• Every Minute Matters: Grant’s New Attendance Policy

    At Grant High School, we believe that every minute of every school day is an opportunity for learning and growth. Our new "Every Minute Matters" attendance policy is designed to support students in developing the habits they need to succeed in school and in life. For the 2024-25 school year, over one third of our Grant High School students were chronically absent or worse. This approach focuses on encouraging good attendance and punctuality, while also providing a clear path for students to get back on track if they fall behind.

    The "Learning Minutes Lost" System

    This policy uses a system to track "Learning Minutes Lost" for specific behaviors that disrupt learning. These minutes are a way for students to understand the value of their time in class. The minutes are accrued as follows:

    • 20 minutes for unexcused period absences.

    • 20 minutes for  Late After Tardy (which is assigned to students more than 20 minutes late to class).

    • 20 minutes for Skipping (which is assigned to students who leave class for more than 20 minutes without a valid reason).

    • 10 minutes for tardies.

    Students can now track their attendance data directly on Canvas by viewing the “GHS Attendance” course.

    Reminder: Absences are unexcused unless an excuse is received from the parent/guardian prior to the absence, or within three days after the return of the student to school or class, and falls within excusable absences as determined by the district. Medical notes will now be required from your practitioner for all medical appointments. To learn about best attendance practices, please visit the attendance page on Grant’s website under the “Our School” tab. 

    What Happens When Minutes Are Lost?

    Any student whose Average Daily Attendance has dropped under 90% and "Learning Minutes Lost" balance exceeds 300 minutes, will be temporarily ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities. 

    Extracurricular activities include the student's ability to attend school dances and spectate home events, as well as the ability for athletes, performers, and competitors to participate in their respective practices and events.



    Reminder to participate in athletics or any other extracurriculars practice or contest:

    A student athlete must attend school for the entire day of that practice – the exception is a  pre-arranged absence (with prior approval).

     

    A student athlete’s absence from one or more classes in the days before the contest or practice must be excused.

     

    Remember students will be ineligible to practice for or perform in Grant athletics and any other extracurriculars if they miss class on the same day for any reason aside from a medical appointment. 

    The Attendance Improvement Plan

    For students who struggle with attendance, we will implement an Attendance Improvement Plan. This plan will be the result of a collaborative meeting with the student, their parents or guardians, an attendance coach, a school administrator, and a counselor if needed.

    The goal of this plan is to identify and address the root causes of the attendance issues. When a student successfully completes two consecutive weeks of their Attendance Improvement Plan, their "Learning Minutes Lost" value will be adjusted to regain eligibility.

    Earning Back Minutes & Other Policies

    We recognize that sometimes unexpected life events happen and minutes are lost. That's why we're offering various ways for students to earn back minutes and become eligible for activities again:

    • Flex: Your student can use their Flex time to make up assignments and receive academic support.

    • General Scholars After-School Support: This program is another opportunity for students to work on assignments and receive help from teachers.

    • Detention: This will be a structured opportunity to make up for minutes lost.

    We will provide further information about minute recovery options at the beginning of the school year.

    Incentives for Excellent Attendance

    We want to celebrate students who make a consistent effort to be in class on time. Students with positive attendance or demonstrated improvement will be entered into a raffle for special prizes such as gift cards, tickets to school events, and even tickets or discounts to professional sporting events, such as the 欧美巨乳色情片 Trail Blazers, 欧美巨乳色情片 Timbers, and more.

    We believe this policy will help us work as a community to ensure every student is present and on time, ready to learn. We are committed to supporting our students and families, and we look forward to partnering with you for a successful school year.

    Vice Principal, Luis Jara. ljara@pps.net 

    Attendance Coach, Reid Tingley. rtingley@pps.net