Drape's Takes

During the past month, I've enjoyed a free preview of the Setanta Sports channel. Translation for me and my children: "Football", 24/7. In experiencing this kind of entertainment, I've learned that there are actually a number of different sports that share the name football.

• American football
• Australian rules football (umpire at right)
  
• Canadian football
• Gaelic football
• Rugby football
• Association football (also known as soccer)

In addition to learning about the different kinds of football, I've also learned that (depending on where you are) the term football really only refers to the football of that region. In other words, when I speak of playing football, the experience I have had (and am picturing in my mind) may not be the same experience you might be familiar with. This kind of "experience by location" is also inherent within our school systems.

As our world continues to flatten, and as I've continued to interact on a global level, I've learned (and am continuing to learn) that experiences, policies, customs, and activities associated with education vary from location to location - far more so than I had originally imagined. Consequently, I think it would be helpful if we had a (friendly) place where we could discuss such distinctions, hopefully learning from each other's experiences, hopefully closing in one that "one best system". I think that EduBloggerWorld can be just the place to hold such important conversations.

As and example of the kinds of things we could discuss, I will begin by posing a question about attendance policies. Currently, attendance policies have become a rather "hot-button" issue within our district (I work in the Jordan School District, Utah, United States). Some schools in our district have adopted school-wide attendance policies that are rather strict. Bingham High School, for example, has implemented the policy that:

To earn credit a student must be in class a minimum of 90% of the days of the quarter (no more than 2 absences of the 22 to 23 possible class periods per quarter). If a student has three (3) or more school absences that are not made-up or excused through the appeal process, the student will receive no credit for the quarter grade in that class.

Other schools in our district are not nearly as strict, while even others have no formal school-wide attendance policy (leaving consequences for student lapses in attendance in the hands of individual teachers).

So, on to my question(s) for educators world-wide:

1. What kind of attendance policies does your school implement?
2. Where are you from?
3. In what kind of school do you work (level, public or private, etc.)?
   

Your thoughtful responses are greatly appreciated.

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[Cross-posted in the EduBloggerWorld forums.]

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