- School personnel explore a 5x5 AB Block High School schedule, public input is welcome
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By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
It is not likely that the proposed 5x5 school day will be ready for incorporation 2011-2012 school year.
Under consideration for Juab High School, in particular, and likely for Juab Junior High, since they share teachers, is a type of block schedule.
The Board of Education of the Juab School District recently met in a special work session to discuss information regarding a proposed 5x5 AB Block High School schedule.
Dale Whitlock, Juab School District board member, said that the recent trip to visit a high school in Wheatland, Wyoming, was a learning experience.
Representing educators, who will be the ones in the trenches making the schedule work, said Whitlock, the district sent 14 teachers to the Wyoming school along with the high school and junior high school principals.
"It was a worthwhile and very productive trip," said Whitlock.
At a recent work session, Rick Robins, Juab High School Principal, and others discussed the trip, their findings and pros and cons of adopting a 5X5 schedule as they discussed what they had seen at the school and what parents, teachers and students in that district thought about the program.
Only one community member attended the work meeting.
Work sessions are special public meetings called by a board or commission. The meeting is open to the public, but not for the public to speak. The focus of the work session is usually a presentation concerning a planning matter.
There will be other meetings where the proposal will be discussed, said Darin Clark, district business administrator. Those will include PTO meetings and public forums.
Juab High School administrators and staff are beginning a year-long study of alternate scheduling and, in fact, that study may take more than one year.
"Wheatland uses a 5x5 rotating block schedule," said Robins. "These schedules create long class periods."
The 5x5 is a schedule where all classes meet every other day for 70 minutes. Under this type of schedule, students take 10 courses with 350 minutes of instruction over a two-week period of time.
The primary benefit to this type of schedule is the increase in the number of courses that students can take resulting in 40 credits over a four-year period of time. It also gives time for electives.
"There are pros and cons," said Whitlock.
For one, the class load of ten courses is very demanding and the 5x5 reduces instructional time by 100 minutes every two weeks.
Each class, under the proposal, lasts for one semester, with the exception of maintaining the full-year schedule for Advanced Placement (AP) and music classes. Students enroll in four classes in the first semester and four new classes in the second semester. In this schedule, students take four instead of six classes each quarter. Each year-long class only meets for one semester. Each semester class only meets for a quarter.
It is important for educators to look at the pros and cons of any reform before it is applied in the schools, said Jim Shank, district superintendent.
"We will seek public input throughout the process," he said. "We will work toward that end. We were in discussion only with this meeting. No decisions or determinations were made at the work session."
Some of the comments made in the work session will be reviewed in future school board meetings so the public will have an opportunity to discover what thoughts lead to the ultimate decision.
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