Staff report written from Facebook post
Bloomington, Indiana – September 27, 2023
Here is a link to the video of last night’s school board meeting:
High school principals within the Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) shared developments regarding the 2024-2025 high school schedule on September 25th.
In a statement released to high school families, MCCSC outlined their dedication to prioritize “equity” as articulated within the MCCSC Strategic Plan. They acknowledged existing disparities and biases arising from the current misalignment of high school schedules. Presently, some high schools operate on semesters, while others follow trimesters, leading to inconsistent experiences for students across the district.
To address these disparities, MCCSC initiated an investigative process aimed at aligning secondary schedules district-wide to ensure greater equity and academic continuity. The process involves an extensive review of student performance data and a thorough examination of national research on high school schedules. This data-driven approach seeks to comprehensively understand the impact of existing schedules, particularly on historically marginalized student populations.
MCCSC emphasized that no formal schedule has been designed at this stage. Instead, the district intends to engage students, families, and teachers through feedback and meaningful discussions with the teacher’s union. These collaborative efforts will inform the creation of a new MCCSC high school common schedule, set to be implemented for the 2024-2025 school year.
MCCSC anticipates providing more detailed information in the coming weeks, including opportunities for further engagement with the community. High school families and stakeholders were encouraged to share their comments, suggestions, and concerns with MCCSC through a designated form provided by the district.
The move to align high school schedules is a significant step for MCCSC as it underscores the district’s commitment to fostering equity and ensuring that all students have access to consistent and high-quality educational experiences. Further updates on the initiative are expected as the district progresses toward its goal of a more equitable and inclusive educational environment.
For additional information and updates, interested parties are encouraged to visit the MCCSC website and stay tuned for forthcoming announcements from the district.
—
“As part of a priority articulated within the MCCSC Strategic Plan, MCCSC is striving for continued improvement in our daily work with a focus on more equitable access and opportunities to programs, course offerings, and experiences. Recently, administration identified disparities and biases that occur because our current high school schedules are not aligned. For example, some high schools are on semesters, and some are on trimesters.
Therefore, we have begun an investigative process to determine how to align our secondary schedules across the district for greater equity and improved continuity. Currently, we are conducting a comprehensive review of student performance data and national research on high school schedules to understand more completely the impact our current schedules have on student academic outcomes, particularly, our historically and systemically marginalized populations.
At this point in time, NO formal schedule has been designed. However, we will utilize student feedback, family engagement, and meaningful discussion with our teacher’s union to inform our work. Ultimately, this will result in the creation of a new MCCSC high school common schedule for the 2024-2025 school year.
More details will be forthcoming, including additional opportunities for engagement. In the meantime, if you have any comments, suggestions, or concerns, do not hesitate to share them with me by selecting “complete the form” within this post.”
