Wellesley High School Project
School Committee Position Paper

Academic Schedule

The schedule at Wellesley High School has evolved over time and will continue to evolve during the life span of a renovated high school facility.  While schedules change in response to the community’s needs at different times, the current high school schedule serves students in many different arenas. 

Schedule History and Rationale

In 1996, the high school day began at 7:25 am and ended at 2:00 pm. Students attended classes that were 47 or 49 minutes in length.  Students could take band, drama, and other electives during an elective period from 2:05 to 2:45 pm.  (The jazz band met at 2:00pm, hence the name that remains to this day, the 2 o’clock Jazz Band.)  Between 1997 and 1999, high schools across the country examined their schedules, focusing on “Time and Learning” mandates, longer periods of instruction to allow for more in-depth discussions, decreased passing time between classes, and longer school days.  Rather than rushing headlong into a decision, Wellesley faculty, students, and parents undertook an intensive study of schedules used nationally and visited several local high schools.

In 1999 WHS incorporated a schedule based on six 60-minute periods with one long block (100-minute period) in each period over a seven-day cycle.  The school day was lengthened, beginning at 7:30 am and ending at 2:30 pm.  In 2001, WHS implemented the current seven-day schedule: five 60-minute periods across the board and an Elective/Lab/Meeting (ELM) period, 7:30 to 8:30 am.

The ELM period provides flexibility for students to take a wider range of classes, both academic and non-academic.   Many electives and fitness and health courses are offered during the ELM period in addition to some academic classes.  Each science class is scheduled for a double period once per seven-day cycle (7:30 - 9:30 am) for in-depth experiential activities through labs.  Using the ELM period for science labs allows students to access other courses, which might not otherwise be possible.  The challenging BC Calculus class also makes use of the ELM period to provide students additional instructional time. (In 2006 all students enrolled in BC Calculus earned a 5 (top score) on the International AP Exam.)

The MCAS math class, which is required for students who did not pass MCAS in Grade 10, is offered during the ELM period because enrollment in this course is dependent on the release of MCAS results in October.  The ELM block is a ready solution for scheduling those students who are identified as needing this additional support after the school year has begun, without disturbing class schedules that are already in place.  (The MCAS math class has enabled many of our students to succeed upon retaking the test.)

The 7:30 am period offers most students a chance to explore elective offerings, classes that enrich their knowledge base or spark new interest in music, the arts, journalism, business, etc.  Scheduling our award-winning 2 o’clock Jazz Band at this early hour allows for increased participation by students in all grades with the additional benefit that there is no conflict for jazz musicians who wish to participate in athletics after school. The broader accessibility of elective courses allows our students to develop stronger profiles in the increasingly competitive college application process.

The ELM period is a built-in opportunity for students to meet with teachers for extra help or make-up tests, enrichment, and personal conversation. More than 60% of the extra help provided by teachers during the school week occurs during this period. During one ELM period in January 2007 an English teacher met with three students: one came to request help regarding a writing assignment; another wanted to discuss a reading assignment; and a third student wanted to talk with the teacher about her college concerns.  For many students, particularly athletes, the ELM period is the only available time to meet with teachers given team commitments after school.  These encounters allow students to develop the relationships with teachers that are a cornerstone of Wellesley High School.  As the student population at the school continues to increase, these opportunities will remain important in supporting our collaborative community of learners. 

The current schedule also ensures time for teachers to participate in student/parent meetings, including mandated IEP (Individual Education Plan) discussions. Assistance with the college admission process and significant departmental work is accomplished during the ELM period as well, resulting in improvements to the curriculum and more intensive direct focus on student work.

Student organizations also find this an opportune time to meet. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) student members from all four grades meet during this period to prepare for their work with the entire student body.  ADL has become an integral component of our school, supporting our core values of respecting human differences and developing cooperative and caring relationships. 

The final use of the ELM period is difficult to quantify but vital to students’ well being.  Students who are engaged in a rigorous academic program supplemented by extra-curricular activities often stay up late into the night and benefit from the opportunity for a more relaxed start to the day on mornings when they are not required to be in school until 8:30 am. Without the established ELM period, free periods for students would likely be spread throughout the day.

Utilization Impact

Classroom utilization today between 8:30 am and 2:30 pm is approximately 92%.  Utilization based on a 7:30 to 2:30 day is 79%.  Educational planners use a norm of 85% utilization when planning school facilities. The potential impact on classroom utilization or classroom count by fully scheduling classes starting at 7:30 includes these concerns:

1. Extending the day beyond 2:30 would seriously impair or prohibit after school activities, including clubs and organizations, athletics, and performing arts.  Opportunities to add schedules to the end of the day practically do not exist.
2. All two-hour labs (and some electives) are scheduled to start at 7:30, contributing to a higher utilization of classrooms between 8:30 and 2:30 because all other classes are scheduled in one-hour blocks.
3. The utilization improvement from fully scheduling the 7:30 time slot (adding a 6th period) would be reduced by the current utilization of classrooms between 7:30 and 8:30 and by a loss of scheduling efficiency during the rest of the day.  That translates to approximately 11%, or seven of the 65 classrooms.  The savings from building seven fewer classrooms as part of the major renovation and construction project would be approximately $2 million.

Conclusion

The current WHS schedule was carefully designed and refined after examining schedules used by other school systems and evaluating what works best for our community.  The ELM period is an important part of this schedule.  It provides the flexibility to offer a wide variety of courses, both academic and non-academic, as well as important meeting and lab time, which means that our students have a rich high school experience that is vital to their development into well-rounded young adults.  The estimated savings of $2 million would be offset by a lost opportunity to conduct a wide range of important planned and unplanned activities that require flexibility in the schedule. While interim scheduling changes may be required during unusual events like school renovation, the School Committee has voted in favor of the position that classroom requirements planning be based on the existing schedule.

Approved by School Committee
April 4, 2007