Teenage students in Puyallup could sleep later one school day a week next fall while their teachers spend extra time improving instruction, under a proposal before the School Board tonight..
On the down side, those students would lose 30 minutes of class time that they now have on Wednesdays.
Puyallup School District administrators recommend starting junior high and high school classes about 90 minutes later on Wednesdays in the 2009-10 school year to boost staff development efforts. School would end at the same time as other weekdays.
Elementary schools’ Wednesday schedule would remain the same: Start class at the same time as other weekdays but end two hours and 45 minutes early.
Superintendent Tony Apostle said the new secondary schedule would “utilize time as a greater resource” in allowing seventh- through 12th-grade teachers to get more training, even as state support for staff development plummets.
But elected school board members, in Puyallup and elsewhere, are sensitive to the declining amount of classroom interaction between students and teachers.
“I need to hear how we’re still providing contact time,” said Puyallup board member Kathy Afflerbaugh. “That’s what parents are going to say – 30 more minutes out of school.”
Apostle told board members at a study session last week that the district can’t allow severe budget cuts to slow student progress at the secondary level.
The Legislature slashed Initiative 728 funding, which Puyallup used to support its professional development efforts, by 70 percent in the upcoming school year.
The proposal is part of the district’s three-year strategic plan, which board members will consider at their meeting tonight.
Puyallup is among many South Sound school districts that start or end school early to provide time for staff development and planning. Eatonville, Peninsula and Sumner started classes late most Wednesdays this year to give teachers “collaboration” time.
Since the 2004-05 school year, classes at all Puyallup schools have ended early on Wednesdays.
Unlike elementary schools, however, Puyallup’s junior high and high school students are released just one hour early to meet different instructional time requirements governing secondary schools. Junior high and high school teachers also must fit in their staff development time before after-school activities start.
As a result, secondary teachers get 50 minutes of staff development time each Wednesday compared with elementary teachers who receive close to two hours. If the School Board approves the proposal, secondary teachers would have one hour and 50 minutes.
“This is an equalizer that is in the best interest of our goal to improve student achievement,” Apostle said.
Lengthening staff development time would also allow high school department staff – for instance, English instructors – to discuss best practices with English teachers at the junior high whose students will eventually attend that high school.
“This would happen throughout the district,” Apostle said in an interview. “There’d be professional development at the schools themselves and planning time within departments taking place.”
At Thursday’s study session, school board members peppered administrators with questions. They wanted to see the new school bell schedules and whatever other information was available; administrators said they’d give it to them.
Administrators said the district will still exceed the state minimum requirement to provide a districtwide average of 1,000 hours of instruction each year.
“I totally get that secondary teachers need more professional development,” newly appointed board member Pat Donovan said. But he worried about the perception that families didn’t have a chance to provide input on the change.
“I’m concerned we’re making decisions for our community without the full complete transparency we normally operate in,” he said.
Board President Greg Heath said what the district was considering was just a variation of the Wednesday schedule. He was most concerned about the short time frame to notify parents of the change, because the school year is almost finished.
Administrators said that if board members approve the change, the district will begin alerting parents before the year ends June 19.
Debby Abe: 253-597-8694
debby.abe@thenewstribune.com
blogs.thenewstribune.com/street
Puyallup school plan
What: Puyallup School Board vote on whether to approve a three-year strategic plan, including a proposal to start junior and high schools late on Wednesdays next school year
When: 6:30 p.m. today at Ballou Junior High School, 9916 136th St. E., Puyallup
More information: To see the agenda, go to www.puyallup.k12.wa.us.
Budget hearing: Before the meeting, the board will hold a public hearing on its 2009-10 budget at 5 p.m. To see an overview of the budget, go to www.thenewstribune.com.
OTHER DISTRICTS
Some school districts devote several full days instead of partial days for staff development. And many districts use a combination of partial days and full days for training.
In response to a News Tribune query, here are some of the districts that will have partial days in the 2009-10 year:
Clover Park: Lakewood schools will have 14 early-release days generally on Wednesdays.
Dieringer: Middle schools will start late on Wednesdays, and elementary schools will dismiss two hours early on Fridays.
Tacoma: The calendar is still being determined.
North Thurston: Schools will dismiss early on occasional Wednesdays.
Orting: Elementary schools will dismiss early every Friday. Secondary schools dismiss early on eight Fridays.
University Place: Schools will dismiss two hours and 10 to 15 minutes early on 10 Wednesdays.
Yelm: Schools will start one hour late on 28 Wednesdays.
Debby Abe, The News Tribune
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