What a 407 is
A Form 407 is the attendance investigation a school opens when a student stays absent and no reason has been recorded. It comes after the usual follow-up, like same-day calls home, has not explained the absences. Its job is to find out why the student is out, decide the next step, and get the student back to school, or discharge them properly (Section IV.A).
What triggers a 407
ATS generates most referrals automatically. A school can also open one by hand.
| Trigger | Applies to | A-210 |
|---|---|---|
| Absent 10 consecutive days | All grades | IV.B |
| Absent 8 consecutive days, or 15 days in total, after a prior 407 investigation | All grades | IV.B |
| Absent 20 days in total over a four-month period | Pre-K to grade 8 | IV.B |
| 20 school days after a discharge to a non-NYCPS school with no proof of enrollment | Discharged students | IV.F |
| 30 school days after a discharge as “Address Unknown” | Discharged students | IV.F |
| The principal or designee decides elevated steps, like a home visit, are needed | Any student (manual referral) | IV.G |
When you don’t need an investigation
If the school already knows why the student is absent and a reason code is in ILOG, the 407 may not need an investigation. It can be closed, or left open with the right 407 comment code (Section IV.D). It is one more reason the first-day call and recorded reason that A-210 already requires (Sections III.C and III.H) pay off.
What the investigation has to document
Everything goes in ILOG, through ATS or OASIS. Notes can also go on the Form 407, but ILOG is the record (Section IV.C). The notes have to cover four things (Section IV.E):
1. Parent notification
Every effort to reach the parent: personal phone calls first, then, as appropriate, letters, conferences, texts or emails, or home visits.
2. Role of the parent
Whether the school could not reach the parent, the parent resisted or rejected requests, or the parent could not explain the absences.
3. Role of the school
The barriers the school found and what it did to re-engage the student and family, including the resources it offered.
4. Other considerations
Whether the investigation shows indicators of abuse or maltreatment, or raises reasonable suspicion of it.
Along the way, the school looks at what is keeping the student out, offers resources, and works with the family on an attendance success plan with barriers, strategies and goals.
Deadlines and escalation
- Pre-K to grade 8: 10 days. If the investigation isn’t finished in 10 days, the attendance coordinator or principal reviews the case: what the outreach covered, what is blocking it, and what will bring the student back or discharge them properly (Section IV.I).
- Any grade: escalate when you’re stuck. If the school can’t confirm where the student is or what is keeping them out, the case goes to an NYCPS attendance teacher, and the school shares the student’s records (Section IV.J).
Closing the case
- The investigation is complete when you have confirmed where the student is, or found what is keeping them out. Enter a comment code for the student’s status in ATS or OASIS (Section IV.H).
- The case is resolved when the student returns, is discharged under NYCPS procedures, or, for a discharge-triggered 407, the school enters a code with the result of its follow-up (Section IV.K).
- To close it, enter the resolution code and closure date in ATS or OASIS, and file the Form 407 at the school.
- If it can’t be closed yet, enter a comment code for its status and update ILOG with your notes and a summary of what you found. Outreach continues until the case is resolved.
A 407 is not an ACS report
A report to the Statewide Central Register is a separate step. It is required only when there is reasonable cause to suspect educational neglect or other abuse or maltreatment, and it follows Chancellor’s Regulation A-750. The school then enters a code in ATS showing the report was made (Sections IV.L and V). A-210 is clear that poor attendance on its own is not reasonable cause to suspect educational neglect or maltreatment (Section V.A).
Get ahead of the referral
When the first-day call is made and the reason is coded the same day, a 407 that ATS generates may not need an investigation at all. BrainBridge lists students with 6 or more absences in a row before the referral, each with an owner, and every logged call has a Copy for ILOG button.
Common questions
What is a 407 in NYC schools?
Form 407 is the attendance investigation schools in NYC Public Schools open when a student stays absent and no reason has been recorded. ATS generates most 407 referrals automatically. The investigation finds out why the student is absent and gets the student back to school, or discharges the student properly.
How many absences trigger a 407?
Ten consecutive days. After a prior 407 investigation, 8 consecutive or 15 total days. For Pre-K to grade 8, also 20 total days over a four-month period (Chancellor’s Regulation A-210, Section IV.B).
How long does a school have to finish a 407 investigation?
For Pre-K to grade 8, 10 days. If it isn’t finished by then, the attendance coordinator or principal reviews the case. A-210 sets no day count for high school students, but every case stays open, with outreach continuing, until it is resolved.
Who handles a 407 the school can’t complete?
If the school can’t confirm where the student is or what is keeping them out of school, the case goes to an NYCPS attendance teacher, and the school must share the student’s records (Section IV.J).
Does a 407 mean a report to ACS?
No. A 407 is an attendance investigation. A report to the Statewide Central Register is required only when there is reasonable cause to suspect educational neglect or other abuse or maltreatment, following Chancellor’s Regulation A-750. Poor attendance on its own is not reasonable cause to suspect neglect (A-210, Section V.A).
Source: NYC Public Schools, Chancellor’s Regulation A-210: Standards for Attendance Programs (June 18, 2026). A summary, not the regulation. Section numbers refer to A-210. More: chronic absenteeism and what A-210 requires.