Jordan High School
Attendance Policy

2023-2024

Jordan High School expects all students to be in class, on time and ready to learn.
Interventions are designed to support student attendance and provide open communication with parents.
Jordan High has adopted the following interventions for students who struggle to meet these expectations:

Attendance Tiers of Intervention

Pre-Interventions: If a student has exceeded 8 total marks including unexcused absences and/or tardies between all of
their classes the following will happen:
● Parents/guardians will be contacted by Jordan High regarding their student’s attendance.
● The school will discuss JHS Attendance Policy with parents/guardians.
Tier 1: If a student accumulates 8 additional marks including unexcused absences and/or tardies OR 2 verified truancies
between all of their classes the following will happen:
● JHS administration will meet with the student and contact their parents/guardians.
● The conversation will include the student’s current grades, attendance, and potential solutions to the attendance
problem.
Tier 2: If a student accumulates 8 additional marks including unexcused absences and/or tardies OR 2 additional verified
truancies between all of their classes the following will happen:
● JHS administration will schedule an attendance mediation with the student and the parents/guardians.
● At this mediation, administration will review the student’s grades and attendance.
● Furthermore, the student and parent will agree to and sign an attendance contract indicating what measures will be put
into place to help the student improve attendance, a time frame for compliance and the potential consequences for
further attendance deficiencies.
Tier 3: If a student fails to meet the terms of the Tier 2 attendance contract the following will happen:
● JHS administration will schedule a second attendance mediation with the student and the parents/guardians.
● At this second mediation, administration will enact the consequences agreed upon in the signed attendance contract.
● At this mediation, the student and parents/guardians may be asked to sign an updated attendance contract with
updated, elevated consequences.
● Administration may refer the student to peer court.
Some of the potential consequences that may be contained in the Tier 1 and Tier 2 attendance contracts include but are
not limited to:

● Placement on a daily attendance tracker
● Lunch Detention
● In-School Suspension
● Referral to Mentor or “check and connect” counselor
● Revoked parking privileges
● Revoked privilege of participation at school dances/spectator privileges at UHSAA activities
● Assignment of a class escort
● Parent spend the day with the student at school
● Suspension from participation in UHSAA sanctioned activities
● Other consequences developed in collaboration with parents and students

Rationale

The single greatest factor determining the likelihood of high school graduation is school attendance. Opportunities for success
during and beyond secondary school are also directly affected by a student’s attitude toward attendance in high school.
Research has shown that school performance significantly declines once a student exceeds a 10% absentee rate. In order to
prepare for success, students are expected to attend school 90% of the time. This includes both excused and unexcused
absences. If students fall below the 90% threshold, they increase the likelihood that they will not be successful in their
coursework and may not complete the graduation requirements for high school.
During the worldwide pandemic, effectively managing school attendance became a significant factor 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. As we return to regular instructional practices the objectives of the Jordan High School Attendance Policy are:
● To provide students with successful learning experiences in each class.
● To teach responsible behavior by encouraging students to be accountable for their attendance
● To support parents in their efforts to promote student attendance.
● To provide a safe, effective, and uninterrupted learning environment for each student.
In an effort to proactively support student attendance, Jordan High, with the support of Canyons School District will provide
positive reinforcements to those students who keep their attendance in line with the established thresholds. Areas of focus will
include: recognition of students, each semester, maintaining at least a 90% positive attendance/on-time rate; personalized
communications via Skyalert when students are absent; inclusion of participation credit in academic classes; and early access to
interventions when additional support is needed.
Jordan 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. Attendance is a student-parent-school responsibility which
involves all three entities in order to resolve attendance concerns. Students who demonstrate excessive attendance problems
(defined as unexcused absences and tardies) will be subject to potential school disciplinary actions.

Absences

Any time a student misses class it will be recorded as an absence. Parents must call in or use the secure email through Skyward
to communicate with our attendance office regarding the absence. Once the absence is excused it will be recorded in Skyward
as a “G” or an “E”. 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. Any absence that is not excused by a parent or
guardian will be recorded in Skyward as an “A”. Parents may excuse absences through the attendance office by calling
801.826.6210 for up to five days after the absence occurred.

Verified Truancies

A student who is supposed to be in class but is found elsewhere in the building (hallways, bathrooms, commons, athletic
facilities, etc.) without an appropriate hall pass will be marked as verified truant. These are typically the most problematic
absences in a school setting as most verified truancies are a result of students not going to class but remaining in the building in
locations where they are not supposed to be. Because these absences are so problematic the threshold for this type of absence is
very low.

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 10 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

Check-in: Upon arrival during 1st or 5th period, students should go directly to class, unless they have written documentation
from a doctor, dentist, etc. The teacher will mark the student tardy (T) if the student arrives within the first ten minutes of class
and will mark the student way late (W) if the student arrives after the first ten minutes of class.
If a student enters campus for the first time during any other period throughout the day, a parent/guardian must call to check-in
the student through the Attendance Of ice. A parent/guardian may not retroactively checkout their student.
Check-out: If a student needs to leave school during the day, the student must check-out through the Attendance Office. A
parent/guardian must call the Attendance Office and give permission for the student to check-out. The student then will need to
pick up their check-out slip from the Attendance Office permitting them to leave. Students should wait in the Attendance
Office to be picked up, not in the commons. The check-out will be coded as a CHECKOUT (C-O) excused absence. Our
attendance office appreciates parents calling ahead of time for pre-set appointments when possible so they can prepare a
check-out slip ahead of time so that the student can be picked up.
If a student waits to check-out until the last 30 minutes of a period, they will be given a check-out slip but will not be given
an attendance code or considered absent. When a student has checked out and then returns to school, they must check-in
with the Attendance Of ice. A parent/guardian may not retroactively checkout their student.

Education Release

Some students have a form of education release in their schedule. Education release includes but is not limited to work release,
home release, classes at CTEC, and seminary. Students should be at the designated location for their education release and not
at Jordan High. CTEC students returning to Jordan High after their CTEC classes must go to the media center until their next
scheduled class. CTEC students will receive a badge from CTEC that will be their pass to the media center.

Checking on Student Attendance
Student attendance and grades can be checked at home or work over the internet at the JHS homepage at:
www.jhs.canyonsdistrict.org. To access the information you will need your Skyward login information. If you need Skyward
help, please contact our attendance office at 801-826-6211.

Excusing/Reporting Absences

Parents may excuse absences by:
● Calling the attendance office at 801-826-6210 between 7:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
● Emailing the attendance office through Skyward using your login credentials.