Parent Forum

March 4, 2014

BLENDED SCHEDULE

BEGINNING WITH THE 2014 – 15 SCHOOL YEAR, HAMILTON HIGH SCHOOL WILL BE RUNNING A BLENDED SCHEDULE WHERE CORE CLASSES WILL BE TAUGHT IN A SEMESTER MODEL AND NON-CORE CLASSES WILL BE TAUGHT IN A TRIMESTER MODEL.

WHY CHANGE

• *Budget problems – Deficit spending 5 years in a row

• *Projected 2014-15 Budget deficit of over $1 million

• *Admin was charged to reduce staff

• *Allows us to share staff

SO WHY THE BLENDED SCHEDULE?

• *Wanted to keep elective offerings for students

• *Wanted to keep our support program in place

• *Natural reduction of staff through attrition

OTHER SCHEDULES LOOKED AT

• *6 period semester

• *7 period semester

• *7 period alternating semester

• *6 period trimester

WHAT DO THE CHANGES LOOK LIKE?

BELL SCHEDULE • 60 minute classes

• 6 periods in a day rather than 5 in the trimester

• 7:35 am start – 2:35 pm departure

• 65 minute 2nd hour to accommodate announcements

• Tech Center students will eat lunch at HHS before traveling

• Tech Center will use 3 class periods (presently 2)

CREDIT STRUCTURE • Incoming freshmen will have 29 total credits with 26.5 required for

Graduation

• All present HS students will have 27.5 credits required for graduation, but can only have 5 failures.

• Credits by year:

• 9th 6.5 credits

• 10th 7.0 credits

• 11th 7.0 credits

• 12th 8.5 credits

CORE CLASSES • Taught all year long in two semesters

• Adding time to each of the following classes (33 more hours of instruction) per year

• English – 4 credits

• Math – 4 credits

• 4th math credit can be taught in 2 tri’s

• Science – 3 credits

• Social Studies – 3 credits (Current Events will no longer be required)

• World Languages – 2 credits

NON-CORE CLASSES • Taught in a trimester schedule

• Students will have either 3, 6, 9, or 12 electives per year.

• Less time for each of the following classes (11 less hours of instruction per trimester)

• Physical Education

• Health

• Art

• Music (can still have 3 trimesters)

• All electives

CREDIT RECOVERY

• We’ve lost the ability to put a student right back into a class that was failed.

• Structure will include immediate remediation of failed material.

WHAT WILL BE THE SAME?

• The need for a four year plan

• Support for struggling students

• Student choice for elective offerings

SAMPLE SCHEDULES

Example Student Schedule

9th

10th

11th

12th

9th

10th

11th no ACT Prep

11th with ACT Prep

12th

Sample Schedule w/ Tech Center

9th

10th

11th

12th

Sample Band or Choir Student

9th

10th

11th

12th

Sample Special Education Schedule

9th

10th

11th

12th

Sample Special Ed Schedule with 2 years of Tech Center

2 yr of tech – 4th year Math Credit at Tech Center andVPAA included in Junior Year of Tech Center