DELAWARE

Appointment of attendance officers.-The responsibility for securing regular attendance of children of school age rests with (1) school Eials and teachers whose appointments, titles, and services are not ty for that purpose and (2) officials appointed for the special pure. There are four attendance officers appointed by the State board education. The city of Wilmington also exercises its authority to cpoint personnel for this purpose.

Rules and regulations governing the administration of attendance Les-The constitution of the State of Delaware prescribes that the teral assembly "may require by law that every child, not physically mentally disabled, shall attend the public school, unless educated by her means." The law establishing the State board of education vested with the general administration and supervision of the educational interests of the State and further provided that "The State Board of Education shall prescribe rules and regulations . . . controlling the Lecessary absence of pupils enrolled in the public schools and determining the circumstances under which such absence shall be considered necessary."

The law provides that the boards of education of the special school districts... in accordance with the rules and regulations of the State beard of education . . . "shall enforce the provisions of this chapter relating to school attendance."

Qualifications of attendance officer.-There are no qualifications preribed by law for attendance officers. It is the responsibility of the pointing authority to determine the competency of persons selected. Supervision of attendance officers.-Attendance officers come under e same general supervision of the board that appoints them and to ich they make their reports.

Duties of attendance officers.-The persons responsible for requiring tool attendance examine school attendance records, serve notices to parents whose children are not attending school in accordance with issue exemptions from school attendance, and prepare cases for sentation to court.

Prescribed school attendance. The law places the responsibility for hool attendance upon the parent and requires that a child between e ages of 7 and 14 be sent to a free public school each day of the inimum school year of 160 days. A child 14, 15, or 16 years of age Tho has not completed the work of the eighth grade of the free public. hools of the school district or special school district in which the child resides," is required to attend not less than 100 days, as nearly consecutive as possible, beginning not later than November first of the school year, unless it can be shown, and witnessed by written endorse

ment, to the satisfaction of the superintendent of schools of a specia school district or in case of school districts, to the satisfaction of a official designated by the State board of education why he should no attend. Other exemptions include attendance upon satisfactory in struction in a private school and physical and mental disabilities.

All minors under 16 years of age must attend an all-day school a defined by law, or be legally employed. Children between the ages o 12 and 16 who have been granted certificates to leave school to engag in legal employment are required to attend part-time schools or classe for a period of at least 4 hours per week.

School reports.-The State department of public instruction prepare and furnishes for each teacher a School Register for recording each school day attendance data on each pupil. The register includes tabu lations in summary of data on items to constitute the teacher's monthly report on attendance to the State department. Besides data on attend ance, information is recorded on transfers and number of cases reported to the visiting teacher. Data recorded in the school register are source for attendance data included in the annual report of the department of public instruction. The School Attendance Register is sent to tha department at the close of the school year. The forwarding of thi register to the proper authorities for transmission to the State depart ment is a legal prescription placed upon the teacher, and failure to do so may cause the payment of the last salary installment to be withheld until this requirement has been met.

Similar requirements are placed upon teachers in private schools. private educational associations, corporations, and institutions. They are required to report monthly and annually on enrollments, age of pupils, and attendance.

Records and forms used by attendance officers.-The State department prescribes and furnishes the School Attendance Register, the Teachers Monthly Report, the Compulsory Attendance Law form used to give the required 3-day notice to a parent of the nonattendance of his child and at the same time notifying him of his liability to prosecution, and the Permit to be Excused from Public-School Attendance form. Of the last form, one copy goes to the parent, one to the visiting teacher, one to the State labor commission, one to the teacher or principal, and one to the issuing officer of the Department of public instruction. The department of public instruction also prescribes and furnishes the Application to be Excused from Public-School Attendance blank to be signed by the parent. This application is sent to the superintendent of the special school district or to the State department of public instruction as the child lives within or without a Special District.

Provisions governing truancy. The law makes truancy and incorrigibility disorderly conduct and prescribes that "The State board of

education and the superintendents of schools of the Special School Districts, and in the case of School Districts, officials designated by the State board of education . . . shall proceed against such" pupil and apon conviction commit him to a State industrial school or a special district school.

FLORIDA

Appointment of attendance officers.-The State law provides that the county board of education on its own initiative or upon the recommendation of the county superintendent may employ a sufficient number of "Attendance assistants" to guarantee regular attendance of all chilren within the compulsory school age requirements. However, the aw further provides that "The county superintendent shall be responble for the enforcement of the provisions of this Article" (Attendance and attendance service). "In a county where no attendance assistant is employed, the county superintendent shall have those duties and responsibilities and exercise those powers assigned by the provisions of this Article to attendance assistants."

