Attendance Policy & Absences

Synchronous Learning includes opportunities for students to learn at the same time the teacher is instructing. This option is available *primarily for Online Classroom (OC) students and occurs once a week for one (1) hour (depending on core subject) and, when appropriate (whole class instruction), will be recorded for students to watch later. Synchronous Learning also includes small group instruction and one-one-one sessions, which are also scheduled by teachers throughout the week. Students can plan on attending at least one (1) whole class lesson and one (1) small group and/or one-on-one support session (as needed) each week.

*Some Independent Study specialty classes do provide synchronous online support session opportunities for students. See our Class Schedule for more information. 

Asynchronous Learning includes opportunities for students to learn on their own time, working independently. This will take the form of completing assigned readings, writing assignments, projects, and assessments in Canvas. Students should expect to spend at least three (3) hours on asynchronous learning each week in every course. In advanced courses such as Honors, Advanced Placement, and Concurrent Enrollment courses, students may need to spend additional time on asynchronous learning activities each week to understand the material and fulfill the course requirements. Asynchronous Learning occurs in all version of our online courses (OC, I.S., ALC, S.S., and CR). 

In-person Learning: To enhance the online learning experience, students will have opportunities to attend in-person, supplemental learning sessions on a Davis School District campus. Our Davis Connect campuses are located at Layton Elementary School and Ellison Park Elementary School. Davis Connect in-person learning may include studio or lab time, small and large group activities or field experiences, and individual sessions with instructors. Students may also arrange group study times to work with their peers in-person at our Student Center. Students also can blend their schedule into their boundary school, the Catalyst Center, or Davis Technical College, where they may take a variety of courses not offered online.

Attendance will be reviewed by teachers each day of the instructional week (Monday – Friday). Students will be considered “present” if they meet the minimum criteria for attendance. There are a variety of measures that may be used to determine a student’s attendance including, but not limited to:

·         Course Engagement

·         Student Academic Progress

Students who have failed to meet the minimum criteria to be considered “present” will be documented as absent for the day. However, absences will only be marked in the student system for Online Classroom (OC) courses.

The state of Utah and Davis School District policy requires schools to track the attendance of all students. Students are required by law to maintain a level of school attendance. For Davis Connect Online Classroom (OC), attendance is taken by attending weekly virtual class meetings, small group or one-on-one online support sessions, student-teacher check-in appointments, and completing weekly coursework. 

For Independent Study (I.S.) and A La Carte (ALC) classes, attendance is tracked by logging into Canvas regularly and completing coursework, based on the assigned due dates or pacing guidelines. 

According to state policy, students who do not meet minimum attendance for 10 consecutive school days “shall be removed from district membership in the Student Information System, unless the student has a valid excuse under UCA 53G-6-201(9).” Thus, students who are not progressing in their courses for a period of 10 consecutive days will be withdrawn. 

Students who are more engaged in their courses are typically more successful academically. Students are expected to be actively engaged in every course, every week.

Online school engagement includes student participation in:

·         Synchronous Learning (includes, but is not limited to: live lessons in Online Classroom courses, small group live support sessions for Online Classroom and specialty Independent Study courses, special education support sessions, and one-on-one visits with a teacher)

·         Asynchronous Learning (includes, but is not limited to: course assignment completion and submission in Online Classroom, Independent Study, A La Carte, Support Session, and Credit Recovery courses, and participation in online lesson discussions)

·         School Communication (includes, but is not limited to: Canvas Inbox messages, emails, chats, and video conference calls with teacher)

Teachers will evaluate students' engagement each week using multiple measures of student engagement. The 4 areas of engagement which will be evaluated each week are:

·         Participation in Live Lessons and Support Sessions

o   Students are expected to attend all live lessons and small group and/or support sessions, as scheduled.

·         Course Access

o   Students are expected to access their courses in Canvas each week.

·         Assignment Submissions

o   Students are expected to submit assignments in each course each week and keep up with the due dates.

·         Student-Teacher Communication 

o   Students are expected to communicate often with their teachers when they have questions and participate in class discussions.

All students enrolled in Davis Connect courses (OC, I.S., ALC, and S.S.) are expected to make adequate progress toward mastering core standards and competencies that allows them to be successful in the next grade level or post-graduation opportunities. Davis Connect curriculum and instructional practices are structured to help students master the Dispositions, Essential Skills, and Knowledge (DESK) standards for each content area. When students are not making satisfactory academic progress, they risk falling behind their peers and not acquiring the skills and knowledge needed to progress to the next grade level or graduate.

Students are also expected to make academic progress at an appropriate pace. Teachers assign due dates or pacing guides within a course to help students complete the course by the end of the designated timeframe (term, semester, or year, depending on the course).

·         Students are expected to maintain a steady and consistent pace in order to progress through the learning in a timely manner.

·         Students are allowed to work at their own pace within a course, as long as they are able to complete the course by the end of the allotted timeframe.

·         Students may work ahead of pace within the term, semester, or year (depending on the course and materials available).

Academic progress is measured by:

·         Submission 85% (or more) of all course assignments by the recommended due date (or within the allotted time frame)

·         Improvement or growth in student beginning, middle, and end-of-year assessments

·         Scoring proficient (or better) on the priority standards and competencies for each course

·         Achieving satisfactory (or better) grades in all courses each term

·         Maintaining a satisfactory (or better) cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students who are not making satisfactory academic progress will meet with their school counselor, teacher(s), and Student Success Mentor to create a Student Learning Plan, which will help them to reach academic goals.