ATTENDANCE SUPPORT INITIATIVE

Procedures for the 2022-2023 School Year:

Student attendance is expected no matter what type of instruction and learning is provided in your district.

The Illinois Compulsory Attendance Law requires that all children aged 6-17 must attend school and that it is the responsibility of the parent to see that they attend.

School Districts: Please ensure that you have completed all actions listed in the “School Actions” below. At the 10th unexcused absence, districts/schools may fill out the attendance referral below. One of the NCISC’s Attendance Liaisons will contact the district or school for additional information if necessary.

Referrals
Please use the flowchart below to determine if an Attendance Liaison referral is necessary and appropriate.

Our Attendance Liaisons will work with the student, family and school to improve attendance through a variety of actions including home visits, resource provision, creation and enforcement of attendance contracts, and removing any barriers that might be present that impede school attendance. If attendance does not improve, our Attendance Liaisons will contact Paula Miller, Truancy Officer. Once Dr. Miller issues a first or second letter, you will be notified. Contact Paula Miller via email if the child does not return within one week of the deadline. Please do not contact Paula on the first day the student misses. We ask that you give the process one week to work while you contact parents, talk to the truant’s friends, and follow up at your building level.

If the student does not return, or begins to fall back into the truant pattern after an initial return to school, email the Attendance Liaison and Paula Miller with the new absence numbers. A second or third letter will then be sent. Juvenile court no longer takes truancy referrals. Do not complete a new referral form for a continued truancy after the first letter is sent; the first form is enough for the files.

Contact Adriana Chavez, achavez@ncisc.org or Chloe Nabors, cnabors@ncisc.org for more information or support.