Option # 3
Smart Card Use in High Schools: Is this a secure situation?
Who needs smartcards?
Throughout the K-12 learning experience children have to be identified numerous times. Many children may look alike or have similar features that could confuse some instructors or administration which could lead to very drastic problems. Some school corporations might be considering getting smartcards for students to cause a reduced amount of identification problems. Though smartcards are an excellent idea to create less identification problems, not all children would necessarily fully benefit from this solution. Younger children can barely remember to tie their shoes which in return could cause a problem with remembering to carry a smartcard on them at all times. This program would most likely be the best situation in a high school atmosphere.
How do you obtain a smartcard?
Students in selected high schools that choose to implement smartcards would easily be able to possess a card. The school would send out applications for information regarding the student over the summer before the school year begins. If the student or parent of the student fails to fill out the application then another one would be mailed the next week so that they hopefully get the idea that this is important and they need to fill it out. This application process would hopefully obtain a majority of the students’ information so that the cards can be prepared for them before school resumes at the end of summer. If for some reason the student of parent of the student does not fill out the application form then on the first day of school the child would receive an application in person by a member of the school’s faculty. The student would then take the form home and fill it out with a parent then return it to the school. The first two weeks of the school year would be lenient of who actually has a smartcard but after this two week grace period administration would crack down on students having their smartcard. After this grace period you will have to carry your card on you at all times.
Which schools will issue smartcards?
Schools across the nation will randomly be selected to possibly launch the smartcard program. They will be sent numerous forms for the application process. The school would then decide whether they would initiate the program or not. They may do so by however they chose, such as a vote by parents of the district. If the school intends on implementing this plan then they would send all the information Congress would need back to Congress. Obviously for a school to get granted the use of smartcards Congress would physically have to go inspect the school and see if they pass all necessary requirements for this plan to take effect. Criteria for Congress to select the approved schools would be determined by the men in Congress. Approved schools would complete the application process and then decide when they would implement this program in their district’s schools.
What age level child would need a smartcard?
Children are identified every day throughout their educational experience. Many children would not necessarily have identity problems throughout their lifetime, but there is always that change something could occur and their identity could be stolen. This situation occurs way too much in school systems today. Once a child’s identity is stolen they might not even know anything about this until events that are irreversible have taken place. Elementary and middle school children might eventually go the route of having smartcards but right now high schools atmospheres would most benefit from this smartcard technology. High school students are used to carrying around items on a day to day basis versus a younger child that could walk out the door with no shirt on and not even think twice about it. High school students could have on their card: fingerprints, a dot matrix of their face, their social security number, and their meal plan money for school lunches. Students that are roughly 14-18 years old should hold enough responsibility to carry with them a smartcard. If they are able to carry keys or a wallet around then they should be capable of remembering their smartcard. This item is essential for everyday use in schools.
Some people have a thought that younger children could use smart cards also in the future or possibly even today. A few places across the globe have already implemented smartcard use in younger ages. In the United Kingdom students at a younger age are already using smartcards to pay for lunches (Gordon, S., 2000)
How would visitors obtain a smartcard?
Visitors would have a specific route of getting a temporary smartcard issued to them. First thing the visitor would have to do is walk into the front entrance of the school then proceed to the main office. The visitor would then tell the secretary or student worker that they are a visitor. The secretary or student worker would then ask for picture identification and declare if the person is correctly identified. Following the person being identified would be the secretary loading the information about the person such as their name and address into the smartcard computer system. The system would load the visitor into the system and then a visitor smartcard that is reusable would be swiped through the system and the person’s information would be electronically stored on the computer’s database and the smartcard. This card would only be good for that particular day that the guest is their and they would have to return the card upon their departure from the school. These visitor smartcards have the ability to be cleared after being used and then re-using them again in the future. This provides the school with a re-usable card versus having to issue a new one to every visitor that enters the school. This policy and option of having a re-usable card will keep the costs down for visitor smartcards due to the fact that they should never lose any.
