There's always hope....
MDL reports tonight that the Madison Central School District is having a special meeting Thursday. Someone must have really screwed up -- they're having an executive session to discuss a student disciplinary case. (Trust me, kid, whoever you are -- when the school board calls a special meeting to talk about you, you're toast.)
But in happier news, the school board also plans to discuss HS-MS scheduling. The high school follows the legnedary trimester system, while the middle school follows a 6-week schedule. (You know those dwindling attention spans -- pretty soon we'll just break all the classes down into little half-day seminars... or YouTube videos.) MDL says school officials are looking at the "effectiveness" of the different scheduling schemes and "will also offer recommendations for adjustments to the systems" [Chuck Clement, "Madison School Board Schedules Special Meeting," Madison Daily Leader, 2007.12.04].
Adjustments? Actual change to the status quo? Be still my beating heart! Three years after the departure of the administration that pushed the trimester plan, might we finally be ready to try something different?
Naturally, we should only try something different if it will improve the performance of students and teachers. We were sold trimester scheduling under the thesis that it would improve student performance. However, one education expert says there is no clear body of evidence that alternative class schedules like the trimester or block produce any better academic achievement [Terry Spradlin, associate director of education policy, Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, Indiana University School of Education, cited in "New CEEP Policy Brief Examines Alternative School Time Structures," 2007.09.10]. One study finds higher GPAs in semester-schedule schools, but the researchers warn there are lots of other factors that might produce the differences.
That conclusion would suggest kids would learn just as well under a semester system as the current trimester system. To justify any change, the school would have to identify other possible advantages. Trimester advocates have their own website (I'm not kidding!). The trimester system offers some flexibility -- for example, a kid who flunks the first trimester of senior English still has a shot of making up that class second trimester and doing the second half before graduation. But kids in Madison have also experienced how the trimester system can hit the music program hard, as kids have less room to take band or chorus all year long as they try to fit all their classes in.
My readers and I have voiced opinions here (and here and here and here and probably elsewhere!) previously about the trimester system; maybe the board will take those comments into account as they consider the schedule Thursday night.
The Trimester System was adopted at MHS in the late 1990's.
ReplyDeleteThe current board wants to study whether the trimester is still meeting expectations, or whether students, staff and education opportunities could be improved by adopting a system that would mesh easier with the Middle School schedule, surrounding schools and Dakota State University.
The board also wants to study whether a schedule change would provide more opportunities for students involved in band, chorus and other programs.
The discussion/meeting is open to the public and anyone interested in encouraged to attend.
By the way, Cory, this is a kinder-gentler board, so "toast" might be a little strong. Fresh baked bread might be a better description. Softer, with a nice smell.
I'm amazed that it's taken so long for the board to address the issue of trimesters. My youngest child graduated in 1997, the last year before trimesters were implemented. Thank goodness!
ReplyDeleteI've heard many negative things about trimesters, and I hope the board really listens and considers all the problems with this scheduling system. If it is so good, why are so few school systems on it?
It has hurt participation in band and chorus etc. If a student takes geometry in the first trimester, then skips a semester, and takes geometry in the third trimester, he has forgotten a lot when the continuity of the class is broken. Here are two reasons to ditch trimesters.
Not toast, just warm bread -- funny, Rod. I'm still glad I'm not in the kid's shoes! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the details -- we look forward to hearing about tonight's conversation!
I find your comments about reviewing the trimester system very interezsting.
ReplyDeletewe have a small(310 students) private high school where we have just begun using the trimester system and are finding the effects on the music and band program daunting. I would love to hear about some places where it is actually working well and how they have managed it. In the past we have had a vital band and chori program with concert, symphonic, and jazz bands and concert, women's and chamber choirs. this year we can barely come up with the instrumentation we need and are trying to think creatively to keep from having to scale down.
Hi, Anon!
ReplyDeleteYour comments about trimesters causing problems for your music program are interesting. Feel free to contact folks here at Madison High School:
Choral director: Jenn Richards
Band director (new this year!): Luke Sursely (no website yet, but Jenn can connect you with him)