Decide when missed class periods count as a full-day absence
You can choose how many missed class periods in one day count as a full-day absence. This helps the attendance numbers in TalkingPoints match your district's policy.
Here's why it matters: some schools and districts take attendance by class period, not once a day. Without a clear rule, a student who missed one class and a student who missed the whole day can look the same. That can throw off daily absence counts, chronic absence flags, and outreach lists.
Every school is different, too. An elementary school with two periods a day and a high school with seven probably need different rules. So you can set one default rule for your district, then add exceptions for schools that need something else.
Before you start
You'll find this setting in the district product. Go to Settings, then Attendance, then Class period absences.
Look at the status in the top-right corner of the card. It tells you whether your SIS is sending class period attendance to TalkingPoints.
Status | What it means | What you can do |
Receiving | Your SIS is sending class period attendance to TalkingPoints. | Turn period features on or off, and edit your full-day absence rules. |
Not receiving | Your SIS is not sending class period attendance yet. | You can see any rules already set, but you can't change them. Contact TalkingPoints Support and we'll help you get set up. |
Turn on period-level features
The Show period-level data features switch adds class period views to TalkingPoints. When it's on, you get:
Attendance by period in Attendance Trends
Attendance segments by period
Messages to families by period
Turn it on once your status says Receiving. While the status says Not receiving, the switch stays off and you can't change it.
You don't need this switch on for the full-day absence rule to work. The rule counts toward daily attendance either way.
Set your full-day absence rule
Your rule has two parts:
Default rule: This applies to every school, unless you give a school its own rule. The label shows how many schools have their own rule, like "All schools except 3 schools."
School exceptions: This is a different rule for one or more schools. For example: "Maple Elementary + Oak Grove Elementary: full day if more than 1 period absent."
Each rule has a comparison (like "more than" or "equal to") and a number of periods. For example, "more than 3 periods" means a student who misses 4 or more periods is marked absent for the full day.
To set or change your rule:
In the Full-day absence rule section, select Edit rule.
In the What counts as a full-day absence? window, open the Default rule and set it.
To give some schools their own rule, select Add an exception. Choose the schools, then set their rule.
To remove an exception, select the × next to it. Those schools will go back to the default rule.
Select Save. Or select Cancel to undo your changes.
Please take care before you save. Your new rule starts at the next data sync. Changes can take up to an hour to show in school dashboards.
Questions you might have
Why can't I edit the rule?
Your status probably says Not receiving. That means your SIS isn't sending class period attendance yet. Contact TalkingPoints Support and we'll help set it up. Once the status says Receiving, you'll be able to select Edit rule.
Why do I see rules if my status says Not receiving?
Any rules already set for your district stay on the screen. You can't change them yet, but you can check what's there.
Can different schools have different rules?
Yes. Set a default rule, then add exceptions for schools with different schedules. One exception can cover more than one school.
What happens if I remove a school's exception?
That school goes back to the default rule.
What about a new school in my district?
It follows the default rule until you add it to an exception.
When will I see my changes?
Changes start at the next data sync. They can take up to an hour to show in school dashboards.
Where does TalkingPoints use this rule?
In daily attendance numbers, including the ones in your district and school dashboards.
Need a hand?
We're happy to help! Contact the TalkingPoints Support team by reaching out to [support@talkingpts.org] and we'll walk through it with you.