Longer classes in store for high school students

Block scheduling at both Brick Township high schools will start in September, over the objections of some parents who oppose the move for a number of reasons.

Superintendent of Schools Walter J. Hrycenko made the announcement about the changes at the Jan. 22 Board of Education meeting.

"When I was hired as superintendent, I promised you that I would always strive to do the right thing," Hrycenko said. "I believe that this schedule change is the right thing for our students and staff, that it will improve instruction and better engage our students in learning."

Students at Brick Township High School and Brick Township Memorial High School will take classes in what the district is calling a "tailored 4x4 block," Hrycenko said.

"In order to do what is right for all students in our district, we have decided that it is best if we not move to a strict A/B or a strict 4x4," Hrycenko said. "A tailored schedule allows us to bring some of the benefits found in the A/B block to a version of the 4x4 block that is tailored to our students' needs. This schedule has the ability to be tweaked for the better as we go along."

But some parents who attended the meeting were not happy about the schedule change.

Karyn Cusanelli, Duchess Lane, said that block scheduling is a trend that continually lowers the academic bar and minimizes achievement.

"I'm not afraid of change. I'm afraid of change for change's sake," she said after Hrycenko's announcement. "I'm not afraid of the unknown. I'm afraid of the unsubstantiated.

Parents who opposed block scheduling are concerned over a lack of continuity in classes; retention rates; student attention spans over an 80-minute period; absenteeism; and the lack of concrete data that supports block scheduling's effectiveness.

"Block scheduling is not a benefit to all of our children," Oak Avenue resident Roseanna Weldon said. "If you want our support, convince us of its value."

District officials also held two informational sessions on the proposal before the Jan. 22 meeting.

"These meetings were nothing more than lip service," Alexander Avenue resident Lois Turner said. "They were low on facts and high on generalities. The decision has been made. We are parents without a voice but we are taxpayers with a vote."

Under the tailored 4x4, students will take four classes per day for one semester, each 80 minutes in length. Students take four different classes in the second semester. Lunch periods will be 30 minutes long, Hrycenko said.

The district will customize the 4x4 for students who take Advanced Placement classes, band, chorus or ROTC, he said.

"We are more than willing to work with all students, especially the current juniors who are most affected by this change, and tailor their schedules so they can make the most of their senior year," Hrycenko said.

Block scheduling will provide teachers more of an opportunity for maximum instruction time, leading to a greater depth of understanding and more engaged students, school officials have said. Eighty-minute periods also allow for greater use of technology on a daily basis and simulates real-life experiences for college and future employment, they have said.

The decision to move from a traditional schedule, where students take six or seven classes daily that are 45 minutes in length, has been an ongoing process that has been taking place over the last four years, Hrycenko said.

"We have made our decision based on third-party consultations, research we have conducted, input of parents and teachers and the many committees who have helped us see the importance of moving our school district to a different type of schedule," he said.

Hrycenko also said that the success of the pilot program at Brick Township High School, where that school's current freshman class has been taking classes in a modified A/B block schedule, also led the district to make the change.

He compared the grades of freshmen from 2007 to 2008. The number of students achieving a grade of C or better in math rose 13 percent, from 71.5 percent in 2007 to 82 percent in 2008. In English, students achieving a grade of C or better in English rose 8 percent, from 66.4 percent in 2007 to 72.5 percent in 2008, he said.

The grade-point averages (GPA) of the freshman class in the pilot program have also increased. In 2008, the average freshman GPA in math was 2.5, as compared to 2.1 in 2007. In 2008, the average freshman GPA in English was 2.53, as compared to 1.9 in 2007, Hrycenko said.

Freshman class attendance figures also improved, and fewer disciplinary actions were reported in 2008, compared to 2007, he said.

"In 2008, there were 362 more students in a seat in a block schedule than in 2007 when they were in a traditional schedule," Hrycenko said.

Several school board members said they supported Hrycenko's decision.

"I assure you that the first priority of this board is the education of our students," said board member Cynthia McCarthy.

Board President Daniel Woska said after the meeting he supported the scheduling change.

"As discussed last night, in addition to receiving information from the administration and the superintendent's recommendation, the Board of Education members have also researched this issue on our own," Woska said. "The comments made last night showed support for the superintendent's decision as we unanimously voted for him to become our educational leader in this district. We are confident that the direction he is leading this district in is for the good of our students."

Lake Shore Drive resident Gissela Malgeri asked Hrycenko and board members to work diligently to ensure the district's successful transition to block scheduling.

"Please! Don't let us down!" she said.

Hrycenko said that the next step in the district's move to block scheduling would be to work with the guidance department to gather student class requests and course offerings.