Add or Change Absence Codes  

Update Absence Code Options  

Type of Attendance 

Overview 

Setting up and/or modifying Absence Codes will occur at the beginning of each school year. Once the school year begins these codes MUST not be changed. The codes are usually setup by an individual from the District Office. 

If setting up or modifying the absence codes, it is highly recommended that the District Office verify ALL required options for each absence code.  

Navigate to the Update Absence Code page. 

Add or Change Absence Codes  ↑

To add an absence code, click on the Add button. Type a one-character code in the Code field. The code can be alpha or numeric only. Tab to the Description field, enter the description of the type of absence code. The description should not contain an apostrophe or special character. Tab again to the Abbreviation field, enter a three-character abbreviation of the code. Select all desired options then select Save.

NOTE: Prior to setting up or modifying any absence codes, districts must verify the current State compliance regulations, including acceptable absence reason codes for ADA reporting.

When adding a new absence code, the options and Type of Attendance must be populated. The options and Type of Attendance are detailed below.   

A color can be associated with each Absence code by selecting a Color code. This is not required.

If an absence code has a color assigned to it the color will display on the Attendance page for that absence code and on the attendance legend. The absence code colors will not display to parents or students in the portal. 

Options on how to display the absence code colors can be selected from the color options drop down on the Attendance page. This includes an option Colors-Off which can be used to disable displaying any colors. 

NOTE:  If any changes are made to the Absence Code (ABS) table, then the Update Attendance History function will need to be run to update the Attendance History table.

Update Absence Code Options  ↑

The Attendance options need to be reviewed for all absence codes entered.

• Count for ADA - select if the code should count for average daily attendance (ADA). Unverified absences, excused absences, or unexcused absences should not be set to Count for ADA.

• Show on Letters - select if the code should print on letters for attendance

• Show on Grades - select if the code should print on report cards

• Send to Dialer - select if the code should be included in the dialer systems. This option does not apply for Districts using the Aeries Communications powered by ParentSquare system. In order to configure the Absence Codes for Aeries Communications, the Attendance Notifications form within Aeries must be used instead.

• Print on Reports - select if the code should print on reports. Enabling this setting for a code will default the code to be pre-selected in reports when the Absence Code table is available on a Report Options window.

• Suspension – This option will be used in reports and extracts to denote the absence code that is a Suspension. Two suspension codes should be added for both period and daily schools with the following settings:

Suspension – In School: 

Flag with Count for ADA option

Flag with Suspension option

Flag with Verified Not Absent for the Type of Attendance

In School Suspensions will not be included in the Truancy count

  Suspension – Out of School:

        Do NOT flagged with Count for ADA option

        Flag with Suspension option

        Flag with Unexcused Absent Verified for the Attendance Type

  Out of School Suspensions will be included in the Truancy count

• Partial Day > 30 Minutes Truant   It is important that all districts have an absence code to represent Partial Day Truancies. This needs to represent ONLY tardies greater than 30 minutes or unexcused early withdrawals.

It would normally be used for students who are more than 30 minutes late for school (or class if period attendance). Students arriving late to school within 30 minutes of the start of school are simply considered "Tardy" no matter the reason. It is only after 30 minutes that the "Tardy" becomes "Tardy Truant" (aka Partial Day Truant).

This option will count towards the Attendance History Truancy count which is used for  CALPADS Attendance extracts.

• Temporarily Not Enrolled (TNE)- This code is used for students temporarily not enrolled. This flag will allow schools to mark students that have left the school for a short period of time as “not enrolled” for those days. Schools will not need to inactivate the student's enrollment and risk losing their classes, nor will they need to use an unverified absence code for those days which may inaccurately categorize the student as truant. The number of days the student is enrolled will be reduced by the number of Temporarily Not Enrolled attendance codes the student has when submitting attendance in the STAS extract.

Note: This code was made available for students attending Hospital/Health Facility Programs in Another LEA or for students on Paternity Leave. The student may be given a TNE absence code in the primary enrollment record for the days the student is attending the other facility or on a paternity leave to indicate the student is temporarily not enrolled.  This code can also be used for students temporarily placed in a Juvenile Court System. If the student will be enrolled short-term (30) in another LEA, the student's attendance enrollment will need to be monitored. In the event that the short term enrollment exceeds 30 days, the student's primary enrollment may need to be disenrolled depending on the placement to avoid a CCE. Refer to the CDE flash 148 or contact the CDE for guidance .

• Independent Study – Use for the Incomplete and CompleteIndependent Study codes:
  • Blank is Not Independent Study
  • I - Incomplete Independent Study
  • C – Complete Independent Study

• In Person Only - This absence code designated to only be used for days in attendance which are In-Person and not Remote Only.

Note:  Will be used with the CALPADS STAS Extract. 

Type of Attendance ↑

The Type of Attendance options need to be selected for all absence codes entered. The first 3 options can only have one absence code defined. The remaining 5 options can have multiple codes defined with different codes and descriptions.

• Unverified Absence (Usually code “A”):  this option is used for “Unverified” absences. Only one absence code can be set as Unverified Absence.  "Unverified" absences need to be changed to an "Unexcused" absence code before Aeries will include it in the Truancy counts. The Mass Change Attendance Codes function can be used to change “Unverified” absences to “Unexcused” absences.

Unverified Absences, usually code “A”, should be changed to an “Unexcused Absent, Verified”, usually code “U”, on a regular basis.

It is recommended to change the “Unverified” absences to “Unexcused” every month before running the Attendance Summary reports.

Not changing your Unverified Absences to Unexcused may cause other attendance accounting issues and we highly recommend that all districts perform this action regularly.

• Tardy to Class (Usually code “T”):  this option is used for tardies that are less than 30 minutes to class. Only one absence code can be set as Tardy to Class. Students do receive ADA for normal tardies, it is only after 30 minutes that the "Tardy" becomes "Tardy Truant" (aka Partial Day Truant). Another code should be added for tardies after 30 minutes and flagged with the Partial Day option and the type of Unexcused Tardy - Verified.

• Present in Class (Usually code “P”):  this option is needed for positive attendance schools. Only one absence code can be set as Present in Class. The Count for ADA option should also be flagged.

• Excused Absence – Verified:  this option is used for absence codes that are valid excused absences. Ed Code Section 48205 details the accepted excused absences. Multiple absence codes with different codes and descriptions can be set as Excused Absence - Verified. 

• Unexcused Absence – Verified:  this option is used for absence codes that are unexcused absences. Multiple absence codes with different codes and descriptions can be set as Unexcused Absence - Verified. Absence codes having this option will count towards the Attendance History Truancy count which is used for CALPADS Attendance extracts.

• Excused Tardy – Verified 

• Unexcused Tardy – Verified:  used with the Partial Day > 30 minutes option. This option will count towards the Attendance History Truancy count which is used for  CALPADS Attendance extracts.

• Verified NOT Absent – examples include In-house suspensions and in school activities. Independent Study also uses this option. See Independent Study Documentation for further information.