But when fear and projects don't keep students in class, schools have to dig deeper in their utility belts. High schools in Mesa use a computer system that tallies students' unexcused absences throughout the day and calls their parents at home in the evening. Schools in other districts use a similar system, but many of them have parent volunteers place the calls instead of a computerized voice. Even good kids will fib. There may be a lot of kids there, but it's nothing official.
Administrators can also use the graduation ceremony itself as a carrot.
Students in the Tempe Union High School District are not allowed to walk in the graduation ceremony unless they fulfill all their graduation requirements. We say no. Timothy Tait, spokesman for the Deer Valley Unified School District, said bad behavior can also get kids banned from the graduation ceremony. In the end, though, the decision whether they want to attend class rests with the students. State law dictates that kids have to attend school until they turn 16 or finish their sophomore year of high school.