Two million students will enter college this year. In 6 years 46% still won't have a degree.
Success in college depends on many things but one thing is for sure -- you have to show up for class. The research is pretty clear: your attendance in class equates to how well you will do in school. If you are a parent shelling out large bills for college it might be nice to know if your kids are actually going to their classes. So now there is an app for that. It's called Class 120 and if you skip class it tells your parents.
It's pretty simple. The student first uploads her class schedule. Then an app on the student's phone tracks if he is in the right place at the right time. If not, the parent gets a phone call or email.
"Class attendance, more than how much you study or how well you study, determines how well a student will do," said Jeff Whorley, the Founder and CEO of Core Principle, which created Class120. "About 50% of all freshmen that begin do not have a degree in four years. That's a real problem."
Whorley came up with the idea after talking to a college professor and discussing how to improve graduation rates. The professor said that the kids with the highest graduation rates happen to be student athletes. The student athletes at this particular school had their absences reported to the athletic department.
How they voted
Yes
Yes