During early release time on Friday, April 1 faculty members will continue to investigate the ramifications of a possible move to the trimester schedule. This investigation/discussion will center around implications for curriculum, instruction and assessment.
A document that faculty members will receive on Friday includes the following:
"Implementation of the five-period trimester schedule beginning in the 2012-2013 school year would impact curriculum, instruction and assessment across content areas. A move to the trimester represents a paradigm shift in teaching and learning practices as much as it represents a change in when the bells ring or when grades are assigned.
As a school, we will need to ensure a viable (course content and skills can be taught in the time frame provided—number of instructional days, length of periods) and guaranteed (students reach the same outcomes regardless of instructor) curriculum for students. Instructional practices need to maximize the opportunities that come with extended-period teaching and learning. Assessment practices, from the amount and type of out-of-class work assigned to the frequency and type of summative assessments given, need to be reconsidered."
On Friday, the entire faculty will gather to learn more about the trimester schedule and the philosophy that must drive its successful implementation. Then, they will spend the remainder of the afternoon identifying the opportunities, challenges, priorities and needs around curriculum, instruction, and assessment planning and redesign that could exist if the trimester proposal moves from concept to reality; these conversations will occur in discipline-specific breakout groups. This exercise does not represent the development of a formal plan of action; instead, it is a proactive measure aimed at equipping faculty members with the insight that they need to make an informed decision when voting in mid-April.
