Lilly Zaks
News Editor
Things may come and go–an expression often used to describe a variety of things, both literally and figuratively. At R.J. Reynolds, this phrase holds true in the form of everyone’s favorite subject: the bathrooms.
Yes, we are talking about the elusive bathroom policy. Various approaches have emerged in different means over the past couple of years, originating as a Google form, to now, a true digital hall pass.
“We implemented Smart Pass this year with the actual program based on Smart Pass used last year,” Principal Calvin Freeman said.
Administrators can view the frequency and length of bathroom visits for each individual student using the software Clever, which is programmed on computers across campus. This digital platform generates a variety of hall passes–including bathroom passes–for students via their student numbers.
“As a teacher, I have it set up so the students use a separate computer to sign themselves out,” math teacher David Vuckovich said. “Right now, it’s mostly just reminding them to sign out and take the physical pass.”
Many teachers have adjusted to these new policies by implementing different methods catered to their learning environments; some teachers sign students out, whereas others have students sign out themselves.
“It’s a little bit of a hassle to have to go in and do it versus just giving the kids a physical pass to go,” social studies teacher Luciana Malloy said. “This could be resolved by having a kiosk, but I feel like that would cause more foot traffic in my pretty small classroom. I think classroom management-wise, it’s better if I do it.”
The most significant change from last year to this year is the use of the new software.
“We tried to utilize our own spreadsheet and technologies, but utilizing Smart Pass allows us to be attentive to the metrics and data,” said Freeman.
Many teachers feel this is a more seamless way to gather data and control bathroom usage.
“We tried to do something similar last year using a Google Form at the beginning of the year,” Vuckovich said. “I think that this is a lot more user-friendly and requires less time and attention from teachers, allowing them to stay focused on teaching and being present in the classroom.”
The Clever platform is complete with a six-minute timer that starts once the pass is activated. To deactivate the pass, a student or teacher has to physically click the button to end the timer.
“We want to limit the amount of time that students are in the hallway and going to the bathroom,” Freeman said. “We want kids to be able to use the bathroom, but we want to do so responsibly as it relates to being in class.”
The new software aims to reduce the amount of skipping and time when students aren’t in class by generating data on the number of smart passes and time spent out of class.
“I’ve seen a difference in this goal and students being in class from this year to last year where we implement it with fidelity,” Freeman said. “That means in those classrooms where teachers require students to sign out, we are able to recognize a difference.”
This quantitative data allows administrators to intervene and positively redirect students to maximize their time in class.
“I think there’s a sense of urgency [for students] to make sure they’re back,” Malloy said. “I did tell them, ‘Hey, they’re sending emails saying so and so has been out for X amount of time, this many days they missed X amount of instructional time.’ So I’ve told my kids that admin are looking, and the timer is making their bathroom visits more efficient.”
Although the new software provides the admin with a lot of data, not all students love these changes as there is more emphasis on quantitative data versus students’ experiences.
“The timer doesn’t actually stop people from staying out and doing whatever,” junior Sierra Mussetter said. “It just makes the people who actually have to go to the bathroom wait for whoever to get back.”
Others aren’t a big fan of being on the clock and feel like the six-minute limit is too short.
“I don’t like people timing me as I go to the bathroom,” junior Alejandra Cordero Perez said.
Overall, the response to these changes has varied throughout the RJR community, from admin to teachers to students. People are going about their daily business with this new policy: one that seems like it’s here to stay.