This year your attendance information will be submitted in the Cycle #2 report. This data will be used to calculate your district's state aid for the next school year. Please give attention to the proper reporting of the following situations:
**Homebound Students**
Districts should count homebound students as present and non-transported.
**Alternative Learning Environment**
The Department now uses Alternative Learning Environment ("ALE") Average Daily Membership ("ADM") for funding purposes. Therefore, the days pupils spent in ALE should be reported under the same classification where the pupil would have normally been reported, and the ALE days should not be duplicated in any of the categories in which they are properly reported. In order to receive full attendance credit, the pupil must attend a minimum of six hours per school day. If the program is less than six hours, you may prorate the credit according to the instructional time spent (i.e. 4 hours = 2/3 day). Additionally, the student must meet the following requirements:
1) The pupil must be between five and twenty-one years of age.
2) The pupil must be currently enrolled and attending a public school in Arkansas, or under a tuition agreement with another Arkansas school or Educational Service cooperative.
**Length of Quarter**
The length of the quarter should be approximately one-forth (45 days) of the total days planned for the school year. A quarter should not exceed 50 days, nor be less than 40 days in length.
**Four-Day School Week**
For districts electing to maintain a four-day school week the quarter should not exceed 40 days, nor be less than 32 days in length.
**Partial Day**
For five-day school week districts, report ½ days when instruction was at least 3 hours, but less than 5 ½ hours. For four-day school week districts, report as ½ days if instruction is more than 3 ½ hours in length but less than 6 ½ hours.
**Tuition Agreements**
When students are sent to other districts or special education agencies under tuition agreements, please insure that copies of the agreements are filed with this department, and that the transportation of those students is properly recorded.
**National Guard Youth Challenge Program**
Students who reside within a district's boundaries and are enrolled as participants in the National Guard Youth Challenge Program may be included in the districts ADM. Please do not drop or withdraw students who enroll and participate in this program from the district's enrollment. In order for a student to be included in this category for reporting purposes, he or she must be currently enrolled, or, must have been enrolled on the last day of school in the previous year. Retroactive enrollments are not acceptable.