Challenge

The primary job of every school is to ensure student safety and accountability while maintaining a productive learning environment.

The staff at Winterset Junior High in Winterset, IA, work tirelessly to do this job, and like many other schools across the country, found the task increasingly difficult post-pandemic.

Potential incidents between students needed to be prevented and avoided. Additionally, some students abused pass privileges and/or spent excessive time outside of the classroom during instructional time. Winterset JH needed a solution to establish appropriate boundaries around leaving the classroom.

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Solution

SmartPass proved to be the perfect solution for Winterset Junior High. By leveraging the Encounter Prevention feature, administrators mitigate potential behavior issues among students who should not be in the same place at the same time. At Winterset, incidents of this nature were effectively averted. The school saw an immediate improvement in the safety and security of the learning environment for all students.

Real-time data reports provided by SmartPass allow staff members to engage in meaningful conversations with students about their classroom attendance. By discussing the amount of time spent outside the classroom and its impact on instruction, work completion, study time, and assignments, students gained awareness of their classroom attendance, or lack thereof, and its impact on their overall academic performance.

To address the abuse of pass privileges, Winterset Junior High utilized SmartPass' pass limit control feature. Passes can be customized by number per day, amount of time per pass (or both), and even time of day or days of the week. Winterset established individual settings to limit certain students' abilities to leave the classroom during specific times of the day or week, reinforcing appropriate behavior and minimizing disruptions.

"There were a number of potential incidents that were prevented and avoided between students we know should not be at the same place same time. That was very beneficial for us."

- Chad Sussex, Assistant Principal, Winterset Junior High

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Results

The success of SmartPass in addressing safety concerns, enhancing student accountability, and promoting a positive school culture has paved the way for expanding its implementation to the high school.

Winterset Junior High eagerly anticipates taking advantage of the new features in the SmartPass Plus plan and looks forward to the ongoing partnership with SmartPass to further enhance student safety and educational outcomes.