At Shadow Ridge High School, being on time is crucial because it ensures students receive full instructional time, participate in opening activities, and minimize interruptions to classes already in progress. Consistent tardiness can disrupt the learning environment for both students and teachers. Tardy lockouts are used as a form of progressive discipline outside the classroom to support teachers and encourage students to arrive on time.

The first time a student is caught in a tardy lockout, they are marked tardy, the incident is recorded in the teacher contact log, parents are notified, and the student is escorted to class. The second time results in a behavior referral, one day of in-house suspension and parent contact. The third time leads to a behavior referral, two days in-house suspension, and parent contact. Continued and repeated tardiness is considered insubordination and results in additional behavior referrals.

“I do think tardy lockouts are effective,” Assistant Principal Joyce Fowlie states. “Last quarter, we got the number of tardy students down to around 20 to 30 during a lockout. Since this quarter started, we’ve been in the 40s. I can tell students were getting more relaxed, but I guarantee it will decrease because of tardy lockouts.”

Tardy lockouts have been proven to have a difference in reducing the number of late students and improving classroom attendance. By holding students accountable, the procedure encourages students to manage their time better and helps minimize disruptions at the start of class. School staff and teachers have noticed that the number of tardy students have decreased significantly.

“I think it is important for students to get to class on time,” math teacher Luke Wilson states. “Tardy lockouts are effective because they help reduce classroom disruptions.”

Being on time to class is an important part of maintaining a productive and smooth learning environment. When students arrive late, it can interrupt lessons and make it hard for both teachers and students to remain focused. 

“After being late to class once and getting caught in a tardy lockout, I made sure to always be on time and not let it happen again,” Jadyn Laskowski, junior states.

Some students may be late to class once in a while, but the tardy lockout policy encourages punctuality. Lockouts serve as a reminder to students of the importance of being on time and respecting the classroom.

Overall tardy lockouts at Shadow Ridge are extremely effective in encouraging students to be on time. Holding students accountable with progressive discipline allows the focus to remain on learning rather than classroom disruptions.