2014-2015 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook

20162017 Student Attendance Accounting Handbook

Texas Education AgencyAugust 2016

State Boardof Education

MARTHA M. DOMINGUEZ, Ed.D

El Paso

District 1

RUBEN CORTEZ JR.

SecretaryBrownsvilleDistrict 2

THOMAS RATLIFF

Vice Chair

Mount Pleasant

District 9

TOM MAYNARD

Florence

District 10

MARISA B. PEREZ

San AntonioDistrict 3

PATRICIA HARDY

Fort Worth

District 11

LAWRENCE A. ALLEN JR.

Houston

District 4

GERALDINE MILLER

Dallas

District 12

DONNA BAHORICH

ChairHoustonDistrict 6

KEN MERCERSan AntonioDistrict 5

ERIKA BELTRAN

Dallas

District 13

SUE MELTON-MALONE

Waco

District 14

DAVID BRADLEY

Beaumont

District 7

BARBARA CARGILL

The Woodlands

District 8

MARTY ROWLEY

Amarillo

District 15

COMMITTEES OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION

INSTRUCTION

Sue Melton-Malone, Chair

Geraldine Miller, Vice Chair

Barbara Cargill

Tom Maynard

Marisa B. Perez

SCHOOL INITIATIVES

Marty Rowley, Chair

Martha Dominguez, Vice Chair

Donna Barorich

Erika Beltran

Ruben Cortez Jr.

SCHOOL FINANCE/PERMANENT SCHOOL FUND

Patricia Hardy, Chair

Lawrence A. Allen Jr., Vice Chair

David Bradley

Ken Mercer

Thomas Ratliff

Foreword

All public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools in Texas are required to submit student attendance data through the Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS). The Student Attendance Accounting Handbook (handbook) supports that requirement and establishes related student attendance accounting requirements.

The handbook:

describes the FSP eligibility requirements of all students,

prescribes the minimum standards for all attendance accounting systems,

lists the documentation requirements for attendance audit purposes, and

details the responsibilities of all district and charter school personnel involved in student attendance accounting.

The handbook is for all Texas school district and charter school personnel involved in the student attendance accounting process. No school district or charter school official (or any other person in your district or charter school) has the authority, either implied or actual, to change or alter any rules, regulations, or reporting requirements specified in this handbook.

Mike Morath

Commissioner of Education

Acknowledgments

The following people were involved in the development of this publication.

