BROOKINGS Changes are coming to Brookings High School this fall an eight-period day, new electives, updated laptops and a cellphone ban.
The biggest thing for students is the cellphones, Zach Thomas, interim BHS principal, said. We want to remind that were doing this for students. Not only do we think its going to help their academics, but also if you look at the research some of the things cellphones do to students arent good.
The district purchased Yondr pouches a phone-locking system used by schools across the nation.
Students will get a key bit, theyll each have their own pouch and phones will go in their pouch, Thomas said. Students can lock their phones themselves, and they start the day by showing their teacher that their phone is locked. Those stay locked until lunch. After lunch, their phones get locked in the pouch again. Theyre able to unlock them when they leave for the day.
Stacey VanBeek, director of business services, said the program cost the district about $40,000. She said theyre working with some community groups interested in helping to defray that expense.
Thomas said the policy was the result of community surveys.
Our staff feedback and our parent feedback was both in the 90 percent range saying cellphones are a distraction, he said. The big feedback from students was that it is so tempting when I feel that phone vibrate in my pocket.
While students cant use phones at school, they will be using new, school-issued laptops.
Students all turned in their laptops at the end of last school year, Thomas said. That was so we could send them back to the company and get new ones. Technology moves so fast that when you have laptops for even five or six years, the new ones are going to be a significant improvement.
VanBeek said they negotiated a four-year lease that saves the district $78,129 per year compared to the old laptop lease.
Eight periods per day
Other changes at BHS include schedules with shortened periods but more classes.
Were going to an eight-period day, Thomas said. Rather than having block schedules every day except Wednesday, were going to have all eight of our class periods on Monday, Tuesday and Friday and then Wednesday and Thursday will be block days.
Previously, BHS ran a daily schedule of seven, roughly 90-minute periods. The new schedule uses 44-minute periods most days and 78-minute ones on block days.
What we had last year (was) too long, Thomas said. The research on engagement and attention spans says we were probably putting our teachers and students in a less than ideal position.
The school is also eliminating Bobcat Time an optional period students were encouraged to use as a study hall or an opportunity to ask teachers questions.
Were going back to what we had before which is like a study hall where students are required to be in the building, Thomas said. For some of our high-flying students who might not necessarily have a lot of work to do during that time, we can say are you interested in tutoring? Im excited, because this gives everyone something to do during that time.
The mandatory study hall runs 50 minutes each Thursday. Bobcat Time had been twice a week and came at the expense of a teacher prep period.
Teachers are going back to two prep periods, Thomas said. They will have had their prep time through that, and all of our teachers will be available (for student questions) during that study hall time on Thursdays.
New course offerings
BHS will also offer roughly a dozen new electives including AP European history and two ACT prep classes. Starting this spring, the state requires all high school juniors to take the ACT.
Theres a range of students interested in (prep classes), Thomas said. The ones needing to push their score up a point or two and those really high-fliers who want to score in the 30s.
Last year, 30 percent of eligible BHS students took the ACT. They performed well above average, achieving a mean score of 23.5 compared to a statewide score of 21.1 and a national score of 19.4.
As part of a district-wide emphasis on literacy, BHS will also offer two new reading programs.
One of our English teachers is going to be offering a strategic reading course, Thomas said. Then we also added a new special ed class reading study hall.
Placement tests will be used to assign students to those as needed. The high school is also hoping to hire a reading interventionist, but Thomas said they havent found the right person yet.
Reading is going to continue to be a big push in both our professional development and within our classrooms, he said. We dont want to just hit students who are maybe reading below grade level. We want all our students to leave our classes as better readers than before they came in.
The most recent state assessment rated 66 percent of BHS students proficient in English language arts compared to a state average of 51 percent.
Thomas is interim principal this year following the school boards June 27 vote to terminate the contract of former principal Justin Stanley. Prior to this, Thomas served one year as BHS assistant principal. On July 24, the board appointed high school science teacher Phil Thramer as interim assistant principal. Thomas said both he and Thramer are excited for the start of school.
Theres nothing like that first week of school, he said. Theres nothing like seeing all the students back in the building again. Thats why were in education. Were excited to help students.
School starts in Brookings on Aug. 21.
Contact Jay Roe at [email protected].
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