Report
of the Year Round Education
Steering
Committee
The Riverton Board of Education is considering the adoption of an alternative calendar for use in all three of the District's schools. Referred to as Year Round Education (YRE), this alternative calendar has the students in attendance the same number of days as the traditional calendar. The school year would be structured such that the school year would start in late July or early August followed by successions of 9 weeks in session followed by a 2 to 3 week break (intersession). The summer break could be 4 to 8 weeks depending on the length of the intersessions and the number of holidays taken. The calendar would be split such that the winter break represents the mid-point of the school year.
Numerous schools around the country have implemented YRE. Some have combined the YRE calendar with tracking to alleviate overcrowding. Some have implemented YRE in an attempt to increase student achievement and boost test scores. The theory is that given the shorter summer break, students will retain more from the previous school year and not suffer what is referred to as "summer learning loss". Some of the districts have had reported success with the YRE calendar while some districts have returned to a traditional calendar.
Earlier this year, the Board of Education formed a Steering Committee to evaluate the issues involved in YRE. The Committee was given 6 months to study the issues and report back to the Board. This report consists primarily of the concerns that have been expressed by our community of students, parents, teachers, organizations and businesses. This document addresses many of those issues and is the Committee's response to the Board. An identification of the Board members is attached as Appendix A.
History of YRE
Study in Riverton
The Riverton CUSD #14 first researched the idea of YRE in 1998. Three persons from the district attended the National Year Round Conference. Their trip report is attached as Appendix B. The concept was presented to the faculty members in the Elementary School. The negative response from elementary teachers was overwhelming and the Board of Education decided not to pursue YRE at that time.
In December 1999, the discussion of YRE was initiated between a teacher and the superintendent. At a December 1999 administrative meeting, the superintendent approached the building principals with the idea of implementing YRE for the 2000-2001 school year. With the support of the administration, YRE was a topic at the January 2000 board retreat. Building administrators met with their faculty to discuss implementation of YRE in the 2000-2001 school year and found that for the most part the teachers were opposed to this immediate implementation.
At the February Board meeting, without any community informational meetings, the board was presented with the YRE calendar. It was the intent to adopt the YRE calendar for the 2000-2001 school year. Many parents and staff were present and expressed both support and opposition for the calendar. At that time the board tabled action on a YRE calendar and adopted a traditional calendar. The board passed a motion for the superintendent to establish a steering committee to research YRE. The committee was requested to complete their research and submit a report to the superintendent for the September 2000 Board meeting.
In response to the Board's resolution, the superintendent appointed a ten-member steering committee comprised of 4 parents, 4 teachers, 1 board member and 1 administrator to research and evaluate YRE. The guidelines established by the committee identified the purpose as:
To provide a report and recommendations to the Board of Education on the possible implementation of year round education at each of the three district levels, including reviewing all programs, concerns, policies and procedures regarding year round and restructuring of the current district buildings to insure all students a rich, meaning-centered environment in preparation for life-long learning.
A copy of the Steering Committee Guidelines is attached as Appendix C. The members of the Committee are:
Lynn Herman Committee Chairperson/Parent
Debbie Moore Board Member
Bill Lamkey Administrator
Sara
Maggie Barton Parent
Susan Peterson Parent
The Committee immediately began their activities related to identifying the issues of YRE. The activities included:
Small group parent meetings were conducted;
Surveys were developed for parents, students and faculty;
10 informational meetings were held;
Community organizations were met with and local businesses were consulted;
Parents, students (middle and high schools) and faculty were surveyed;
2 community forums were held;
Administrators were consulted;
Site visits to other YRE schools were made; and,
Numerous Committee discussions to address the identified issues were held.
These activities are consolidated and briefly discussed below.
