As I shared in an earlier post, on March 30--following six months of study--the HSST will vote on whether or not to support the trimester schedule concept here at Homestead.
The March 30 vote is what I have often referred to as a "gatekeeper" vote. The vote does not result in action; it does not determine the schedule at Homestead in 2012-2013 and beyond. Instead, it opens or closes the door to future action. If the team rejects the schedule, the process stops. If the team largely supports the schedule, the concept moves forward for further consideration, feedback, and possible action. During the week of April 11, faculty members would cast feedback ballots, expressing their commitment or non-commitment to the trimester concept. Daytime and evening parent meetings would be held to provide information and seek input. Lunchtime student meetings would be held for the same purpose.
In short, the HSST vote is not a final decision about what the schedule will be; it is a decision about what the schedule should be based on the opinions of a group of parents, teachers, students and administrators who have committed to studying schedules since October of 2010.
If the HSST supports the trimester schedule, Eric Dimmitt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment, and I will make a final report to the School Board--which may include a recommendation to adopt the schedule--in May. If that recommendation is made, the School Board will make the final decision about what change, if any, should occur to the bell schedule here at Homestead.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Current Topics of Discussion for the HSST
The HSST continues to meet, anticipating a vote on the trimester schedule proposal on March 30. Over the past two weeks, the team identified three essential questions/topics that members want to continue researching and discussing prior to the vote. These issues were prioritized based on the fact that one or more members identified them as essential questions that needed additional explanation/study/discussion before a firm opinion on the trimester schedule could be developed.
The three questions/topics are:
1. Could the current MTSD graduation requirement of 22 credits be increased if the trimester schedule was implemented?
2. What courses would be offered for three trimesters if the schedule was implemented, what impact would three-trimester courses have on students' and teachers' schedules, and how would decisions about the length of courses be made?
3. What options for flexible time exist in the trimester schedule as it could be implemented at Homestead, and what are the pro's and con's of those options?
Topic #1: Graduation Requirements
At the most recent HSST meeting, team members learned that the School Board is willing to discuss and reconsider the current 22-credit graduation requirement if the trimester schedule is recommended and approved. Ultimately, graduation requirements are a policy matter that requires School Board action to be adjusted.
The HSST is no longer studying or discussing this issue.
Topic #2: Three-trimester Courses
HSST members continue to discuss this topic, a key point of consideration for the past several months. At the most recent HSST meeting, team members reviewed enrollment data for AP and music at Homestead, as music and select AP courses are some of the courses that might be allocated three trimesters if the schedule change was to occur. Currently, approximately one-fifth of all students is enrolled in one or more AP courses; approximately one-quarter of students is enrolled in a music course; approximately one-tenth of students is enrolled in both a music and AP course.
In examining the charge of the team and the elements of the trimester schedule, everyone understands and agrees that three-trimester courses need to be offered sparingly in that schedule. Two primary factors drive that decision: (1) for the schedule to remain cost-neutral, meaning that no additional teachers can be hired, most current year-long courses (two terms) need to remain two-term courses, keeping staffing needs even between the semester and trimester, (2) regardless of the number of teachers that a school employs, the more three-trimester courses that exist in the schedule, the more difficult it is for students to take their preferred courses.
The HSST will continue to discuss this topic at its next meeting.
Topic #3: Flexible Time
HSST members have become increasingly interested in the concept of flexible time embedded in the trimester schedule since seeing that model implemented at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan. When flexible time (otherwise known as resource or student assistance time) is embedded into a schedule, students have the ability to access teachers inside the school day but outside of an actual class period. Often, this time is placed on the schedule once or twice per week (as was the case at Seaholm). During that time, any student needing help or clarification can access a teacher; struggling students might be required to attend re-teaching or help sessions. During the six-week gap between the end of a two-trimester AP course (mid-March) and the AP exam window (early May), teachers can hold review/refresher sessions for their students. The list of options for how this time is structured and used is lengthy.
At the last meeting, HSST members were presented with a sample trimester schedule and some options for how time might be allocated to provide some amount of flexible/resource/student assistance time while still meeting the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's requirement of 1,137 hours of instruction per year at the high school level.
