Grading and Report Cards

Schools shall attempt to notify parents or guardians when a student has three absences.

Students who have been absent or tardy must present a written excuse from the parents or guardian when they return to school. Excuses for absences and tardies are: 

• personal illness
• sickness or death in the family
• quarantine
• weather or road conditions making travel dangerous
• participation in school activities with permission of the principal
• juvenile court proceeding documented by a probation officer
• approved college visitation
• emergencies
• or "any other cause acceptable to teacher, principal, or superintendent"

Written excuses should be in the school's possession no later than three school days after the date of the absence or tardy. The three-day period begins with the day the student returns to school.

Students must be present at least 35 minutes of the class period (or 60 minutes of a 90-minute class period) in order to be considered in attendance unless they are participating on a field trip or other activity approved by the principal.

Unexcused tardies are not converted to unexcused absences. Tardies are a disciplinary issue.

Students must be given the opportunity to make up work missed due to all absences. Reasonable time frames for the completion of assignments must be established. Please contact your child’s school for more information.

A student is absent if he is not actually in school at the time attendance is taken. This includes students who complete assignments at home unless the student qualifies for one of the following exemptions:

• The student is participating in an activity which is approved by the local school board and is under the direction of a professional staff member of the school district or an adjunct staff member who:
  • has a minimum of a bachelor's degree; and
  • is eligible for participation in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas.
• The student is a Medicaid-eligible child participating in the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment Programs (EPSDT). Students may be excused for up to one day at a time without loss of daily attendance.
• The student is observing religious holy days when it is required of their faith that they be absent from school.. A written request for the absence, in advance, is not required but is encouraged. A school district must excuse an absence to observe a religious holy day. Excused days for travel shall be limited to not more than one day for travel to and one day for travel from the site where the student will observe the holy days. The principal may elect to excuse additional travel days, but the student would be considered to be absent for the additional travel days for attendance accounting purposes. School districts are required to provide make-up work , along with adequate time to complete it, to students who have been excused to observe religious holy days. 
• The student is temporarily absent due to an appointment with a health care professional. A note from the health care professional is required to excuse the absence. 
• The student is participating in a mentorship approved by district personnel to serve as one or more of the advanced measures needed to complete the Distinguished Achievement Program. 

According to HISD board policy, no student under 18 years of age may leave campus during school hours for any reason without prior approval in writing or by documented phone call from the student’s parent or guardian. This applies to lunch, extracurricular activities, field trips, and any other activity supervised by campus or district personnel. Such excuses must be approved by the principal or principal’s designee.

Under the state’s “no pass/no play” law, eligibility for participation in extracurricular activities during the first six weeks of the school year is determined by a student’s grades from the final grading cycle of the previous school year or the number of credits earned during the previous school year. After the first six weeks, a student who receives a grade lower than 70 (or the equivalent) in any academic course is ineligible to participate in extracurricular activities during the first three school weeks of the next grading period. During that time, the student may continue to practice or rehearse with other students but may not take part in any competition or public performance.

Six-week grading periods are used in all HISD Schools. All schools will send report cards to parents six times during the year, shortly after the end of each six-week grading period.

If a student is not progressing satisfactorily, parents receive a preliminary report at the midpoint of the grading period and at other times as necessary. Parents must sign and return the reports.

Six-week grading periods are used in all HISD Schools. All schools will send report cards to parents six times during the year, shortly after the end of each six-week grading period.

If a student is not progressing satisfactorily, parents receive a preliminary report at the midpoint of the grading period and at other times as necessary. Parents must sign and return the reports.