School district changes class schedule

By Stephanie Bertholdo bertholdo@theacorn.com

Agoura High School is adding an extra period to the daily classroom schedule next year and modifying its existing schedule.

The Las Virgenes Unified School District last week approved the scheduling change which allows students to take an early "zero-period" class followed by a support class.

The move was approved by the district after a presentation to board members by Larry Misel, Agoura High School principal, and Jason Busby and Kristen Marsilio, AHS teachers.

Marsilio said the support period would help students struggling with a specific class or subject matter, or students who could benefit from enrichment.

The optional zero-period class would start at 7 a.m. each day, and the support period, which is also optional, would run from 7:50 to 8:40 a.m.

Students who do not attend the zero-period or the support period would start school at 8:40 a.m. and finish around 2:55 p.m.

Students who enroll in zero-period, however, will attend school from 7 a.m. to 2:55 p.m. every other day, and on alternating days they would finish at 12:25 p.m

Misel said parents need to consider their child’s study habits and individual needs. "(Parents) can’t be passive about education," he said.

Added Marsilio, "The time could be spent on test review, writing strategies and writing labs." Counselors will be available during the support period to discuss scheduling or college plans.

To create time for the support period, 17 minutes from each class will be trimmed.

Busby said the current schedule doesn’t allow for teachers to efficiently meet the needs of all students. He added that he now meets with students before and after school and during nutrition and lunch.

"I still can’t meet with all of them," he said. Busby added that the longer classes in the block schedule were sometimes too long.

"If I stick with the lowest performing students, higher achievers are bored," he said. The shorter periods, he added, will be more productive under the new plan, since "housekeeping" items will be allocated to the support period.

Board member Judy Jordan expressed concern about the perception of "losing minutes." Board member Terilyn Finders said that she anticipates a "flood" of questions to counselors.

Board president Gordon Whitehead said he didn’t believe shorter classes would affect class quality.

Although the support period is optional, athletes who miss class due to their game schedule will be required to attend the support period.

For students who are on campus but choose not to attend the support period, the library will be open and the cafeteria will serve food.

The attendance office will open at 6:45 a.m., followed by the 7 a.m. opening of the main office. Campus supervision will begin at 7 a.m.

The team of presenters said periods one and two would not start until 8:40 a.m. If zero-period were moved back, school would end at a later time, creating other problems, they said.

"Although there is some research to indicate that a later start time is beneficial, the staff at AHS has observed that students tend to lose focus and become more distracted as the day wears on," according to a report compiled by the presenters.

No additional costs will be added if the bell schedule is changed. Buses will run at 7 a.m., 7:50 a.m. and 2:55 p.m.

Board members also answered a question about what criteria would be used to determine "insufficient participation" in zero-period and the support period. The district has decided, at least for the first year, that minimum enrollment numbers will not be required.

"The administration and faculty feels strongly that at no point during the first year of institution would we abandon the program," school officials said in a report.

"Because there is a learning curve with any major change, the faculty feels that is important to conduct the first evaluation of the support period at the end of the first year."