Similar to Nicolaus Copernicus, a Polish astronomer who challenged the world’s understanding of the universe, Joseph M. Carroll is pushing for a shift in the way educators perceive time. Carroll, the superintendent of the Masconomet Regional School District, believes that the traditional high-school schedule restricts improvements in education and inhibits individualized attention and student-teacher relationships.
According to Carroll, the current schedule, where teachers see up to 150 students for only 45 minutes each day, hinders the integration of concepts from different subjects and exacerbates the hyperactivity often associated with teenagers. His proposed alternative is to assign students to two 100-minute "macroclasses" and a interdisciplinary seminar, each trimester.
Carroll’s ideas have gained the attention of education reformers who applaud his challenge to the traditional norms. Harold Howe 2nd, a senior lecturer at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, commends Carroll for questioning the rigid division of time and suggests that time can be changed to improve education.
Participants in the pilot project, along with two Harvard University researchers who were commissioned to study it, have reported better student-teacher relationships and improved teaching. While test scores have not yet been compiled, those involved anticipate that students in the "Renaissance program" will perform at least as well as those in the traditional program.
However, Carroll has encountered opposition similar to Copernicus, facing criticism and concerns about the experimental nature of his ideas. Some residents and teachers argue that the district cannot afford such luxuries during a time of severe budget problems. The fate of the project may rely on the outcome of upcoming votes to lift property-tax ceilings, and Carroll may need to find private funding to sustain the project.
Nonetheless, Carroll acknowledges that challenges are expected when implementing bold ideas in schools. He believes that the greater struggle lies in convincing schools to try something different, rather than simply coming up with innovative ideas.
The Copernican Plan, proposed in 1983, draws on Carroll’s past experiences as an administrator in Washington and Los Alamos public schools. In both locations, he successfully implemented summer programs that focused on fewer subjects taught through longer classes over a short period of time. Additionally, independent schools and the High School in the Community in New Haven, Connecticut, have found success by incorporating "macroclasses" into their programs.
‘Pushing the Boundaries’
Mr. Carroll put forth a proposal to introduce a schedule change in Masconomet, a relatively affluent school district that serves as a regional junior and senior high school for the towns of Boxford, Middleton, and Topsfield. While the plan faced resistance from the Masconomet Teachers Association, an affiliate of the National Education Association, teachers and a group of community leaders agreed to study the idea and develop their own recommendations. Both groups concluded that a change in the school schedule that could foster closer relationships between students and teachers would be beneficial. The school committee agreed to establish a pilot revised-schedule project for the 9th grade during the 1989-90 school year. Mr. Carroll’s plan also includes other reforms such as differentiated diplomas and awarding credit based on mastery. However, he did not attempt to implement the entire proposal all at once.
"An organization can only handle so much change at once," he explains. "I am currently pushing the boundaries."
Personalizing Education
To implement the pilot program, Mr. Carroll called for student and parental volunteers, as well as teachers. This year, approximately 80 students, which is about half of the 9th-grade class, are participating. Additionally, with a $20,000 grant from the Amelia Peabody Foundation, Mr. Carroll enlisted two researchers from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, Vito Perrone and Dean K. Whitla, to study the program. Students in the Renaissance program take two 100-minute classes each day for 60 days, and then switch to two new classes. They also attend a daily seminar where they are expected to apply their studies to examine contemporary issues. Teachers involved in the program teach six classes per year instead of five. However, class sizes are smaller, averaging 13 students, or one-sixth of 80, compared to 20 to 24 in the traditional program. Thomas Hussey, president of the Masconomet Teachers Association, states that changing the system did not have a significant impact on the teachers’ contract.
"We didn’t bend the rules that much," adds Mr. Hussey, a mathematics teacher who is not participating in the project. Teachers and parents who volunteered for the program claim that it has benefited both students and teachers. The revised schedule "makes perfect sense to me, from a student’s perspective," says David Donavel, an English teacher. "None of us study five or six subjects simultaneously." "The current setup of [other] high schools encourages the frantic behavior we associate with teenagers," adds Barbara Was, a school committee member. "They may have 10 or 12 different areas competing for their attention." At the same time, Mr. Donavel notes that the project "has the advantage of personalizing education." "This means that not only can I pay greater attention to the individual learning needs of students, but, on a less formal level, I can get to know and like the students, and they can get to know and hopefully like me."