Parent Meetings - The Committee conducted 10 public meetings at the schools to solicit input from parents. Basic YRE informational materials identifying potential benefits and a proposed calendar were provided. A survey was developed that questioned the parents' views of YRE and its potential impacts as well as provided an opportunity for parents to pose questions that would ultimately be addressed. Parents of 206 students participated in the meetings. The results of the parents' survey are discussed later in this report.
The format for these meetings included a short verbal presentation from the
Committee followed by an opportunity for parents to ask questions. Questions
asked were not answered at the meetings, rather they
were noted for response in this report. The Committee's presentation described
the information contained in the informational handout as well as the
Committee's visit to the
A copy of the informational materials provided at the parent meetings and the parent survey are attached as Appendix D and E respectively.
Open Forums - Two open forums were conducted to solicit input from the community. Approximately 30 community members participated in the forums including a number of teachers. The format was different from the Parents meetings in that there was no presentation and the Committee responded to questions raised by those present.
Interaction with the Administrators - The Committee met with the building principals to develop answers to the questions raised during the parents' meetings, public forums, and the administrators' plans for implementing YRE in their respective buildings.
Meetings with other YRE schools - Representatives of the Committee
and school community visited the
Committee Meetings - The Committee met numerous times throughout the study period to evaluate their activities and the issues related to YRE. Members of the Committee met with the various local organizations (scouts, daycare providers, churches, local businesses, sports) to determine the impacts YRE may have on the community. These issues and impacts are discussed later in this report.
Public notice - The Committee made every effort possible to notify the public of the parent meetings and open forums. These efforts included notices in the Riverton Register, contacts with the State Journal Register and local television and radio stations. Notices went home in the brown envelopes at the elementary school and with the report cards at the middle and high schools. An information hotline was established with the number published. During the study period, no calls were placed to the hotline.
Parent Meeting
Summary and Survey Results
Ten informational meetings were conducted in April. Parents were invited into each building to better understand YRE and complete a survey. The format for the meetings included a presentation by the Committee followed by an opportunity to ask questions. These questions were not answered at the meeting. Rather, they were noted for later response. Parents were asked to complete a survey that evening to provide their initial impression of YRE. A survey could be completed for each student the parent has enrolled in the district. A copy of the informational material provided at the meetings and the survey questionnaire is attached as Appendix D and E respectively. No follow-up survey to query the parent's sentiment following an opportunity to study YRE has been made.
The Committee made a preliminary tabulation of the survey results. A statistical summary of the responses was on a school specific basis. In addition, a tabulation of the written comments and issues of concern raised by the parents was made by committee members at the building level. Unfortunately, the surveys were inadvertently lost or destroyed prior to making a detailed review of the parents' comments.
The Steering Committee's expectations on public participation were not met. The turnout at the 10 parent meetings and 2 open forums was very poor. The parents of 206 students completed the survey. This represents approximately 14% of the District's students. The responses and comments presented on the surveys should be considered to be an initial opinion of the parents since the surveys were completed at the public meetings following the brief informational presentation. No follow-up survey of the parents was taken.
The statistical summary of the parents' responses to the survey questions is presented in Appendix E. The responses and comments expressed on the surveys helped the Committee formulate a general feel of the parents' sentiment and gain an understanding of their concerns. There was no overwhelming indication that YRE should or should not be implemented. Clearly, based on the responses and comments, the parents need additional information in order to formulate an opinion. Hopefully, this report will assist the parents in better understanding YRE.
While not documented in a formal report, the parents, teachers, students and community members speaking at the open forums and on the surveys raised a number of issues, including:
What is the format and content of the intersessions?
Will participation in remedial education during the intersession be mandatory?
Will this benefit our students?
What does the research show regarding the effectiveness of YRE?
Will daycare be provided?
How will sports be affected?
What will be the impact on vocational education?
Will there be a parent vote?
Are the buildings capable of hosting YRE?
Have other educational programs focusing on the at-risk students been considered?
Why aren't summer school and all-day kindergarten allowed to run for a few years first?
What do the teachers think?
