Schools
New Class Schedule at Brentwood Middle Allows for More Math, Less Language Arts
Brentwood Middle School officials updated parents on Monday about a modified schedule for the next school year.
Scheduling and curriculum changes at will require students to spend more time learning math and less time with English and literature starting next year.
The school teaches a connected math program, which values investigative math puzzles more than traditional problem-solving techniques. After transitioning into the new program three years ago, principal Dr. Julie Sperry said the math teachers found they needed daily interaction with students, something the current block schedule doesn't allow for. Sperry outlined the changes during a presentation to parents in the school's conference room on Monday morning.
"It's a different way of teaching and a different way of learning. It's hard," Sperry said of the connected math program. "It makes them think and figure it out."
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The school will shape its current block schedule to include parts of a traditional schedule.
In the current schedules, students attend four 86-minute classes each day, with alternating classes every other day. A student may take math and social studies on Monday but be in English and science on Tuesday.
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The new schedule will still include some alternating, 86-minute classes, but math, communications arts, physical education and some exploratory classes will meet every day.
While the students will have more exposure to math, they will spend less time learning English and literature. The new schedule will combine those classes into a single Communications Arts class. Instead of 430 minutes per week of total class time learning English and literature, the new schedule will allow for 320 minutes per week.
Some of the parents asked how the change will affect lesson plans and homework.
John McCabe, a communications arts teacher, said some lessons may be limited because teachers will have less time to teach, but other lessons won't be affected. English and literature classes often cover the same topics, so a combined class can more efficiently teach those lesson plans, McCabe said.
Students can expect to complete homework every night in the new schedule, but the teachers said it may be the same amount overall as the current schedule.
The scheduling changes will allow the school to offer more exploratory classes, Sperry said. These classes are required but teach topics not traditionally covered in a core class such as math, science or social studies. The curriculum will be developed in the spring and summer, but tentative class names and focus are:
- Academy (sixth-grade): This class is designed to help sixth graders transition into middle school and learn study skills.
- Public Relations (seventh-grade): Sperry said students may produce a newspaper that spotlights community news in this class.
- Industrial Technology (seventh-grade): The school will still offer an industrial tech class for eighth graders as well.
- Personal Finance (seventh-grade): Sperry said students learn personal finance in high school, but exposure in middle school is important.
The school will also offer elective classes, including Current Events and Computer Applications for both seventh and eighth-graders.
This is what a typical day may look like:
- 64 minutes of math every day
- 64 minutes of communications arts every day
- 45 minutes of physical education every day
- 86 minutes of social studies or science, alternating every other day
- Exploratory and elective classes will meet for 86 or 45 minutes either every day or every other day, depending on the class, grade level and teacher availability. Some teachers work in other Brentwood schools and have less flexible schedules.
Sperry said school officials looked at student achievement data—consisting mostly of Missouri Assessment Program test scores—before considering the scheduling changes. Brentwood's test scores are always in the top five, she said, but she hopes this will push them even higher.
Guidance Counselor Anne Bosche will meet with students during the next few weeks to discuss class offerings. Parents must approve a student's choices before the school registers the student in a class. Sperry said elective classes will be given to students on a first-come, first-served basis. Students will receive the final schedule in August before the 2011-12 school year begins.
The school will hold another presentation for parents at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 24 in the middle school library.
The high school's block schedule isn't affected by the middle school's change.
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