Code: 4221 P-2/5430 P-1

Title: Utilization of the Lummi Indian Tribe/Johnson

O'Malley Supplementary Attendance Services

Section: 4000 - Community Relations/5000 - Personnel

Status: Active

Adopted: October 1, 1982

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Utilization of the Lummi Indian Tribe/Johnson O'Malley Supplementary Attendance Services

The Ferndale School District schools make a regular attempt to contact the parent or guardian of each student who is absent from classes. The purpose of this contact is to establish the reason for and to verify that the parent or guardian has knowledge of the absence.

In the event that the reason for a Lummi Indian students' absence cannot be determined through the initial telephone inquiry used by the school, a school may select to use the services of employees hired by the Lummi Indian Tribe's Johnson O'Malley JO'M program.

If the building principals selects to use the JO'M supplementary attendance service, the following procedures will be utilized:

A. The building principal, or designee, will contact the JO'M supervisor for the following information:

1. The names of the JO'M employees who will assist with attendance monitoring.

2. The regular office and telephone number of the JO'M attendance workers.

3. The daily work schedule of JO'M attendance workers.

4. The hours during which JO'M attendance workers will be available for telephone consultation.

5. The contact person who will assume supervisory responsibility for the JO'M program.

B. The building principal, or designee, will then contact the person who has supervisory responsibilities for the JO'M supplementary attendance service for the following purposes:

1. To establish an orientation meeting at which JO'M attendance workers, district building attendance clerks, and building administrators would meet to:

a. Review procedures and goals of the JO'M program and the district's attendance program.

b. Familiarize attendance clerks and JO'M employees with records that would be used in each school's attendance office and at the Lummi Education Center in recording referrals and investigation activities.

c. Establish regular referral schedules for each Ferndale school using the JO'M service.

d. Establish a means by which information will be returned to the referring school on completion of attendance follow-up by the JO'M attendance worker.

2. Provide for consultation sessions during the school year at which the JO'M staff and Ferndale administrators will meet to evaluate the inquiry activity of the JO'M program.

C. Once A and B above have been completed, the building principal will institute the following:

The school attendance clerk will:

1. Call the Lummi Education Center Office as needed (the determination of need will be established by each principal individually).

2. Report to the JO'M attendance worker the names of students who require attendance follow-up. These will include:

(a) Lummi students who are absent and return without a valid excuse from their parent or guardian.

(b) Lummi students who have been out an excessive number of days and the school has been unable to reach the parent or guardian of the student.

(c)  Lummi students who are absent and there is reason to believe the absence is not for excusable reasons.

3. Record the names given to the JO'M worker in the log.

4. Receive feedback information from JO'M attendance workers.

5. Indicate in the log the students for whom follow-up has been completed and the results of that follow-up.

D. The JO'M supervisor, having consulted the Parent Committee, informs the District that the JO'M program has attendance workers whose duties include:

1. Recording the names of Lummi students referred for attendance follow- up in a daily log.

2. The follow-up on absences for students reported will include:

(a) Establishing the reason for absence.

(b) Establishing the anticipated length of the absence.

3. The following day, provide the reporting school the information gathered on each student for whom follow-up was completed.

4. Carry over to the next day's log the names of students for whom follow- up was not completed.

 

Adopted: 10.01.1982

Revised: 09.09.1996