How will special education be affected?
The discussion of these issues is presented in this report. While the specific parent questions were not documented, the general subject matter was and is addressed in this report as well. In addition, some parents submitted a written letter to the Committee. These letters have been attached in Appendix G.
A survey questionnaire was developed by the Committee to query the teachers on their opinion of YRE. Questions with multiple choice answers were asked. A statistical summary of the teachers' responses is attached in Appendix H. In addition to the multiple-choice responses the faculty was asked for written input on concerns and suggestions for implementation. Those concerns and comments are addressed in the discussion of the issues. A complete listing of the teacher's comments is attached in Appendix H.
The survey results indicate a difference of opinion based on the specific school. This may be due to the different teacher demographics or a fundamental difference in the manner the students are taught (based on age and grade). Though not documented on the surveys, based on the observations of the teacher members of the Committee, the elementary school teachers have a higher percentage of school age children than does the other buildings. In addition, these Committee members indicated there is a difference in learning ability and method of teaching children of different ages.
The teacher surveys were completed during the last week of school. The wording of some of the questions may be misleading in the interpretation of the results. The question of whether the teacher would support YRE if implemented is not the same as whether the teacher is in favor of YRE. The responses should not be interpreted as the same.
Several teachers spoke at the open forums held in June. The input raised ranged from opposition to support. Those that spoke were clearly concerned about the education of the students and raised very important issues for consideration. This report serves as a response to those concerns and comments. In addition, some teachers provided written letters to the Committee, which are attached as Appendix I.
A survey questionnaire was developed to solicit the input of the middle school and high school (freshman and sophomore) students. The survey and results are attached as Appendix J. Prior to administering the surveys, class assemblies were held to provide basic information regarding YRE. The surveys were completed during the last few weeks of May. Based on the responses received there needs to be further communication with our students concerning the concept of year round education.
The majority of the concerns identified by the students were similar to those raised by the parents and teachers. One unique concern raised by a few students was child custody and visitation concerns. This specific issue could not be addressed by the Committee since custody and visitation rights are typically a court decree. Hopefully, should YRE be adopted, all custody and visitation issues could be resolved quickly and result in equivalent arrangements as what occurs now.
The Committee Members, parents, students and faculty identified the issues considered by the Committee. These issues are general in nature or apply specifically to parents, students or teachers. The following is a general discussion of the issues considered by the Committee.
Parents and faculty raised concerns related to the availability of childcare. The childcare problem is likely to be greatest during the intersessions. The significance of this issue is daycare provider specific. Most daycare facilities fill to their maximum licensed capacity without difficulty and may not have available extra space during the intersessions. A number of daycare providers in the community indicated that they could accommodate school-age children during the intersessions. In some cases, in order for a parent to secure a space for their children during the intersession, they may need to subscribe for that space for the entire year, even the time the students are in school.
Several parents and faculty members questioned the motives of the District in rushing to adopt YRE as being a rush to be first. The District is not evaluating YRE in order to be the first unit district in the state to adopt YRE. Rather, the District is evaluating YRE to determine its effectiveness in better educating our students.
The
Other schools in the area are considering YRE. Currently, two other districts in the county are researching YRE. Unfortunately, the county schools have never been able to coordinate school calendars. This lack of coordination limits the potential for joint study or implementation.
Physical Environment/Building Maintenance
Numerous comments were received regarding the functionality of the District's buildings for year round use. All three schools in the district are air-conditioned. While these mechanical systems can fail, a plan will need to be developed that will address the various failure scenarios and resultant responses.
Building maintenance was also expressed as a concern. Currently, the summer is used for remodeling and thorough cleaning. Questions were raised regarding the maintenance staff's ability to perform the annual cleaning activities during the shortened summer break of YRE. Some of the summer activities may need to be performed during the intersessions. Proper planning will need to be done to coordinate maintenance activities during the intersessions and summer break.