The HSST will continue to discuss this topic at its next meeting.
The three questions/topics are:
1. Could the current MTSD graduation requirement of 22 credits be increased if the trimester schedule was implemented?
2. What courses would be offered for three trimesters if the schedule was implemented, what impact would three-trimester courses have on students' and teachers' schedules, and how would decisions about the length of courses be made?
3. What options for flexible time exist in the trimester schedule as it could be implemented at Homestead, and what are the pro's and con's of those options?
Topic #1: Graduation Requirements
At the most recent HSST meeting, team members learned that the School Board is willing to discuss and reconsider the current 22-credit graduation requirement if the trimester schedule is recommended and approved. Ultimately, graduation requirements are a policy matter that requires School Board action to be adjusted.
The HSST is no longer studying or discussing this issue.
Topic #2: Three-trimester Courses
HSST members continue to discuss this topic, a key point of consideration for the past several months. At the most recent HSST meeting, team members reviewed enrollment data for AP and music at Homestead, as music and select AP courses are some of the courses that might be allocated three trimesters if the schedule change was to occur. Currently, approximately one-fifth of all students is enrolled in one or more AP courses; approximately one-quarter of students is enrolled in a music course; approximately one-tenth of students is enrolled in both a music and AP course.
In examining the charge of the team and the elements of the trimester schedule, everyone understands and agrees that three-trimester courses need to be offered sparingly in that schedule. Two primary factors drive that decision: (1) for the schedule to remain cost-neutral, meaning that no additional teachers can be hired, most current year-long courses (two terms) need to remain two-term courses, keeping staffing needs even between the semester and trimester, (2) regardless of the number of teachers that a school employs, the more three-trimester courses that exist in the schedule, the more difficult it is for students to take their preferred courses.
The HSST will continue to discuss this topic at its next meeting.
Topic #3: Flexible Time
HSST members have become increasingly interested in the concept of flexible time embedded in the trimester schedule since seeing that model implemented at Seaholm High School in Birmingham, Michigan. When flexible time (otherwise known as resource or student assistance time) is embedded into a schedule, students have the ability to access teachers inside the school day but outside of an actual class period. Often, this time is placed on the schedule once or twice per week (as was the case at Seaholm). During that time, any student needing help or clarification can access a teacher; struggling students might be required to attend re-teaching or help sessions. During the six-week gap between the end of a two-trimester AP course (mid-March) and the AP exam window (early May), teachers can hold review/refresher sessions for their students. The list of options for how this time is structured and used is lengthy.
At the last meeting, HSST members were presented with a sample trimester schedule and some options for how time might be allocated to provide some amount of flexible/resource/student assistance time while still meeting the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's requirement of 1,137 hours of instruction per year at the high school level.
The HSST will continue to discuss this topic at its next meeting.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Date of Schedule Study Team Vote Determined
The 21-member Homestead Schedule Study Team (HSST), which includes School Board members, parents, students, faculty members, building-level administrators and district-level administrators, recently agreed on a date for conducting its final vote on the schedule study.
On Wednesday, March 30 all members of the HSST will participate in a blind balloting process. At that time, each team member will vote for or against the proposal for Homestead to implement the five-period trimester schedule beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. As of Friday, March 4, the HSST unanimously agreed to remove any other schedule options from consideration; when voting, team members will choose between the trimester and the current seven-period semester schedule.
Between now and March 30, two additional HSST meetings will be held, one on March 16 and another on March 25. During those meetings, team members will discuss remaining questions involving the possible move to the trimester schedule. Those essential questions are as follows: Can the schedule be developed so as to create opportunities for teacher/student collaboration outside the normal class schedule but within the start and end time of the school day? How will music classes be offered in the trimester schedule? And, given the fact that students will be able to earn up to 30 credits in the trimester schedule as compared to 28 in the current semester schedule, can/should the school district consider increasing the minimum number of credits required for graduation from Homestead High School?