Bules and regulations governing the administration of attendance la-The law prescribes that "The State board, in order better to eet the purpose of this Article" (Attendance and attendance service) shall promulgate rules and regulations which shall have the full force and effect of law."

Qualifications of attendance officers.-The State board has set definite standards for "attendance assistants." These include the holding of a teaching certificate based upon 4 years of college training. Two years of teaching experience is also recommended.

Supervision of attendance officers.-The only authority for directing the work of county superintendents and attendance assistants when engaged in the enforcement of attendance laws rests with the county board of education.

Duties of attendance officers.-The law provides, with reference to attendance, for investigation of nonenrollment and unexcused cases of sence, written notices to parents, return of child to parent or school, visit to home of pupils not attending school. The law prescribes that the county superintendent shall institute prosecution against parents violating the attendance law.

Prescribed school attendance. The law sets required school attendance as between the ages of 7 and 16. In lieu of public-school attendance the law provides for attendance at a private school or "with a private tutor who meets all requirements prescribed by law and regulations of the State board for private tutors." The law provides for exemptions for physical and mental disability, distance from school under certain prescribed conditions.

School reports.-The county superintendent is required by law to make lists of pupils of compulsory attendance age, by schools, and furnish such information to the respective principals, against which they may check school enrollments. At the end of the tenth school day, principals are required to furnish the county superintendent with the names of children who have not enrolled. Public, parochial, and private schools, and private tutors are required to keep and submit all reports that may be required by law and regulations of State and county boards of education under the legal provisions for school attendance. There is a Florida Principal's Record and Report Book from which data are reported to the State superintendent of public instruction.

Records and forms used by attendance officers. For purposes concerned with attendance, birth and exemption certificates are used. The State department of education, in general, either provides school attendance forms and other forms used in connection with attendance, or prescribes the items for these forms.

Provisions governing truancy.-In case of truancy the law provides that a complaint be filed in court.

GEORGIA

Appointment of attendance officers.-Each county and municipal board of education is required by law to employ an attendance officer. The law further specifies the minimum and maximum amounts per diem compensation of attendance officers, to be paid by the employing boards insofar as possible from fines collected. The balance is required to be from school funds.

Rules and regulations governing the administration of attendance laws. The law provides that a local school system shall not be entitled to receive funds from the State treasury until it is shown that said officer has been appointed and has entered upon his duties.

Qualifications of attendance officers.-There are no prescribed qualifications on the part of the State for school attendance officers.

Supervision of attendance officers.-The responsibility for the investigation of attendance and nonattendance of children of compulsory school age is placed by law upon the county and municipal boards of education.

Duties of attendance officers.-By law it is the duty of an attendance officer to report to the board of education failure of attendance on the part of pupils of compulsory school age.

Prescribed school attendance. The law prescribes that children between the ages of 8 and 14 shall attend a public school continuously 6 months each year, commencing at the beginning of the first term. The law authorizes certain specific exemptions as attendance at some

other school or the completion of the seventh grade of school work as prescribed by the State board of education. The law also authorizes local boards to grant exemptions in accordance with seasonal need for agricultural labor, etc.

School reports. The principal or teacher in charge of any public school giving instruction to pupils of compulsory school age is required by law to keep an accurate record of the attendance of such pupils, and to report monthly on such to the local board of education.

The State board of education furnishes school attendance registers in an effort to secure better records on attendance for use in distributing State funds. The State board of education requires that the register kept by the teacher) to be filed at the close of the school term with the superintendent of the local school system and its surrender may be required by the State board of education at any time. State aid to schools is given on the basis of average daily attendance. Expenditures for compulsory school attendance and the number of truant officers are reported by local school systems to the State school superintendent and included in the annual report of the State department of education. Records and forms used by attendance officers.-The records and forms used for the enforcement of the compulsory education law are prescribed by the State.

Provisions governing truancy.-The judge of the Superior Court has authority to deal with cases of truancy.

IDAHO

Appointment of attendance officers.—The probate courts of the several counties are required by law to appoint, with the approval of the board of county commissioners, one or more persons to serve as probation officers whose duties include responsibilities connected with the enforcement of school attendance. The probation officers work under the direction of the probate court in the discharge of all their duties. Rules and regulations governing the administration of attendance laws. The constitution of the State authorized the legislature to enact laws requiring every child of sufficient mental and physical ability to attend the public schools throughout the period between 6 and 18 years of age, for a time equivalent to 3 years, unless educated by other means. In accordance with this authorization the legislature has provided through statutes for compulsory school attendance.

School attendance is, by statutes, enforced through the probate court by the probation officer working under the direction of the court. The law makes it a duty of teachers to prepare monthly reports showing illegal absences from school. These reports are sent to the county superintendent or to the district superintendent, and by those officials to the probation officer.