Later Thursday starts OK'd for Batavia High

[title1parent]

[http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/beaconnews/news/1529021,2_1_AU16_BATSKL_S1.article/url]

Later Thursday starts OK'd for Batavia High
Teachers to use time to track student progress

April 16, 2009

By DENISE LINKE For The Beacon News
BATAVIA -- Classes at Batavia High School will start 50 minutes later each Thursday, beginning next fall, to let teachers discuss how to improve instruction in "professional learning communities."

Batavia School Board members unanimously approved the proposal this week, three weeks after postponing the vote to give residents more time to voice concerns about the shortened school days. No parents spoke at Tuesday night's meeting, though board members said several parents e-mailed the district.

The plan, proposed by outgoing High School Principal Doug Drexler, will push the start of class from 7:35 a.m. to 8:25 a.m. every Thursday. Class periods those days will last 75 minutes instead of 90 minutes, and students will still get out of school at 2:30 p.m. Buses will still deliver students to school by 7:15 a.m. on Thursdays.

Teachers will use that weekly 50-minute time slot to hold professional learning communities sessions, meeting in groups of five to seven to study new ways to measure students' progress and intervene when they have trouble learning class material. All classroom teachers will participate in the program, Drexler said.

Non-certified staff will oversee study halls, counseling sessions, tutoring and other activities for students who arrive before 8:25 a.m. District staff will draw up a list of activities that will be available and present it to the board in June.

"We have 14 clubs and 18 sports," noted board member Kristin Behmer. "Maybe this will be a good stimulus to get students more involved in extracurricular activities (if some are moved to Thursday morning)."

In answer to parents' questions on why the school day would start late rather than end early, Drexler explained that early dismissal would disrupt the school day more, and that students would be more likely to attend tutoring and counseling sessions before class than after school.

Associate Superintendent Jan Wright also pointed out that early dismissal on Thursdays would force many student athletes to hang around the school for an hour, waiting for practices to start.

Though the 50 minutes per week taken from instructional time will add up to five school days of lost time, board members said the program will enhance the learning experience at the high school.

"I support this because industry studies show that every time you take time away from production to spend on improvement, you get good outcomes," said board member Jayne Resek.

Teachers also stand firmly behind the program, said Batavia Education Association President Tony Malay, an industrial arts teacher at the high school.

"The BEA is confident this is a move to be an even more exemplary high school," he said.

[WeNeed3]

Interesting that they only chose to do this at the HS level.

[sportsmom]

Batavia may be a high school district.

The parents didn't protest as it doesn't inconvenience them at all with the doors opening at the same time for the students. It actually sounds a lot like a weekly "connections" class. Total waste of time for the kids, but these teachers get all this "great training". I fail to see how taking instructional time away - 5 school days a year - leads to increased achievement.

[gatormom]

Apr 16, 2009 7:49:34 GMT -5 @sportsmom said:

Batavia may be a high school district.

The parents didn't protest as it doesn't inconvenience them at all with the doors opening at the same time for the students. It actually sounds a lot like a weekly "connections" class. Total waste of time for the kids, but these teachers get all this "great training". I fail to see how taking instructional time away - 5 school days a year - leads to increased achievement.

NCLB means no child will fail. In this case, it appears they are learning to use the tools to assess the individual student and provide the necessary intervention.

Teachers will use that weekly 50-minute time slot to hold professional learning communities sessions, meeting in groups of five to seven to study new ways to measure students' progress and intervene when they have trouble learning class material. All classroom teachers will participate in the program, Drexler said.

Every district will eventually fail NCLB and most districts are aggressively looking for ways to delay that failure.

[gatordog]

Apr 16, 2009 5:31:12 GMT -5 title1parent said:

.....

Non-certified staff will oversee study halls, counseling sessions, tutoring and other activities for students who arrive before 8:25 a.m. District staff will draw up a list of activities that will be available and present it to the board in June.

....

This one hour sure seems like it could be a waste of time for the students. Wake up..... to go to study hall? I dont buy the tutoring (except maybe for some remedial work). Wouldnt most students benefit from tutoring from their teacher?

I hope they come up with a worthwhile way for the students to spend this hour. It sure seems like they need staff and teachers for this hour to be worthwhile!

I like our district's plan better....less burden on students. Less instruction time cost.