Lesson 4.1: Attendance Monitoring
Duration: 20 minutes | System-Driven Process
💡 Key Takeaway: The system tracks attendance automatically. Your job is to respond when alerts trigger and follow the intervention workflow.
🎯 Why Attendance Matters
Student visa holders must maintain at least 80% attendance. If they drop below this, we’re legally required to report them to Department of Home Affairs, which can lead to visa cancellation. The system tracks attendance automatically and alerts you when intervention is needed.
⚠️ Critical: This is a visa compliance matter. Always follow the intervention workflow when attendance alerts appear.
How Attendance Is Tracked (Automatically)
📊 Automatic Tracking System
What Happens Automatically:
- Teacher marks roll each class – In learning management system or attendance app
- Marks sync to central system – Usually within 5 minutes of being taken
- System calculates attendance percentage – For each student, each week
- Alerts generated automatically – When thresholds crossed
- You receive notifications – Via dashboard and email
✓ Your Role: You don’t mark attendance or calculate percentages. You respond to alerts when they appear.
Attendance Alert Levels
The system uses a traffic light system to flag attendance concerns:
80%+ Attendance
Status: Compliant – no action needed
Student is meeting visa requirements. System monitors but doesn’t alert you.
75-79% Attendance
Status: Warning – Early intervention required
Student at risk of dropping below 80%. Contact within 2 business days.
Your Action: Send “Attendance Warning” template, document contact, follow up.
Below 80% Attendance
Status: Critical – Immediate intervention required
Breach of visa conditions. Must follow formal intervention process IMMEDIATELY.
🚨 Your Action: ESCALATE to Student Services immediately. Follow formal intervention protocol.
The Intervention Workflow
When you receive an attendance alert, follow this workflow exactly:
Check Alert Details
Open the attendance alert from your dashboard
Alert Shows:
- Student name and ID
- Current attendance percentage
- Number of absences this term
- Classes missed (dates and times)
- Alert level (Yellow or Red)
Contact Student
Use appropriate template based on alert level
| Alert Level | Template to Use |
|---|---|
| YELLOW (75-79%) | “Attendance Warning – Early Intervention” |
| RED (Below 80%) | “Attendance Breach – Formal Notice” |
💡 Templates Include: Current attendance %, consequences, requirement to meet, contact details for support
Document Contact
Record intervention in student file (system-prompted)
System Prompts You to Record:
- Date and time of contact
- Method (email/phone/in-person)
- Template used
- Student response (if any)
- Follow-up date scheduled
⚠️ Critical: Documentation is required for compliance. System won’t let you close alert without recording contact.
Schedule Follow-Up
System automatically sets reminder based on alert level
| Alert Level | Follow-Up Timeframe |
|---|---|
| YELLOW | 1 week – Check if attendance improving |
| RED | 3 business days – Escalate if no response |
Escalate if Necessary
When to escalate to Student Services:
ESCALATE IMMEDIATELY if:
- Attendance below 80% (RED alert)
- Student doesn’t respond to contact within 3 business days
- Student indicates they’re withdrawing or having serious issues
- Attendance continues to decline after warning
- Student requests intervention support
📌 Escalation Route: Student Services → They assess → May trigger formal warning letter or counseling → Department of Home Affairs notification if no improvement
Templates for Student Contact
📧 Pre-Built Templates
1. Attendance Warning – Early Intervention (YELLOW)
Subject: Attendance Alert – Your Support is Important
Hi [Student Name],
I’m reaching out because your attendance has dropped to [X%], which is below the 80% requirement for international students on student visas.
We want to support you in getting back on track. Is there anything affecting your ability to attend classes?
Please contact me within 2 business days so we can discuss how to help.
Tone: Supportive, helpful, not punitive
2. Attendance Breach – Formal Notice (RED)
Subject: IMPORTANT: Attendance Requirement Not Met
Dear [Student Name],
This is formal notification that your attendance is currently [X%], which is below the 80% minimum requirement under your student visa conditions.
You must contact Student Services immediately to discuss this matter. Failure to maintain 80% attendance may result in visa cancellation.
Please respond within 24 hours.
Tone: Formal, serious, clear consequences stated
Documentation (Auto-Captured)
📝 What Gets Recorded Automatically
✓ Your Input Required: Only the “Contact Notes” field where you add brief summary of student’s response or situation.
Practical Exercise: Responding to Attendance Alert
🎯 Scenario: Yellow Alert
Alert Details:
Student: Maria Santos
Current Attendance: 77%
Alert Level: YELLOW
Classes Missed: 7 out of 30 (last 2 weeks: 4 absences)
🎯 Your Task:
Walk through the 5-step intervention workflow. What would you do at each step?
📖 Click to See Complete Walkthrough
Step 1: Check Alert Details
Open Maria’s alert. Review: 77% (Yellow zone), 7 absences total, pattern shows recent increase (4 in last 2 weeks – concerning).
Step 2: Contact Student
Use template “Attendance Warning – Early Intervention”. Personalize: “Hi Maria, I noticed your attendance dropped to 77%, particularly in the last 2 weeks. Is everything okay?” Send via email.
Step 3: Document Contact
System prompts documentation form. Record: Date: Today, Method: Email, Template: Yellow Warning, Notes: “Contacted via email re: 77% attendance. Recent pattern concerning – 4 absences in 2 weeks.”
Step 4: Schedule Follow-Up
System sets reminder: 1 week from today. Check if Maria responded and if attendance improved.
Step 5: Escalation Decision
Yellow alert = no immediate escalation needed. Wait for student response. IF she doesn’t respond in 2 days OR attendance drops below 80% → THEN escalate to Student Services.
✓ Complete!
Alert managed according to protocol. Time taken: 5 minutes. System tracks everything. Follow-up reminder set automatically.
🎓 Key Takeaways
- Attendance is tracked automatically – teachers mark roll, system calculates percentages
- Three alert levels: Green (80%+), Yellow (75-79%), Red (below 80%)
- Follow the 5-step workflow: Check → Contact → Document → Follow-up → Escalate if needed
- Use pre-built templates for all student contact – tone matches alert level
- Yellow = supportive intervention, Red = formal notice + immediate escalation
- Documentation is automatic – you just add brief contact notes
- Below 80% = visa compliance issue – always escalate to Student Services
✓ Lesson Complete! Next: Academic Progress Tracking