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'Perfect' rule flawed?

Students who never miss a day of school can waive final exams. It's a powerful incentive, but not everyone likes it.

By ELISABETH DYER
Published May 20, 2005

TAMPA - For coming to school every day all year, junior Monica Rivera earned two rewards: a $25 gift certificate from University Mall and a pass to skip her analytic geometry exam.

"I don't like missing a day, even if I'm sick," said Monica, who was among 215 of 2,200 students honored at a perfect-attendance party Monday at Middleton High School. Monica is one of thousands of high schoolers in the district who are exempting one or all of their exams under a school district policy designed to encourage good attendance. While students enjoy incentives like gift certificates, MP3 players and even cars, what really motivates them is the opportunity to get out of exams, many say.

Hillsborough County began the exemptions in 1997 to boost attendance, particularly among middle and high school students. District officials hoped to improve high school attendance from an average 89 percent to 96 percent.

"It gives them the incentive to go ahead and go," said Candy Olson, a School Board member since 1994.

To qualify for an exemption, students must have at least a C in each class. Seniors can skip all of their exams, while underclass students can waive up to three.

At Middleton, about 70 percent of seniors exempted exams, a figure reflected at schools across the district.

Hillsborough borrowed the plan from school districts across the nation that found it successful. Pinellas County requires a 3.0 GPA to exempt an exam.

Research shows that high attendance rates lead to high achievement. To meet the federal No Child Left Behind law, schools must have 95 percent attendance. Poor attendance can land a school on the "needs improvement" list. That results in less government funding and forces schools to allow students to transfer.

Some experts argue that attendance should be encouraged with nonacademic incentives such as special recognitions, lapel pins or small amounts of cash, not with exempting exams.

"It sends the message that taking an exam is an onerous, bad thing," said Jerome Sullivan, executive director of the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, an international collective of administrators from more than 2,300 colleges.

"They aren't. That's why you're spending the time (in school). Studying is hard work, but it's a good thing."

The opportunity to learn should be its own incentive, Sullivan said. After all, students who do well will continuously reap the benefits of their hard work through better jobs and more functional lifestyles, he said.

High school nurses see another problem with the rule. Students often come to school sick because they refuse to miss a day.

"They're kind of caught between the policy," said Karen Brown, the district's supervisor of school health. "Some come and stay, sharing whatever germ they have. It's a problem."

Some parents agree.

"I think it's stupid," said Iris Lazarus, a parent of two Plant High graduates. "It's counterproductive, rewarding them for coming to school sick. They're not going to absorb if they are not well. Who does it benefit, the school or the student?"

Debbie Landesberg, whose daughter Briana is a sophomore at Plant, says the policy sends the wrong message.

"It teaches kids to take the biggest shortcuts they can," she said. "Once they know what they are exempting, they don't focus as much."

School officials acknowledge that the policy has its pitfalls.

"We know it isn't perfect," Olson said. "(But) we've never found another incentive that works this well."

Exemptions help students learn to prioritize, she said. Time spent in school saves time and effort during finals week. The C requirement to exempt is purposely set low to not discourage students from taking harder classes, she said.

Not all students like the policy either. Francisco Escalona, a junior at Jefferson High, had to take his exams last semester. When he cut off the tip of his finger and needed surgery, he missed two weeks of school.

Rules say that students with too many absences other than school business - excused or unexcused - can't skip their exams. As a result, Francisco had to take exams in Algebra II, Spanish, English and American history.

Deciding what's fair is a tedious process, said Jefferson principal Lou Diaz. Some rules are clear on what qualifies as school business. Going to court when subpoenaed does. So does representing the school at a community event.

Other times, Diaz must draw a line.

"You have a lot of stories that come across your desk," he said.

Students study exemption rules and plan how to best use them.

"Kids are conscientious about qualifying for them," Diaz said. "They prize them."

For Jefferson junior Stephanie Sierra, going to school every day was worth getting out of her toughest exam next week: astronomy.

"Today I was tired and thinking about not coming," she said.

But the lure of skipping the final got her to class.

- Times staff writers Sherri Day and Amy Scherzer contributed to this story. Elisabeth Dyer can be reached at 226-3321 or edyer@sptimes.com

[Last modified May 19, 2005, 08:41:13]