ALTERNATIVE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE

1. ALTERNATIVE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE Lincoln Consolidated High School

2. ALTERNATIVE SCHEDULING COMMITTEE CONSIDERATIONS USED IN EXAMINING CURRICULUM MODELS

3. District Concerns: Cost Curricular modifications Professional development Building issues: passing time lunches Student Achievement Curricular Concerns: Graduation requirements Electives AP offerings Career & Tech Ed (CTE) Grades/progress reports Credit Recovery Test Prep Class HIGH SCHOOL DAY STUDY FAQ Lincoln High School Considerations for evaluating schedules

4. HIGH SCHOOL DAY STUDY FAQ Lincoln High School Evaluation Considerations – cont’d. • Teacher Concerns: • # of students/day • # of preps • Impact on (work day) • class length • prep length • Courses/preps • # students/day • Student Concerns: • Test Prep opportunity • Credit recovery • Extracurricular activities • Course options • Support for struggling • students Examined sample schedules, plans & research from other districts

5. VARIOUS CURRICULUM MODELS • TRADITIONAL DAY • BLOCK: 6-WEEK, 4 X 4,etc. • 3. SEVEN PERIOD ROTATING DAY • ABC ROTATING DAY • TRIMESTERS: 5 - PERIOD • 6 - PERIOD

6. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL Lincoln High School • PROS: • Lots of instructional time for classes • Maximum days of instruction • Requires only a base amount of staff • Easy on administration and counseling to build and operate • CONS: • Lack of choices for students • Too many classes for students • More teacher preparations • No ability to repeat classes

7. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL Lincoln High School • PROS: • More choices for students • Daily schedule is easier on staff • Allows for fewer attendance problems • Creates seminar times for students • Classes run the full instructional year • CONS: • Least amount of instructional time for classes • Class periods are too long or too short on catch-up days • Limited ability to repeat classes • Requires more staff to operate • Seminar can be a waste of time

8. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL Lincoln High School • PROS: • More class choices for students • Students have an extra day to prepare for class • Appropriate amount of block time in class • Classes run the full instructional year • More instructional time for classes • CONS: • Inconsistent days of class meetings • Too many classes for students and staff • Limited ability to repeat classes • Requires more staff to operate • Seminar can be a waste of time • Staff members have days with no prep time

9. LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL Lincoln High School

10. TRIMESTERS DESCRIPTION OF TRIMESTERS ADVANTAGES & CONCERNS

11. WHAT IS A 5-PERIOD TRIMESTER SCHEDULE? Lincoln High School • Three 12-week trimester terms per year • 5 periods/day approximately 75 minutes each • ½ credit courses meet for one 12-week term • 1 credit courses meet for two 12-week terms • Teachers teach a maximum of 4 periods/day • Students may earn 2.5 credits/term, 7.5 credits/year, 30 credits in 4 years.

12. Advantages of a 5-period Schedule Lincoln High School • Research indicates: • increased grades • increased attendance • fewer discipline referrals • decrease in failure rates • Less stressful learning environment and school climate. • Fewer textbooks needed, resulting in reduced costs. • Better use of school day as there are fewer class changes. • Teacher are better able to implement instructional goals such as integrated curriculum and a variety of teaching methods.

13. Advantages of a 5-period Schedule Lincoln High School • Curriculum is re-evaluated and realigned. • More room for the creation of new courses. • Provides more course options and learning opportunities for students • (music, AP courses, electives). • Provides for a longer block of time for students to participate in School- to-Work and Youth Options programs. • AP courses run three terms providing for more seat time for students. • Lighter class loads for students. • More frequent and timely evaluation of student progress.

14. Advantages of 5-period Schedule Lincoln High School • Students see fewer teachers per day – opportunity to develop closer relationships and manage workload. • More opportunities for students to get individual attention from teachers. • Students have more time for active engagement and participation in labs, small group discussions and other activities. • Students can take more electives. • Students are more willing to take a challenging 12-week course than they are in a semester structure. • Opportunity to repeata class if a student fails.

15. Concerns of A 5-period Schedule Lincoln High School • Need for staff development – different teaching strategies are more conducive for longer class periods – teaching strategies must change from a straight lecture format • Need for transition to new graduation standards (increased credit requirements) • Adapt credit requirements for transfer students. • Address impact on special education and at-risk programs. • Three master schedules need to be developed each year.

