School district takes a close look at trimester schedule

The trimester schedule is just a vehicle for school improvement, a Michigan superintendent of schools told the School Board of Highlands County and Avon Park High School administrators.

Avon Park High Principal Stu Guthrie and most of the school's staff want to change to this schedule to improve academics at the school, which has had eight consecutive "D" accountability grades since the 2001-02 school year.

The school brought in Mark Westerburg, of Michigan's New Buffalo School District, to present an overview Wednesday of the trimester schedule at a school board workshop.

"Really what I'm here for - I'm here for school improvement because the trimester is just a vehicle we use for school improvement," Westerburg said. "And I'm talking real school improvement stuff - attendance, tardies, kids failing classes, that stuff."

High school administrators and teachers talk about what needs to be fixed, and the schedule is the way to do it because it is the one thing common to every student and teacher, he said.

When his district considered a schedule change, it looked at many options, including the alternating day/A-B schedule similar to what is in use at Lake Placid High and what Sebring High will be changing to next year, Westerburg said.

There were things about the A-B schedule his district didn't like such as students not being able to repeat a class in the current school year.

The trimester schedule features three 12-week terms and five class periods each term, ranging from 68-75 minutes each period.

Westerburg explained how the schedule allows students to immediately make up a class instead of falling behind and making up the class next school year.

Freshmen who were struggling in math in eighth grade would be scheduled for algebra 1 A in the first term and algebra 1 B in the second term.

If they failed algebra 1 A, they would repeat it in the second term and then take algebra 1 B in the third term.

Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum/Instruction Rebecca Fleck asked how a different schedule would alleviate the problems.

Westerburg responded the schedule isn't the problem or the fix. Avon Park High's seven-period schedule has limited opportunity to fix problems such as the algebra failures.

Extending the class period, for example, to offer 90 minutes of the same thing is going to "kill" some kids, he said. They can fix it now by adding another class of math to those who need it.

After reviewing the data, Westerburg said the top problems at the school are English and math in ninth and 10th grade.

"That's why I propose that you do an accelerated trimester schedule because I think that is your only way to fix that problem," he added.

Secondary programs resource teacher Kim Ervin asked why LaBelle High School's grade dropped after changing to the trimester schedule.

When he went to LaBelle, he talked to the principal, assistant principal and about seven teachers in late May, Westerburg explained. About three weeks later the principal moved.

The schedule was changed, but none of the other recommendations were followed, he added.

Westerburg said it's not going to work well unless he talks to all the teachers so they understand the big picture and know it's about school improvement.

Westerburg summarized the benefits of the trimester:

• Potential to have three blocks (A and B classes) of math and English. • Ability to repeat classes sooner.

• Solves the band, choir and advanced placement issue (a student can take band or choir in all three terms).

• Not paying for a study hall (the schedule does not include a study hall).

• With a block schedule, 90-minute classes are too long and if a student is absent on a Thursday or Friday they have a stretch of five days between classes.

After the workshop Highlands Today asked Guthrie about his efforts to make improvements and change to the trimester.

"We need to change and he's Westerburg very right in that our needs are much, much different than the needs of Sebring High School and the needs of Lake Placid High School and we've got farther to go to improve than they do," Guthrie said.

The school is in a win-win situation, he said. Everything I heard will benefit Avon Park High School and that's what I'm in favor of."

Many of the things Westerburg had talked about have already been implemented, including putting the best teachers with the lowest achieving students, Guthrie said.

"You will see tremendous academic achievement once we start doing the right things and that's not to say that we are not because we've got teachers who are doing some great things with our kids and I think we will see an improvement this year on our FCAT scores."

School Board Member J. Ned Hancock said about two weeks ago that even if the trimester schedule is the best thing, the time is too short to implement it next year.

Hancock commented Thursday about Westerburg's presentation.

"I thought he had an awful lot of good things to say, but I think it all depends on how ready you are to implement and how it meshes with the other programs," he said. "I think that a lot of it will be on our side of the equation now to determine whether or not that is a good fit and a good way for us to go."