Daily rotation keeps HPHS on their toes
Ekaterina Vorobiev
H.P. Mirror staff

Since September 2007, Highland Park High School has been scheduling student classes on a rotating schedule. Students can enroll in eight classes, but on any day they attend only six -- three in a morning rotation, and three in an afternoon rotation. The cycle of skipped classes results in four distinct daily schedules in rotation throughout the school year. Under a traditional schedule, students would attend six classes in the same sequence throughout the semester.

The district changed to this rotating schedule for two main reasons, according to HPHS vice principal Michael Lassiter. First, a higher number of tardies and absences from first period classes were resulting in too many cases of poor academic performance. Under the rotating schedule, each subject rotates between morning and afternoon, earlier and later periods.

Second, the new schedule allows students to take up to eight subjects, a big advantage for students who need to fulfill missing graduation requirements or who want extra AP classes. In the past, students had to take extra, or make-up, classes during their lunch time.

"This is our first year implementing the schedule, but we have studied it in various school districts for two years," explains Lassiter.

In 1992 Ridgewood High School was the first in New Jersey to implement the rotating schedule, modeled after the high school in Suffern, New York. Since that time, many high schools in New Jersey and the region have opted for this scheduling system.

Lassiter reports the schedule has been well received. "Students seem to like this arrangement better because they get to see all their friends [in the same grade] during lunch," he said. In addition, many students appreciate the variety in their schedule. "The days are always different... it helps me concentrate better," said a student. Other students are less keen on the rotation, because of the longer class periods. "As a senior it doesnít matter to me much -- but I wouldnít like having longer classes," said an HPHS senior.

However, the rotating schedule also poses a challenge for teachers in the area of lesson planning. In the four-day cycle each subject is offered three times, which results in a change in the balance of in-class to homework time for each subject.

In addition there is a slight loss of instructional time, even after class periods were increased by about 25% to compensate for the lost period each week. Traditionally, each subject would meet 90 days in a semester, for 46 minutes. Now with the rotating schedule, a semester includes only 70 meetings, but with 58-minute class periods. As a result, the loss of instructional time is very slight.

Teachers have seen increased collaboration because the rotating schedule frees up several teachers in a department on the same day. They also appreciate the variety from day to day. "It's great, because you don't see the same students first or last period. The students are more enthusiastic," said one HPHS teacher. On the other hand this variety brings complexity: "I sometimes forget what day we are on," says a teacher. "I am still not used to this system."

Based on positive responses from teachers and students, Lassiter believes the rotating schedule has been a success this year. "They love to get away from the monotony of the traditional schedule."