Major Findings from the West DePere Site Visit

Team members learned a great deal about the trimester during last week's one-day visit to West DePere High School outside of Green Bay.  Major findings/take-aways include the following:
 

Student Reaction:

·      Students expressed positive feelings about the length of periods, course choices, and the number of courses in which they are enrolled at any one time.  They also expressed positive feelings about starting a new schedule every 12 weeks, as that change adds variety to their routine and exposes them to different courses and teachers more regularly.

·      Homestead student visitors felt that the 70-minute class periods felt quicker than anticipated.

·      Homestead student visitors noticed the incorporation of distinct activities/transitions within periods.

Study Halls:

·      Students appreciated being able to schedule a study hall seasonally (fall, winter, spring) to correspond with sports or other activities.

·      Likely because the school’s philosophy emphasizes school work over home work, many students opt not to take a study hall in their schedule.

Advanced Placement:

·      The gap between the end of the second trimester and AP exams is a concern for many teachers.  Currently, many teachers offer before-school/after-school/weekend review sessions that are optional for students; these sessions are offered without compensation.  Several students explained that they like the time between the end of an AP course and the exam; they use this time for independent studying for the test while not being expected to learn new course simultaneously.

·      The school does not provide any time within the school day for students to access teachers for AP review/refreshers.

·      With the exception of AP Physics, all AP courses run first and second trimester.

Relationships between Teachers and Students:

·      Some teachers spoke of not feeling as well-connected with students, especially if they only saw them only one trimester, when compared to the semester schedule.  Students did not express this concern; they explained that they felt well-connected with their teachers and had time to develop strong interpersonal relationships with them.

·      Students and teachers explained that the change of trimesters is refreshing and invigorating; the school year has more variety when compared to a semester schedule.

Twelve-week Terms

·      Teachers have fewer contacts with students when compared to a semester schedule.  In courses like Physical Education where students should be developing long-term habits and where they benefit from prolonged physical activity as mandated by the curriculum, teachers fear that this reduced time may result in significant drop-off after the course ends.

·      Curricula must be reviewed and reconsidered to ensure that outcomes can be met in this timeframe. 

·      Some teachers reported reconsidering the homework that they assign in the trimester; reinforcement activities often happen in the classroom, while homework is set aside for activities that extend and solidify essential knowledge and skills.

·      Student attendance improved following the transition to the trimester schedule.

·      Some teachers reported not seeing students all year as a downside of the trimester when compared to a traditional schedule; still, teachers stated that their time in class with students (70 minutes per day) is much richer compared to 50-minute periods on the semester schedule.  Students did not express concern over having a year-long course for 120 days in the trimester as compared to 180 days in a semester schedule.

70-minute Periods

·      Unless special circumstances exist (a lab, for example), teachers are expected to include three distinct activities/transitions in a single period. 

·      Teachers of production-based courses like visual arts appreciate longer periods; they provide more time for student work relative to set-up, take-down, and clean-up.

·      Students did not report feeling that class times were too lengthy; most teachers shared that sentiment.

Special Features of the Schedule as Implemented at West DePere:

·      Juniors and seniors who meet certain expectations have a late start/early release option in which they do not report to school for either first or fifth period.

·      All students are required to enroll in at least 6.5 credits per year; no student may take more than two study halls per year and no more than one per trimester.

·      Some teachers have common prep times to support peer collaboration.  (Note:  Regardless of administrative scheduling efforts, more teachers will share a common time slot when on prep in the trimster; a prep can be scheduled in only one of five slots in that schedule as compared to one of seven slots in the seven-period day schedule).

·      The school has no formal exam week; exams are administered during the regular school day/week schedule.

·      The school offers a first trimester readiness course for Algebra, Geometry and English 9.  After completing that course, students enroll in the regular course for the second and third trimesters.

·      The schedule includes 10-minute passing periods.  Extended passing periods allow teachers to reset and prepare for their next class, students to ask follow-up questions after the dismissal bell sounds, and students to pop in on another teacher to ask a question or conduct course-related business.