This school has an established alternative time modular scheduling pattern that promotes professional development and team coordination and increases educational resources for students.
East High School has been building innovative practices into its organization since 1971, when it was established as an alternative school. The school reflects its commitment to good education as well as its underlying view of the teacher as a professional. It also has an established partnership with the Hudson Institute, a public policy research center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Local businesses work closely with the school in providing experience and job-related expectations for students that fit with the consolidated curriculum, which offers workforce-oriented courses in a variety of academic selections.
The school has established an alternative time modular (MOD) scheduling pattern, which is similar to college scheduling. East High School has an alternative day 1 and 2 schedule: On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the school offers core classes for a minimum of two MODs, each MOD lasting 42 minutes; Tuesdays and Thursdays are used primarily for lab work and student counseling, while the remaining time is resource time, unless a student is required to be in study hall. During the resource and study time, teachers are available to help with homework or other needs. An entire floor of the school is devoted to departmentalized desks and study modules. The student handbook describes resource time as follows: "While not considered a credit class, resource time must be attained by students. There is no such thing as 'free periods' at East. Students are mandated by the state to meet the required time of instruction. Resource time is part of that requirement, and all unscheduled time is to be spent in a supervised area of school."
Professional development and team coordination also are scheduled primarily on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In addition, six half days throughout the year, which are corporation-wide days, are reserved for staff development. Each building site chooses three more days of its own. The teachers work in large and small teams, which may be interdisciplinary. Time for individual work for teachers also is available.
Contact person:
Marilyn Metzler
Business/Education Liaison
East High School
230 South Marr Rd.
Columbus, IN 47201
Posted on March 6, 1995
URL: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/envrnmnt/go/94-4colu.htm