Most schools have a strict attendance policy. I know all of this goes to federal laws about kids attending school and keeping records and reporting truancy as mandated. This poses a problem though for substitutes. Taking attendance with a room full of strangers is hard!! Usually, for high school or junior high schools, this process is outlined clearly in the information in a sub folder with proper forms and details regarding submission of attendance. At the schools I've been to, this process can be as simple as turning in a form at the end of the day or sending a runner to the attendance office at the beginning of each class period.
Surprising to me, the most difficult schools to take attendance at is the elementary schools. Every full-day job I have had at an elementary school has been incredibly difficult regarding attendance. First, elementary schools don't always have a sub folder that clearly spells out how the particular school would like to receive said attendance. And, teacher's often do not give me the folder when the school does require it. Also, there are numerous pull-out programs in elementary schools. At any given time, I could have three or four students working with an ELL specialist, in the resource room, or working with a reading group. Also, elementary teachers often work with their partner teacher and split reading or math according to skill level (one teacher will take the high readers from both classes while the other takes the low readers). One school I was given no attendance instructions and then called in the middle of reading class to take attendance when half of my mysterious faces were with the other teacher and thirteen new ones sat in their desks. Another day it took me fifteen minutes working with the reading specialist outside my room to call the other specialist to find out where all my kids were.
Every day I am taken by surprise at things that take me by surprise at school. Each day is a new adventure.
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