Attendance Technician

GENERAL PURPOSE
Under general supervision, performs detailed and highly responsible administrative record keeping and maintenance duties for student attendance and other records; follows up with parents to verify reasons for absence and tardiness; initiates SART proceedings for students absent or tardy beyond established limits; participates in the preparation and maintenance of student records; and performs related duties as assigned.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Attendance Technicians are responsible for performing administrative duties pertaining to the maintenance of student attendance records and other related student records. Incumbents verify reasons for absence and tardiness and ensure accurate, up-to-date information on student attendance in the student information system. Incumbents monitor student attendance for conformance with District policies and procedures and initiate action when student attendance fails to meet District standards. Incumbents also participate in maintaining and updating permanent student records.
Attendance Technician is distinguished from other school administrative support classes in that incumbents’ primary responsibilities involve creating and maintaining student attendance records and carrying out processes and procedures applicable to attendance problems up to and including truancy. Attendance Technician is further distinguished from Senior Attendance Technician in that an employee in the latter class is responsible for coordinating SARB and pre-expulsion hearings on a District-wide basis regarding students violating provisions of the Education Code.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to this class. There will typically be an assigned schedule for these duties.
1. Receives and scans daily attendance reports from classrooms into the student information system or ensures that teachers have completed on-line reporting of attendance; issues tardy notices and readmit slips to students; runs daily unexcused absence reports; calls or coordinates calls to parents to verify reasons for all absences; enters absence resolution codes in the student information system and maintains copies of logs, parent notes and other documentation for audit purposes; follows up with absence letters to parents and requests or conducts home visits to determine reasons for absences and encourage school attendance; files notices and other documents in student folders; generates attendance reports for teachers and outreach consultants.

2. Assigns students to detention and Saturday school in accordance with established procedures; compiles absence and other student performance data, assembles and copies packages and initiates SART proceedings; notifies parents and administrators of meeting dates; follows up on and monitors student performance against contracts for resolution; prepares packages and sets up arrangements for SARB hearings; responds to requests for student information from the County Probation department, District Attorney’s office and courts; attends SART, SARB, Student Success Team (SST) and LET meetings.

3. Completes forms and makes referrals to the County Probation Department and local police agencies regarding truants and habitually absent students; notifies parents of actions being taken; types suspension and other disciplinary notices and maintains disciplinary records and files; prepares packets for suspension, pre-expulsion and expulsion hearings.

4. Reconciles student enrollment, drop and other data to prepare the school’s monthly Average Daily Attendance (ADA) report; corrects discrepancies in the student information system as required; maintains documentation for audit purposes.

5. Tracks the attendance and prepares reports on Cal Works students on a monthly basis; types letters to parents and makes referrals to CWA social workers regarding children absent from school twenty or more days.

6. Enters a variety of data in the student information system, including student enrollments/drops, disciplinary actions such as suspensions and in-school suspensions and emergency information for students; coordinates arrangements for and records information on students approved for independent study.

7. Participates in registering students; sends requests to previous schools/districts for student cums and follows up to ensure receipt; enters all required student and parent information in the student information system; prepares file folders, cums and permanent record cards for new students by grade; files a wide variety of forms and documents in student cums; receives and files cums from feeder schools, ensuring all required data and signed forms have been received.

8. Prepares transcripts and other student information for transferring students; pulls, inspects and forwards cums for students moving to feeder schools, ensuring their completeness and accuracy in accordance with established procedures; updates permanent record cards; completes work to meet mandated deadlines for the transfer of cums to other schools/districts.

OTHER DUTIES
1. May issue violation and warning notices for dress code violations based on teacher referrals and notify parents.

2. May oversee the work of student office aides in collecting attendance information from classrooms and performing other basic office assignments.

3. May serve as secretary to an assistant principal.

4. May provide back up for other school administrative support staff.

5. Compiles data from other staff and submits completed mandated cost reports.

QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:
1. Office administrative and management practices and procedures, including confidential filing and record keeping practices and procedures.

2. Principles and practices of sound business communication; correct English usage, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.

3. District organization, functions, rules, policies and procedures applicable to attendance reporting, student record keeping and other assigned areas of responsibility.

4. Uses and operations of computers and standard business software, including word processing, spreadsheet, database and other applications.

5. The District’s student information systems and its uses for student attendance reporting and related purposes.

6. Basic research techniques, methods and procedures.

Ability to:
1. Organize and maintain highly detailed, confidential student records and files.

2. Operate a computer using word processing, spreadsheet, database and other business software.

3. Operate other standard office equipment.

4. Type accurately at a speed necessary to meet the requirements of the position.

5. Organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility.

6. Interpret, apply, explain and reach sound decisions in accordance with District policies and procedures applicable to areas of assigned responsibility.

7. Communicate clearly and effectively, orally and in writing.

8. Understand and follow written and oral instructions.

9. Prepare clear, accurate and concise records and reports.

10. Compose standard correspondence from brief instructions.

11. Maintain very sensitive and confidential information.

12. Use tact, discretion and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive and highly confidential situations and upset and dissatisfied parents and students.

13. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with District administration, faculty, staff, parents, students, the public and others encountered in the course of work.

Education, Training and Experience:
Graduation from high school or G.E.D. equivalent; and at least three years of progressively responsible experience in administrative record-keeping and maintenance, at least a year of which involved student attendance reporting; or some combination of education, training and experience that produces the requisite knowledge and ability.
Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:
None.
PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DEMANDS
The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, employees are regularly required to sit; talk or hear, in person or by telephone; use hands repetitively to finger, handle, feel or operate computers and other standard office equipment; and reach with hands and arms; Employees are frequently required to walk and stand; and lift up to 10 pounds.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands
While performing the duties of this class, incumbents are regularly required to use written and oral communication skills; read and understand documents; analyze and solve problems; observe and interpret situations; use math and mathematical reasoning; learn and apply new information and skills; perform detailed work with frequent interruptions; work under deadlines; and interact with District administrators, staff, parents, students and others encountered in the course of work.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Employees work in a school office environment in which there is a significant volume of telephone and visitor interaction and the noise level is moderate.