School Start &

Dismissal Times

Phase I--Task Force: February 2014-December 2014
Phase II--New Work: January 2015-December 2015
Phase III--Community Involvement: January 2016-February 2016
Phase IV--Board Requested Options: March 2016-Present

Home Start & Dismissal Time Resources Task Force Members Start & Dismissal Community Surveys

Superintendent's Proposed Models for 2017 Start Times
Model Proposed in April 2016 (Following New BOE Request)
Model Proposed in December 2015
Task Force Conclusions
School Start & Dismissal Times Task Force Study: Execuitve Summary
Task Force Start Time Options with Cost Estimates

Considerations
Health
After-School Activities & Sports
Before & After-School Care
Transportation
Definition of Terms

Frequently Asked Questions

Upcoming Events

Option D

NOTE: This page describes one of the models presented in October 2014 by the AACPS School Start Times Task Force. To review Superintendent George Arlotto’s proposal to shift school start and dismissal times in the 2017-2018 school year, click here .

All schools shift 30 minutes later than current start times with a late-start hybrid learning option for some high school students.

     

With this option, high school, middle school, and elementary school would begin 30 minutes later than the current start times.

In addition, some high school students in grades 10-12 could choose to participate in a  " Hybrid Schedule "  in which they would attend 4 courses/semester in person (as normal),  take 2 hybrid (blended) courses, and 1-2 virtual courses (totally online) - see example student schedule shown below.  In this model, participating students would elect to take 7 or 8 high school courses/semester; this compares to current high school schedules where students take 8 courses/semester until senior year when they may elect to take a reduced course load based on the courses they need to graduate.

The hybrid courses will be taught by AACPS teachers with students working both online and in-person at school in a 45 min face-2-face "skinny" period taught on a traditional A/B schedule.  Students' remaining 1-2 courses will occur entirely online. Students who choose this option (ultimately capped at approximately 20% of students in grades 10-12 per school) will complete the online components of their courses when it best fits into their personal schedule (asynchronously) Participating students will arrive at school daily for the second half of Period 2, 135 minutes after the start of the school day (1.5 periods later than the normal start of the school day). This extra-late start will allow for additional sleep.  During the last half of second period, hybrid-learning students will receive teaching and support for their hybrid courses from their teachers on a rotational A/B day basis, similar to how they attend and engage in their regular courses, simply for a reduced number of minutes/day. During Periods 3 and 4, students will take traditional face-2-face coursework in the school building as they do now. Following the AACPS Programs of Choice model, morning transportation will be provided for bus riders from consolidated neighborhood bus stops; at the end of the school day participating students will ride home via their regular neighborhood school buses as they do now. 

Please see the  Executive Summary  of the 2010 USDE Evaluation of Evidenced-Based Practices in Online Learning to learn more about the value of online and hybrid learning.

If this Hybrid-Learning Model Option were to be chosen for consideration, it is possible to launch this model as a  pilot program in two high schools : one large high school with a student body over 1,800 students and one small high school under 1,800 students. Moreover, it would be wise to select two schools where one has a large number of walkers and the other a large number of bus riders. If two high schools were chosen to pilot Option D an estimated 525 students in grades 10-12 would be involved in the Hybrid-Learning Late Start Program in Year 1.

 

Pros for Option D

Cons for Option D

Health

  • All students have the potential to gain 30 minutes more sleep per night.
  • High school start time is closer to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended start time to achieve improved adolescent health benefits.
  • Offers a tech-enhanced learning component, as well as a Segway into virtual learning environments and educational benefits for high school students in conjunction with later start time adjustment.
  • Students will be able to access a staggered schedule if the high school start time is too early for them.
  • High school students in grades 10-12 will have access to a new Program of Choice.
  • Offers minimal gains in additional sleep time, decreasing likelihood of all adolescents receiving adequate sleep.
  • Could create scheduling challenges in the schools.
  • Potentially only benefits a small portion of all high school students and only those who can succeed in online classes.

 

 

After-School Activities & Sports

  • Minimal impact on athletic and extra-curricular schedules.
  • The late end of day for middle school participating in after-school activities could lead to students walking home from bus stops in the dark.

Before & After-School Care

  • Minimal impact on extended high school Magnet programs, Evening high school, and twilight school schedules.

 

  • Some elementary and middle schools will start and end late, impacting families’ capacity to supervise young children in the morning and potentially increasing child care expenses.

Transportation

  • Little to no impact on transportation routes.
  • Easiest to implement at the lowest relative cost.

 


Estimated  Annual Cost: $2,100,000 (pilot--2 high schools only) - $9,630,000* (county-wide)

How was the cost for Option D calculated?

Transportation: $870,000 (pilot) - $2,300,000 (county-wide)

How were these transportation costs determined?

  • This option will require 10 additional buses to transport students to nonpublic   special education facilities who are currently transported by buses that also service traditional high schools. Because this option keeps the current  tiered structure  of high, middle, and elementary schools, most bus routes would remain the same.
  • This option will also require a second bus pick-up for all students electing the hybrid option. Based on actual costs for running a traditional second High School Assessment (HSA) day late morning pick-up, and assuming that we will use no more than 50% of a high school’s buses for the late morning pick-up of hybrid option students, this will cost approximately $1,600/day (pilot at 2 high schools)-$9,600/day (county-wide at all 12 high schools).

Staffing: $130,000 (pilot) - $370,000 (county-wide)

This option will require 3-13 additional employees to help manage the additional buses and transportation routes:

  • 1 Virtual Learning Manager (1/county)
  • 2-12 School Based Computer Support Technicians (1/school)

Contract for Virtual Classroom Instruction Platform (estimated costs): $1,100,000 (pilot) - $6,600,000* (county-wide)

This option will require AACPS to contract an online course academy to provide online course offerings, professional development for AACPS hybrid instructors, and the online platform to track student progress.

* These costs were calculated by applying the per student cost of contracting the Virtual Classroom Instruction Platform for the pilot (525 students) to the entire county (over 3,300 students). Actual costs may be lower if the per student contract rate decreases as the number of total students enrolled increases.

ChromeBook Tablet Devices: $360,000 (county-wide only)

This option will require AACPS to provide a ChromeBook tablet device for all participating students. ChromeBooks will travel with the students throughout their time in high school and will be replaced with each incoming class (as the ChromeBooks for students leaving the class will be outdated). After the initial start up costs (see below), there will be an additional cost of approximately 1,100 ChromeBooks each year.

Start-up Costs--ChromeBook Tablet Devices: $170,000 (pilot only--2 high schools)

This option will require AACPS to provide a ChromeBook tablet device for all participating students. For the first year only, AACPS will need to purchase ChromeBooks for all participants at once. Because students will keep their ChromeBook throughout their time in high school, in subsequent years, AACPS will only need to purchase tablets for the incoming group of students. Therefore, this initial start-up cost will be replaced with a smaller annual cost.

 

Click here to see all start time options.

 


School Start Times Task Force   |   Anne Arundel County Public Schools   |   410-222-5000