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High-school-schedule committee plans site visits to 11 schools as part of schedule review
Summary
A district committee described plans to visit 11 area high schools to study schedule models (block, 8-period, lunch-and-learn, soft-start) and learn how those models address credit opportunities, intervention/enrichment and student stress.
Council Rock's high-school-schedule committee reported Thursday that it will visit 11 neighboring high schools to examine different scheduling models, including block scheduling, 8-period days, lunch-and-learn models and "soft start" options intended to create intervention and advisory time.
"We reviewed the schedules of Bucks County and some Montgomery County high schools and developed a menu of site-visit questions," said a committee representative. The committee highlighted three priorities: increasing student credit opportunities, embedding intervention/enrichment time within the academic day and reducing student stress.
Committee members said the district's current schedule is six 55-minute instructional periods, yielding 24 credits over four years; an eight-period day would offer more credit opportunities. The committee will meet school leaders, department chairs and students during visits to learn how schedules affect curriculum delivery, student choice, special-program populations and transportation.
Five visits were scheduled in October and November, including Abington High School, Central Bucks South and Penndale-area schools; the committee expects to complete visits by December. Subgroups may examine particular concerns (transportation, CTE programs, special-population impacts) and return recommendations to the Education Committee for community deliberation.
Committee members stressed openness: the district might ultimately recommend maintaining the status quo if the current schedule best serves students. The review is intended to gather empirical observations and stakeholder feedback before any recommendation to the Board.
