Warsaw Community High School will move to a seven-period day beginning with the 2008-09 school year.
The move was approved Monday by the Warsaw School Board. The board will decide in January whether that's a straight seven periods, or a modified seven periods. WCHS has had a block schedule since the late 1990s.
Regarding moving Warsaw Schools to a balanced schedule, several community meetings will be scheduled. The first two community meetings are at 7 p.m. Jan. 8 at Lakeview Middle School auditorium, and at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 at Harrison Elementary School gym. More dates will be forthcoming, according to Superintendent Dr. Robert Haworth.
Haworth also said the seven-period schedule at WCHS and the balanced schedule for the entire school corporation are two different issues. One does not depend on the other.
On the seven-period schedule for WCHS, Haworth said he's been working with the high school staff. Two proposals came about, one for a straight seven-period day and the other for an alternative schedule. In the alternative schedule, schedules on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays would be straight schedules with seven periods. On Wednesdays, even period classes would meet for longer periods, with odd periods meeting for longer periods on Thursdays.
"I think teachers are split on which way they would prefer," said Haworth.
School Board Vice President Dan Robinson said the concerns he's heard from people in the community is about classes having enough time for labs in seven periods. Haworth said his concern with block scheduling is that a student might have an English 9 course, and then not have another English course for more than 30 weeks. The same could apply to math. That could be detrimental to students' learning and ISTEP scores.
WCHS Principal Dr. Jennifer Lucht said that in a seven-period schedule, students will have the same teachers all year. That will give students the opportunity to develop relationships with significant adults in their lives.
Angela Fulton, Silver Lake, said the school corporation needs to speak with the students more on the schedule switch before a decision is made. Fulton said the students are old enough to help with the decision.
"I am all for the seven-period schedule," said parent Susan Armacost. She said the block scheduling has scheduling and sequencing problems.
Lucht said the seven-period schedule is "the best for students." She said she once taught biology, and labs can be taught in a seven-period day. "My science teachers will tell you the same thing," she said.
Later during Monday's school board meeting, Haworth gave another presentation on balanced schedule. He previously gave a presentation on balanced schedule during the November meeting.
Haworth indicated that moving to a balanced schedule could help Warsaw Schools with ISTEP testing, SAT composite scores, graduation rates and the number of graduates pursuing college education.
A balanced schedule reorganizes the school year to provide more continuous learning. Instead of having a summer break of more than 75 total days, including weekends, Haworth is advocating a summer break of about 60 days, with breaks divided more evenly throughout the school year. During the breaks, students and staff can participate in intersession activities.
An intersession is the period of time when school is not in session and tutoring and enrichment activities are scheduled. Intersessions occur during the vacations from school.
Referrals for intersessions are determined by test scores and referrals from teachers, principals and parents who think a student may need more help.
Haworth also presented the proposed Rochester Community Schools balanced schedule for 2008-09 school year. The calendar for Rochester, he said, is not Warsaw's.
In Rochester's schedule, the first student day is Aug. 8, 2008. Fall break is Oct. 13-17, with fall intersession Oct. 20-24. Winter break is Dec. 22-26, with winter intersession Dec. 29-Jan. 2, 2009. Spring break is March 23-27, with spring intersession March 30-April 3, 2009. The end of the fourth nine weeks ends June 5.
Haworth said families would still have vacation time. "If that wasn't the case," he said, "my wife would be boycotting up and down the streets now."
Haworth said he is proposing a three-year pilot of the balanced schedule. At the end of the third year, the board would determine as to whether or not to continue.
He said the balanced schedule will not be presented in January for a decision by the school board. He said he wants to make sure they do all the preparations necessary before Warsaw Schools moves on to a balanced schedule.
A committee will present the schedule to the board in April for a vote in May 2008. The schedule would not be implemented in 2008, but a year later.