"If they have a positive relationship with a teacher," Mr. Donavel suggests, "they are more likely to be motivated to work for that teacher."
Increased Student Involvement
The stronger bond between students and teachers has also led to students taking responsibility for their own education, according to Donald Doliber, a social studies teacher. Susan Haas, an art teacher, adds that she often asks students to evaluate their lessons and has found that they discuss ways to challenge themselves even more. The longer class periods have also improved teaching by forcing instructors to utilize new methods, notes Teunis J. Paarlberg, a math teacher. "You can’t stand up and lecture for 100 minutes," he says. "I would tire out, just like an actor." As an alternative, he and others say that there has been a greater emphasis on encouraging student participation in their coursework. These efforts have helped teachers reach the students who typically stay more reserved in traditional classrooms, says Mr. Carroll.
‘Failed’ Workshops
Despite their enthusiasm for the project, teachers are facing challenges, according to Mr. Carroll. The complex scheduling, in some cases, has resulted in teachers having limited time for preparation. Additionally, teachers admit that the seminar program was unsuccessful in the first trimester. "We failed," acknowledges Mr. Paarlberg.
"We thought we could engage students in discussing current and complex issues," adds Mr. Donavel. "Our mistake was assuming that they had enough knowledge to have those discussions. They’re only 14." In the current trimester, teachers are now asking students to select a single issue from the newspaper and follow it daily, culminating in an oral presentation. "We’re waiting to see if we observe the expected behaviors from the students," says Mr. Donavel. "We’re off to a better start."
The Problem of Retention
While the program participants seem supportive, some teachers and parents who chose not to participate question the program’s potential success. A major concern, according to Mr. Hussey, the math teacher, is whether students can retain their knowledge after a 60-day course. "It’s possible that a student who took math from September to November 1989 won’t revisit the subject until 1991," he points out. "Nobody knows how much they’ll retain. It’s worrisome."
Mr. Carroll suggests in his book that the teaching style encouraged by the new schedule would improve students’ long-term retention. Specifically, Masconomet has implemented an enrichment program for foreign languages to help students maintain their communication skills throughout the year. On alternate days, during seminar periods in trimesters when they are not taking foreign-language classes, students review vocabulary and engage in conversations.
A Unique Community?
Apart from academic concerns, Serena Caperonis, a school-committee member who opposed the program continuation, suggests that critics worry about the program’s cost at a time of tight budgets. To properly evaluate and provide options for students, she argues that the school must offer at least two classes for each subject. As the program expands to higher grades, the school will have to maintain two small classes for advanced courses. Ms. Caperonis proposes that the program might be better suited for a high school facing motivational issues, rather than Masconomet, where 82 percent of graduates pursue higher education. "It should be implemented in a community where motivation is a problem, where the community is dissatisfied with the current system. I don’t believe Masconomet is that community."
However, Mr. Howe argues that school reforms can benefit not only struggling schools but also those performing well. "Change in education shouldn’t only occur when things are failing completely," he says. "Change can be most effective when things are already successful. Such schools have more opportunities to experiment." Despite objections from critics, the school committee voted 8 to 3 last month to continue the program for another year and expand it to the 10th grade. This expansion improves the program’s cost-effectiveness, as Mr. Carroll can schedule the teaching staff more efficiently. However, he and others caution that the program’s funding, which amounts to $120,000 out of the district’s $7 million annual budget, may be at risk if the three towns fail to override property-tax limitations next month. Ms. Caperonis hopes the Copernican plan will not be used as an excuse to reject the overrides. "If the towns refuse to lift the tax ceilings, much more than the Renaissance program will suffer," she warns. "I am working hard to educate people that this is not the way to terminate this program."
