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.

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.

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