Power Hour

**On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, the SUSD Governing Board approved the recommendation to adjust the bell schedule for Power Hour. Late start Wednesday was not approved at this time but may be considered in the future.**

 

 

 

Data Results from the OHI Survey (additional items for consideration):

Questions posed via the Parent Survey, Facebook, and the SUSD Website: 

1. Currently, there are zero hour classes as SMS that start 7:20. I am wondering what they will be doing with those classes if they don't start until 9 am on Wednesday.
Zero hour at SMS will stay the same if the Wednesday bell schedule changes. The zero hour is from 7:20-8:15 am. The students on a late-start Wednesday would be able to go to the supervised computer lab, library, or cafeteria prior to the start of the school day while the teachers are in PD. The buses will start to arrive around 8:45 am-9:00 am, and I imagine at that time the zero hour students will meet up with their friends and socialize as they do before school currently.
2. The extra $40,000 that would be required for bussing should the late start occur on Wednesdays...where would that money come from? Would it be taken from another program?
The additional funding need for busing would come from the general maintenance and operations budget.
3. if you are going to restructure the schedule why not also find a way to offer one more class a semester. An 8-period block schedule would be ideal, but at least get to 7 because 6 periods cuts short kids opportunities, classes may be offered but there are not enough periods to take much with only 6 periods a day.
*One of the main factors considered when creating the new bell schedule was to provide little to no shift with teacher contracts and fiscal impact. Shifting to a 7 or 8 period day while attaining the required amount of instructional hours per the state, would require a shift in teacher start and end time; thus, impacting teacher contracts. Once we impact teacher contracts, there is another fiscal decision and consideration needed to be addressed.

*One of the objectives of the proposal was to address the need to provide high school students with a “reteach” and “enrichment” period which would benefit students in a positive manner.

*An eight-period schedule would be a topic for future study and consideration. It likely has both positive elements and concerns. We are willing to look at in the future.

4. 1/4 of the high school students in SHS have at least one F, similar numbers for Walden. How does that compare to other districts, especially premier districts around the state?
It is important that our actions support success. Our goal is to graduate our students and make sure that they understand the academic concepts. By reaching out to our students when we already have them on campus, we are better able to meet their needs. This initiative will further support individualized success through personalized instruction and supports.
5. How will you ensure that students are participating in tutoring and club activities during Power Hour?
The only students that will be “required” to be in a particular location are ones who need some extra academic assistance. Students who are meeting the expected grade requirements will be able to choose from clubs, other identified student activities, or choice time.
6. How will students who are not participating in tutoring or clubs be supervised during Power Hour?
Supervision will be handled at both sites the way that it typically is at lunch.

7. Do students have to “sign-up” for Power Hour?
Students who are not meeting the grade expectations will be required to attend office hours/tutoring time for those classes. Other students will be able to meet with teachers they would like to meet with during the teacher’s office hours.

8. Do students who need tutoring get a shorter lunch than those who do not?
All students will be able to have a thirty-minute lunch. Students who are meeting the grade expectations will have extra time to use for academics, clubs, studying and an extended lunch period.

9. What options are available for students who do not participate in clubs or tutoring/reteach?
Options will be site specific and will be created with the assistance of teachers and staff who wish to help plan these choices.

10. What would a typical power hour schedule look like from the student perspective and the teacher perspective?
Teachers will be expected to have office hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. They will be available to students during their office hours regardless of whether or not they have students who are required to be in the room.

Students who are not meeting the grade expectations will be required to attend their classes for 30 minutes. Students will also be able to use that time to work with their teachers on catching up on assignments if they were absent, asking questions, etc. 

11. Will someone monitor the Power Hour to be sure that students are participating in clubs and independent/ structured learning time?

The only students that will be “required” to be in a particular location are ones who need some extra academic assistance.  Students who are meeting the expected grade requirements will be able to choose which activities or clubs they wish to participate in, or generally be able to utilize the choice time within reasonably identified parameters, such as study time, reading, or social time.

Students who are required to attend will be monitored by teachers and administration. The administration will be contacting students who are not meeting their obligations and will follow the process that will be determined by the staff at each site. 

12. How will students who need to go to multiple reteach sessions and club activities be scheduled? Could they potentially miss lunch?
Students will not miss lunch. If a student is failing multiple classes and is required to be at multiple tutoring sessions, the student will work with his/her teachers and administration to create a schedule for when each student will meet with each teacher.

