Scheduling for our Students

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Scheduling for our Students

• LOHS Scheduling Committee
• December 2008

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Why Change?

• Current Requirements (Class of 2009)-
• 22 for graduation
• 24 total classes a
• student can take in FOUR years at
• Lone Oak High School

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Why Change?

• 15 Required Credits
• 3 Math 3 Social Studies 4 English 3 Science
• 1 Health/PE 1 Arts and Humanities
• 7 Elective Credits (add 2 to account for 24 total
  in four years)
• Art Band Choir Foreign Language Technology
  Agriculture Consumer Sciences Vocational School
  AP Offerings

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Why Change?

• Students must now take FOUR years of math.
• Therefore reducing their elective choice at LOHS
  to
• EIGHT total choices in FOUR years.

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Why Change?

• Our elective programs are suffering due to
  students being forced to make a choice when they
  can only take 6 classes a year.
• Our Goal Find a schedule that is best for all
  students and offers them the most options.

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AB Block (Modified)
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AB Block Scheduling (Modified)

• Pros
• More course offerings for students
• This schedule allows some classes to be
  blocked, while keeping others everyday all
  year
• Core content AP classes could still be mostly
  covered in classes that meet every day all year
• Longer periods work well with some classes-not
  feeling rushed to cover material in 60 minutes
• Creates more flexibility of schedulingmore
  course offerings over 4 years
• Longer planning periods and common planning would
  be possible

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AB BLOCK MODIFIED

• CONS
• Staffing. (Often requires more staff and a staff
  with more flexible certification)
• Students taking more classes at once (during a
  semester)lower level students reportedly really
  struggle with this in some instances
• Could mean more preps per school year for
  teachers
• Time management more difficult for some teachers
  in some subjects.
• Determining what classes are blocked, which meet
  everyday, which should be periods.
• Schools with this schedule seem to often need to
  make minor changes/tweaks from year to year

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Sample AB Modified Schedule

• A Day                                             
  B Day                            
• 1st Block- 735-905                     3rd
  Block- 735-905
• 2nd Block- 910-1040                 4th Block-
  910-1040
• Periods
• 5th Period- 1045-1215             SAME AS A DAY
• 6th Period- 1220-120
• 7th Period- 120-225

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Sample7 period Schedule

• Regular School Day Schedule
• 805 855 1st Period
• 900 950 2nd Period
• 955 1045 3rd Period
• 1050 1140 4th Period
• 1145 1215 1st lunch 1145 1235
• 1220 110 5th Period 1240 110 Lunch
• 115 205 6th Period
• 210 300 7th Period

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7 Period Schedule

•  
• Pros
• 1. Students have opportunity to take one more
  class
• 2. Similar to the traditional schedule we have
  now
• 3. Contact with students everyday.
• 4. Teachers have the ability to teach different
  electives
• 5. Students have content classes all year

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7 Period Schedule

•  
• Cons
• 1. Too much transition.
• 2. Too many preps for teachers and students.
• 3. Not enough time for laboratory work
• 4. Not enough time to give individual help or
  practice
• 5. Difficult for AP classes.

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4x4 BLOCK SCHEDULE
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Pros for 4x4 Block Schedule

• Teacher planning time
• More time for students to work on projects and
  assignments
• Not feeling rushed to cover material 60 min
  period
• Not having 150 papers to grade at one time
• Getting rid of problem students after one
  semester
• More options for students
• More continuity in classes
• Fewer transitions during the school day
• More time for collaborative planning

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Cons for 4x4 Block Schedule

• Some teachers not knowing how to utilize the
  entire block and wasting time
• Some teachers not being able to control classes
• Students who fail badly the first nine weeks-
•     dont try the second nine weeks
• Having to retrain a new group each semester
• AP courses that are taken in the fall difficult
  to retain knowledge into the spring when test are
  given

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Sample Block Schedule
Sem 2
Sem 1
Period
Course 5
Course 1
1 735-905
Course 6
Course 2
2 910-1040
Course 7
Course 3
3 1045-1245 (Lunch)
Course 8
Course 4
4 1250-225
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AB Block Schedule
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AB Block Schedule Info

• 4 classes/day 8 total over altering days
• Potential Year credit totals 8 (32 max. in 4
  years)
• Possible Teacher work Load 90 students/day
• Class time 90 minutes/class every other day

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PROS of AB Block

• More course opportunities
• Longer class time (labs)
• Opportunity for double blocking for
  remediation, test prep, and/or AP
• Fewer class changes
• Classes meet all year long
• More time to practice and teach concepts.
• Prepared students for potential post secondary
  schedule

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CONS of AB Block

• Dont see kids daily
• Overall course load for both teachers and kids
  would be heavier.
• Course recovery may be a little easier than
  traditional
• Staffing allocation could present a challenge
• Lower level students have a difficult time
  staying organized.
• Less flexibility.
• Transfer students could be difficult to
  accommodate.

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Trimester Schedule
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Trimester Schedule

• 5 periods per day approximately 75 minutes each
• 1/2 credit courses meet for one 12-week trimester
  
• 1 credit courses meet for two 12-week trimesters
• Three 12-week trimester terms per year
• Teachers teach a maximum of 4 periods per day
• Students may earn 2.5 credits per term, 7.5
  credits per year, 30 credits per four years

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Trimester Pros

• More manageable class loads for students  More
  opportunities for students to get individual
  attention from teachers
• Students have more time for active engagement and
  participation, in the form of labs, small group
  discussions and other activities
• Research indicates that student grades increase
  and failure rates decrease
• Provides more course options and diversity of
  learning opportunities for students (music, AP
  courses, electives)
• Better use of school day as there are fewer class
  changes
• Research indicates that discipline referrals
  decrease and attendance rates increase
• Fewer textbooks needed, resulting in reduced costs

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Trimester Cons

• Harder to initially build schedule.
• Need for staff development - different teaching
  strategies are more conducive for longer class
  periods
• Need for transition to new graduation standards
  (increased credit requirements)
• Need to adapt credit requirements for transfer
  students
• Need to address potential impact on special
  education and at-risk programs
• Could possibly have a break in core classes of up
  to two trimesters (ex- a student might not have
  math for up to 24 weeks)

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Sample Schedule
Credit
Trimester 3
Credit
Trimester 2
Credit
Trimester 1
Time
Period
0.5
Band/choir
0.5
Band/choir
0.5
Band/Choir
740-855
1
0.5
Elective
0.5
Math
0.5
Math
900-1015
2
0.5
English
0.5
English
0.5
Spanish
1020-1135
3
0.5
Spanish II
0.5
Social Studies
0.5
Social Studies
1210-125
4
0.5
Science
0.5
Science
0.5
PE
130-245
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