The sweeps have proven to be effective in reducing both absences and tardies.
by Ben Gilliland
For the past week Thomas Jefferson High School has been conducting hall sweeps, and the administration is reporting major improvements in attendance.
The effects of the hall sweeps have been evident throughout the school. “There are no more students wandering the halls or loitering during class time, which has drastically cut down on the distractions inside the building,” said Assistant Principal Scott Lessard. Since the hall sweeps have been in effect, Lessard reports that there has been reduced vandalism in the school, and the building itself is cleaner. “The sweeps have boosted the staff’s morale, and have significantly benefited the teachers because it allows them to start class on time,” said Lessard.
“I believe that the hall sweeps have been extremely effective. It’s nice to be able to start teaching on time, with no distractions in the hallways,” said Computer Magnet Teacher Eileen Adair.
The statistics show that the hall sweeps have dramatically cut down on the number of tardies among students. On February 7th and 8th (prior to hall sweeps) there were a total of 477 tardies in those two days, with 310 students having at least one tardy. Last Thursday and Friday, when TJ began the hall sweeps, there were a total of only 30 excused tardies for those two days.
In regards to absences on the 7th and 8th, there were 1141 total single-period absences, and on the 21st and 22nd there were 1643 total single-period absences. “In those two days we had more students skipping class than being tardy, so even if the numbers don’t support it, the idea behind the sweeps is important. Now, since the students who are skipping can’t stay in the building, they can’t encourage others to skip class with them,” said Lessard.
“The hall sweeps will continue through the end of the year. They will not be every period of every day, but they will be on a consistent basis so the students continue to take it seriously, and to keep the problem under control,” said Lessard.
