This handbook provides guidance to school administrators in setting up an effective school attendance system. After brief introductory sections on the importance of good attendance and on how to recognize whether excessive pupil absences are a problem, the third section discusses how to organize the attendance services: outlining objectives; appointing an attendance teacher to organize, direct, and carry out the attendance program; coordinating attendance with other pupil personnel services, and setting up a referral process. The fourth section then presents a model program that provides for reporting of absences, screening of absentee lists, follow-up, referrals, publicity and public relations, teacher orientation, and prevention. Suggested activities are also included in the model program. The fifth section covers the following special topics: (1) legal considerations regarding school district residency and educational entitlement, temporary residence in an institution including hospitals, residence in foster homes, children living in "free family homes"; (2) New York State mandates on length of school day and year, last day of school, employment certificates, attendance, and grading; and (3) other attendance questions and answers. (TE)