"4x4" block at Wilson HS next year?

[Anonymous]

Is it true that DCPS is insisting that Wilson adopt a 4x4 block schedule next year? Even if the other comprehensive high schools in DCPS use this model, Wilson has so many unique scheduling challenges (twice as many students, many different AP courses and electives to program), it seems like a potential disaster. Students currently take 8 classes over 2 days (alternating even/odd days), but with the new schedule they would take 8 classes a year, but only four classes per semester. These classes would meet every day for 90 minutes. Students could earn 1 credit in 1 semester. Imagine taking an AP class in the fall and not taking the exam until May -- not to mention what it will do to Art, Music, and World Languages sequence of study. Parents, please inform yourselves about this model as well as proposed changes to graduation requirements. Some of what we hear is alarming -- I would love to know what's being shared through SCAC or other groups that have heard what's happening.

[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

Wow, that’s crazy. How did you hear about this?

All of your points are valid. My child is taking two AP sciences with labs (2 credits each). Under this schedule, he could have only those two classes for an entire semester...and then have the AP test on those subjects 5 months after taking the classes. What a bizarre plan.

[Anonymous]

Students who fail a course 1st semester could take it again in 2nd semester. Is that what's driving the initiative?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Wow, that’s crazy. How did you hear about this?

All of your points are valid. My child is taking two AP sciences with labs (2 credits each). Under this schedule, he could have only those two classes for an entire semester...and then have the AP test on those subjects 5 months after taking the classes. What a bizarre plan.

I have no idea if that’s what they’ll do at Wilson but when my kid had a 2 credit AP with labs and a 4x4 block schedule, the class met every day both semesters as opposed to 2x day for each class.

[Anonymous]

Doesn't that leave very few slots for anything ther than "core" courses?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't that leave very few slots for anything ther than "core" courses?

Same number of classes in the end. Seems like it would encourage students to add more challenging courses, though, because they wouldn't have to deal with 6 APs at once, only 3 per semester.

[Anonymous]

Given the PARCC testing window in the spring and the fact that AP exams are in early/mid May, students taking a class in the first semester would have significantly more instructional time, right? Would there be a shift of semester dates to adjust for this?

[Anonymous]

I was at a mtg for junior parents a few weeks ago. None of this was mentioned except when a parent asked if there would be a 7-class or 8-class schedule. The answer was 8.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't that leave very few slots for anything ther than "core" courses?

Same number of classes in the end. Seems like it would encourage students to add more challenging courses, though, because they wouldn't have to deal with 6 APs at once, only 3 per semester.

Yes, but if you are really sick, ie you get hit with the flu for 5 days, that can have a significant impact on some core classes. I hate 4x4.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Given the PARCC testing window in the spring and the fact that AP exams are in early/mid May, students taking a class in the first semester would have significantly more instructional time, right? Would there be a shift of semester dates to adjust for this?

PARCC really only affects 10th graders.

They’d have to adjust the semester end dates to balance things.

[Anonymous]

My kid came home from Wilson upset about this potential change. I'm not sure where this information coming from. I think I'll just email someone directly to see what is the case with this policy.

[Anonymous]

It was announced at the faculty meeting last Monday. The teacher I talked to said it was presented as a "non-negotiable" from DCPS -- it doesn't seem that teachers (or administration?) are being asked what's best for their school and students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was announced at the faculty meeting last Monday. The teacher I talked to said it was presented as a "non-negotiable" from DCPS -- it doesn't seem that teachers (or administration?) are being asked what's best for their school and students.

Was a reason for the change given? Is it, as a PP suggested, to allow students who fail a course first term to repeat it second term, i.e., just one more experiment to fix the DCPS graduation problem? If so, it unfortunately may come at the expense of higher-achieving students taking multiple AP classes, for whom the schedule will likely be a disaster that further deflates AP scores and their chances of getting into a decent college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Doesn't that leave very few slots for anything ther than "core" courses?

Same number of classes in the end. Seems like it would encourage students to add more challenging courses, though, because they wouldn't have to deal with 6 APs at once, only 3 per semester.

Pretty sure that you can count on one hand the # of DCPS kids who take 6 AP classes in one year. Even the highest achievers struggle with 5. Put AP chem or physics in there and you have your hands completely full.

And no, this schedule would encourage my child to take fewer AP classes, because for any that occurred first semester, she would be at a huge disadvantage on a national test on which most kids were completing the class right before taking the test, whereas she would have had 5 months to forget the material.