It’s 7:50 in the morning, the time I typically arrive at school. Except this year, as I approach the Townsend Harris doors to get class ten minutes early, I am faced with one of the delays the new ID scanning system has caused. I anxiously wait behind a line of students waiting to scan their IDs to enter the building. Some days I make it to class on time, but sometimes, I do not.
The Comprehensive Attendance, Administration, and Security System (CAASS) is a web-based student entry and attendance system. With CAASS, once students enter the building, students have to scan their IDs so the system logs them as “present.” THHS uses the system to monitor attendance, track where students are throughout the school day, and regulate back door activity.
CAASS made its debut on December 5th and the delays the CAASS system presents at entry has grown tiresome in my opinion. I typically arrive at school five or eight minutes before the music plays but because the system relies on scanning individually, I still find myself five minutes late. With CAASS, even small delays, like students forgetting their IDs or IDs not scanning, has led to long lines forming which can slow down the entire entry process. And when you unfortunately forget your new ID card at home, good luck waiting in line behind seven other students in the same predicament as you are.
Furthermore, if you find yourself late to class because of the long lines of students waiting to scan their IDs, you’ll be marked late when you enter class. If it’s the inefficiency of the system causing students to enter their classes later when they arrive on time, why should the students be marked late?
From personal experience, teachers often mark students late based on the time they physically walk into the classroom rather than the time shown on the scan ticket. This means that even if a student has proof they arrived on time, it may not be taken into account. It should be, however.
I do see positive outcomes that the CAASS system has brought to the building. Keeping accurate records of who enters the building is important for safety. I have also observed students scanning their IDs at the back entrance that leads to Queens College, which has overall improved our school safety. Safety is important, and I am not arguing that this system is unnecessary. It’s just inefficient.
Hundreds of students scan their IDs through two small carts at the entrance. To improve the efficiency of the system I believe there should be one or two more carts added to hopefully reduce the size of each line. There could also be one cart dedicated to the inevitable group of students that will forget their IDs.
As we continue to use CAASS, I have high hopes that it will improve in its efficiency and process.