13. Will accountability measures be put in place?
Yes, the specific details will be decided by the staff at each site.

14. How will this impact the classes in which teachers do not accept late work?
The ultimate goal is for students to learn the material. Teachers do not have to change their grading policies. Students will be attending office hours until the grade is raised. Teachers will be able to address the reason that students are failing the class and make sure that the student understands the concepts, and the corresponding action steps to promote academic success. 

15. How will reteach/tutoring be beneficial for students who are failing because they simply do not complete work?
Students will be motivated to get their work done so that they can have more time to spend with their friends and take advantage of an hour long lunch, with choices besides academic remediation. 

16. How will this impact Continental students? Are they being informed of the changes up for consideration?
Continental students have been informed of the changes the same way that other SUSD families were. The families received OHI surveys, forums and information have been published in the paper as well as put on various social media locations.

Continental students will also benefit from the power hour model because activity buses do not travel to the Continental district. This means that students who have come to our high schools from this district do not have access to activity buses so they cannot stay after school unless they have their own transportation.

17. Will teachers receive compensation for additional reteach/enrich time?
Teachers at both high schools are expected to have office hours for their students. With this schedule, we are just structuring the office hours to fall during lunch time rather than before or after school. Teachers will have as much flexibility as needed in order to be able to meet the needs of the students who require extra academic focus.

18. Will there be consequences for students who do not attend reteach?
Students who are expected to be in classes for extra academic assistance will be held accountable for attending the sessions until they have passing grades. Exactly what the accountability measures will look like will depend on what the sites determine.

19. What is the impact of a late start on Wednesday to SMS and the busing schedule?
Late start will impact SMS with a start time close to 9:10 am on Wednesdays. The busing provided will be done as currently practiced; however, the adjustment in start time will be the only change.

20. How will the late start impact early morning programs such as zero hour and LDS seminary?
A concise plan to address the zero hour impact will be developed after the plan is approved. In the event that the late start proposal is approved, we have explored two options. The first option is to offer zero hour classes on Wednesday with ending times at or around 8:00 am. This will allow zero hour teachers to attend professional development from 8-9am on Wednesday’s. A second option is to extend the time frame zero hour is offered Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and not have zero hour classes meet on Wednesday’s.
21. How many students are staying at school to participate in after school activities? Is this a majority?
Walden Grove averages 200 students after school for athletic purposes per season, fall, winter, and spring. There are additional extracurricular clubs and groups which meet regularly after school as well. A total of 785 students participated in extracurricular activities at Walden Grove high school this year.

Numbers at Sahuarita high school are extremely similar. In addition to the athletes who are waiting for their coaches, there are also students who stay for tutoring through 21st Century Grant. While the staff is in meetings and professional development, there are approximately 35-50 students waiting to meet with a teacher. This creates an average of approximately 150+ students each Wednesday who are on campus waiting for teachers.

22. How would late start impact district-wide collaboration?
Late start will allow for more content and grade level alignment and collaboration. With Late Start impacting the secondary levels, this will allow for district-wide collaboration to be more aligned with the secondary level.

23. Would the cost be less to pay for additional supervision after school versus the cost of busing?
The primary concern is not the cost of supervision but the fact that school is out. With the notion that students are dismissed from school opens up opportunity for them to engage in other extra activities. Both high schools have protocols in place to address the supervision for the students who stay on campus prior the end of professional development.

24. Would the changes occur together or could they be considered separately?
The proposals may be approved separately.

 

What is Power Hour?

Power Hour is a positive high school initiative to support student learning and achievement. During Power Hour, students are to eat lunch and participate in various programs: reteach and enrichment sessions, resource centers, tutoring, club meetings, study hall, and more. Teachers, students, and administrators can collaborate in order to create a system tailored to the specific school that benefits every student.  

Power Hour restructures the traditional school day to expand the lunch period increasing student opportunities for academic success. The format is simple – students and teachers have one hour in the middle of the school day to participate in various activities. Teachers would always have 30 minutes for their duty-free lunch, but also maintain 30 minutes for office hours. During this time they will offer academic support, tutoring, take care of make-up work, sponsor clubs and activities, create a time and space for extended learning activities and build relationships. For students who have D’s and/or F’s in classes, they will be required to check into a tutoring location for a minimum of thirty minutes. While the format is simple – developing and nurturing the culture that supports this initiative is a continuous process.

Sahuarita USD high school campuses will have designated locations for students to eat lunch and socialize, engage in club and activity meetings, and attend tutoring or extended learning. 

Power Hour is designed to:

  • Build community
  • Increase student involvement
  • Form stronger student-teacher relationships
  • Decrease the number of failing students
  • Increase motivation and responsibility