New School Day Dawns
Scheduling changes prove positive for BCHS
By Anne Marie Kyzer Staff Writer

After spending nearly two years planning, administrators and teachers are seeing the fruits of their labor on a new scheduling mode at Burke County High School.

The school moved from a traditional six-period day, in which each class lasted about an hour, to an innovative composite scheduling model that combines a mixture of 45- minute and 90-minute class periods. The time each student spends in a class depends on the subject matter and the student's needs. The 90- minute classes are completed in one semester, and 45- minute classes are taken for an entire year.

So far, BCHS principal Wayne Hickman said the hard work is paying off.

"From my perspective, it's going really well," he said. "By and large, the feedback I'm getting is very positive."

Hickman granted that there were a few snags, such as complexity of class schedules, a need for more electives and not having enough social studies and physical education sections.

"There are just some things you cannot anticipate with a change this drastic," he said, but added that all of the hurdles could be planned for in the future. "We're taking notes on things we know we have to remember next year."

One of the main incentives for the scheduling change was to give students more opportunities to earn the credits they need to graduate. Students will be able to take more classes and earn more credits with composite scheduling.

Hickman said he hopes a higher number of students who were off track by one year will be able to graduate at the end of this year with their intended graduation class.

WHAT ARE STUDENTS SAYING?

Andrew Palmer, a junior, said he likes the new system because there are more elective classes he can take in addition to his core curriculum. While he was limited before, he's now able to take the forestry and landscaping classes he enjoys.

On the other hand, he finds it to be a challenge to complete his coursework for Trigonometry, a 90-minute class, in one semester.

Elizabeth Quick, a ninth-grader, said she likes taking more classes and earning more credits under the new system. She hopes to be a doctor one day and looks forward to taking the health care electives offered at the school.

She also said the 90-minute classes offer more time for students to understand difficult concepts. However, she said many special project deadlines come quickly when the class only lasts for one semester.

WHAT ARE TEACHERS SAYING?

Eric Luke, in his first year at BCHS, came from a school that underwent an overhaul of their scheduling system seven years ago. He said BCHS will likely face the types of growing pains he saw there but pointed out that "change is something that all teachers must be ready for." He teaches world history and sociology in 45-minute class periods and noted that the shorter teaching period takes away some discussion time. However, he added that a change in the state curriculum could also have taken away some of that flexibility. "My classes usually have more discussion, but now I'm presenting more concrete information," he explained.

Lynda Moore, chair of the math department, teaches two 45-minute classes and two 90-minute classes. She said her 90-minute classes give her time to make sure her students understand concepts. "I've really enjoyed that they leave here with a complete lesson everyday," she said. "Their grades are actually better than they were in the past."