In addition to the HSST meetings scheduled between now and March 30, faculty members will engage in further study/learning about the trimester schedule. The early release day on Friday, March 11 is set aside exclusively for this work, as is an after-school faculty learning session slated for later this month.
The HSST vote on March 30 will determine whether or not the possible schedule change will move forward for further consideration. If the team rejects the trimester option, the study process is over; the school will remain committed to the current seven-period semester schedule for the foreseeable future. If the team supports the trimester, opportunities for student, parent, and faculty feedback on the possible schedule change will be offered, all occurring during the week of April 11-15. This feedback will be advisory to Eric Dimmitt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for MTSD and me, the co-chairs of the study team. If team members vote in favor of the trimester on March 30, Mr. Dimmitt and I will take all feedback gathered from then through mid-late April into consideration when drafting our recommendation to Dr. Means, the School Board, and the Negotiating Team from the Mequon-Thiensville Education Association, which must be submitted by May 4.
On Wednesday, March 30 all members of the HSST will participate in a blind balloting process. At that time, each team member will vote for or against the proposal for Homestead to implement the five-period trimester schedule beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. As of Friday, March 4, the HSST unanimously agreed to remove any other schedule options from consideration; when voting, team members will choose between the trimester and the current seven-period semester schedule.
Between now and March 30, two additional HSST meetings will be held, one on March 16 and another on March 25. During those meetings, team members will discuss remaining questions involving the possible move to the trimester schedule. Those essential questions are as follows: Can the schedule be developed so as to create opportunities for teacher/student collaboration outside the normal class schedule but within the start and end time of the school day? How will music classes be offered in the trimester schedule? And, given the fact that students will be able to earn up to 30 credits in the trimester schedule as compared to 28 in the current semester schedule, can/should the school district consider increasing the minimum number of credits required for graduation from Homestead High School?
In addition to the HSST meetings scheduled between now and March 30, faculty members will engage in further study/learning about the trimester schedule. The early release day on Friday, March 11 is set aside exclusively for this work, as is an after-school faculty learning session slated for later this month.
The HSST vote on March 30 will determine whether or not the possible schedule change will move forward for further consideration. If the team rejects the trimester option, the study process is over; the school will remain committed to the current seven-period semester schedule for the foreseeable future. If the team supports the trimester, opportunities for student, parent, and faculty feedback on the possible schedule change will be offered, all occurring during the week of April 11-15. This feedback will be advisory to Eric Dimmitt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for MTSD and me, the co-chairs of the study team. If team members vote in favor of the trimester on March 30, Mr. Dimmitt and I will take all feedback gathered from then through mid-late April into consideration when drafting our recommendation to Dr. Means, the School Board, and the Negotiating Team from the Mequon-Thiensville Education Association, which must be submitted by May 4.
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.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Site Visit to West DePere High School
Today, a group of faculty members, administrators, School Board members, and students traveled north to spend the day at West DePere High School outside of Green Bay. West DePere implemented the five-period trimester schedule seven years ago following a multi-year study process. Today's trip was the final campus visit to observe the trimester schedule and to interact with students, faculty and administrators teaching and learning in this arrangement.
The site visit team was comprised of the following individuals:
Joe Ordinans, Math Department Chair
Dan Benson, Physical Education and Health Department Chair
Jill McElroy, Guidance Department Chair *
Marianne Wallach, Latin Teacher *
John Emanuelson, Orchestra Teacher *
Scott Heibler, Science Teacher
Angie Cicero, English Teacher *
Joe Ciurlik, Social Studies Teacher
Molly Navarre, Special Education Teacher *
Matt Wolf, Business Education Teacher *
Kat Hustedde, Visual Arts Teacher
Michele Ziegler, Parent and School Board Member *
Eric Dimmitt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment *
Brett Bowers, Principal *
Two students, one freshman and one sophomore *
* HSST member
As occurred during the Michigan site visits two weeks ago, our team had the opportunity to hold extended conversations with job-alike peers, visit classrooms for extended and/or drop-in periods, hear a presentation from the principal and ask questions of him, talk with faculty members on a walk-up/informal basis, and interact with students.
