July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Educational tools aren't used correctly (01/24/06)
Letter to the Editor
To the editor:
This letter is in response to the recent articles about the academic performance of our high school students. That issue is one that we have pondered ourselves for several years. After reviewing scores and other data, we have concluded that a portion of the problem may lie within block scheduling.
With the current number of instructional minutes, the students of Jay County High School receive 6,750 minutes of instruction per class for a semester (75 minutes times 90 days).
Block scheduling allows for an entire year of a class to be taught in one semester.
If you compare that to one county over in Ohio, those students receive 8,460 instructional minutes for a year class (47 minutes times 180 days).
That is a difference of 1,710 minutes, or 22.8 class days (based upon a 75-minute block). Under the more stringent academic standards that have been set forth under the “No Child Left Behind” law, I find it hard to believe that all of the academic standards are being met effectively in the high school with almost four fewer weeks of instruction because of block scheduling.
It was noted in The Commercial Review that starting this fall, the block will be extended to 85 minutes. That change came about due to a ruling by the Indiana State Board of Education (Feb. 3, 2005) that states a class must be a minimum of 85 minutes in order for a student to obtain credit.
Do the math. Our students will still be short of Ohio students. I bring up the issue of the students in Ohio — Mercer County in particular — due to the interaction the schools have in sports.
There are also some very interesting academic statistics that one could compare. In a neighboring district across the state line, 96 percent of the students passed the math portion of the Ohio Graduation Test (10th grade students).
An average of 95 percent of the students passed the language arts (reading and writing combined) portion of the test. That is almost 30 percent better than our students — a number I find to be alarming.
Board member Bryan Alexander had expressed concern about the need to improve academic performance. Does block scheduling foster that concept?
No.
Under the current standards, a Jay County student needs 46 credits to graduate. They have the opportunity to enroll in 17-18 credits per year. Again, do the math.
A student can take 72-76 credits, but only needs 46 to graduate. That means a student can fail 26 credits, or about 13 classes (an average of 2 credits per) and still graduate.
Granted, that student’s grade point average will not be spectacular, but for the students who do not care about GPAs it is a moot point.
For example, during a student’s senior year, only four credits, or three classes, are required for graduation. This student can literally fail 14 credits worth of classes and still graduate.
And with block scheduling those classes can be taken during the first half of the school year, thus allowing the student to coast through the second half without passing anything.
Is this a waste of time on the student’s and teacher’s part? Not to mention the waste of money for the parents?
Yes.
But with the current system, there is nothing to deter this.
Also, under the current system, a student can repeat a class numerous times in order to pass.
Yes, we want our students to have opportunities to pass classes, but where is the motivation to succeed if a student is allowed to recycle him/herself? We are supposed to be preparing these young people for the real world. Where in the real world can a person get fired and re-hired two or three times at the same job? Where is the drive for excellence or the pride in a person’s education? We feel that many of our students are set up to fail by allowing them to repeat classes numerous times.
The other issue that concerns us is how the school district wants to become a mini-campus with a generous “smorgasbord’ of classes from which to choose. Yes, it is nice that our students are offered such a wide variety of classes, but then at least hold them accountable for taking those classes.
Are we truly meeting a student’s desire to learn or merely filling up their schedule? We feel that a step back is in order to pass the basics before moving on to a campus atmosphere. We need to hold students more accountable for their classes. We also find it unusual that parents do not see what classes their son/daughter signed up for before the schedules are printed.
In August, I asked why the schedules are not sent home for parental review (and a signature). I was told that it was more or less a “hassle” to get all of them back. Another opportunity for student accountability and parent involvement missed. And people wonder why our scores are low.
It is also ironic that at a parent-teacher conference I was told by a high school teacher that we could not be e-mailed about our son’s grades because the teachers did not have that capability. I was told that the students could too easily hack into the system. It was not secure. In this day and age, teachers communicating with parents is vital to the academic success of the student. Work schedules do not always allow for phone calls to be made. Technology allows parents and teachers to stay in contact conveniently. We find it difficult to comprehend that our school system wants to expand the facilities when the technology aspect seems so outdated.
In discussions with other parents in the community, we have been told that the reason Jay County keeps block scheduling is due to the funds the vocational department brings into the system. What is the lure for so many students to take these classes in school? It cannot be due to the growth of the farming industry in our area. It also cannot be due to a lot of students seeking post-secondary education in these fields.
Our school system could still have vocational classes with an eight-period day and reorganizing the credits needed for graduation. Lastly, the other question that looms over us is when new classes are added to the curriculum. Who initiates the addition? How many students are enrolled? Where do the content standards come from? What classes are dropped? Who is qualified to teach those classes?
In conclusion, we feel that the Jay School Corporation has the tools to become an outstanding school academically. It just seems that the tools are not being used efficiently or correctly to benefit the students in the way that is needed. There is a saying that goes “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
So we ask the parents of Jay County students: What do you want?
