There has been a lot of discussion related to the future of the four-period day at OHS. At this time, there has been no decision related to its future beyond the coming school year. The four period day was first implemented at OHS in the early 1990's. It may come as a surprise to some, but at the time of its implementation, it was a fairly controversial topic and not particularly popular among faculty. The benefits are primarily found in programs that contain 'lab' experiences and by students who want to participate in more than one of our music programs or who seek additional courses. In order to accommodate multiple music opportunities, 'skinnies' had to be created in certain instructional areas. Skinnies are classes that meet for only half of the normal length of the period (84 minutes). But the four-period day schedule is also one of the most inefficient models for staffing teachers. When it was implemented here, more than four (4) additional instructors needed to be hired. That is the reason why more schools did not choose to implement this schedule (we're the only school in the Big Nine to have one) when so many schools made that change in the 90's.
Now, because of the inefficient nature of this scheduling model, many schools across the state have switched away from this schedule and are finding ways to accommodate the desire for students to participate in more than one music class as well as maintain a broad array of classroom opportunities. Looking beyond the coming year, OHS will continue to look at some of those scheduling alternatives to see what might work best for our high school. However, if the four-period day remains viable given future staffing levels at OHS, there will be no need to change.
OHS offered classes in the International Baccalaureate (IB) program under the 6 period day. According to those who participated in that program in the 1990’s the IB program contains higher level thinking and writing skills than the AP classes. It is my understanding that with the move to a four period day that program was no longer viable. Is that IB content and program being considered as part of the decision-making process related to the six period day?
ReplyDeleteNancy,
ReplyDeleteI've done some research on what happened to our IB program when the transition was made to the four period day. I can't comment on the comparison between the IB curricula and the AP (Advanced Placement) curricula. But I did find out that the reason the IB program was dropped was because the four period day made it impossible for students who were in the program to earn enough credits to recieve an IB diploma. There simply was not enough hours available. So a decision was made to drop the IB and expand the number of offerings in AP. Should a decision ultimately be made to move toward a 6 period day schedule, I would believe that a discussion would once again be started regarding the feasibility of igniting the IB program.
As a music faculty member who was active in developing the four-period day at OHS, I can report that access to multiple music opportunities was definitely not a reason for moving to a four period day. When the "straight block" schedule was first proposed, the music department was at the very least cautious - maybe resistant would be a more accurate description - about the change. The six period day, with the addition of an early bird IB class and summer PE, efficiently allowed students access to multiple music classes, and for more minutes per week than the current "skinnies" schedule. The "straight four" initially proposed by the administration would have greatly curtailed this access. Given the prominent place of music in the Owatonna schools, it became apparent that a "straight four" would not meet the expectations of the community. Members of the administration and staff from across disciplines worked together to identify the "skinnies" model as one that could satisfy the broader goals of the four period day while also creating access points for students wanting to maintain a broad-based music education.
ReplyDeleteThe district is fortunate to have one of the highest achieving music programs of its kind in the nation. This success can continue, regardless of schedule, as long as the school and community seek solutions that allow access to comprehensive and intensive instruction in music.