The HSST is scheduled to meet this Friday afternoon, March 4. At that time, team members will process the information gathered from the West DePere site visit. Further, we will review and discuss the results from a phone interview conducted ealier this week; due to scheduling conflicts, representatives from Homestead and MTSD are not able to visit Neenah High School. Still, on Monday of this week Eric Dimmitt, Associate Principals Amy Monroe and Steve Sukawaty, and I conducted an extensive telephone interview with the Administrative Team and Counseling Department Chair from Neenah High School.
Following this Friday's meeting, I will post the major findings from the West DePere visit. Further, I will explain the timeline for concluding the schedule study process, making a decision about a preferred schedule at the committee level, and providing parent, student, and faculty information and input opportunities prior to a formal recommendation being made.
The site visit team was comprised of the following individuals:
Joe Ordinans, Math Department Chair
Dan Benson, Physical Education and Health Department Chair
Jill McElroy, Guidance Department Chair *
Marianne Wallach, Latin Teacher *
John Emanuelson, Orchestra Teacher *
Scott Heibler, Science Teacher
Angie Cicero, English Teacher *
Joe Ciurlik, Social Studies Teacher
Molly Navarre, Special Education Teacher *
Matt Wolf, Business Education Teacher *
Kat Hustedde, Visual Arts Teacher
Michele Ziegler, Parent and School Board Member *
Eric Dimmitt, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment *
Brett Bowers, Principal *
Two students, one freshman and one sophomore *
* HSST member
As occurred during the Michigan site visits two weeks ago, our team had the opportunity to hold extended conversations with job-alike peers, visit classrooms for extended and/or drop-in periods, hear a presentation from the principal and ask questions of him, talk with faculty members on a walk-up/informal basis, and interact with students.
The HSST is scheduled to meet this Friday afternoon, March 4. At that time, team members will process the information gathered from the West DePere site visit. Further, we will review and discuss the results from a phone interview conducted ealier this week; due to scheduling conflicts, representatives from Homestead and MTSD are not able to visit Neenah High School. Still, on Monday of this week Eric Dimmitt, Associate Principals Amy Monroe and Steve Sukawaty, and I conducted an extensive telephone interview with the Administrative Team and Counseling Department Chair from Neenah High School.
Following this Friday's meeting, I will post the major findings from the West DePere visit. Further, I will explain the timeline for concluding the schedule study process, making a decision about a preferred schedule at the committee level, and providing parent, student, and faculty information and input opportunities prior to a formal recommendation being made.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Major Findings from the Michigan Visits
Team members learned a great deal about the trimester during one-day visits to North Farmington and Seaholm High Schools, two public schools that could serve as regional benchmarks to Homestead. Major findings/take-aways include the following:
Curriculum Pacing and Preparation for Trimester:
· According to teachers and administrators, teachers need to have time to prepare for the transition to the trimester schedule. Instead of trying to simply shorten or cram the curriculum to accommodate the trimester, teachers need to reconsider and redesign their courses, outcomes, and pacing guides.
· Curriculum breadth was not as extensive when compared to the schools’ previous block-style schedules, in which classes met three times a day (once for 50 minutes and twice for 90 minutes); some teachers reported having to put aside specific elements of curricula that were now considered non-essential in the trimester arrangement. According to teachers, teaching in the trimester feels more quickly paced compared to the modified block.
· At both schools, the decision for fall implementation of the trimester schedule was made in December of the previous school year; teachers and administrators felt that Homestead’s 14-month timeline was sufficient to prepare for this change.
Seventy-minute Class Periods:
· Classes did not feel long to team members, teachers or students.
· Teachers reported having time for two or possibly three cognitive sets/distinct activities in a period.
· Regardless of content area, grade, or ability level of course, students were engaged for the full class period.
Student Reaction to the Trimester:
· Students of all grade levels were largely positive about the system.
· Students often discussed their appreciation for being able to take more core or non-core elective classes and explained that they usually had no problem getting what they wanted in terms of course selection. When conflicts in scheduling do arise, students make choices, just as they do now at Homestead.
