Starting this week, students going to class during tutorial period must scan their student ID card or provide their student number in order to enter a classroom. The policy is in response to concerns that students go off campus during tutorial instead of staying in a classroom.

“The expectation was that for tutorial, you were to pick a room and stick with it, because otherwise if [a] significant number of students are leaving their classrooms, administrators need to check to see where they are going,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said.

The idea comes from Mountain View High School, which recently added tutorial into its bell schedule. Mountain View implemented these card scanners to keep track of students, and Los Altos looks to do the same.

“By having the ability to take roll during tutorial we will have records of students who weren’t anywhere [during tutorial],” Rosenberg said.

Along with keeping track of attendance, administrators also hope the scanners will facilitate easier scheduling of appointments between students and teachers.

“[Mountain View] used it this semester, and they found it very useful,” Rosenberg said. “If either the student or the teacher wants to meet, [they] can pre-schedule with them so you know where you’re supposed to go during tutorial.”

Based on its implementation at Mountain View, Rosenberg has high hopes that the scanning system will be effective.

“We’re looking at it as an experiment to see if it’s helpful in terms of ensuring that all students follow their plans and rules for tutorial,” Rosenberg said. “Mountain View’s experience with it has been positive, so we felt that we should try it too.”

While this new technology is initially only for tutorial, students can expect to see these scanners in school events as well.

“We are confident that the scanning software and the devices are useful already for purposes like checking into events such as dances,” Rosenberg said.  “We will have uses for this technology that will be helpful.”