Two perspectives on proposed early calendar

Jason Siu, a Lowell grad and Student Advisory Committee veteran, provides us with this perspective on the proposed early calendar:

I support the proposed academic calendar change that the district and UESF are considering. As a former public school student (shout out to my beloved alma mater, Lowell High), I can see the plethora of advantages if the academic year starts earlier.

1. Currently, students take the statewide California Achievement Test with only 70% of the materials covered due to the lack of instructional time under the current academic calendar. The CAT is always scheduled in April and tests on a yearlong curriculum of mathematics, English, science and social science. With only 70% of the curriculum covered, students are forced to guess the remaining 30% -- this is one cause of the low test scores. If the school year starts earlier, students will receive more instruction; therefore, scores will increase and many of our schools can finally comply with the guidelines set forth by No Child Left Behind.
2. Currently, Superintendent Garcia has a resolution to open up AP courses, making it more available to students from all schools. Like the CAT, AP exams are given in May and with an earlier start, students can receive more preparation in order to do well on the exam. This potentially saves students thousands as many colleges allow AP scores to waive required graduation courses. Some at Lowell even enter college in sophomore standing, saving them over $20,000.
3. For high schools, many internships and summer programs begin in May. Ending the year earlier allows students to take advantage of these opportunities our community provides, which can benefit them with working experience.
4. Starting the school year earlier allows counselors to spend more time with their students to guide them through the hectic college application process. SFUSD should not only focus on getting students graduated from high school, but also encourage them and help them strive for higher education – a 2 or 4-year institution is better than ending schooling with a high school diploma. Choosing a college list, writing essays, studying for the SAT/ACT and requesting recommendations all require a tremendous amount of time.
5. Students should be able to enjoy their winter breaks. I don’t know how many breaks I’ve spent rushing my winter break assignment on January 2. Ending the semester prior to the start of the beautiful holiday season allows students and parents to spend some quality time on vacation or enjoy some quality, peaceful time. Also on an instructional note, teachers usually spend the first couple of days after break reviewing the same materials taught prior to break; therefore, time is wasted once again.

Many schools—both on the East and West coast—have adopted the proposed schedules and SFUSD should follow these examples. I strongly believe that starting the semester earlier is better for academics and instruction, improving educational standards in our district.

Meanwhile, the UESF survey is complete, and it looks like they are urging a go-slow approach to the change. From the latest UESF newsletter:

Thanks to the nearly 1,000 people who took the 2009-2010 Calendar Survey. The results are now being tabulated. A majority of members preferred the traditional calendar, over either of the two alternatives. However, 60% of you were willing to try an earlier calendar if you had a year to prepare.

Because of the varied concerns raised by members who took the survey, we are advocating that no significant changes be made to the 2009-2010 calendar. Today we met with representatives from the SFUSD to discuss the calendar, and to deliver that message.

Full results will be posted on the UESF website, and will be shared along with an overview of the several hundred comments in the next edition of the SF Educator.