It is one semester into Barrhead Composite High School’s (BCHS) redesign project and so far everything is going as well as could be expected.
That is what Steven Kaplan, principal, and Prakash Raju, associate principal, told the Barrhead Leader.
The Leader decided to check in with the administrators to see how the students were adjusting to life under the school’s new flex-time schedule which the school implemented earlier in the fall.
In May, school administration, announced they would be joining the now over 200 high schools, who have implemented in some form Alberta Education’s High School Enhancement Flexibility project.
Alberta Education started the initiative in 2009 as a pilot project with just 16 schools participating. In the 2013/14 school year Alberta Education opened up the initiative to any high school wanting to participate.
Initially BCHS administration had planned to include two different prongs in its high school redesign project.
The first one being a flex block, a period of time where students would get to choose what they will be doing. Students can either go to a remedial type of class where they can ask teachers for help in areas they may be struggling or choose to take part in an enrichment project. For example, if a student is really excited about a particular section of their biology course, and are caught up in their other studies, they could elect to spend some extra time working on a special project in that area.
The other being a Topic of Interest course, where teachers could create a short 10 to 12 week non-credit courses on topics that are of particular interest to them and students.
“I guess I was a little naive,” Kaplan said, adding when administration first came up with the plan they thought they were moving too slow. “It turns out we were actually possibly being too enthusiastic about how much we could implement at one time, especially when we started looking around at other schools who were taking much smaller steps in their high school redesign projects.”
By about mid October both Kaplan and Raju decided to put the Topic of Interest courses on hold and concentrate solely of flex blocks.
In order to create the 40 minute flex block, which is run three days a week, they had to find the time within the normal school day. The biggest problem is that they couldn’t lengthen the school day.
During flex block days, the school’s four 80 minute blocks are shortened by 10 minutes to create this additional flex block.
Most of the time this flex block, is used for just that, a flexible block of prescribed time where students, but sometimes it is used for Teacher Advisory Groups (TAG).
“It is patterned after the old homeroom concept,” Kaplan said, adding teachers can use this time to talk to students about anything of concern. “It could be about communication, perhaps it is a seasonal issue like Remembrance Day. Or maybe an issue like vandalism or bullying has come up where a teacher would really like to be able to talk to his or her students about.”
Raju said all the TAG groups consist of students from two grade levels.
“Our Grade seven and eight grades are combined together, so are the nine and 10s and 11 and 12s,” he said, adding the groups stay together for the entire school year regardless of semesters. “We wanted to have our students have some cross grade blending.”
Another reason for the TAG groups Kaplan said is prepare the younger grades for the flex block when they enter high school.
Both Kaplan and Raju said so far the flex blocks seem to have been well received by both the staff and students.
“The whole concept of the High School Redesign project and flex time is to get students more involved in their education so educators become more of a facilitator for learning instead of having to drive the learning,” Kaplan said, adding for students who are motivated and want to be involved in planning their own education it is really working.
Raju agreed, saying that is why within the flex-time model there are controls to ensure the students are using their time wisely.
In order to make sure the students are actually attending the flex block students must register for the flex block classes they would like to attend, usually at the beginning of the week, using a web based registration program, called Power School.
“Eighty to 90 per cent of the time it is the students who make the decision of where they get to go,” Raju said, adding on occasion teachers have to step in.
Kaplan added this is where having a teacher advisor is helpful.
One of the roles of a teacher advisor, he said is to monitor student progress and if they see there is gaps in assignments being completed or where a student may be having a particular problem, a student can be directed to a certain flex class.
So far the duo said there have been relatively few problems with flex time or need to intervene.
“Students have been really good for registering for flex,” Kaplan said, adding most students register early to ensure they are guaranteed a spot in the course they need particular help in or the teacher they would like. “That is another thing students like about flex. If a student likes how a teacher explains something and know their style fits they way they learn better, they can pick that class, even if they don’t have that teacher normally.”
In addition to the academic advantages, Raju believes the flex block and the TAG groups are also helping to improve students’ lives in other ways.
“Especially with the TAG groups,” he said. “Giving them a sense of comfort and helping this very large school feel a little bit smaller by giving them someone to turn to. Not just in their friend group, but an adult or even someone in another grade because they have a connection with them.”
Raju is quick to point out to a large part of the TAG and flex block’s success and its relatively smooth implementation is due largely due to the efforts of school staff.
“The commitment level and the amount of work our staff has put in to make this as successful as it has been and limit the amount of growing pains is truly remarkable and they should really be commended,” he said. “I think they see the advantages and benefits for the students and that is their top priority.”
