The school has scrapped its controversial attendance policy used last year.
That’s the word echoing through the halls and being talked about in classrooms. Unlike last year, a certain number of tardies or absences will not cause students to lose credit in a class. Attendance is no longer directly tied to earning credit in a course.
This year administrators are giving students the responsibility of getting to class, and being on time.
School Principal Michael Horn said that he didn’t support the old policy, and doesn’t believe failing students for being late or absent helps the learning process. He also said that teachers need to make class interesting so that students will want to come.
As a result of the changes, many teachers are now giving bell work that can’t be made up after the tardy bell rings. Late students are forced to take a zero.
The recorded absences and tardies still show up on student report cards and student records.
Horn explained that Federal law requires students to come to school, and if a student accrues a large amount of unexcused tardies, his or her name will be put on a list, which will be sent to the district administrators. District administrators will then decide which names to forward to the Oakland County courts.
When asked if he thinks the changes will hurt or help students, Horn said, “I think that any policy can hurt or help an individual. It depends on the individual.”
Students expressed mixed feelings about the new policy. Senior Jessica Leavell said, “The new policy is alright, and it really doesn’t make a difference. Teachers aren’t as lenient on tardy students as they were before the policy changed. They’re focused more on attendance now that no policy exists.”
Junior Alexis Allen said, “The attendance policy will hurt students. Students were more intense about getting to class under the old policy so that they wouldn’t lose credit. Now more kids linger in the hallways.”
The new attendance policy actually isn’t new at all. The policy is already in place at all other Oakland County high schools. Southfield High School is the last Oakland school to switch to the policy, Horn said.