Agoura High School may get support period next year

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Students at a local high school may have a support period starting next year.

Larry Misel, principal at Agoura High School in Agoura Hills, and teacher Jason Busby recently presented a proposal to the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD) Board of Education regarding the possibility of adding a new early support period to the school’s block schedule.

Misel said when AHS launched a block schedule 10 years ago, he considered it a first step in offering flexibility to students and teachers. "It was a small part of a greater design," he said. The one-size-fits-all philosophy of scheduling is inappropriate for most students, Misel said.

Busby said the support period would enable review of existing subjects, offer remediation for students needing extra help and allow enrichment for those ahead of their classmates.

The proposed support period would be from 7:50 to 8:40 a.m., following "0" period, which currently starts at 7 a.m. Students would continue to take six classroom periods with a rotating block schedule of three subjects per day.

According to the proposal, which is posted on the AHS website, students would have the option of taking a "0" period every day starting at 7 a.m., which would leave the fifth or sixth period unscheduled. As a result, schedules would rotate between 7 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. to 7 a.m. to 12:25 p.m. on alternate days.

Athletes who must practice in sixth-period physical education would be required to take the "0" period, according to the proposal.

Busby told board members that athletes would no longer miss a class due to games or competitions that are scheduled after lunch. A wide variety of courses would be offered, Busby said, during the 0-period for flexibility. While the new bell schedule would shorten class times slightly, housekeeping information that’s usually provided during longer classroom sessions will have been taken care of during the support period.

Student/athletes could practice every day after lunch because fifth period would be unscheduled. Additionally, athletes would no longer miss academic classes for games and meets since they wouldn’t have academic classes after lunch. Furthermore, students who learn more efficiently in classes with shorter durations could (but wouldn’t be required to) take the "0" period.

For students who didn’t attend a 0-period class, school would begin at 8:40 a.m. daily and finish at 2:55 p.m.

Zero period would be optional for students, but not for teachers. Busby added that more than 1,000 students were surveyed and all expressed an interest in attending a seventh-period class.

Board member Cindy Iser said she supported the concept, but questioned the validity of allowing the support time to be voluntary. Calabasas High School support time is mandatory, according to Iser.

Busby said that the 0-period would help students who are failing a course. "The focus is improving student learning," he said.

Board president Judy Jordan expressed concern that failing students might skip the support sessions if they were voluntary.

Trustee Terilyn Finders questioned whether study skills or college counseling might be offered during the support period. A teacher answered that the increased flexibility would allow teachers to schedule various workshops, including test-taking skills and seminars on writing essays.

While the trustees seemed intrigued by the support-period concept, many were concerned about the early start time.

Two parents voiced their concerns with the proposal.

Beth Fiance said studies show that youngsters need more sleep during adolescence. While 9½ hours of sleep is optimal for students, she said, most only averaged about 7½ hours. For students who drive, safety and adequate sleep should be primary concerns, Fiance said.

Linda Kaplan, a parent of a senior at AHS, called the idea commendable, but she voiced many concerns. "It’s a real problem for parents that work," she said. The new schedule might put too much responsibility on students who couldn’t handle it, Kaplan said.

Sandy Pope, president of the Las Virgenes Educators Association, said that the D and F lists are growing. "We need to get our bang for the buck and get to kids who need our help," she said.

The LVUSD Board of Education will review the proposal and make a decision later this year.