New middle school schedule will increase classroom instruction time by 4 hours each week

LACONIA — The city school board approved a new bell schedule for Laconia Middle School Tuesday evening, against the objections of one member. The new schedule aims to maximize class time, and complies with state and federal laws. 

The schedule was created by a 14-member committee of classroom teachers as well as guidance and special education administrators. Comparing schedules at other area schools found Laconia students receive less classroom instruction. Laconia Middle students get 6 hours, 24 minutes each day, whereas Belmont students have 6 hours, 50 minutes, and Winnisquam students receive 6 hours, 57 minutes.

The current bell schedule, made up of four core classes and two exploratory, sets each session at 46 minutes each, for a total of 23 hours of direct classroom instruction per week. The schedule includes a 58-minute remediation and enrichment block, and a 28-minute lunch. There are two-minute transitions between classes.

The new schedule sets each class at 54 minutes by eliminating transition time, decreases the remediation and enrichment block to 30 minutes, and decreases lunch for seventh and eighth graders to 26 minutes. This makes for 27 hours a week of direct instructional time, or 24 additional hours per year in each class. Students who require more than 25 minutes of special education services will receive it at other times during the day.

“Every minute counts, and that additional time is another group of kids you get to be able to correct their understanding, and get them to complete a task effectively,” Principal Aaron Hayward said Tuesday night during the meeting at the district office on Harvard Street.

A statistic of 25% of behavior referrals occurring during the remediation and enrichment block was attributed to too much downtime for students.

Board members voted 6-1 on the schedule change, with member Laura Dunn (Ward 2) opposed.

Students with disabilities will have intervention services during one of the two exploratory class periods. Dunn said this discriminates against students with disabilities, and could lead to litigation. State RSA 354-A requires all students to be included and have access to their desired classes.

Exploratory subjects include art; science, technology, engineering and math; media, health, physical education and world cultures.

“They could file a lawsuit if they feel like their students’ civil rights are being violated,” she said. “How many times have we heard previously that we can do something, and then, unfortunately, it didn't pan out, and we've been sued?”

According to the Laconia Middle School student handbook, student participation in exploratory classes is as their schedule permits. Band, chorus and Spanish are not considered exploratory classes, but are scheduled in those slots. A vote to approve that handbook on Tuesday was also 6-1, with Dunn opposed.

Dunn said the service intervention block is required by law, making it different from other class options.

The school will offer alternatives to the intervention block. Students can receive help before or after school, and Haywood described students using something called a push-in.

“A push-in is something where a special ed provider would be coming into the classroom and helping the student access the class,” he said. “For instance, that might be modifying an assignment, or helping them with a graphic organizer.”

This alternative allows a student to receive extra help without losing class time.

The new schedule is like one used two years ago, except students were pulled out of class, usually an exploratory one, for help.

Amy Hinds, the district's interim superintendent, said the options allow parents to choose how to integrate assistance. If parents think their child would benefit more from an exploratory class, the school’s Individualized Education Program allows for changes to be made.

“The parent would be directed back to the IEP team to come up with a way for services either to be pushed in instead of pulled out, which many students, as they get older, that happens,” Hinds said.

Dunn said according to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, changes made to an IEP must follow a specific procedure, including properly notifying the parents. Dunn said this has not been done, citing a letter sent out via email on May 23 informing parents about the changes. The letter, approved by Haywood, former Superintendent Bob Champlin, Student Services Administrator Katherine Wilson and Hinds, talks about the changes to class time and the remediation and enrichment block, and indicating students receiving more than 25 minutes of special education services will have priority of choice on exploratory classes. It does not specify the loss of their second exploratory class, something Dunn thinks leaves parents uniformed.

“It's OK that they're not getting the second exploratory, [if] they're fully aware of that option,” Dunn said Tuesday during the meeting. “And what I'm hearing right now that's very concerning, if we were to approve this bell schedule tonight, is that a lot of the families are not aware of this, and they're not informed.”

Family members with questions about their student’s IEP should contact Wilson at 603-524-4632, ext. 2136.

Hinds said the letter was reviewed by attorney Alison Minutelli of Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, PLLC of Manchester, who represents the school. A request for comment to the firm was not returned by press time.

Hinds said schedules went home to parents Monday, and two had reached out after noticing the change. One parent asked for push-in services instead of an intervention block, and the other agreed the block was necessary for their child. Hinds said the school can also reach out to the 45 families with middle school students who have disabilities to answer questions. Board member Zachary Dea (Ward 1) liked the idea.

“If we have that positive confirmation that each one knew, it kind of settles the communication,” he said.

Haywood stood by the new schedule, saying it will create more growth for students.

“By the time we were done talking about this as a committee, there was a lot of excitement,” he said. “We've got a chance to take this, run with it and really push our kids.”