FeedsTwo districts consider trimesters at high school
Two of the largest school districts in western Wayne County are considering doing away with the ninth- through 12th-grade semester system and replacing it with trimesters, district officials said Monday.
Officials at Romulus Community Schools and Wayne-Westland Schools have discussed trimesters –which means classes would meet for 13 weeks followed by a schedule change – on an informal basis.
Romulus Schools Superintendent Carl Weiss said trimesters are gaining steam as academic requirements tighten, and as scheduling classes becomes more difficult for students.
“There are several districts that are considering trimesters at this time,” he said. “Wayne-Westland is looking at it, and so is Woodhaven.
“It would give us more flexibility. For example, new statewide requirements specify students must take more algebra,” Weiss said. “If a student needs more help, he can take an additional trimester of algebra – though he would lose an elective. And students that aren’t having problems mastering algebra can meet the requirement, and move on.”
Greg Baracy, the superintendent at Wayne-Westland Schools, agrees.
“(Trimesters would produce) “a more wholesome individual, both socially and academically,” he said. “Under the newly implemented system, students—particularly those who fail a class—have limited opportunities to participate elective classes. With the new rigorous graduation requirements given to us by the state, we have to give students more options.”
Though some school districts have had trimesters, most have the semester system, which divides the year in half in terms of a student’s schedule.
Teachers in Romulus will learn more about the potential change at a trimester workshop on Aug. 30, at an in-service meeting.
Officials agree that a conversion will be a formidable task.
Baracy said the district currently has committees appointed to the task of working out the details contingent on a potential schedule change. The district would need to work out concerns ranging from when and how to schedule classes and transportation issues to adapting curriculum to the changes and answering questions about how to make the change fit the career-technical center, which serves students from multiple jurisdictions.
Weiss said Romulus Schools officials will look at the same issues.