Dennis and Karen
Schwieterman
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
This letter is in response to the recent articles about the academic performance of our high school students. That issue is one that we have pondered ourselves for several years. After reviewing scores and other data, we have concluded that a portion of the problem may lie within block scheduling.
With the current number of instructional minutes, the students of Jay County High School receive 6,750 minutes of instruction per class for a semester (75 minutes times 90 days).
Block scheduling allows for an entire year of a class to be taught in one semester.
If you compare that to one county over in Ohio, those students receive 8,460 instructional minutes for a year class (47 minutes times 180 days).
That is a difference of 1,710 minutes, or 22.8 class days (based upon a 75-minute block). Under the more stringent academic standards that have been set forth under the “No Child Left Behind” law, I find it hard to believe that all of the academic standards are being met effectively in the high school with almost four fewer weeks of instruction because of block scheduling.
It was noted in The Commercial Review that starting this fall, the block will be extended to 85 minutes. That change came about due to a ruling by the Indiana State Board of Education (Feb. 3, 2005) that states a class must be a minimum of 85 minutes in order for a student to obtain credit.
Do the math. Our students will still be short of Ohio students. I bring up the issue of the students in Ohio — Mercer County in particular — due to the interaction the schools have in sports.
There are also some very interesting academic statistics that one could compare. In a neighboring district across the state line, 96 percent of the students passed the math portion of the Ohio Graduation Test (10th grade students).
An average of 95 percent of the students passed the language arts (reading and writing combined) portion of the test. That is almost 30 percent better than our students — a number I find to be alarming.
Board member Bryan Alexander had expressed concern about the need to improve academic performance. Does block scheduling foster that concept?
No.
Under the current standards, a Jay County student needs 46 credits to graduate. They have the opportunity to enroll in 17-18 credits per year. Again, do the math.
A student can take 72-76 credits, but only needs 46 to graduate. That means a student can fail 26 credits, or about 13 classes (an average of 2 credits per) and still graduate.
Granted, that student’s grade point average will not be spectacular, but for the students who do not care about GPAs it is a moot point.
For example, during a student’s senior year, only four credits, or three classes, are required for graduation. This student can literally fail 14 credits worth of classes and still graduate.
And with block scheduling those classes can be taken during the first half of the school year, thus allowing the student to coast through the second half without passing anything.
Is this a waste of time on the student’s and teacher’s part? Not to mention the waste of money for the parents?
Yes.
But with the current system, there is nothing to deter this.
Also, under the current system, a student can repeat a class numerous times in order to pass.
Yes, we want our students to have opportunities to pass classes, but where is the motivation to succeed if a student is allowed to recycle him/herself? We are supposed to be preparing these young people for the real world. Where in the real world can a person get fired and re-hired two or three times at the same job? Where is the drive for excellence or the pride in a person’s education? We feel that many of our students are set up to fail by allowing them to repeat classes numerous times.
The other issue that concerns us is how the school district wants to become a mini-campus with a generous “smorgasbord’ of classes from which to choose. Yes, it is nice that our students are offered such a wide variety of classes, but then at least hold them accountable for taking those classes.
Are we truly meeting a student’s desire to learn or merely filling up their schedule? We feel that a step back is in order to pass the basics before moving on to a campus atmosphere. We need to hold students more accountable for their classes. We also find it unusual that parents do not see what classes their son/daughter signed up for before the schedules are printed.
In August, I asked why the schedules are not sent home for parental review (and a signature). I was told that it was more or less a “hassle” to get all of them back. Another opportunity for student accountability and parent involvement missed. And people wonder why our scores are low.
It is also ironic that at a parent-teacher conference I was told by a high school teacher that we could not be e-mailed about our son’s grades because the teachers did not have that capability. I was told that the students could too easily hack into the system. It was not secure. In this day and age, teachers communicating with parents is vital to the academic success of the student. Work schedules do not always allow for phone calls to be made. Technology allows parents and teachers to stay in contact conveniently. We find it difficult to comprehend that our school system wants to expand the facilities when the technology aspect seems so outdated.
In discussions with other parents in the community, we have been told that the reason Jay County keeps block scheduling is due to the funds the vocational department brings into the system. What is the lure for so many students to take these classes in school? It cannot be due to the growth of the farming industry in our area. It also cannot be due to a lot of students seeking post-secondary education in these fields.
Our school system could still have vocational classes with an eight-period day and reorganizing the credits needed for graduation. Lastly, the other question that looms over us is when new classes are added to the curriculum. Who initiates the addition? How many students are enrolled? Where do the content standards come from? What classes are dropped? Who is qualified to teach those classes?
In conclusion, we feel that the Jay School Corporation has the tools to become an outstanding school academically. It just seems that the tools are not being used efficiently or correctly to benefit the students in the way that is needed. There is a saying that goes “if you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”
So we ask the parents of Jay County students: What do you want?
Dennis and Karen
Schwieterman
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
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