Due to COVID-19, the 2020-2021 school year will bring new challenges. Aeries has compiled suggested procedures below that use existing Aeries features to meet the guidelines established by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) per the following resources:
TEA Coronavirus (COVID-19) Support and Guidance portal
TEA SY 20-21 Attendance and Enrollment FAQ (PDF)
TEA SY 20-21 Public Health Planning Guidance (PDF) updated 9/24/2020
These recommendations are based on the information we have received up to this point, and we will update this document as new information becomes available.
OC = On-Campus
RS = Remote-Synchronous
RA = Remote-Asynchronous*
* RA is the most flexible option because it can incorporate RS.
Per TEA, "A program would meet the remote synchronous method requirements if the daily instructional minute minimums above are met, even if part of the day includes asynchronous activities."
Note: OC-only campuses should use traditional attendance tracking and daily engagement procedures.
Scheduling Options | Attendance Tracking | Daily Engagement | Notes & Other Settings |
---|---|---|---|
Secondary & Elementary w/ MST These suggestions apply to all instruction types (OC, RS, RA), including all possible combinations. | |||
Student Settings:Update Code Table page:
Special Program page or Mass Add Student Related Data page
The fields will be visible on the Teacher Portal - Class Attendance page and can be included when printing rosters (using Add fields to the printout option). Section Settings:Update Code Table page:
School-wide Settings:For an OC school that needs to quickly change the entire campus (all students) to RS or RA, whether temporarily or long term: School Programs page:
| Setup:Update Absence Codes page:
Count for ADA=Yes Additional Absence Codes can be created if further breakdowns are needed. NOTE: The new codes should only be used by office staff during attendance verification. Teachers:Teacher Portal - Class Attendance page: REMINDER: A student is considered Present unless marked Absent.
Attendance Staff:Classroom Attendance page:
Mass Change ATT Codes page:
| TEA has established guidelines for measuring RA attendance through daily engagement. The following Aeries features facilitate the approved engagement methods:
Also, teachers must monitor any RA engagement by OC students who are not onsite on a particular date, and enter Attendance Notes accordingly. See Attendance Tracking column. | Update Code Table page:
Portal Options Attendance page:
Note: If RS/RA or hybrid, Attendance taking window must be increased to allow teachers more time. Example: A hybrid teacher who has 10 OC students and 10 RA students must take attendance for OC students at a specific time during the day, but may record attendance for the RA students within the next 24 hours. |
Glossary
- Hybrid Students - Students who attend some days onsite, some days remote (either synchronous, asynchronous, or a combination).
- Hybrid Teachers - Teachers who have sections or classes with a combination of onsite and remote students.
- Remote - Instruction in which the student and teacher are in different locations.
- Remote Synchronous - Two-way, real-time/live, virtual instruction between teachers and students when students are not on campus.
- Remote Asynchronous - Students at home participating at different times. Instruction may include various forms of digital and online learning, prerecorded video lessons or game-based learning tasks that students complete on their own, and pre-assigned work and formative assessments made available to students on paper.
FAQ:
Q: Should I change my schools to use Positive Attendance?
A: No, Positive Attendance schools are designed for hourly attendance and should not be used in this situation. Adding the new Absence Codes set as "ADA = Yes" will count the student as Present for the day and allows tracking of engagement.
Q: How will this affect Truancy reporting?
A: A student who does not participate daily in either OC or RS/RA learning should be marked Absent to facilitate reporting of truancy rates as usual. However, a student who engages remotely at any time during the day may be marked Present, including students who are normally expected on campus. Per the Texas Education Data Standards, students with 10 or more unexcused absences within a six month period of a school year must be reported to PEIMS.
Remember, a student is considered Present unless marked Absent.
Q: Are there any future development plans for making attendance tracking easier?
A: Yes. Based on survey results, we are planning to do the following. Links to Aeries Ideas are included:
- Add field sorting on Teacher Portal - Class Attendance page (to quickly identify RS/RA and OC students).
- Display additional student fields on Classroom Attendance page (so office staff can see them too).
- Add ability for teachers to enter Quick Attendance Notes.
- Allow teachers to create recurring assignments in Gradebook.
- Add data validation for identifying ATT records where the All Day Code needs to be populated.
- Add ability to populate an All Day Code for RA students when all periods have a consistent absence code (school option).