Texas Education Agency

David Marx

Director, Financial Compliance

Staff

Margaret Baker

Ashley Behnke

Michael Birnstiehl

Terrie Breeden

Von Byer

Kelly Callaway

Susie Coultress

John Ellis

Candace Stoltz

Dale Fowler

Ryan Franklin

Cindy Gruner

Ron Heinrich

Diane J. Hernandez

Kelly Kravitz

Gene Lenz

David Loseke

Roberto Manzo

Leah Martin

Monica Martinez

Howard Morrison

Tammy Pearcy

Brent Pitt

Nora Rainey

Shelly Ramos

Linda Roska

Ron Rowell

Diane Salazar

Susan Smith

Bryce Templeton

Yolanda Walker

Chanda Williams

Ron Whitson

Gloria Zyskowski

Page 6 2016-2017

Texas Education Agency

20162017Student Attendance Accounting Handbook

Contents

Section 1 Overview17

1.1 Student Attendance and FSP Funding17

1.2 Taking and Recording Student Attendance18

1.3 Reporting of Attendance Information to the TEA19

1.4 Storage of Attendance Information19

1.5 Auditing of Attendance Information19

1.6 How to Use This Handbook20

1.7 Significant Changes21

Section 2 Audit Requirements23

2.1 General Audit Requirements23

2.2 Accounting System Requirements24

2.2.1 Paper-Based Attendance Accounting Systems vs. Automated Attendance Accounting Systems24

2.2.2 Automated Attendance Accounting Systems25

2.2.3 Paperless Attendance Accounting Systems25

2.2.4 Disaster Recovery26

2.2.5 Attendance System Procedures Manual26

2.3 Required Documentation27

2.3.1 Student Detail Reports27

2.3.2 Campus Summary Reports29

2.3.3 District Summary Reports30

2.3.4 Reconciliation of Teachers Roster Information and Attendance Accounting Records30

2.3.5 Additional Required Documentation31

Section 3 General Attendance Requirements33

3.1 Responsibility33

3.2 Membership and Eligibility for Attendance and Foundation School Program (FSP) Funding34

3.2.1 ADA Eligibility Coding34

3.2.2 Funding Eligibility37

3.2.3 Age Eligibility39

3.2.4 Dual Credit (High School and College or University)42

3.3 Enrollment Procedures and Requirements42

3.3.1 Residency42

3.3.2 District Responsibility to Secure Student Records43

3.3.3 Documentation of Identity and Age43

3.3.4 Failure to Receive Student Records and Discrepancies in Student Names44

3.3.5 Entry and Reentry Dates45

3.3.6 Student Entitlement to Attend School in a Particular District45

3.3.7 Homeless Students47

3.3.8 Immunization47

3.3.9 Infants and Toddlers with Auditory or Visual Impairments or Both48

3.3.10 Students Who Have Received a GED Certificate or Have Been Court-Ordered to Obtain a GED Certificate48

3.4 Withdrawal Procedures48

3.4.1 Students 19 Years of Age or Older48

3.4.2 Temporary Absences and Withdrawal49

3.4.3 Students Whose Whereabouts Are Unknown49

3.4.4 Information and Record Transfer49

3.4.5 Students 21 Years of Age or Older and Placement in a Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP) or JJAEP50

3.5 Compulsory Attendance51

3.6 General Attendance-Taking Rules51

3.6.1 Manual Entries for or Corrections to Student Attendance Data52

3.6.2 Time of Day for Attendance Taking52

3.6.3 Requirements for a Student to Be Considered Present for FSP (Funding) Purposes54

3.6.4 Excused Absences for Compulsory Attendance Purposes59

3.6.5 Instruction Provided outside of the Regular School Day59

3.6.6 Attendance Accounting during Testing Days60

3.6.7 Attendance and Students Who Are Not in Membership or Are Served outside the Home District60

3.6.8 Tardies60

3.6.9 Effective Dates for Program Changes61

3.6.10 Students Attending Nonresidential Treatment Facilities61

3.7 General Education Homebound (GEH) Program62

3.7.1 GEH Policy Requirements62

3.7.2 GEH Committee62

3.7.3 GEH Funding Chart63

3.7.4 Test Administration and GEH64

3.7.5 Transition from GEH to the Classroom64

3.7.6 Transitioning Students with Chronic Illness between Homebound and the Classroom65

3.7.7 Students with a Recurring Chronic or Acute Health Condition65

3.8 Calendar66

3.8.1 Length of School Day68

3.8.2 Makeup Days and Waivers68

3.8.3 Closures for Bad Weather or Other Issues of Health or Safety70

3.8.4 Summer School and State Funding76

3.9 Data Submission76

3.10 Quality Control77

3.11 Examples77

Section 4 Special Education87

4.1 Responsibility87

4.2 Special Education and Eligibility87

4.3 Enrollment Procedures88

4.3.1 Enrollment Procedures for a Student in Your District Who Was Not Previously Receiving Special Education Services88

4.3.2 Enrollment Procedures for a Student in Your District Whose Instructional Setting Is Changing89

4.3.3 Enrollment Procedures for a Student Who Is New to Your District but Was Previously Receiving Special Education Services89

4.3.4 Enrollment Procedures for a Student Who Is New to Your District and Was Not Previously Receiving Special Education Services91

4.4 Withdrawal Procedure91

4.5 Special Education Services for Private or Home School Students Who Are Eligible for and in Need of Special Education91

4.5.1 Private or Home School Students Aged 3 or 4 Years92

4.5.2 Private or Home School Students Aged 5 through 21 Years92

4.6 Interim Alternative Educational Placements92

4.7 Instructional Setting Codes92

4.7.1 Code 00 - No Instructional Setting (Speech Therapy)94

4.7.2 Code 01 - Homebound95

4.7.3 Code 02 - Hospital Class102

4.7.4 Code 08 - Vocational Adjustment Class (VAC)102

4.7.5 Code 30 - State Supported Living Centers103

4.7.6 Applicable Federal Law and Additional Guidance Regarding the Location of Services for Students Currently Residing in a Hospital, Residential Facility, or State Supported Living Center103

4.7.7 Code 31 - Home-Based Instruction104

4.7.8 Code 32 - Center-Based Instruction105

4.7.9 Code 34 - Other Environment105

4.7.10 Code 40 - Special Education Mainstream105

4.7.11 Code 41 or 42 - Resource Room/Services107

4.7.12 Code 43 or 44 - Self-Contained, Mild/Moderate/Severe, Regular Campus107

4.7.13 Additional Guidelines for Instructional Setting Codes 4144108

4.7.14 Code 45 - Full-Time Early Childhood (Preschool Program for Children with Disabilities) Special Education Setting109

4.7.15 Code 50 - Residential Nonpublic Scho