School remodeling, such as carpet replacement and painting, will also need to be coordinated between the intersessions and summer break. Securing contracted services will need to be done sufficiently in advance to ensure contractor and material availability during the required times.
The intersessions are the breaks between the 9-week quarters. The fall, winter and spring intersessions would be 2 (or 3) weeks in duration. The summer break would be 6-8 weeks long with an intersession prior to the beginning of the new school year. During the last week of each intersession, remedial and enrichment instruction could be offered. The remedial instruction would be focused towards those students identified as needing additional help. Students participating in the remedial program would be offered the opportunity to raise their grade from the previous quarter. The enrichment programs would be offered to all students. Participation in either remedial or enrichment would be voluntary. Students needing remediation would be strongly encouraged to attend since their potential promotion or advancement could be affected.
The remedial intersession programs could possibly be 3-1/2 hours per day during the week prior to the start of the quarter. Transportation will be provided using the same bus routes. There would be no charge to the student for the remedial education.
The intersessions can assist in providing continuity for the at-risk students. These students can come to the intersession and improve their needed skills. Those who do not attend may be hindered and negatively affected by the lack of educational continuity. An effective method for ensuring participation of the students and cooperation of the parents will need to be developed. This issue is of primary concern at the elementary school.
Each student involved in the remedial education would have an individual educational plan (IEP). The IEP would identify the specific learning objectives for the student to achieve during the intersession. This will help to ensure that there is no misunderstanding between the sending teacher and the intersession instructor. The IEPs will also allow students to be clustered during the intersession based on specific educational needs. The student-teacher ratio should range between 15 to 1 and 10 to 1 (or less) depending on the needs of the IEPs.
The enrichment programs would vary and likely focus on subject matters of interest to the students and faculty. The schedule would be the same as the remedial program although more flexibility is possible according to the specific subject. These programs could be structured classes or involve field trips and other out-of-building activities. Availability may be limited based on student interest. Transportation will also be provided. There would likely be a fee for students to participate in the enrichment program.
Ideally, teachers from the district would teach during the intersessions. However, if an insufficient number of district teachers were willing, then substitute teachers would need to be hired. Based on the teachers' surveys, some of the district teachers were willing to teach but not during each intersession. The teachers would be paid per the terms of the contract. This is a flat hourly rate and not a function of the teacher's current salary. Prep-time would be allowed for planning prior to the intersession. In addition, prep-time of 1/2 hour would be provided for each 3-1/2 hours of intersession taught.
The committee members and building principals strongly recommend that an intersession coordinator should be hired to properly plan for the intersessions. Based on the visit to Bardstown, an intersession coordinator is essential to the success of the intersession program. The principals have prepared a memo outlining how they envision the intersession program be conducted in their respective buildings. These memos are included in Appendix K.
Some parents and teachers expressed the concern about personal esteem for those students who participate in the remedial program (especially repeat participants). The esteem concern is similar to those students who attend summer school or participate in any remediation. Having to participate in the remedial program may be an inducement for those students to do better in school. A positive sounding program like ELOP (educational learning opportunity program) may help in alleviating any esteem-related concerns. Because remediation is a voluntary program, the parent and teacher can make the decision as to what is in the best interest of the child.
In addition to the remedial intersession program, other school programs addressing the educational needs of the at-risk students, will need to be continued, such as after-school study halls at the middle school. Similar programs should be investigated at all buildings.
Both parents and faculty were concerned regarding the acceptance of YRE if it is adopted. The main focus centered on the acceptance of YRE by those teachers who are not in favor and whether that would negatively impact the learning environment. As evidenced by the teachers' surveys and the principals' reports, there is some animosity between the faculty and principal at the elementary school.
Obviously, if YRE were adopted for the District everyone, parents, students and staff need to work towards its success. As leaders, the building administrators will need to take the lead in building this coalition. The administration needs to build the confidence of the staff, parents and students. In his evolving role, Mr. Mulligan, if YRE is adopted, will need to build the cohesiveness between the buildings.
