A certain high school is considering changing its policy concerning tardiness. Currently, any student who arrives after 8 a.m., when the first period begins, is marked late for the day. The proposed policy would allow students to arrive any time between 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., when first period ends, without being marked late.

The adoption of this policy would most likely prove problematic for the academic performance of students _________.

(A) who are late three times more often than the average student

(B) who rely on school buses to get to school because their parents, who work, cannot drive them

(C) who, because of their good grades, have a free period during the first period of the day

(D) who, as part of their curriculum, are required to work in collaborative groups during each period before lunch

(E) who frequently meet with teachers before first period for extra help with subjects in which they are having difficulty

OA: D