Over the last four years, Silverado’s schedule has changed three times, and next year will change again to a six-period day.
The first change was because of COVID-19, and was “not our fault,” Principal Jaime Ditto said. The year of the pandemic caused all of the schools to go into lockdown, and since we were online, Silverado went to a six-period schedule rather than the eight-period block we’d had for a decade. But after the pandemic, the school schedules were changed again, this time to a seven-period day. This schedule allowed for smaller schedules and shorter classes, which seemed to work better with student attention spans.
Now there is a contractual issue that requires Silverado to change back to a six-period day schedule for the 2024-25 school year.
The amount of time in classes will increase next year to 52 minutes from the 46 minutes we currently have each period. But one of the classes, either second or third period, will be 56 minutes in order for the announcements to be played. Passing period times will be changed from four minutes to five minutes.
Since the schedules are being changed next year, the number of credits students have available to meet graduation requirements will be impacted. Students need 23 credits in order to graduate, and a six-period schedule only allows for 24 total credits earned in four years. That means if students fail a class or more, they must make up those credits with summer school.
Even if students can easily meet graduation requirements by passing all of their courses, it does mean fewer electives are available.
“I think we should make use of this 7th period for electives and stuff. After all, high school lasts shorter than you think,” junior Justin Igayac said.
But the six-period day is one many high schools have, and it’s considered the more “traditional” schedule. The closest high school near us is Coronado High School. They have turned out to be “very successful,” Ditto said, with the six-period day.
Does Ditto think we will also be successful?
“I do, and here’s why–the teachers are very excited about it,” Ditto stated.
For teachers, the benefit is they teach five classes instead of six.
For students, they have fewer classes to focus on.
“I believe that this would have better outcomes for students due to how the more classes there are, the more stress is put on their shoulders,” freshman Kyle Baum said. “And with the more stress on students’ shoulders, the more likely they have a chance to fail.”
With the school going back to six periods, Ditto is hoping the pass rate will go up, the number of students who are tardy will go down since a minute is added to the passing periods, and the extra six minutes spent on the curriculum in classrooms each day will give the students more class time to do assignments versus what’s assigned at home.
