The Student Handbook Addendum 2021-2022 explains potential consequences depending on the amount of absences that a student has. A consequence resulting from an unexcused absence that is not confirmed by a parent/guardian is the teacher making arrangements to put the student into detention and possibly calling the parent. One of the more serious consequences that are stated in the handbook is “revocation of parking privileges and school-sponsored activities including Homecoming and Prom, etc.” 

To some, these consequences may seem too strict, they may even argue that their attendance in school does not affect their grades and the effort they are willing to put into school. In spite of attendance being the main administrative focus of this semester, students are still missing more school than ever, so the question still remains, does attendance actually matter when it comes to success in school?

In a data graph of 35 students the majority of data found that yes, attendance does matter, although, the point graph does include a few outliers. These outliers may include a student having over 100 absences while still averaging a 4.0 grade point average (GPA). When looking to the left of the graph there are a few impressive students who have an extremely high rate of absences but still finished with a 4.0 GPA  For example, a Sophomore had a total amount of 150 absences and ended with a 4.0 GPA. At the end of analyzing the data, there came a conclusion that there are many different factors that play a role in the student and their work ethic relating to attendance.

Looking at last year’s hybrid schedule, some students who learned from home were highly successful while others struggled to keep up with their school work. Owen Tallman 24′ says he feels as if his learning is the best when he is at the “comfort of his home” alongside his dogs. While on the other hand, some students may enjoy the “social aspect” involving school says Kinsley Theobald 24′. Looking at Theobald’s perspective, she is more of an efficient and independent learner, unlike some who require assistance in the classroom. 

“With Spanish, it is so hard to find it out in the wild and to try to practice it on your own you are going to have less success” said Spanish teacher, Madison Buckley. Many people believe it depends on the amount of hands-on work a class has making certain classes more difficult to be absent for. Things such as learning a second language are much more difficult than other subjects that can be easily grasped at home.

If a student is absent, the mass majority of teachers have a planned-out calendar as well as the assignment for absent students on an online resource, such as Moodle or Showbie. Many students find these online tools to be helpful, in that they are able to be caught up to their peers while not attending class. 

Taking the quantitive as well as qualitative data there came a conclusion that students are different from one another. Although the graph does conclude that most students need to be in the classroom learning hands-on for the best GPA possible, there are many different factors that go into a student’s GPA other than their attendance in school.