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Report of BCCHS Committee June 2002

Summary
In early 2002, Principal Katy Harvey announced that Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School (BCC) would test an innovative project called the “2-8 Pilot Program.”  The program would allow some students and teachers to shift their class schedule one period later, thereby helping to reduce sleep deprivation – a problem that has been shown to exist at BCC and other county schools.

The BCC Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA) formed a committee to evaluate the pilot program, the “2-8 Pilot Evaluation Committee.”  Lucy Swartz was named to chair the committee and, subsequently, the following were appointed: Rich Meagher (school administration), Barbara Alushin (teacher), Chester Hartman (parent) and Lee Evans (student). The committee met twice during the spring semester to discuss the status of the program.

Unfortunately, BCC was not able to proceed with the 2-8 Pilot Program for the fall of 2002.  While a majority of BCC families and students had expressed a desire for a later school start time in a survey mailed to all BCC families, only 6 students signed up for the three courses that were offered in the pilot program.  Problems with transportation (for both students and teachers), conflicts with after-school activities, and limited course choices were among the reasons given for the low registration numbers.  It is also possible that BCC's move to the new Bethesda campus made it more difficult for students and teachers to give the pilot more focused attention.

With the cancellation of the pilot program, the PTSA 2-8 Pilot Evaluation Committee cannot fully carry out its evaluation work.  However, we believe it is still useful to analyze the various reasons why the pilot could not be implemented next year.  Such analysis is important to BCC and could be useful to others at BCC and elsewhere who may wish to initiate a similar pilot program in the future.  Some of our observations may also be useful with respect to efforts to create pilot programs dealing with other issues.

Background
Health professionals, researchers, and parents have expressed concerns, backed by data, that adolescent sleep deprivation is responsible for a number of student health, safety, behavioral, and academic performance problems.  Surveys of BCC students and their families undertaken during the 2000-2001 school year showed sleep deprivation, reports of behavior inconsistent with the school's education mission (e.g., dozing during the first period), and support for a later starting time.  Selected survey results are contained in Appendix A. 

Several parents met with BCC administrators during the 2000-2001 school year to explore ways the school could mitigate the problem of sleep deprivation by having a later start time.  The Flexible Schedule approach (later named the 2-8 Pilot Program) was thought to be the best compromise solution because it called for voluntary participation from teachers and students.  It also was determined to be the least expensive, least disruptive option because it did not require new buses and did not interfere with extracurricular activities.

Principal Katy Harvey solicited interest from teachers, and with help from Assistant Principal Rich Meagher, put together a slate of three 8th period classes – Honors Biology, Computer Applications, and French 4.  This slate of classes was based solely on the willingness of the teachers to modify their current work schedule. 

The pilot program was announced to the BCC community, including incoming Westland families, and students were asked to register for any of the three pilot classes if they wanted.  Postcards announcing the pilot program were mailed to every BCC family prior to registration.  However, very few students were able to avail themselves of the 2-8 period option, primarily because only a limited number of students (mostly 9th and 10th graders) were eligible for any of the three courses offered.  Rising juniors and seniors generally could not participate, given the lower level of these courses.  Only 6 students registered for any of the three classes offered.

As a final attempt, announcements were made in school that any student interested in arriving at school in time for 2nd period and staying for an 8th period should make that preference known by signing up in the Guidance office.  If a large number of students wanted the option, then the 2-8 Evaluation Committee was prepared to see what arrangements might be made to meet the expressed desires of these students.  Only 1 student signed up for the program through the Guidance office, and the pilot program was abandoned for the 2002-2003 school year.

Barriers to Student Participation
Inability to participate in after-school activities was a considerable barrier for many students.  Some clubs meet after school, as do all virtually all sports teams and drama.

Transportation presented a barrier for many families.  Without school bus service, a great many students are not able to use other means of getting to and from school.

One further consideration merits acknowledgment: there is a widespread desire among students to be "in synch" with their friends (especially true for incoming 9th graders) -- there is limited willingness to be different, to have a different schedule than the vast majority of others at BCC.

Appendix B offers a sample of comments submitted by BCC families.

Reasons for Low Teacher Participation
Many things seemed to factor into each teacher's decision. For some, the issue was avoiding commuting during rush hour.  Others were unable to accommodate family patterns to a later start time.  Long-time habit is a factor for some as well.  There also is some concern that what begins as a voluntary system may some day turn into a mandate.

