
- Parent accompany the student to school
- Placement in the HHS Restorative Justice Program (RUF)
- Assigned Check and Connect Mentor
- Other interventions developed in collaboration with parents and student
Tier 4: Once we have worked through the first three tiers of interventions with a student and these interventions have failed to help improve student attendance and/or punctuality, students will be referred to our district attendance specialist and peer court.
Checking Student Attendance and Grades
Student attendance and grades can be checked at home or work over the internet at the HHS homepage at: bhs.canyonsdistrict.org To access the information you will need your Skyward login information. If you need Skyward help, please contact our attendance office at 801-826-5810.
Excusing/Reporting Absences
Parents may excuse absences by calling the attendance office at 801-826-5810 between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Hillcrest High School follows Canyon’s School District’s Board Policy 500.35, Utah Code 536-6-204 and 53G-6-202 which requires which requires that all children ages 6‐18 must be enrolled in school and attend regularly. This policy and law are in place because regular school attendance is a major component of a student’s academic success, improves social interaction with adults and peers, and provides opportunities for important communication between teachers and students.
TARDINESS: Students are expected to be on time to class. Students up to 10 minutes late will be marked with a ‘T’. Students more than 10 minutes late will be marked with a ‘W’. Excessive tardiness will be addressed by teachers and administration.
EXCUSED ABSENCES: Contact our Main Office to excuse absences: 801-826-6000 ext.6006 or ext.6011
Absences can only be excused by a legal parent/guardian. An absence must be excused in order to make up missed school work. All absences not excused within three weeks following the absence, must have administrator approval to be cleared. It is the student/parent responsibility to check on their attendance and verify that their absence has been excused online with Skyward.
UNEXCUSED ABSENCES: Absences are considered unexcused until they have been cleared by a legal parent/guardian.
VERIFIED TRUANT: Students wondering the hallways and school campus during school hours without teacher or administration permission will be marked verified truant.
EXCUSED EXTENDED ABSENCES: Excused absences of 4 to 10 consecutive days are considered “Education/Vacation Leave” and require an administrator’s approval. Excused Education/Vacation Leave Forms can be found in the attendance office. These must be completed and approved by administration prior to the absence or the student may be subject to being dropped/withdrawn from Hillcrest High. Student/Parent will need to notify all teachers and collect schoolwork accordingly.
TRUANCY: Students will be referred to an administrator when absences become excessive.
- In the event of excessive tardiness or truancy, students may be scheduled by an administrator to meet with parents/guardians to determine appropriate interventions.
- Consecutive absences of 10 days or more, students are dropped/withdrawn from Hillcrest High School.
