“Parents and students volunteer for our program because they would like additional help and support to get their student back in school,” he said. “Also, the GPS device is a handheld mobile device no different than the cell phone most students currently carry. This device is just tool that we use for a short period of time at the beginning of our program that gets students into a steady routine, a positive behavior change.”
He added that the solution has been recognized as way to get students back on track to graduate.
The program is completely voluntary, and parents have to give permission for their children to be tracked before students are outfitted with the devices.
“The GPS device was … one aspect of an innovative process that would provide immediate and accurate information on a student,” said Wilson.
For more news about dropout prevention programs, see:
eSN Special Report: Keeping students on a path toward graduation
School safety expert Patrick Fiel said the use of GPS tracking devices to curb truancy could help improve school safety.
“This is just one more way that technology—including video surveillance cameras, visitor management and emergency notification systems, and access control—can help schools handle serious problems such as truancy, bullying, vandalism, and gang activity,” said Fiel, who is a public safety advisor for ADT Security Services and the former executive director of school security for the Washington, D.C., public school system.
“Truancy can cause many problems. Kids who willingly choose to ditch school are more likely to become involved in gangs and crimes such as vandalism, theft, drug dealing, and other activities that can cost cities thousands, even millions, of dollars to police or repair. Very few cities today have the extra revenue to deal with the costs of truancy,” Fiel continued.
He also said that schools lose state funding when students miss class, and teaching students better attendance habits could prove to be a financial boon for schools.
- New film fights negative perception of teachers - September 16, 2011
- Textbook-free schools share experiences, insights - September 7, 2011
- Social websites are latest sources for plagiarized material - September 1, 2011