Appendix C contains the results of a teacher survey undertaken by Barbara Alushin.

Considerations for the Future
A task force of representative "stakeholders," established at the outset, responsible for designing and implementing a pilot tailored to the specific needs of the school, and with involvement of teachers, coaches and guidance counselors from the beginning, could ensure that all views and issues are taken into account.

It is possible that, with greater knowledge of the research on sleep deprivation and the successful outcome of experiments with later starting times, more teachers and coaches would be willing to accommodate their schedules so as to provide their students with the optimum learning environment.

A considerable amount of communication between the administration and teachers needs to accompany any such change in established patterns and routines. To the extent individual teachers' specific needs can be accommodated, through negotiations, discussions and cooperative problem-solving with the administration, more teachers may be willing to participate.  The teachers' union might play a useful educational and communications role.

After school activities are a vital consideration.  Encouraging all clubs to meet during lunchtime, allowing students to sign up for the pilot on a single semester basis, and providing flexibility for some sports (especially individual athletics like wrestling, track, swimming) might reduce conflict between sleep needs and desires to participate in important extracurricular activities.

Greater reliance on the public transportation system, the after-school bus routes, carpooling arrangements, and even small subsidies to permit group taxi riding might prove useful.

Integrating education about sleep into the curriculum wherever practical (discussion of relevant research in health and science classes, doing surveys in statistics and math classes, etc.) may help to create an atmosphere in which such a pilot program is more likely to take place.

It may be that a small pilot of the type envisioned has too many inherent deterrents.  It may be that a pilot such as this could only work as complete split schedule, with roughly half the school on a 1st to 7th period schedule and half on a 2nd to 8th period schedule.  Under this approach, students would not feel “different” and the various other elements (bus transportation, car pooling with friends, after school activities) would be re-tooled so as to accommodate both populations.  We acknowledge that this approach would require major readjustments in the current BCC school and transportation program.

Despite the failure to implement the 2-8 Pilot Program at BCC next year, a lot was learned from the experience.  We hope this report will prove useful to others at a future date.
 
Appendix A:
Selected Results of Survey Mailed to All BCC Families, 2000-2001 School Year

Of 232 students at BCC who were responded to the survey:
 

·           25% said they often had trouble falling asleep

·           38% said it was "very stressful" to get up in the morning

·           49% said is was "somewhat stressful"

·           30% reported feeling exhausted in the morning

·           9% said they came to school late 1-3 times a week because of oversleeping

·           14% said they came to school late 1-3 times a month because of oversleeping; so 23% are coming to school late at least once a month because of fatigue

·           17% said they miss school at least 1-3 times a month (including the 5% who said they miss school 1-3 times a week) because of tiredness

·           64% said they did not finish their homework at least 1-3 times a month because of being tired (including 38% who said this happened 1-3 times a week)

·           65% said they had trouble staying alert in class 1-3 times a week

·           33% said they doze off in class 1-3 times a week

·           25% said they doze off in class 1-3 times a month

·           82% said they noticed other students dozing in class 1-3 times a week

·           68% felt they would do better in school if schools started later

·           82% favored later school starting times

·           Few reported problems with jobs, babysitting, or after-school activities that would occur if school end times were later

·           Students who received the least amount of sleep (6.5 hours of sleep or less) were at highest risk for lateness and missing school

·           Even the students who reported getting the most sleep (8 or more hours) had trouble with dozing in class (20%) and staying alert (46%) -- so there appears to be fatigue resulting simply from having to get up for school so early

  
Appendix  B : 
Sample of Comments on 2-8 Pilot Project Submitted by BCC Families

These are comments from parents about why they did not or could not participate in the Pilot, even though they wanted to do so.  The comments are generally pretty thoughtful, and while some may seem critical, most are constructive.  Taken as a group, they do identify several categories of problems need to be addressed in order to make a pilot program work.  Although it would be impossible to address all concerns, improving one or two areas could increase participation in a pilot program.

Main Reasons for Non-Participation:

1)  Not enough/wrong course offerings
2)  Need separate semester choices
3)  Transportation an issue for some
4)  Incompatibility with after school sports programs
5)  Better planning/information needed
6)  Peer pressure is an obstacle
 

·           Could you offer a 2-8 option for separate semesters?  My children would like to participate in the spring, but they can't sign up for a full year commitment because they have sports interests for fall semester.

