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Northridge High School • 2901 Northridge Road • Tuscaloosa, Al• 35406
September 2011 • Volume 9 • Issue 1
New schedule creates hassle for AP Students
Yes
No
Compiled by Jah’meka Baxter Designed by Alex Hauser
Alex Hauser Editor-in-chief A new schedule was put in effect this year after the board of education received information on the effectiveness of the former 4 x 4 block schedule. The Director of Secondary Programs, Robert Coates said that the board requested an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Block Schedule due to the number of student dropouts, the high school graduation rates and the ability of our schools to make AYP under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. A committee was then formed in 2009-2010 to discuss and recommend a more effective schedule. “[After the board received the research data they] issued a directive to change the 4 X 4 Block Schedule,” Coates said. “The Alternating A/B 4 X 4 Block Schedule was the consensus of the high school principals, including TCT.”
Several other options were considered. The 5 x 5 and a 7 or 8 period day were the two top alternatives. “The challenges [of the 7 or 8 period day] of scheduling Career and Technical courses at TCT would have been adversely affected by 55 or 50-minute classes. [It’s] not enough transition time for students taking only one Career Technical course,” Coates said. The alternating A/B 4 X 4 Block Schedule offers flexibilities to add in extra minutes for an advisory or power period. Although the alternating schedule was considered the best, students are frustrated they can’t take all the classes they need to. “I had my junior and senior year all planned out, but the schedule disrupted it,” Sarah Cassel, junior, said. “I have to take more AP classes senior year, I was hoping on having it all balanced out.”
Coates said that the A+ College Ready Program Grant for AP Classes did not affect the decision on the schedule choice and that “courses required as year-long would have been included regardless of what schedule format was selected.” Cassel said that the schedule affected AP students a great deal. Cassel said she could not fit all of the classes she wanted to take into her schedule because “nothing fit.” “I’m kind of mad at the schedule because I was planning on taking a lighter AP load and get the harder classes done, and I was planning on taking more AP classes as a whole, but I’ve maxed out my senior year just for the requirements,” she said. “[The new schedule has] messed up me taking AP and non-AP classes together. It just doesn’t work.”
Continued on page 6 See schedule
New Schedule
Rationale
• The Core Curriculum is taught for the entire school year (Half credits earned at end of Semester 1). • Maintains the 4 x 4 Block Schedule resulting in 8 credits per academic year. • Provides opportunity for year-long courses in Advanced Placement (AP) and • International Baccalaureate (IB) in alignment with the A+ Initiative. • Provides opportunity for year-long courses in mathematics and other areas of concern. • There is no time required by counselors and school staff at mid-year for planning and implementing a new schedule for the spring. • There is more flexibility within school calendar . • Students will be attending Core classes during the administration of the AHSGE/EOC Exams, PLAN and ACT assessments. • Teachers retain the same amount of planning time. Information compiled by Alex Hauser
Large class sizes makes teaching difficult Trent Clanton News editor The student body count has increased slightly over the years, since the split of the three Tuscaloosa City high schools. Over time it has grown until now it is 447 students more than it was intended to be. Jackie Hudgins, guidance counselor, said the actual student body count has increased only slightly this year. “We have roughly 25 more stu-
dents than we did last year,” Hudgins said. “The total number of students is up to 1247.” However, that total number is very large, compared to the other city schools’ population. Each high school in the Tuscaloosa City School system was built to house 800 students. Now Northridge has the majority, with Bryant’s population at 881 students, and Central’s down to only 735. Hudgins said one reason the attendance is so high is because of
Photo by Nick Motz
Class size has increased. Trina Busby’’s AP Language class (pictured) has 27 students.
the school’s prestige. “We have grown due to student transfers from both the public and private schools. Northridge has a phenomenal academic and athletic reputation and many students have chosen our school to increase their opportunities,” Hudgins said. Mallie Humber, history teacher, has 38 students in one of her classes. “One of my AP U.S. History classes started out at 38 students, and now it’s back down to 30. But my other one started at 44 students and is now at 38,” Humber said. One of the most difficult things with a large AP class, Humber said, is grading. “It’s hard to grade a large AP class because little of the work is multiple choice. It’s mostly writing and short answer, which takes a lot longer to grade,” Humber said. She said with larger classes, she isn’t able to assign as many activities and essays as she would like.
“It’s harder to do group activities, and I feel the quality of instruction isn’t quite where I want it to be. Also, [as with any large class], with so many bodies it’s hard to transition between activities without excessive talking,” Humber said. She said she was glad that she had good classes, though. “Even if my classes are large, they’re a very well behaved group of students. It will be difficult, but they’ll be prepared for the AP Exam when the year is over,” Humber said. Beth Gabriel, junior, said her classes are crowded. “The hallways are a lot more crowded and so is the lunchroom. My classes have a lot more people than last year,” Gabriel said. “I personally like smaller classes because you have more individual attention from your teacher.”
Continued on page 6 See Class size
Average class sizes
Number of students
Number of Students
Do you like the new schedule?
Average Average largest smallest class size class size Compiled by Jah’meka Baxter Designed by Alex Hauser