La. Admin. Code tit. 28 § LVII-529

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 11, November 20, 2024

Section LVII-529 - Excessive Absences

A. Students to be Considered

1. Students classified with a disability who are absent during the school year for more than 25 days for health related reasons without provision of hospital/homebound services.

B. Definitions

1. Health-related conditions listed in Standard 2.055.06 of Bulletin 741-Louisiana Handbook for School Administrators are as follows:

a. extended personal physical or emotional illness as verified by a physician or dentist;

b. extended hospital stay as verified by a physician or dentist;

c. extended recuperation from an accident as verified by a physician or dentist;

d. extended contagious disease within a family as verified by a physician or dentist.

C. Steps to Applying Excessive Absences Criterion

1. Annual IEP

a. The IEP team discusses the student's general health, past health, current health condition, etc., and in the event they:

i. anticipate student absences because of a diagnosed health condition in excess of 25 days without the provision of hospital/homebound services; and

ii. believe these absences will result in the student failing to make projected progress, he or she may qualify for ESYP.

2. Ongoing Data Collection/Screening

a. The IEP team collects data throughout the school year (e.g., grades, behavior checklists, task analyses, teacher observation logs). The data should indicate the progress (or lack of) the student is making toward acquisition of his or her goals and objectives.

b. The teacher documents absences caused by a diagnosed health condition(s) (e.g., verification from physician, certification from child welfare and attendance personnel that the absences were health related) or the provision of hospital/homebound services.

3. Is the student eligible for ESYP?

D. Questions

1. Has the student been absent for more than 25 days, because of a diagnosed health condition, without the provision of hospital/homebound services?

2. Has the student failed to master high priority (i.e., essential to the student's overall functioning and continued educational progress) skills/objectives as a direct result of the health-related absences?

3. Will failure to acquire these skills seriously jeopardize the overall educational progress of the student?

4. Could the ESYP have a significant impact on the student's ability to make continued progress toward the acquisition of high priority goals and objectives absolutely necessary for his or her continued progress in school?

a. Review Student Performance/Progress

i. Do data indicate lack of progress, or has the student kept up with school work in spite of the health-related absences?

b. Decision Making

i. If the health-related absences have negatively affected the student's educational progress and the ESYP could help the student get back on track, then the student is eligible for ESYP.

5. Required Documentation

a. Verification of health-related absences;

b. description of student's lack of progress on high priority skills/objectives because of health-related absences;

c. description of the impact of providing and withholding the ESYP on the student's ability to master high priority goals and objectives;

NOTE: It is possible that excessive absences will not be indicated on the IEP as a criterion area, since the student's eligibility is based on the student having missed the days by the ESYP screening date. It is the responsibility of the teacher/instructional personnel to screen students who meet the conditions stated above for the ESYP.

d. Excessive Absences/Late Entry Documentation form found on file at the department.

La. Admin. Code tit. 28, § LVII-529

Promulgated by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, LR 30:2004 (September 2004), amended LR 31:916 (April 2005).

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 17:1941 et seq.