Transcript EVALUATION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE

EVALUATION OF THE
HIGH SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE
Considerations
• High Stakes Assessments Throughout the School Year: As a
state and district, beginning with the class of 2016, our new
Common Core aligned curriculum will be assessed using the
PARCC assessment system. This system will require students in
Grades 9, 10 & 11 to be assessed twice in mathematics & English
during the school year.
• Lack of Continuity Between Sequential Courses: There is a
potential with a 4 X 4 block schedule to have a three to seven month
gap between sequential courses.
• Average or Below Average Growth Indexes: Our MCAS Growth
Indexes for both English and Math indicate that most of our students
are achieving at high levels, but they are not growing at the same
pace as their demographic peers.
What do we value in a bell
schedule?
The 2012 Bell Scheduling Committee, using
North Middlesex’s newly adopted values and
beliefs about learning, identified the following
characteristics to be of the utmost importance
when making a decision about which bell
schedule model to adopt. Ultimately, the
decision should be based on what is best for the
students.
What characteristics of a bell
schedule will enable our students’
learning to GROW to their maximum
potential?
Grow
• Extended Class Time: All groups surveyed consistently
reported that their ideal length of classes was 61-70
minutes.
• Duration of Courses: Students ideally should be able to
receive instruction throughout the entire school year,
thus increasing retention of learning and reducing gaps
between sequential courses.
• Rotation: Students and teachers both agreed having
classes meet at different times of the day or the year
could improve student engagement.
What characteristics of a bell
schedule will enable students to
PURSUE as many opportunities
as possible?
Pursue
• Variety in Available Experiences: One of the benefits
of the 4x4 block schedule is that students could take 8 or
more different courses per year. This is something we’d
like to maintain in a new schedule model. Traditional bell
schedules can limit the number of courses students can
take annually to six or seven courses.
• Challenging Curriculum with Enough Time to Learn:
An ideal bell schedule should enable us to build
structures to responsively adjust a student’s schedule
based on their academic progress. An ideal bell
schedule should create windows where we can identify
students and provide them with either additional
challenges or remediate gaps in their learning.
What characteristics of a bell
schedule will enable students to
ACHIEVE future success?
Achieve
•
Adoption of the MassCore Requirements: Given that North Middlesex is
a Race to the Top district, we are required to use the MassCore Program of
Studies to inform our graduation requirements. A bell schedule must be able
to accommodate enough sections to enable students to fulfill these
requirements.
•
Maximum Time on Learning: It is our goal that graduates of North
Middlesex will be able to obtain success in college without taking remedial
courses. Therefore, a bell schedule must provide the maximum time on
learning to ensure that students master the necessary skills to be ready for
college.
•
College Readiness & Competitive High School Transcripts: Given that
the admissions requirements for Massachusetts state colleges and
universities have recently increased, a potential bell schedule should allow
for four years of all core subjects as well as 3 years of a second language
should they choose.
SAMPLE A:
3x5 TRIMESTER MODEL
As with our current 4x4 block, the 3x5 trimester schedule
would enable our students to take 8 or more classes
annually, each about 70-minutes in length. Full-credit
courses would run for 2 trimesters (120 class sessions)
and half-credit courses would run for 1 trimester (60
class sessions). Full-credit courses would be divided into
“Part A” and “Part B” (even a “Part C” if necessary). The
two halves of the course could run either sequentially or
be split between trimesters depending on the subject as
some classes teach discreet knowledge that does not
heavily rely on previously learned skills. There are five
instructional blocks per day with teachers teaching 4 out
of the 5 periods.
SAMPLE B:
8 PERIOD DROP SCHEDULE
The 8-Period Drop schedule is a variation of a
traditional bell schedule. In this model, students
would register for 8 classes per term. However,
only 5 of the 8 classes would meet a day on a
rotating basis. As with the trimester model, each
class will be about 70-minutes in length.
Teachers would teach 6 out of the 8 classes,
enabling common planning time 2 days per
cycle.
SAMPLE C:
6-PERIOD WITH ROTATING
LONG BLOCK
The 6-Period Bell Schedule with Rotating Long
Block (6-w/Long) is a variation of a traditional
bell schedule. In this model, students would
register for 7 classes per term. Depending on
the day of the cycle, students would have 4, 54minute classes, 1, 75-minute class, and 1, 48minute class. Teachers would teach 6 out of the
7 classes.
How do each of these models
compare?
Characteristic
Extended Class
Length
Current
4x4 Block
Sample A:
3x5 Trimester
90 Minutes
70 Minutes
Full Credit: 135
hours
Half Credit: 67
Total Hours of
Instructional Time hours
Specialty: 270
hours
Full Credit: 140
hours
Half Credit: 70
hours
Specialty: 210
hours
Potential Gap
Between
Sequential
Courses
Advisory Period
90-150 days
60-120 days
(Including summer (Including summer
vacation)
vacation)
Yes
Yes
Sample B:
8-Drop Model
70 Minutes
Full Credit: 117+
hours
Half Credit: 59+
hours
Sample C:
6-w/Long
4, 54 Minute Classes
1, 75 Minute Class
1, 48 Minute Class
Full Credit: 153 hours
Half Credit:77 hours
3 days between
each
5 day sequence
plus summer
vacation
1 day off from a class 1
day per cycle plus
summer vacation
Yes
Yes