Good News on HS Schedules

It looks like the Board of Education is going to enact the four-period day setup where a student takes four classes in each semester, as opposed to the current A/B day format.

I was fortunate enough to be part of the pilot project at Chesapeake back in the 1993-1994 School Year. My graduating class, the class of 1997, was the first graduating class in the county to attend high school exclusively on the four period day. It was a fantastic educational experience. The classes were long enough to get involved (for the most part) in interesting activities. Having the classes on consecutive days instead of the A/B day format allowed for more intensive instruction and greater retention between class period. It also allowed us to take Advanced Placement classes for an entire year, which was a tremendous boon when it came time to take the AP tests.

The most important aspect of the four period day, however, was in its similarity to life in college. I was amazed how many of my fellow freshman complained that their Tuesday/Thursday classes were ninety minutes long; by that time, I had been taking ninety minute classes for four years.

I look forward to the implementation of the schedule countywide, and to the corresponding boost in test scores and academic achievement.