· Students did not have concerns/worries about the strength or depth of their relationships with teachers. Often, they discussed that 70 minutes of everyday contact provides excellent opportunities for relationship-building.
· Students discussed their feeling that the length of class periods affords them the opportunity to ask questions and have them answered to their satisfaction.
· Students did not express concern or negative feelings about the common occurrence of having a different teacher for each trimester of a two-trimester course like Algebra or Biology. Many students explained that they like this variety.
Curriculum Alignment Between/Among Teachers:
· Per teachers and the principal, curriculum alignment was improved to implement the trimester; that alignment has gotten much tighter over time. Generally, teachers of common courses meet at least once a week to work on alignment.
· Students explained the importance of alignment between/among teachers and were aware of that alignment in the system.
Impact on Achievement:
· Regarding Advanced Placement
o AP enrollment, participation in exams, and passing rate were not significantly changed by the move to the trimester schedule. At Seaholm High School, AP participation is at its highest level in school history, as is the school-wide pass rate.
o AP teachers often hold before, during or after-school review sessions for AP courses that end following the second trimester (late March). Students explained that they need to be more self-disciplined when studying for these AP exams.
o Both high schools run two and three-trimester AP courses. In both schools, all calculus courses are three-trimester courses. The schools were inconsistent in which other AP courses were taught over three trimesters. At North Farmington, fewer than one-third of all AP courses meet for three trimesters; at Seaholm, half of all AP courses are three trimesters in length.
· Regarding ACT:
o Scores have remained consistent after implementation of the trimester schedule. Seaholm continues to rank number one in its county, a region filled with high-quality public schools, in average ACT composite score.
o Per Michigan law, all juniors are required to take the ACT in March.
Gaps in Teaching/Learning Between the First and Third Trimesters:
· According to students, teachers sometimes spend up to two weeks providing intermittent review to accommodate gaps between first and third trimesters. Some other students reported that such reviews occur for no more than a week.
· As anticipated, teachers and students reported some dip in student retention between first and third trimesters. Many teachers were not overly-expressive about this concern.
· At both schools, teachers and administrators explained that after two weeks in a course that meets during the third trimester, it is nearly impossible to determine which students just took the first half of the course and which students experienced the mid-year gap.
· At North Farmington, average student grades in the second half of a course were the lowest when students took the first half of a course in trimester #2 and the second half in trimester #3. Students’ second term grades were the highest when they took the first half of a course in trimester #1 and the second half in trimester #2. Students experiencing the gap (taking the first half of a course in trimester #1 and the second half in trimester #3) did not have the lowest average grades in the second half of the course.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Reactions from Michigan Site Visits
Late last week a team of Homestead faculty members, along with a district-level administrator, a School Board member and me, visited two high-performing high schools in Michigan. Both schools, Seaholm in the Birmingham School District and North Farmington in the Farmington Hills School District, are in their fourth year of implementing the five-period trimester schedule. Currently, over one-third of all public high schools in Michigan are organized on the trimester.
The visits went off as planned, with team members having open access to administrators, support staff, students, school board members, counselors and teachers in the host schools. On both one-day visits, team members conducted spontaneous and scheduled one-on-one and/or group interviews with students and job-alike peers, visited classrooms, heard from the schools' principals, and learned about student performance data. Team members asked page upon page of questions and took extensive notes; the visits were truly rich learning experiences, ones that exeeded all of our expectations.
As we knew before scheduling the school visits, many high schools in Michgan transitioned to the trimester schedule in response to one or both of two conditions: revised state-mandated graduation requirements and/or significant budget reductions. Faculty members and administrators at both Seaholm and North Farmington were open about the fact that had circumstances not changed, each school would still be on its previous schedule (a seven-period modified block schedule in which classes met three times weekly, once for 50 minutes and twice for 90 minutes). The transition to the trimester was driven by necessity, not pure preference. As such, we expected some if not many people--especially those people still struggling to adjust to this change--to express mixed feelings about the trimester. As anticipated, we learned, as the saying goes, the good, the bad, and the ugly about the schedule during our visits.
