Update: An official PARCC testing schedule has been released in which our Academy time has been removed, and thus only cutting 5 minutes from our third and fourth blocks. However, many of the points I make still stand and I’ve decided not to adjust my statements. Thank you.

A little over a year and a half ago, Air Academy made the switch to a blocked, 8-period schedule from our previous 7-periods, building in a second everyday class. When the new schedule was first introduced, it raised many questions on its functionality. Are we really helping teach students more by cutting 10 minutes off of every class? Some teachers were very fond of the change – particularly math and foreign language instructors who voted in favor – but others struggled to adapt to a shortened year. However, since then, we haven’t heard many discussions on the subject – until now.

The 2014-15 school year is the first shot at a “new-and-improved” standardized testing schedule with the PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers) tests, which have replaced the TCAP (Transitional Colorado Assessment Program). Now, as a senior, I’m am exempt from the PARCC testing and have honestly had my fill between CSAP, TCAP, the ACT, and SAT. But this doesn’t mean the testing schedule won’t impact me and my classes.

A tentative March testing schedule has been released, which has then been relayed to a large portion of the student body. The “rumor” is that the tests will be administered over ~2 weeks of school in the mornings, and normal schedules will resume for the rest of the day. Essentially, we’re talking about nine delayed starts in a row, and this is where the 8-period dilemma surfaces once again. On a two-hour delayed start, each blocked class is cut to 50 minutes. Our everyday classes? 30. An occasional delayed start come snow and winter is acceptable, but the problem lies in having two weeks of classes with half the learning time.

Many math teachers favored the 8-period schedule because they wished to offer more math courses during 3rd and 4th blocks,  believing this would benefit the students (whether or not this is true is up to debate – but that’s an argument for another time). As a result, I have AP Statistics weaseled into my schedule before lunch every day. Many others have it afterwards. Now, the AP Statistics test has a quickly-approaching, set date in mid-to-early May, and this PARCC schedule has been released only within the last few weeks, leaving our teachers to scramble to reorganize the lessons.

30 minutes is not enough time to accomplish a full set of notes, to practice APQs, or to perform a lab activity. Our typical 50-minute schedule pushes this in the first place. As far as I’m concerned, PARCC is equal to two wasted weeks of mediocre statistics practice. This kind of situation is where the 8-periods impede us, as the AP test will not wait for our schedule to catch back up. This means on-the-surface lessons and a lack of guided practice.

I can’t tell you for sure if this is targeted at the PARCC schedule or the 8-period schedule – or both. For two years, I’ve listened to teachers struggle to cram lessons into less time. I’ve seen my highly-competitive GPA drop with the requirement to fill an extra block. And I’ve seen students fight to complete difficult math homework each night (I’m personally not a fan of taking math each day). I plug a TA into my fourth block this year to save my learning for when I have more time.

As far as the PARCC testing goes, it would almost be more efficient to run a week of no school than nine delayed starts – at least then when us upperclassmen return we receive our whole 50 minutes. If we want to take a look at a “happy medium” I propose an every-other-day schedule. Testing on Blue, classes on Silver, or vice versa. Bottom line, these two March weeks (leading into Spring Break no less) are placing a heavy damper on our AP test preparation for Statistics, and arguably for other classes, depending on the content. Dear D20 and AAHS, let’s find a compromise.

Kenzie Weller, Senior Managing Editor

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