Guide to Using Attendance in HomeTrail

Using Attendance in HomeTrail

HomeTrail makes it simple to log and track student attendance in a way that matches your state’s requirements and your family’s homeschooling style. Here’s everything you need to know about setting it up, marking daily attendance, and viewing totals.

⚙️ Setting Up or Changing Attendance Criteria

You can define what “attendance” means for your family, whether that’s a number of hours, days, or another standard.

1. Go to Trailhead (web or app).

2. In the Attendance section, set your criteria (e.g., “172 Days” for Colorado).

3. Save changes.

💡 Tip: This is flexible. HomeTrail does not enforce one definition of attendance since every state has different requirements.

✅ Marking Attendance Each Day

There are a few ways to mark daily attendance:

• In the Planner (Web): Check the attendance box for a student on a given day.

• From the Home Screen (App): Tap the circle next to the student’s name at the top to mark attendance.

🕑 Best Ways to Back-Fill Attendance

If you forgot to log attendance, you can quickly back-fill past days:

• On the Web (Recommended):

  1. Go to the Planner.

  2. Navigate to the week you missed.

  3. Check the box for each student/day that applies

This is the fastest way to catch up if you missed multiple days 

• In the App:

  1. On the home page, swipe right to bring up the previous day.

  2. Check the circle for each student/day that applies.

📊 Viewing Attendance Totals

To see how attendance is adding up:

1. In the App:

   1. On the home page, click attendance and nature time totals

2. On the Web:

   1. On the dashboard, you will see a chart with the totals.

📝 Attendance in Reports

Attendance is included in all major reports:

• Weekly & Monthly Reports → show daily attendance logged

• Year-End Report → includes cumulative totals across the academic year

• Progress Reports → attendance is listed alongside subjects and activities

🔄 Resetting Attendance

Do you need to clear or restart attendance for a student? You can follow our step-by-step guide here: How to Reset Attendance in HomeTrail

🌟 Key Takeaways

• Flexible: You decide what counts as “attendance.”

• Easy Logging: Mark attendance daily, through Planner, app, or check-ins.

• Catch-Up Friendly: Back-fill quickly through the web Planner.

• Comprehensive Reports: Attendance totals roll up automatically into your reports.

With HomeTrail, you can stay compliant with state requirements and keep a clear, simple record of your homeschool journey.