The use of a Turnstile check-in tool, which allows faculty and staff to see the time and specific location that a student who is tardy enters the building, is being utilized at Becton Regional High School.

The Genesis module provides not only the accurate time that a student arrives at school, which is automatically recorded into the Genesis Software System, but it also eliminates the need for late passes. Both teachers and parents have permission to access this information while logged in to Genesis.

“It isn’t used for daily attendance, but it enables us to record real-time and accurate student information. If a student walks into class 20 minutes after he or she enters the building, teachers can see the exact time, which will help to alleviate hall wandering,” stated Principal Dr. Sforza.

“Moreover, the scanner is part of our digital shift initiative to go paperless and allows for accurate recording,” he added. 

Prior to the current system in place, students had to receive a carbon copy late pass that would need to be signed by both the student and a faculty member. Later, the student would need to bring the late pass to his or her class, which would sometimes cause a disruption for the instructor who is teaching at the moment.

“Another benefit of this tool is that, in case of an emergency, we have an exact count of who is in the building and who is not,” noted District Technology Coordinator Mr. Gbaguidi, who has been a longtime advocate for the system. He highlighted a hypothetical scenario where a school emergency might occur at the same time that students may be on a field trip. “The administration will know exactly where every student is and how many are physically in the building,” he said.

Additionally, the district’s goal is to use the system in other sections of the school. Possible areas include the cafeteria, suspension room, guidance office, media center and the nurse’s office. For example, Dr. Sforza pointed out the possibility of having a quick scan computer in the cafeteria. “A further goal is to have a set station where students can scan their ID when they leave or enter the building for senior lunch, internship or college prep.” He then went on to add, “The more we use Turnstile at different locations in the building, the more important a student’s ID becomes to his or her daily school experience. It should be as important as carrying a driver’s license.”

The Becton principal also discussed the possibility of having training sessions on the new system for the faculty and staff in the near future. “So far no major glitches, just a matter of adjustment for staff members. They seem to like it so far; they like how accurate it is,” he said.

Although the recording system for late students at Becton has changed, the late policy remains the same.