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MSDE to publish monthly attendance data and to standardize chronic-absence definitions in proposed rule
Summary
The committee advanced amendments to COMAR 13A.08.01.05 to adopt federal definitions of chronic absence, define a "day of attendance," add MTSS guidance, require LEA attendance policies and mandate monthly data publication on the Maryland Report Card to track at-risk students.
The Education Policy Committee voted to recommend MSDE—s proposed updates to student attendance regulations for permission to publish. The changes implement the task force called for in HB 879 (chapter 243) and are intended to standardize definitions and support local action to reduce chronic absenteeism.
Assistant State Superintendent Mary Gable told the committee the draft adopts the federal ESSA definition: a student enrolled at least 10 days who misses 10% or more of school days (for example, 18 days in a 180-day year) constitutes chronic absence. The regulation also defines a "day of attendance" as participation in an approved instructional program for more than half the school day, including approved off-site programs such as community college courses or apprenticeships that form part of a student—s schedule.
Gable said MSDE will publish monthly attendance data on its Maryland Report Card site, including counts and a derived "at-risk" indicator. "Beginning this year and will be published on our website is on a monthly basis," she said, adding the change will allow more timely monitoring than prior periodic reporting.
The draft adds a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) definition and positions attendance work inside MTSS, asking LEAs and schools to convene teams, conduct qualitative and quantitative data analysis, develop communication plans, identify barriers to attendance by grade level, and adopt non-punitive strategies to improve school engagement.
Board members asked whether monthly data will be disaggregated by student-group categories; MSDE—s Mr. Sanderson confirmed the monthly reports will include disaggregation by race, ethnicity and service-program indicators the LEAs report, though MSDE said unique-student identifiers are not yet being collected in the same way and the calculations are done from counts provided by LEAs.
The committee voted to recommend permission to publish COMAR 13A.08.01.05 so the draft can go to the full board and then to public comment. MSDE said technical assistance (a toolkit and webinars) and examples for LEAs are in development and will be released to support implementation.
What comes next: the draft will be published for comment and MSDE will continue to release monthly data and finalize an implementation toolkit for LEAs.
