TRIMESTER

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1.         WHAT EXACTLY IS A TRIMESTER MASTER SCHEDULE?

            A trimester is similar to a semester program only it divides the school year into

            three sections of 12 weeks in length as opposed to two sections 18 weeks in

            length.

2.         WHY WOULD WE WANT THREE SECTIONS OF TIME?

            With three sections of time, you can offer students the same or more class

            opportunities within the same school year.  Each trimester allows for five classes

            of seventy minute length and meets daily for 55 days.  Students get more daily

            contact with teachers in 55 days than on the A/B Block alternating day schedule.

            Each trimester class meets more often and can complete the same or more work

            than in the current semester class.

3.         HOW CAN YOU GET MORE IN LESS DAYS?

Our current classes meet for approximately 41 days each for 83-minute class sessions. 

A trimester class meets for approximately 55 days for 70 minutes.  A semester class is 3,403 minutes. 

A trimester class is 3,850 minutes.  There is daily contact with the teacher and more instructional minutes

per class.

4.         DO THEY TAKE THE CLASSES ALL YEAR LONG?

            No.  Each trimester is equivalent to a semester of time in class.  So, to meet the

            state requirements for minutes of instruction and for credits, students meet for

            one trimester for a .5 credit and two trimesters for 1.0 credit.

5.         HOW MANY CLASSES DO THEY TAKE AT ONE TIME?

            Students take five classes in each trimester instead of seven classes in a

            semester.  This gives them fewer classes at any given time to concentrate

            on in a grading period.  They have the opportunity to take five classes in

            each trimester, as opposed to seven classes in each semester.  They meet

            in those classes every day for twelve weeks instead of every other day for

            eighteen weeks.

6.         WHAT IF MY STUDENT WORKS?

            Co-op work credits will still be available for students.  They will be able to

            arrange their classes the same way they do now.  The schedule calls for the

            first three periods of the day to be completed by 12:00 each day.  A student could

            arrange their daily schedule to allow for a consistent work schedule each day.

7.         CAN THEY STILL TAKE ALL THEIR ELECTIVES?

            Yes.  Because classes will be divided into thirds, students will actually get an

            opportunity to take more semester electives.  If they can fit it into their

            schedule, they may even be able to take an elective for 1.5 credits on the

            trimester instead of for 1.0 credit on the semester.

8.         HOW WILL THIS AFFECT THEIR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS?

            Students will still be required to meet the district 24-credit requirement, but will

            actually have more credit class opportunities to meet this requirement because

            study hall will no longer be a requirement taking up a class period.  The state’s

            current requirement for graduation is 22 credits, but beginning with the class

            of 2010, all schools in Oregon will be just like South Albany and West Albany

            requiring 24 credits.

9.         IS WEST ALBANY MOVING TO THE TRIMESTER PROGRAM?

No.  The School Board has offered each school the opportunity to propose an instructional delivery model to meet the needs of their school community.  South is choosing to do this because we believe that our students will gain from the added instructional minutes, daily teacher contact, less classes to manage in one grading period and more overall opportunity for classes.

10.       ARE THERE OTHER BENEFITS FROM THE TRIMESTER?

            Yes.  Linn-Benton Community College maintains a very similar schedule.  This

            could allow our students to take extended learning opportunities in the college

            setting without trying to fit college classes around an alternating schedule and

            a semester schedule.  Students could plan their high school experience to include

            taking classes at the community college during their senior year

            getting a head start on college while still in high school.  The trimester also more

            closely aligns with sport seasons. Though students will need to pass 4 classes

            to be eligible, they will have less classes to concentrate on and manage.

11.       ARE THERE ANY NEGATIVES WITH THIS SCHEDULE?

            Yes.  Students involved in multiple music classes may have to make a choice

            to only take one of their classes per trimester instead of two.  This is not a

            “music friendly” schedule.  Students can still take these classes, but may not

be able to take them all year long because of their other class requirements in the five-period day. 

Because this was foreseen, we are currently working on trying to

            create a system that would allow students to participate in performance

            groups and still meet all of their other requirements.

IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH

THE PRINCIPAL, CONTACT MR. EQUINOA AT 967-4522 AT SAHS.