The study table system is too easy to cheat.

Every week, grade reports are sent out to the coaches of every athletics team in the high school.  If a student has two grades below a C-, then they are required to go on study table.

Study table is a program that makes students attend A.M. support or study hall sessions in the classes they are recording low grades in.  Then, after their session, the teacher signs a sheet verifying that the student attended study table.

This system sounds great on paper.  It appears to be a great way to ensure that the “student”, in “student-athlete”, comes first.

However, in reality, study table is a pathetic attempt at monitoring athletes’ grades.

Every week I see students assigned to study table that have no reason to be.  The whole system relies on teachers to input grades immediately, but that is rarely the case.

Weekly grade reports poorly represent student’s standing in a class.  Teachers often forget to put in grades, or can sometimes enter the wrong scores.  This results in a false reflection of a student.

I don’t believe that the teachers are to blame for this.  It is unreasonable to expect every teacher to constantly keep grades up to date.  The system relies too heavily on the grading efficiency of teachers.

Study table does often succeed in targeting the right students, however.  There are many student-athletes that do need support in classes, and study table often addresses this.

But, there is a large difference between recognizing students that need help, and actually helping them.

It is too easy to manipulate the system.  Teachers often do not care about how focused a student is in study sessions.  Usually, all that requires a signature is showing up to A.M. support.  Just being there is enough.

I’ve sat in A.M. support for five minutes and gotten a signature.  It takes close to no effort.

And if you’re too lazy for that, forging a signature is always an easy out.  No coach is going to cross check a signature; they want athletes eligible as soon as possible.

Ultimately, this great idea on paper does not pan out in reality.  There needs to be change.

Instead of grade reports, each teacher should simply have a list of athletes in their class, and make study table recommendations based on their performance in class.  It isn’t difficult for teachers to identify which students struggle, and is probably easier than rushing grading.

Then, teachers know when athletes miss study table as well.  Administration needs to stop pretending to help student-athletes, and start delivering a proper education.