With respect to the parents, the administration will need to reassure the parents that the transition to YRE, if made, is for the betterment of the students and not just a change in the calendar. While this report is addressed to the Board as the Committee's deliverable work product, it must be shared with the parents, regardless of adoption of YRE. This report serves as the response to the parents', students' and teachers' questions and comments. In addition, if deemed appropriate, a follow-up community forum should be held to begin the process of mending the rifts created during the consideration of YRE.
Several factors have been identified in regards to the learning environment. These factors include staff morale, class size, after-school programs and full utilization of the school calendar.
Staff morale - There may be morale problems regardless of YRE. Adoption of YRE could create the potential for teachers who don't support YRE to bring their personal opinion/philosophy into their classroom. The Committee feels the administration will need to address this in a positive non-confrontational manner. The elementary principal was strong in her response to this potential problem (see Appendix K). The teachers will need to be professional in not letting their feelings impact their performance in the classroom. Given the caliber of the teachers in our district, it is anticipated that the teachers will adapt professionally if YRE were adopted. We feel morale at the elementary school needs to be addressed regardless of the adoption of YRE. A concerted effort will need to be made by the district (superintendent and board) to mend any fences created by YRE and address any fundamental pre-existing problems.
The concern was also expressed that some of the current teachers will leave
the district. The district loses teachers every year for various reasons. YRE
would only be an additional reason to add to the list. Certainly, if YRE were
adopted, the District would not want to lose any teacher over this issue.
Hopefully the teachers will give YRE a try if adopted and evaluate it for
themselves. At the
Class size - Numerous comments were received regarding class size and its role in increasing student performance. Studies have demonstrated that small class sizes provide a learning environment more conducive to student success for the at-risk students as well as the general student population. By comparison, few studies to date have demonstrated that a YRE calendar by itself improves student performance. All of the comments received stressed the importance of limiting the class size. Adopting a YRE calendar without limiting class size creates conflicting philosophies. The District should consider establishing formal grade-specific, class-size limits irrespective of the adoption of YRE. Increasing class size at the lower grade levels will negatively impact the learning environment for the at-risk population and only widen the gap between the at-risk and average students.
After-school program - Teachers and parents alike stressed the need for an after-school program. These programs, referred to as Scope programs, allow the students to remain after school in an adult supervised environment. This program charges a fee based on the parent's ability to pay and is government subsidized. An accredited person would supervise the program. A successful Scope program includes learning activities for the students and benefits the students who would otherwise go home to an unsupervised home. Most successful YRE programs include an after-school program as one of the key elements.
A Scope program can negatively impact the local daycare providers by providing competition for daycare services. The District administration has indicated that they will not pursue a Scope program as long as there isn't an overwhelming outcry from the community and the local daycare providers can meet the need. However this does not address the real need. Currently there are children in the district that go home to unsupervised or under-supervised environments. These students may include a significant portion of the at-risk students that are the focus of the YRE program. The Steering Committee recommends that the District seriously evaluate and adopt a Scope program irrespective of the adoption of a YRE calendar.
An added benefit of a Scope program is those middle and high school students, who go home to take care of younger family members, could now participate in extracurricular activities.
Full utilization of the school calendar - A concern common to both parents and teachers is the worry that the days immediately preceding and following the intersessions may not be fully utilized. The concern is that the students will get excited in the week prior to the intersession and not be effective learners. Likewise, the week following the intersession may not be productive due to the need to settle the students back into the routine. Based on the facilities visited by the Committee, it is assumed this will not be an issue but should be monitored.
The available research is inconclusive regarding the impact YRE has on student achievement. Most YRE schools implement a number of concurrent programs aimed at supplementing the educational needs of the at-risk students. Because of this combination of educational programs, researchers have not been able to identify the educational impact attributed directly to the YRE calendar. The Board should not expect to see an increase in test scores solely because YRE is adopted.
