After state audits show excessive student absences, PGCPS relaxes attendance policy

WASHINGTON (FOX 5 DC) - Prince George's County Public Schools has relaxed its attendance policy after two state audits found students were struggling to come to class.

The most recent audit, released earlier this month, showed 60 percent of 2018 graduates in a sample group had excessive absences in a required course.

Interim Prince George's County Public Schools CEO Monica Goldson acknowledges that those students should not have graduated under the attendance policy that existed at the time, which stated that after 10 absences in a yearlong course, a student would fail the course.

Goldson has since changed the policy to say that a student with an unexcused absence will receive a "0" for work done that day.

Goldson said she had a realization after reviewing attendance policies in other Maryland school systems.

"So what we found is, after we researched all of the local education agencies across the state of Maryland, we were just one of eight that actually connected grades with student attendance," she said.

It's true that the penalty for racking up absences just depends on where you live. The state superintendent in Maryland asked every school district a series of questions about grading policies, including: "Is attendance a factor in grading?"

Responses show that in some school system, showing up for class has no impact on grades or graduation.

Through an open records request, FOX 5 found that in Charles County Public Schools, a school district with a 95 percent graduation rate, some graduates missed a third of the school year unexcused.

Since October, FOX 5 has been trying to speak Maryland State Superintendent Dr. Karen Salmon about attendance issues across the state, but she has declined to speak. Dr. Salmon has refused every interview attempt by FOX 5's Lindsay Watts for over a year.

FOX 5's previous coverage on the Prince George's County grade-fixing investigation:

Prince George's County Public Schools largely pleased with audit results

Interim PGCPS CEO Dr. Monica Goldson promises accountability, transparency

School board approves $800K severance deal for PGCPS CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell

New details revealed on 2nd state graduation audit to be conducted on Prince George's Co. schools

Maryland Gov. Hogan: 2nd state audit of PGCPS could look into wrongdoing, broken laws

PGCPS not monitoring data of students on track to graduate this school year

EXCLUSIVE: Fired PGCPS guidance counselor believes he was made a scapegoat for grade-fixing scandal

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan calls on Rushern Baker to fire PGCPS CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell

Maryland State Board of Education to implement full-time employee to monitor PGCPS

PGCPS CEO Dr. Kevin Maxwell meets with Md. State Board of Education to discuss grade-fixing audit

Prince George's County school board members say emails show pressure to graduate students