With Questions About Resource Time, Nicolet School Board Waits to Vote

A desire for more information and better communication meant that the School Board did not vote Monday on whether to to the high school day.

The goal of this period, according to Curriculum and Instruction Advisor Lisa Elliott, is to give students the opportunity to work directly with teachers and not have to give up extra-curricular time. To create this 40-minute block, Elliot proposed lengthening the school day 14 minutes and shortening classes by four minutes. School would then begin at 7:20 a.m. instead of 7:23 a.m., and end at 2:34 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m. Every other Wednesday would remain early release days.

Who will be served, and how?

School Board President Marilyn Franklin said the board is "concerned about what students will be served and how each group of students is served."

Schools are required to implement a program as part of the state's Response to Intervention initiative. According to the Department of Public Instruction, RtI supports a vision of making every student a graduate. One of the guiding principles of RtI is that it's for all students, not just those at the top or bottom of the academic ladder.

"By identifying a specific period of time for these things to occur during the school day ensures that all students have universal access to support in their classes, enrichment when appropriate, intervention when necessary and connection with an adult in the building through advisory," Elliot said in an earlier interview.

But Franklin said the board wants more assurance the period doesn't just become a glorified study hall.

"The other thing we were concerned about is letting the parents know this is happening," Franklin said. "Parents are hearing about it but not in the right fashion so we want to make sure they hear about it."

Next steps

Elliot said the school is required by law to implement a program by December 2013, but her goal is to have it in place for the 2012-13 school year.

The Curriculum Committee will review the parameters of this new resource program at their next meeting, slated for Feb. 8 at 4 p.m. at Nicolet.