The “Ninety Percent Rule” in relation to attendance is the first area in which KISD plans to provide flexibility in its enforcement. As of right now, a student must attend at least 90 percent of the days a class is offered in order for them to earn the credit for that class. However, under the new DOI plan, certain students can be exempted from the Ninety Percent Rule. These students will be able to earn the credit through engaging forms of education that accommodates their situation, even if they are not physically at school for the 90 percent of the time.
“I don’t think [the current Ninety Percent Rule] is the best way to go about absences,” says senior Savannah McLain who is frequently out of school due to medical issues. “The new plan sounds like a great idea so students won’t feel like they’re being counted against for missing school because of illness or out of school events.”
The new plan will also offer flexibility to students with valid scheduling conflicts that may inhibit them from attending school on a regular basis, such as those dealing with illness, family concerns, extensive traveling due to outside programs, etc. The exemption from the Ninety Percent Rule will enable students to earn their credit through different methods of education that suit their situations, such as online learning programs. This rule may also benefit students that learn in different ways, such as those who would learn better from a different time structure in the school day or with virtual, online classes rather than the traditional classroom setting.
“So what we wanted to do was to create a hybrid program for those students in certain circumstances where they would come to school as much as they were able to,” commented committee member Taylor Romero. “When they wouldn’t be able to [attend school], they would stay at home and maybe do some online coursework or work with a homebound teacher, but they wouldn’t be held accountable for those missed days.”
By adapting to students with legitimate scheduling conflicts, the different education options beyond the regular “brick-and-mortar” classroom settings allow students to receive quality education even if they are not able to attend school regularly, thus reducing the amount of dropouts and increasing the number of qualifying graduates. Although the exemptions will benefit certain students that fall into the category, other students enrolled in traditional courses will still adhere to the 90 percent rule and will not be majorly impacted by the changes. Although the policy-writing for this rule has not begun, committee members will try to implement it as soon as possible. The rule is targeted to be implemented in the 2017-18 school year if the board approves it in time.
“If a student can grasp the content of a subject very quickly and can show mastery,” Cecil McDaniel, Subcommittee Facilitator, commented, “why do they have to sit in a seat in order to earn credit for it?”