They briefly discussed getting an attorney general's opinion on the rule, which Bowen said his entire office concurred was legal. But they didn't. School Board member Lee Benjamin, former principal of Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, said he trusts Bowen's advice. Even with good grades and good attendance, students can opt out of only some exams. That means all students, he said, will have the final exam experience.
Rewarding attendance is nothing new, but it has taken on greater urgency in recent years.
State-issued school grades are based on numerous factors, including annual state exams and attendance. Hillsborough County proved that it works to give prizes for showing up. In the 1999-2000 school year, Hillsborough schools boosted grades for middle schoolers and let high schoolers skip some final exams. Some schools came up as much as 3 percentage points, and that's a lot. Despite the success, Hillsborough let the policy lapse when the new state law was passed.