2017-18 Bowie High School Semester Exam Incentive Guidelines

RATIONALE:  The primary goal of this pilot program is to increase achievement by maximizing the time students spend in instruction. While some student absences are unavoidable, this pilot program is intended to discourage non-essential absences and promote exemplary attendance as a campus norm. The average daily attendance rate also impacts public education funding and accountability ratings which has significance for the larger community.

INCENTIVE: Per district policy, all students are required to take semester exams. However, in this Bowie pilot program, students who maintain good attendance (based on the TEA guidelines) may earn the privilege of having the semester exam grade count only if it improves their overall average for the semester. This means that in at least one class, and possibly two classes if the student’s attendance record is excellent (based on the TEA guidelines), the student can present a certificate to the teacher instructing them to use either the final exam grade or the semester exam grade (whichever is higher) to calculate their overall semester average. For the purposes of this incentive, the sum of all absences for all classes periods, is used to determine eligibility and tardies count, as well.

• ONE CERTIFICATE – A student with no more than 12 total class period absences and no more than 3 absences in any single class will be given one certificate, allowing them to apply the attendance incentive in one class of their choice (for the selected class each six weeks and the semester average must be ≥70%).
• TWO CERTIFICATES – A student with no more than 8 total class period absences and no more than 2 absences in any single class will be given two certificate, allowing them to apply the attendance incentive in two classes of their choice (for the selected classes each six weeks and the semester average must be ≥70%).

                           NOTE:  5 tardies = 1 absence for this incentive.

GUIDELINES & DETAILS:  

• Per AISD school board policy, all students are required to take all semester exams. Eligible students are required to attend and take the semester exam, as scheduled. Students who are absent for, or fail to take, the semester exam will forfeit the exam incentive. Teachers will grade and score all student exams in this process, no matter if the student is using a certificate or not.
• To determine if a student meets the attendance criteria for eligibility, the student’s total number of absences in TEAMS for all classes will be tallied and then reconciled with the student’s record of tardiness (5 tardies = 1 absence for this incentive).

• Texas Education Agency (TEA) determines codes for credit, accountability, and funding, so Bowie exclusively uses these TEA codes to determine attendance incentive eligibility. Some absences, such as field trips and partial-day medical appointments, are considered allowable and will not count in the tally for the purposes of the attendance incentives. In general, most absences – including legitimate illness, hospitalization, and family emergencies — are counted in the tally and may prevent a student from earning the attendance incentive. Students and parents should refer to the TEAMS coding document at www.jbhs.org for a full list absence codes, and should routinely review the student’s attendance record.

• Saturday School does not serve to remove absences for the purpose of the semester exam attendance incentive eligibility.

• A centrally-generated, master list of students meeting the attendance criteria will be posted prior to the semester exam window. Students on this master list will need a photo ID to pick up their exam incentive certificates. Certificates may only be picked up before school, during lunch, and after school the last full day of class before finals,
• Certificates cannot be transferred to other students, duplicated, or altered in any manner. Lost certificates will not be replaced. Each certificate can only be used once and only for the semester in which they were earned.
• Bowie teachers are required to accept and apply attendance incentive certificates in accordance with the provisions above. AP teachers may opt to replace this attendance incentive with the district’s AP exemption policy for the spring semester as per PLC team discretion.

• Teachers must have the semester average calculated by 5pm on the last day of class prior to the semester exam window (teachers are not responsible for reviewing, calculating, or verifying the students’ attendance records). Teachers will refer to the semester average to determine whether or not they can accept a student’s semester exam attendance incentive certificate.
• Students will submit their certificate(s) to their selected teacher(s) during the semester exam window on a date TBD. As noted, the student must take all exams, including the one(s) for which certificates are submitted. The teachers are required to retain the submitted certificates to prevent duplicate usage.
• Only students with an identified disability substantiated with documentation may appeal the categorization of an absence(s) for the purposes of eligibility for the attendance incentive. Appeals must be submitted to the principal (or designee) prior to the semester exam window. Teachers may not, under any circumstances, offer the incentive to students that do not meet the established criteria unless an appeal has been submitted and the principal (or designee) has given authorization.