Model Secondary School for the Deaf
Internship Program

Attendance Policy

A key component of the MSSD Work Internship Program (MIP) is the opportunity for students to develop and demonstrate effective work habits. This includes demonstrating consistent attendance at their internship site. Students are expected to go to work on all internship days.

The MIP Attendance Policy provides guidance to students. The information below describes the policy for excused and unexcused absences on work internship days.

Excused Absences - An absence is considered excused for the following reasons:

• Illness (an absence of more than three or more consecutive days requires a doctor’s note)
• Doctor appointments (proof of appointment is required)
• Travel
• Death in the family
• Court appearance
• Religious observances
• Educational opportunities (college visits)
• Activities involving family members (weddings, graduations)

A student is allowed a total of two (2) excused absences per semester. A student must present documentation (e.g., doctor’s note, pass from teacher or staff member) for an absence to be excused.

Beginning with the third and for all additional excused absences, a student must make-up all missed work hours. The student is responsible for arranging and documenting these hours through their transition counselor.

Unexcused Absences :

All absences that do not fit into the above categories are considered unexcused. A parent note excusing a student from work experience for a reason other than those stated above does not excuse a student’s absence.

A student is allowed one (1) unexcused absence per semester. A letter will be sent to the student and his/her family documenting the unexcused absence and explaining that a second unexcused absence will result in the student earning an “F” for work internship for the semester.

A student who has an unexcused absence must complete the following:

1. Meet with the transition counselor and the MIP Coordinator to review the their decision, decision-making process, and the impact of their decision. They will also develop a plan to address work attendance.
2. Contact his/her internship supervisor, with the support of the transition counselor, to explain why s/he missed work and to understand the impact of his/her actions.
3. Summarize the meeting and the telephone contact in a written reflection for their student portfolio.
4. Completes four hours of work (Grades 9, 10, and 11) or seven hours (Grade 12) to make up for the internship hours missed and to provide restitution for the time required addressing their unexcused absence. The student is responsible for arranging and documenting these additional work hours through their transition counselor

A student with a second unexcused absence fails work internship for the semester. The student is expected to develop a plan to satisfy work internship hour requirements and meet all other internship requirements and expectations. This will allow the student to meet the work internship graduation requirement (though the “F” will remain on his/her report card).

The information above is also available as an MS Word document or PDF

[ Forms and Related Information ]