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Southern Wells Community Schools trustees gave a thumbs up to a change in class scheduling at the junior-senior high level at their monthly board meeting Tuesday.
After hearing a presentation from Principal Chad Yencer and science instructor Pete Oleson, the board agreed that a reorganization of the school’s block scheduling would be in order.
Block scheduling, which has been in effect at Southern Wells for several years on an alternate day basis, consists of a daily schedule which is organized into larger blocks of time, 90 minutes in length, to allow flexibility for a diversity of instruction.
At Southern Wells, the current alternating plan has students attending a particular class every other day for one semester, or the equivalent of 18 weeks.
Proposed by Yencer and Oleson, and backed by an overwhelming majority of the Southern Wells staff, was a change in which a particular class would be scheduled every day for a nine-week period.
Currently at Southern Wells, the schedule is defined as a “Block 8,” with students enrolled in as many as eight different classes but with four classes on an every other day basis over the course of a 18-week semester.
Under the proposed reorganization, students would focus on four subjects every day for a nine-week period. Classes would still be 90 minutes long.
Noted by Yencer and Oleson in their presentation was that the alternate day scheduling has had, in some cases, a negative effect on learning, especially in difficult topics and especially at the middle school level.
Under the current schedule, the student is provided with the “2 days to get homework done” mentality, which in some cases prompts discontinuity in learning.
Noted was that in some cases, students have reacted unfavorably to longer periods between tests.
Cited as an advantage to the change would be that the students would be able to better maintain their intensity by having a particular class without interruption.
Also, students would have fewer courses at a time and would be able to focus more on the subjects at hand.
Going to a what was described as “Modified Block 4” schedule would enable the students to work more intensely on fewer subjects and have more opportunity to get immediate feedback and would also allow the teachers to follow each student more closely for the time that he or she is in the class.
Also, under the reorganization, grades would be given more frequently, which would increase accountability not only for the students, but for teachers as well.
A survey was taken of staff and at this time, 85 percent favor moving away from the current schedule.
Board members Joe Hartley, Lynn Fiechter, Rick Mounsey and Chris Smith were favorable to Yencer’s request to move ahead with a revised schedule.
Yencer said he would do a series of presentations with students some time after spring break, which is next week.
The board also was receptive to a proposal to add a required class to the Southern Wells Program of Studies for 2007-2008.
Approved on first reading of a policy change Tuesday night was adding a “Career Planning and Success Skills” course as a requirement of the freshman curriculum starting with next year’s freshman class.
Career Planning and Success Skills is a course designed to address the knowledge, skills and behaviors all students need to live, plan and work successfully in today’s society. The course includes exploring career clusters, developing leadership/teamwork skills, researching/collecting labor market data, and developing career plans.
Presenting the proposed course to the board were Kathy Carfield and Mike Ripperger of the high school business department.
They noted that several schools in the area already have the careers course as a requirement to graduation.
Carfield and Ripperger saw the course as being vital for all students to have. They saw the class as a way to bring career education to all students and to enable students to take a look at many options before building their own career plans.
The class would be taught over one semester and addition of the class would not affect any other classes.
The employment process is explored in the class through completing applications, developing resumes, and conducting mock interviews, plus gaining job-survival skills and understanding employee evaluations.
Supt. Neil Potter reported to the board that the Raiderdome roof project is progressing ahead of schedule and will come in well under the projected cost of $550,000.
Potter and the board agreed that a next priority on capital project expenditures would be to remodel and improve the main entrance to the gymnasium lobby.
The steps leading up to the north entrance, officially known as the “C Lobby” entrance, are in need of repair, and it was noted by Potter that a new entrance to the building would also have to be built to be handicap-accessible.
Board members also discussed staffing projections for the 2007-2008 school year.
Potter noted that it does not appear at this time that a reduction in force will be necessary.
In other matters the board:
—Accepted the resignation of eighth grade boys basketball coach Rick King.
—Agreed to pay Vicki Andrews two stipends for her duties as prom sponsor for 2006-07. She is fulfilling the duties of two sponsor positions because no one could be found to serve as the second sponsor.
—Approved the driver education program for this summer. Total cost of the program is $18,636.25. A total of 66 students are currently signed up, with the cost per student set at $285. Potter noted that a year ago the cost was $275 per student.
—Approved a field trip by the sixth grade to McCormick’s Creek May 9, 10 and 11. Making the written request was teacher William Cline. Other adults who will make the trip are principal Brett Garrett, Mike Carter, Deb Coleman, Deb Reinhard, Julie Cassiday and a number of parent volunteers.
—Approved a request by corporation treasurer Vicki Andrews to attend the 61st annual Indiana Association of State Board of Accounts meeting at Fort Wayne May 9-11.
—Approved fund reports and claims.
—Approved plans for summer school classes to be offered during a 3-week period after graduation.
—Set the next board meeting for Tuesday, April 14.
joe@news-banner.com
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