Beginning in Fall 2023, Washington High School began rolling out “scanners” as a method of taking attendance. These are chromebooks set up in every classroom connected to Infinite Campus; the school’s grading and attendance portal. When it began, it was only in Social Studies classes, but in the 2024-2025 school year they were implemented as a school wide policy. They were intended to be a helpful tool so teachers do not have to take manual attendance, but recently it seems like more times than not, the scanners do not work properly; many students also forget to scan in which ultimately results in teachers having to take attendance manually. They are also used for hall passes as well, which often have a time limit.
In recent years Washington has had an issue with students’ hall wandering and skipping class or school altogether. These scanners were designed to help prohibit hall wandering, which was distracting from in-class learning. While the scanners helped correct some of the skipping, it hasn’t particularly helped with the truancy issue at hand. According to John Graham, a Science teacher at Washington for 28 years, “The kids who are going to be gone are going to be gone. I don’t think people are just missing class and hanging out in the hallway anymore though.”
The scanners are not always the most accurate form of attendance. When students are even two minutes late to class, they are still being marked “on time.” This has proven to be an issue for teachers because students are missing those crucial first few minute introductions to class and the assignment for the day. During the third block of the day, A lunch has lunch before they go to their class.. The scanner does not account for this and will mark the students late when they sign back into class. This causes students and staff to wonder if this is really the best method of taking attendance?
While there are some downsides to the usage of scanners, there are also some positives as well. On the administrative side, this has allowed the administrators to reduce the amount of foot traffic in the hallways, and ensure that students are safe. In recent years the amount of physical altercations, and overall truancy has skyrocketed within the district. Doing this allows the hallways to be clear and for students to be in their assigned locations. Graham stated, “I’m willing to do it to help the security guards out.”
Washington’s security staff can now see who is out of the classroom and where they are going, which helps them keep better track of the students. They are also able to put certain restrictions on student profiles which helps prevent conflict in the halls. While this was a big adjustment for staff and students alike, it seems to be having a positive impact on our building.
When asked if he supports the usage of scanners, Jordan Eshelman, a first year teacher at Washington stated, “I think before this class year started I would have said no, but since its rollout it’s made things fairly smooth.” When the scanners are up and running, all the students have to do is get the approval to leave the room, and then can take care of the pass themselves. Eshelman stated, “It’s at its worst, a lateral move from writing paper passes.”
Overall, the scanners have some benefits and some downsides. When the scanners are functioning properly, and students remember to sign in and out, they are a great tool for students and staff. Considering some of the complications, it leads staff and students to wonder if there is a better alternative for attendance and hall passes, or if they are the best solution to our problem?