In measuring student achievement, the things you measure are not always the things that benefit the child. The child may benefit from the additional help offered during the intersessions but still not test well. The average and advanced student will learn no matter what the schedule. The at-risk students will still have the outside factors that impact their learning.
The intersessions may add to the continuity for some students. Those students who are behind can come to the intersessions and have the opportunity to improve their deficient skills. Those who do not attend may be hindered and negatively affected by the lack of continuity. A method needs to be developed to ensure participation by the at-risk students. The parents will need to be proactive in having their at-risk children participate.
One academic program that may be negatively impacted by the adoption of a YRE calendar is the Advanced Placement Calculus class at the high school. Each spring, usually early May, a standardized test is given to the students. Depending on the timing of the test, the third intersession may take time away from the calendar such that the students will miss 2 (or 3) weeks of class time prior to the test. The students could use the intersession for class time, however all students in the class would need to participate, otherwise the class could not formally meet.
The initial attempt to adopt a YRE calendar was not done in a manner conducive to building a consensus among the parents, teachers and students. The 6-month time period allowed for study by the Steering Committee may not be sufficient to properly inform the public and respond to their concerns. If YRE is adopted, the administration will need to take steps to proactively restore the confidence of the parents and teachers so the District can move on and meet the educational needs of the students. The District will need to be sympathetic and open to the staff and community. Effective lines of communication will need to be established and maintained.
Through the study of the issue, the District has started the creation of the vision of what a year round program could offer. Any time there is change, there will be apprehension as to whether it will work. There will always be concerns; there can never be guarantees. Planning during the year prior should help ensure a successful implementation. The District should establish a vehicle for informing the parents, faculty and community such as newsletters and open forums.
If YRE is adopted, the one-year planning period should be used to develop the plans for the intersession programs; hire an intersession coordinator; develop policies for encouraging and supporting faculty continuing education; determine whether an exclusion of the optional school holidays should be petitioned; and plan for the proper maintenance activities of the buildings. During this year, the faculty should be encouraged and provided the opportunity to tailor the curriculum to the new calendar. The planning period should also include the development of a methodology to determine the effectiveness of YRE and the decision criteria for continuation.
As mentioned above, the Administration needs to develop a policy relating to continuing education for the faculty. For those teachers who are taking classes in the summer, there may be an overlap during the first few weeks of August or the ending of a school year in June. A policy relating to the potential for teacher absence needs to be developed that will not discourage the faculty from taking continuing education courses. So far, this is an issue the Administration is not willing to address until YRE is adopted.
The Administration will also need to develop a policy regarding time-off for the State Fair. Students, parents and faculty raised this issue. Numerous and inconsistent statements by the Administration were made during the public meetings and open forums. These statements ranged from school could be out for the fair week to there could be a half-day inservice on each of the two Fridays. Student employment at the fair during school hours would be an unexcused absence. Students could be excused for educational purposes such as 4-H or animal showing. A formal policy would need to be developed with its implementation monitored to determine the impact to the students.
Concern was raised by parents and faculty regarding the wisdom of implementing the YRE calendar change during a period of administration change. The current district superintendent has indicated his plans to retire. Plans are to promote the current middle school principal to the position of superintendent. This would result in a significant change in administration during the first year of YRE implementation.
Several parents brought up the issue of whether there would be a parent vote or referendum on adopting a YRE calendar. Currently, the school calendar is discussed between the administration and the faculty representatives and formally established by a vote of the School Board. The adoption of the YRE calendar would be through a Board vote.
The Committee has discussed re-surveying the parents to determine, after having an opportunity to study the YRE issue, whether they are supportive of the concept. Given the deadline of the 6-month study period given to the Committee, there is not enough time to perform this re-survey. Should the Board decide to delay their scheduled September 2000 vote, a re-survey could be accomplished.
