DCSD Attendance

As we approach DCSD’s Official Pupil Count Day on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, it is essential that we ensure accuracy in both attendance and student membership records. These data points are directly tied to state funding, and even small errors can result in funding loss for your school.

🗓️ Important Dates & Deadlines

• Attendance Window: Begins on the first day of school and continues through the first semester

• Official Count Date: Wednesday, October 1, 2025

• Documentation for Audit: Includes Classroom Monitor, student schedules, and daily attendance records

✅ Why This Matters

• We must accurately capture student attendance daily—especially during the first semester.

• Attendance and membership errors result in funding being withheld by CDE.

• During audits, we are required to submit Classroom Monitor printouts from October 1 or another day within the window, along with accurate student schedules and enrollment data.

📊 Data Accuracy Risks to Resolve Now

All schools receive a weekly exception report (sent to school admin and registrars) that highlights:

• 🚨 200+ actively enrolled students with no schedules – These must be corrected immediately.

• 🚨 Excessive consecutive absences – These students may not qualify for funding.

Please use the Exception Report and Classroom Monitor in Infinite Campus to identify and resolve these errors ahead of October 1.

TRB Weekly Reports should be updated. There was a glitch at the beginning of the year which made them not run properly. This has been corrected.

As we continue our efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism and support student success, I want to highlight the critical role of the Weekly TRB Reports. This tool provides a real-time look at which students are trending toward or already meeting the definition of chronically absent (missing 10% or more of school days).

By consistently reviewing this spreadsheet, schools can proactively:

🔹 Tier I – Identify school-wide trends to inform universal strategies (e.g., positive attendance messaging, school-wide incentives).
🔹 Tier II – Flag students approaching the chronic threshold and implement early interventions (e.g., parent calls, attendance plans, check-ins).
🔹 Tier III – Intensively support students already chronically absent

Using this data weekly ensures that no student falls through the cracks, and it helps us stay aligned with our goals and compliance expectations. I encourage your school’s attendance team to incorporate this spreadsheet into their regular MTSS or data team meetings and use it as a driver for action.

Need to add a recipient to the weekly report? Contact Lisa de la Pena @lmdelapena@dcsdk12.org

I wanted to provide a quick update regarding the Classroom Attendance Report. At this time, we are still experiencing technical issues that are preventing the report from running properly in its usual automated form. We’ve reported the issue, and I’ll let you know as soon as a permanent fix is in place.

This report is an essential tool, as it identifies when classroom attendance has or has not been taken—information that is critical for accurate attendance tracking, student safety, funding compliance, and instructional accountability. The report is typically shared with school administrators and office staff to support follow-up and coaching as needed.

In the meantime, you can still access this report manually in Infinite Campus by following these steps:

1. Go to Infinite Campus > Attendance Office > Reports

2. Select Classroom Attendance Report

3. Enter your school information

4. Choose the desired date range

5. Toggle between Taken Attendance or Not Taken Attendance

This will allow you to monitor classroom attendance completion while we continue working on the automated solution.

Thank you for your patience and continued commitment to ensuring accurate attendance practices. Please reach out if you need help accessing the report or using the data effectively.

Colorado E-learning Series Registration

This three-part virtual series from Attendance Works is great for anyone looking to ground their work in research-based practices. You'll walk away with foundational knowledge and evidence-based strategies for boosting attendance and engagement.

**Funding support is available if cost is a barrier—just reach out to Martha Fischhoff at fischhoff_m@cde.state.co.us.

Webinar Registration

The next in our Attendance Challenge Webinar series will be focused on Health and Wellness: From Nurses to Nutrition. We hope you’ll join us in November to learn more about how health and wellness intersect with attendance. We’ll be hearing from experts, highlighting best practices from across Colorado, and having a chance to connect with other folks invested in attendance.

A special thank you to Commissioner Córdova as well as to Dr. Luis Murillo from Alamosa School District and McKenna Hynes from the Adams County CMP for their contributions to the webinar.

In case you were not able to attend, we discussed communication tools and strategies. The CDE has templates for communication tools that are customizable to your context. We also share communications related resources and sample materials from Colorado districts on our 50% Challenge website.

The webinar recording and slides as well as other resources shared during the presentation can be found in this Google folder .

Homebound programming may be available to students who are unable to attend school due to a qualifying medical or psychological condition. Homebound programming is a temporary option. Requests for homebound programming must be initiated through the student’s school of attendance. Families are required to provide medical documentation and allow applicable parties to speak with medical professionals to devise an appropriate plan. Plans are developed based on the student's individual needs/circumstances in the least restrictive environment possible by all applicable stakeholders.

Please take a moment to update the Attendance Staff List for 25-26. Updating the information will ensure staff receive pertinent information throughout the school year.

• How This State Is Protecting Undocumented Students’ Right to an Education, Education Week, August 28, 2025

• CT education officials have good news as test score results released, Hartford Courant August 28, 2025
• K-12 Chronic Absenteeism Rates Down From Peak, But Remain Persistently High, The74, August 22, 2025

Email: lmdelapena@dcsdk12.org
Website: DCSD Attendance
Location: 373 Inverness Parkway, Englewood, CO, USA
Phone: 303-387-9636