On Friday of this week, members of the site visit team will share their findings with the HSST in greater detail. Out of respect for that group and its work, I am not providing any of that information here until after Friday's meeting. Nonetheless, I do know that members of the site visit team have been sharing informaton with students and teachers regularly. Over the course of my day today, for example, a number of teachers and counselors asked me about what I learned last week and about my reactions to what I saw and heard. I am confident that these inquiries were made to all other team members and will continue to be made in the days ahead.
While I will refrain from sharing details from the visit for the time-being, I will say that at the end of the trip all members of the team were informally polled, being asked one question: "Given what you learned over the past two days, should the five-period trimester remain a schedule of interest for the HSST?" While some people's opinions were stronger than others, all team members agreed that the trimester should continue to be investigated closely. It remains a schedule of high interest.
On Friday, the HSST will formalize next steps in the study process. Those next steps are all but sure to include two additional site visits. Those separate one-day visits will be to Neenah High School and West DePere High School, two solid schools in Wisconsin that currently implement the trimester, Neenah for the past 15 years and West DePere for the past seven. Unlike many of the schools in Michigan, Neenah and West DePere moved to the trimester schedule purely based on research, study and preference. They were not driven to the schedule by outside forces; as such, the visits are likely to have somewhat of a different tone than those that occurred in Michigan last week. Still, I expect a balanced appraisal of the trimester schedule and its impact on teaching and learning.
In later posts, I will provide details about the major findings and take-aways from the Michigan visits.
The visits went off as planned, with team members having open access to administrators, support staff, students, school board members, counselors and teachers in the host schools. On both one-day visits, team members conducted spontaneous and scheduled one-on-one and/or group interviews with students and job-alike peers, visited classrooms, heard from the schools' principals, and learned about student performance data. Team members asked page upon page of questions and took extensive notes; the visits were truly rich learning experiences, ones that exeeded all of our expectations.
As we knew before scheduling the school visits, many high schools in Michgan transitioned to the trimester schedule in response to one or both of two conditions: revised state-mandated graduation requirements and/or significant budget reductions. Faculty members and administrators at both Seaholm and North Farmington were open about the fact that had circumstances not changed, each school would still be on its previous schedule (a seven-period modified block schedule in which classes met three times weekly, once for 50 minutes and twice for 90 minutes). The transition to the trimester was driven by necessity, not pure preference. As such, we expected some if not many people--especially those people still struggling to adjust to this change--to express mixed feelings about the trimester. As anticipated, we learned, as the saying goes, the good, the bad, and the ugly about the schedule during our visits.
On Friday of this week, members of the site visit team will share their findings with the HSST in greater detail. Out of respect for that group and its work, I am not providing any of that information here until after Friday's meeting. Nonetheless, I do know that members of the site visit team have been sharing informaton with students and teachers regularly. Over the course of my day today, for example, a number of teachers and counselors asked me about what I learned last week and about my reactions to what I saw and heard. I am confident that these inquiries were made to all other team members and will continue to be made in the days ahead.
While I will refrain from sharing details from the visit for the time-being, I will say that at the end of the trip all members of the team were informally polled, being asked one question: "Given what you learned over the past two days, should the five-period trimester remain a schedule of interest for the HSST?" While some people's opinions were stronger than others, all team members agreed that the trimester should continue to be investigated closely. It remains a schedule of high interest.
On Friday, the HSST will formalize next steps in the study process. Those next steps are all but sure to include two additional site visits. Those separate one-day visits will be to Neenah High School and West DePere High School, two solid schools in Wisconsin that currently implement the trimester, Neenah for the past 15 years and West DePere for the past seven. Unlike many of the schools in Michigan, Neenah and West DePere moved to the trimester schedule purely based on research, study and preference. They were not driven to the schedule by outside forces; as such, the visits are likely to have somewhat of a different tone than those that occurred in Michigan last week. Still, I expect a balanced appraisal of the trimester schedule and its impact on teaching and learning.
In later posts, I will provide details about the major findings and take-aways from the Michigan visits.
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