Loss of Credit

Texas Compulsory Attendance Law (The 90% Attendance Rule)

At McKinney High School (MHS), this policy is referred to as "Loss of Credit."

Attendance Requirement for Course Credit

To earn credit for a course, a student must attend at least 90% of the class days each semester. At MHS, this means students may have no more than 9 absences per semester per class.

• On the 10th absence in any single class period, the student begins to lose credit for that course.

• Even if the student has a passing grade, they will not receive credit due to excessive absences.

Making Up Hours for Attendance Violations

A student who exceeds 9 absences may request a plan to make up the missed instructional time. This plan must be approved by the principal and allows the student to recover lost hours and meet course requirements.

Eligibility for a Make-Up Plan:

• The student must have attended at least 75% of class days per semester (meaning no more than 22 absences in a single course).

• If the plan is successfully completed, the Attendance Committee will review the student’s record and determine whether to award credit.

Attendance Committee Considerations

The committee will evaluate the following factors when determining whether to restore credit:
✅ Extenuating circumstances related to absences.
✅ Acceptability and authenticity of documentation for absences.
✅ Student/parent control over the absences.
✅ Whether the student has completed assignments, demonstrated mastery of course material, and maintained passing grades.

Failure to Complete the Make-Up Plan

• If a student fails to make up the required hours or has more than 22 absences, they will not receive credit for the course.

• The student must retake the course to earn credit.

• At this point, the student/guardian should contact their House Counselor to discuss options for course recovery.

Example Scenario

• A student has 15 absences in 1st-period class during the fall semester.

• The student is only allowed 9 absences before violating the attendance rule.

• The student must make up 6 hours (15 absences – 9 allowed = 6 hours owed).

• To recover credit, the student will complete minute-for-minute make-up time through tutorials, study halls, or detention.

• The student must log their completed hours on a Credit Recovery Log and submit it to the administrator.

• If the hours are not made up or absences continue, the student will not receive credit for the course.

Ways to Make Up Hours

📝 Before or After-School Tutorials with an assigned teacher (not during lunch or class time).
🕒 After-School Detention (ASD):

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 2:45–6:45 PM (Room F100 / Lecture Hall / Fishbowl).

• A late bus is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays for students attending tutorials. Contact your House Principal for bus details.

🔗 MHS Credit Recovery Opportunities
🔗 Tutorial Documentation Sheet

Important Notes

⚠️ Loss of Credit Applies Per Class Period:

• Students may lose credit in one or more courses even if they don’t miss full school days.

• High school courses are credit-bearing and required for graduation—losing credit may impact graduation eligibility.

• If a student loses credit, an asterisk (*) will appear next to the affected course on their final transcript.

⚠️ Driver’s License Eligibility (VOE Form):

• Students must attend at least 90% of school days to receive a Verification of Enrollment (VOE) form for a driver's license or learner’s permit.

• As stated in the Texas DPS regulations, students who do not meet this requirement will not be eligible for a VOE form.

Source: Texas Education Code, Section 25.092
“A student may not be given credit for a class unless the student is in attendance for at least 90% of the days the class is offered. The 90% attendance rule applies when determining VOE eligibility. Schools can accept decisions of attendance committees when considering VOE eligibility.”