How do new students get a smartcard?
With students moving into the school district and transferring schools, this causes an issue for new students to get a smartcard. A new student in the school district would be given an information card on the first day they come to the school. They would get this information on the day that they receive their classes and other information. The student would then take home the information packet, fill it out, and bring it back when they are ready to start school. The office would take this information, put it in the database, and then make a card for the student that same day and give it to them by the end of that day. By taking this approach to getting a new student a smartcard, it leaves minimal time for the student to be without a card.
Do faculty members need smartcards?
Some people might think that faculty needs smartcards and some may not. In this case, people need to realize that faculty needs smartcards just as badly as students need them. Do you want people who are not faculty running around and trying to teach your students? Parents would never want this to happen. Faculty is just as important as students when identification is involved. Some high schools make faculty wear nametags but smartcards is just another improvement in making sure everybody that is in the learning environment actually needs to be there. Faculty is there for a reason and nobody else needs to be there without proper identification. Faculty needs to be properly identified at all times.
Does administration need smartcards?
Administration is not necessarily on a personal basis with the students but they definitely need to have proper identification. Administration is in charge of making major decisions in a school district and obviously people do not want imposters taking these rolls and making the wrong decisions. Administration is at the top of the totem poll that is public schooling. The people are at the top should be under the most observation. They definitely need to have smartcards with them at all times to ensure that they are where they need to be doing what they need to be doing. They need smartcards without a doubt to ensure that the people at the top are who should be there.
What are the smartcards exactly used for?
The smartcards that are issued to the students serve more than one purpose. The main purpose of the smartcards is to ensure the student is properly identifiable at all times. If at any time a person questions the student’s identity they have proof of whom they are at all times. Another purpose for the smartcards with students would be for them to be able to have their card swiped for lunch versus having to carry cash on them at all times. This is already in place in environments outside of schools and should be brought into school systems (Partner Data, n.d.). Another option for the school system and smartcards is having card swipes on the vending machines (Yexley, P., n.d.). They will just have a meal plan involved with their tuition for the school at the beginning of the year. Possibly another use for the smartcards would be for attendance in classes. Just inside the door of every classroom would be a card swipe for students to prove that they are in class. If the school has problems with students swiping in friends when they are not present then possibly a retinal scan should be implemented as well. Along with the other options, attendance of sporting events could be used with the smartcards also. If a school has possible sports passes to buy then they could automatically be updated onto the student’s smartcard so when entering events all they would have to do is swipe their smartcard to get in.
The faculty and administration smartcards would be mainly for attendance and for identification purposes only. If the faculty or administration wanted to get a meal plan they could also have it updated on there as well. They also would have their passes to authorized use only so that a person could not just go walk through other offices as they please. All offices would be card access and restrooms and conference rooms would be the same way. This situation is basically like a mini-government setting whereas you are only able to go where you need to. The government is already taking this approach (Reilly, M., n.d.).
What is the potential cost of a smartcard system?
Through many price searches most of the prices of systems and units are roughly the same. These prices are just an estimate of what the school system might possibly pay per unit. An estimated cost for a smartcard system which is a single unit is $900.00 (Amazon.com, n.d.). Obviously the schools system would need more than one reader and the exact number of systems would depend on the schools needs and/or wants. A similar system was used in UMBC that involved a $200K high-tech security smartcard system (Rivard, N., 2004).
*All comments and information on this page, presented by Don Wethington.
References
Gordon, S. (2000, May 2). Students Get
Smarter. Retrieved April
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Reilly, M. (n.d.).
A Vision for Smartcards. Retrieved April 25,
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Amazon.com (n.d.).
Virtuoso® LX Smart CPAP System with Encore
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Partner Data (n.d.).
Various uses for smartcards. Retrieved
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Rivard, N. (2004,
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Yexley, P. (n.d.).
Cashless Vending and Catering with
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