Schools

Calendar Change Means Extra Day Off for District Schools

March 9 will now be a vacation day for all elementary and middle school students in School District 196, while teachers participate in staff development sessions.

School District 196 elementary and middle school students will get an extra day off this year, thanks to a change in the school calendar approved on Monday night by the district's school board.

The district's high schools were originally scheduled to have the day off, while high school teachers participated in staff development sessions. But on Monday, the school board extended the staff development day to elementary and middle schools across the district.

The extra vacation day for students will give teachers an additional day to analyze student assessment data and collaborate on instruction as part of the district’s increased emphasis on personalized learning and targeted instruction, according to a press release issued by the district office.

District 196 Superintendent Jane K. Berenz said the board's action on Monday was an important first step in making changes to the structure of the school calendar that are necessary to support the work of the district’s strategic plan, which was developed last summer by a task force of citizens and staff.

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The teaching and learning strategy within the plan is to “deliver a high-quality instructional program that anticipates and meets the needs of all learners.” In order to achieve that level of personalized instruction, Berenz said teachers need time at regular intervals throughout the school year when they can analyze student data, collaborate with colleagues and adjust instruction to address the needs of individual students.

As a next step in the process, Berenz is considering additional structural changes for the 2012-13 school calendar which may be presented at the March 12 board meeting. The first of these would involve converting three days of school to instructional analysis days for teachers only, the same as March 9 this year. These days of no school for students would be placed in the middle of each trimester. Since this would not add duty days for teachers there would be no additional cost to make the change.

The calendar for 2012-13 currently has 174 instructional days for students. If three days of school were converted to instructional analysis days for teachers, the district would be left with 171 instructional days in the 2012-13 school year.

District officials are also considering approval of a two-day late start for elementary schools in the 2012-13 school year.

"These changes are about working smarter and using data to drive decisions about instruction,” Berenz said. “It’s supporting the work of our teachers in a way that will benefit students and student achievement.”

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