Optional attendance policy provides flexibility to AP Computer Science students

Each Red Day morning, sophomore Rachel Bakke has a choice: whether to do her work for AP Computer Science at home on her own time or attend the first-period class.

Students in APCS have these options because of the class’s optional attendance policy, which states that students with a grade average 85 percent or higher don’t have to attend class on the days that are marked optional on the calendar posted on Canvas, even though they are marked present for their attendance.

“The purpose of this policy is for student flexibility and stress relief,” AP Computer Science teacher Debra Troxell said. “If a student feels confident in the material, and wants to stay home to finish the assignment, then they have the option to do that.”

Troxell feels confident in having this computer science class being optional attendance mostly because all the materials are available online and students can access them any time.

Troxell used her own website long before the school began using the learning management system Canvas. She then took the next step to make optional attendance in APCS formal four years ago during the 2013-2014 school year when she worked with the then-assistant principal Kevin Mount to develop the course. This year is Troxell’s third year with a blended environment: one that combines online aspects with in-class attendance.  

The other APCS teacher Judi Heher also uses the same policy as Troxell.

The optional attendance policy seems particularly effective in APCS because many students already have at least some of the computer science knowledge covered in class.

“Computer Science is an AP class, meaning a lot of people already know most of the topics, so going to every class is not really necessary,” sophomore Roshan Verma said.

At the beginning of the year, students were given an introductory packet containing the prerequisites of computer science that students had to know. At that point, a lot of students who realized that they didn’t have enough experience dropped out of the class, and the students left in the class were those who had experience with CS before, sophomore Ruchi Maheshwari said.

Despite the optional attendance policy, many students still choose to go to class daily.

“What I have found really surprising is that some of my top students choose to come every single day,” Troxell said. “I have never had a day where there were no students, and I have always been surprised how many students come when they don’t have to come.”

Maheshwari still chooses to go to class on optional days and has only used the optional attendance three times in the whole semester.

According to Maheshwari, Troxell often gives  tips on the labs for the students who still go to class, such as how to structure a particular programming method.

“We do a lot of worksheets and activities in class so I think you get a better understanding of the topics if you go,” said Maheshwari. “I also enjoy going to class and getting that class environment, but the few times I used [the optional attendance] have been extremely helpful.”

Even though the policy works for Troxell’s APCS class, she said she would never do it for her Algebra 2 Honors classes.

“I don’t think it fits many classes because all my materials were online years ago, and that’s not necessarily true for another class,” Troxell explained.

But many of her Comp Sci students see the advantages of blended learning and see other potential applications of it on campus.

“It works really well and I think other classes should be able to do it,” Bakke said. “The more online materials we get, the easier it is for us to study, and not having to go to class is really nice.”