If a new survey were contemplated, a mechanism to achieve greater parent participation would need to be identified. This could be performed during the Parent-Teacher conferences scheduled for early October. A new survey instrument with clear questions and responses could be developed by the Committee and provided to the parents to complete the night of their student conferences. Space could be provided in the schools' cafeterias or gymnasiums for the parents to complete the surveys. This would allow for survey completion without taking time from the conferences. The results could be tabulated and provided to the Board for their use and consideration and would be available prior to the October School Board meeting.
Numerous comments were received regarding the impacts to the students, such as attendance and continuity of education. As expressed in many comments, there are a significant number of students who start or leave school at times other than the start and end of the school year. There is the possibility that a student may move into the district at the traditional start of the school year and be 3 weeks behind due to the early start of YRE. Questions were raised whether these students needed a minimum number of attendance days to be promoted. Based on the input of the administration members of the Committee, promotion is based on satisfactorily completing the course work rather than the number of attendance days. Regardless, these students may need to be caught-up in their course work, using the intersessions if necessary.
The question was also raised regarding the starting age for kindergarten. Currently, the student must be 5 by September 1 in order to begin school. The Administration will need to determine if this will remain the same or if it will be advanced to August 1.
Concerns were also raised regarding the continuity of schedule and the impact the intersessions would place on the students, especially those with behavior problems. The routine of the school schedule provides stability for some students. Individual students will respond differently. Based on the visits to other facilities, this has not been an issue. Some regression over the intersessions may be observed in the lower grades.
The local businesses have indicated their flexibility in working with the students for employment. Employment opportunities are not being eliminated, just being re-allocated throughout the year. Some businesses indicated the students would likely be required to work a minimum number of hours during the week to maintain employment. The local businesses are not of the nature that would be impacted by the alternative calendar.
It appears that student employment at the State Fair is the only significant negative student employment related impact of implementing YRE. Based on the contact the Committee made with local employers, the impact to student employment would be minimal.
Some middle-school students expressed concern regarding the loss of babysitting business during the summer. Hopefully, these students could provide babysitting services during the intersessions, thereby still earning money, while providing a service to the parents in the district.
Extra-Curricular Activities (Arts, Athletics,
Activities)
Concerns were raised regarding the impact YRE would have on extra-curricular activities. No significant impacts were identified. Starting school in the beginning of August brings the students back into the buildings prior to the start of the fall athletic season. Students would be more readily available for practices. All extra-curricular activities may be impacted, but the current staff indicated those problems could be accommodated.
Those students who are deemed ineligible at the beginning of an intersession would be ineligible to play in all games during that intersession. The students could still participate in the practices. This may affect the middle school students more than others due to the stricter rules of the IESA. Special accommodations would need to be made for those students who participate in a summer athletic program when championship games occur in early August.
Developing the schedules for plays and concerts will need to consider the YRE calendar. These activities could be scheduled to follow the intersessions. This would allow practice during the days of the intersession rather than after school and late into the evenings. Other activities such as yearbook and other clubs should not be negatively impacted.
Class trips will also need to be schedule considerate. Traditional dates may need to be altered to coincide with the intersessions. This may also require the use of different tour companies.
If a YRE calendar is adopted, the number of attendance days will remain the same. This leaves the same number of days off for vacations, those days would be spread throughout the year. This would allow families to vacation at different times during the year without taking their students out of school. The reduced summer vacation period may conflict with the combination of summer sports (June and July) and the traditional vacation time (August). However, participation in athletics is elective. Those families that do not travel during the breaks may find the weather during the winter and spring intersessions less fulfilling in terms of recreation for their children than the traditional summer months. The first year of the schedule may seem awkward but could smooth out in subsequent years.