16. Concerns of 5-period Schedule Lincoln High School • Teachers may initially have more preparations over the course of the year, especially if they are teaching newly developed curriculum. • Need to make sure AM and PM RCTC (Vo-Tech) remains an option for our students. • Transferring credit to or from schools not using the trimester schedule. • Determining # of terms for current classes.

17. TRIMESTERS An alternative scheduling solution to meet the needs of all students, while maintaining excellence and assisting those at-risk.

18. OUR GOALS: Lincoln High School • To meet graduationrequirements • To provide remediation and relearning opportunities for at-risk learners • To prepare students to meet the challenges of the new Michigan Merit Curriculum • To help students prepare for the ACT/MME and scholarship dollars attached

19. OUR GOALS: Lincoln High School • To assist staff in: • Managing curriculum content • Instructional delivery • Common class assessment • To provide students elective opportunities: • Within the core curriculum • Outside the core curriculum

20. TIME SCHEDULE

21. TRIMESTERS Lincoln High School

22. POSSIBLE SCHOOL CALENDAR Lincoln High School • First Trimester: 13 weeks - 61 student days • Second Trimester: 12 weeks - 56 student days • Third Trimester: 13 weeks - 61 student days During each trimester: • Progress reports using PowerSchool • Parent teacher conferences • during the 8th week • Final exams given the last week

23. MASTER SCHEDULE Lincoln High School Provides opportunities for: • Offer more classes of guided academics • Growth in core & non-core elective classes • Career exploratory opportunities • Core Review for Juniors • Looping

24. AFTER A SCHEDULE IS DEVISED Lincoln High School • Teachers would only be supportive of a schedule that has the following: • The schedule has to contain: • same amount or more for preparation period • same number or fewer classes requiring teacher preparation. • Class sizes need to stay close to the same in the core areas. • There has to be a clear benefit for the students.

25. AFTER A SCHEDULE IS DEVISED Lincoln High School • Parents & students would only be supportive of a schedule that has the following: • Contain more opportunities for AP classes. • Provide the same opportunities for all students - does not favor either high or low achieving students. • More elective choices for students. • Provide students with preparation time for fewer classes.

26. What Current Research Says About Trimester Scheduling Lincoln High School • Trimester scheduling is quickly becoming more and more common. • With more graduation requirements and budget restric- • tions, the trimester model is a favorable alternative to many • of the current schedules. • In Michigan, over 25% of the school districts will be • following a trimester schedule.

27. General Questions & Answers Lincoln High School • Can students survive a class that lasts 68 – 75 minutes or more? Won’t students become bored and tune out? • This would be true if teachers only lecture, but a longer period “kills the lecture method.” • Researchers say that a trimester schedule has forced the teachers to become more creative in the classroom. • The longer period facilitates more engaging teaching techniques, students and teachers find the day goes faster.

28. General Questions & Answers Lincoln High School • Will the parents and community support a trimester schedule? • Schools thinking of changing their curriculum structure should engage parent and community in discussion • from the beginning. There may be some detractors because this is not how school was when parents were in high school. When the advantages and disadvantages are explored openly, parents and community members can be strong allies.

29. General Questions & Answers Lincoln High School • Don’t students have more difficulty making up 70 plus minutes than the traditional 55 minutes when they are absent? • They may, but they only have 3 or 4 classes to make up. Students should come to feel that good attendance in each class is very important. For those students who are chronically absent, teachers and administrators will be able to intervene much sooner. When students attend class they are in effect attending two classes.

30. General Questions & Answers Lincoln High School • Does the schedule hurt departments with elective courses? • NO! Trimesters create more room in a student’s schedule, not less. This helps make electives more accessible. More courses are offered during the year in a 5-period day trimester.

31. PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT Lincoln High School Lincoln High School Set Program Objectives & Academic Work Groups This is where Classes are build off The Michigan Standards Reflect, Revise & Repeat Curriculum Mapping Overall Curriculum Structure based by grade Level or sequence. Draft Content Expectations based on Michigan Standards Program Development Cycle Release time for Teachers to work on Curriculum Mapping & Pacing Guides Set Timeframe for Common Assessment Model Standards to The HSCE’s & Benchmarks Pacing Guides Are created by what is being taught in a particular Class. Create Models based on the MME. (Percentage/Questions)