Oxford High School will switch from semesters to trimesters this fall following a 6-0 vote by the Board of Education Feb. 26.
The change means students will partake in three, 13-week semesters and will have five periods during the day that are 72 minutes long.
Currently, the school has two semesters that are 20 weeks long, and six hour periods that are 55 minutes long.
‘We look at it as a win-win for all of us,? said Jim Schwarz, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum for Oxford Schools. ‘We’re excited that it’s going to provide more opportunities to our kids.?
The idea to change to trimesters came about two years ago, according to Schwarz, when a committee was formed at the high school to look into such a format.
With the new mandated requirements handed down by the state for high school graduates, a six period day left students with a heavy load of general courses and little to no room for elective classes.
‘If you were a student interested in band, you have very limited elective opportunities,? Schwarz said.
Headed by OHS assistant principal, Dr. Glenda Williams, the committee researched and visited different schools, such as Walled Lake Central, Lake Orion and Adrian high schools, and how they’ve implemented the trimester.
They found that the longer classes helped students improve their knowledge of that course, allowed them to take more elective courses, and allowed them to take higher level classes, such as Advanced Placement English, much sooner than expected.
‘It’s exhilarating for a new start with new opportunities for students and staff,? said Kelly Bollman, team member and science instructor at OHS.
‘It’s also cost effective,? Schwarz pointed out. ‘We have to add maybe a teacher and a half to make this happen.?
Teachers at the high school have already been learning how to utilize their extended teaching time and will continue to have staff development days to prepare for the fall.
Although there are plenty of positive reasons to change to a trimester, Schwarz said there could be a problem of students retaining the knowledge from semester to semester.
For example, a student could take Algebra I in the fall and then take Algebra II in the spring, leaving a whole semester in between.
‘We’ve done retention analysis from schools that have done it and they’ve reported there’s relatively little loss,? he said.
Based on the committee’s research, Dr. Williams said another benefit will be the student-teacher bonding.
‘Teachers will have contact with fewer students during any one marking period (100 vs. 125),? she said. ‘Therefore, teachers have a better opportunity to foster meaningful relationships with their students.?
Teachers and staff members who dedicated their personal time to being a part of the committee were Kurt Nuss, Jim Gibbons, Maggie Keely, Kelly Bollman, Maria Wolbert and Kai-Lynn Perrin.