The Steering Committee met with the local churches and scout organizations to determine any impact adoption of a YRE calendar would have on the summer camp schedule. There appears to be no conflicts with the local camp schedule and the YRE calendar. However, there are some conflicts with "national" type camps such as the Boy Scouts Jamboree, which occurs every other year in early August. Scheduling mission trips for the local churches should not be a problem if the school calendar is known enough in advance. The Committee prepared a summary of their interactions with the local churches and organization (see Appendix L).
If YRE is adopted, the Administration should consider surveying the educational community after the first year to determine the impacts of the calendar.
Students involved in vocational education attend classes at the high school
in the morning and classes at the
If a YRE calendar is adopted, vocational education students would attend classes at the high school according to the high school schedule and classes at the CACC according to its schedule. For the majority of the year these schedules are the same. However, during the majority of August the students would only attend classes at the high school. Likewise, during the intersessions, the students would only attend classes at the CACC. It is envisioned that this inconvenience of the calendar will decrease the number of students that participate in vocational education. However, it is hoped that the completion numbers would be the same. The impacts of the YRE calendar on vocational education should be monitored if YRE is adopted.
Childcare for Teacher’s children
The teachers, primarily at the elementary school, identified that childcare for their children is a concern should YRE be adopted. These faculty members live outside the district with their children on a different school calendar. This is a problem that cannot be answered by the Committee.
On the surveys, the faculty raised issues relating to the compensation for teaching during the intersessions and their ability to earn additional money during the school year. Faculty compensation for teaching during the intersessions would be paid according to the contract for extra teaching. This is a flat hourly rate and not a function of the teacher's salary rate.
Some faculty expressed concern about their earning ability for summer employment given the shorter summer break. The teachers would be losing 3 weeks of employment during the summer should YRE be adopted. This is a one-third reduction in their available summer employment and may financially impact those teachers who work during the summer.
Several teachers raised issues relating to converting sick days to personal days and other contract related issues. These issues are out of the scope of the Committee's activities.
Continuing Education/Teacher Re-certification
Continuing education is a requirement for recertification. One hundred twenty points are required in a 5-year period. Points are earned through continuing education and other school activities such as student-teacher mentoring. All teachers need to have a 5-year plan for accomplishing this continuing education. There is a formal review mechanism to review and govern the 5-year plans. Continuing education is also a concern for those teachers who are pursuing an advance degree. The colleges and universities in the region offer graduate classes. Summer classes are offered during the day and sometimes extend into early August. Since the courses are offered and taken in sequence, the teachers must attend the classes when they are scheduled by the university.
The number of teachers continuing their education is increasing due to the recertification requirements. The Administration is supportive of continuing education regardless of the adoption of YRE. Teachers in YRE districts are missing the first few and last days of the YRE calendar because of continuing education classes. The leave policy relative to these absences is a contract issue that will need to be addressed between the union and the administration.
Several teachers who live outside of the district questioned whether their students could attend school in the district at no or reduced expense. This is not possible according to the Illinois State Board of Education.
In response to the questions on the surveys, a few teachers indicated they might consider leaving the district if YRE were adopted. The Committee hopes that no teacher would leave because of the calendar change.
SASED staff falls into two categories in the schools: those who are in the school full time and those who work at more than one school in the region (itinerant). If YRE were adopted, the itinerant staff would need to work according to the schedules for each district . The administration has had conversations with SASED that indicate cooperative efforts will be used to solve issues of concern. If the itinerant staff would be flexible in their schedule, the time they worked in the district during August could be taken off during the remainder of the year on those days they would be in Riverton.
Since the services provided by SASED include aides and interpreters, either SASED or the district would be responsible for those additional services during the intersessions.
Concern was expressed regarding the impact the scheduled breaks would make on special education students. Based on the observation at other YRE schools, this has not been an issue. Depending on the specific student, the breaks may or may not cause an impact. If YRE is adopted, this would need to be closely monitored.
Statements from
Steering Committee Members
Some of the members of the Steering Committee have prepared written statements as an addition to this report. These statements are attached as Appendix M.