·           My daughter would have been one of the first to sign up for the pilot program had there been a course offered that she could take.  She doesn't take French, took computer app freshman year and took biology last year.  How about offering the kinds of courses that a vast majority of the students take?  All 9th, 10th, and 11th graders have to take social studies.  All students have to take English.  An honors NSL, regular US History, Honors Modern World, for example.  Same with English. Add another science besides Biology. Math--better to take Algebra II and Geometry in the afternoon than 1st period as my daughter had to for 2 years in a row (perhaps a contributing factor to her dismal current performance compared with her performance in 6th grade). 

I realize that the program is dependent on teachers volunteering.  But if the administration had suggested some classes perhaps more teachers would have volunteered.  I think it is a shame to read in the Gazette that the program has been offered but may not fly due to lack of student interest.  It is not lack of student interest, but lack of proper planning.

 As an aside, I would expect that kids with ADHD and other learning disabilities suffer more from sleep deprivation than others.  Are you aware of any studies in this area?

 ·           Sorry, but the course selection isn't broad enough to accommodate my son.  Otherwise, we would be interested.

 ·           Why didn't you explain the Pilot more in advance?  We didn't know anything about it.  There was no clear information in the registration package and my child didn't know anything about it either.  He said he talked to the counselor and they didn’t seem to understand it or encourage him to try it.

 ·           Any idea whether the school will allow students to sign up for only one semester of the pilot?  My daughter tried to sign up for the 2nd semester only (in the fall, she's on the soccer team & the coach said the school wouldn't let her leave early enough to get to away games because she'd miss 1 1/2 classes), but I don't know if the guidance dept ignored her request or not.  If the school allows it, others might be interested.

 ·           Couldn't the coaches be a little flexible on this?  My son would like to do it, but his coach said he couldn't be on the team if he did.

 ·           My daughter would be interested in the pilot if there were any classes she needed to take and if it did not cut her out of sports.  If teachers who also coach would volunteer and have their sports practices start after the 8^th period there would be a bigger pool of students interested.

 ·           We didn't understand that this was a real option until AFTER the registration was already handed in.  If we knew more, earlier, she might have signed up.

 ·           My daughter should do this, but she is afraid she might miss something after school.  She likes the unsupervised time to hang out with friends.  I know that isn't a great reason, but it is her decision.

 ·           I think for us to join the pilot we would have to have some kind of transportation set up...it's just really hard to think of getting my son back and forth to school EVERY DAY.  That's why we didn't sign up...even though we would LOVE to see a later start.

 ·           The registration system was very unclear and confusing about this.  We gave up!

 ·           Sports make it impossible for our son, even though he would really benefit from the extra sleep.  Could you manage a late sport possibility?

 ·           The class selection for the pilot program is very limited.  My son, a junior, would love to sign up for the pilot program, but he's already taken 2 of the classes offered and is not at all interested in the others.  I don't think it's fair to judge the program based on the limited course selection.  I'll bet you'd see more success if the offerings were 20 - 30 classes instead of a handful.

 ·           Offering transportation with the pilot would help.  I think it may be destined to failure without offering transportation

 ·           The late start thing seems like a great idea, but it doesn't seem like the school did a very good job of planning it or telling the students and parents about it.  Your notices are eye opening, and I agree, most teenagers, and adults too, are running on empty and are at risk.  With greater amounts of sleep, a student is able to work more efficiently – complete homework in less time.  Working long and late hours quickly becomes unproductive.

 ·           I know that a later start time would help my children.  I know that it would help my relationship with my children.  It will also keep them safer driving to school and home from games.  It seems pretty clear to me that we are balancing the MCPS transportation budget on the backs of our children.

 ·           Katy Harvey deserves a lot of credit for recognizing the need to offer adolescent students a later start time.  Now she needs help and support communicating the issue to faculty and coaches.  Maybe as vacancies arise, she should recruit teachers and coaches from other county [high] schools who would like a later start time.

 ·           The IB and AP students in particular are known to be stressed and many of them do athletics as part of their college admissions strategy.  They are notoriously sleep deprived.  A particular effort should be made to work out a 2-8 option for them.  The IB program only involves 100 students, they take mostly the same courses and the group might be small enough to hand design a workable 2-8 option.  At a minimum 2-8 should be available to AP and IB kids if they are not in a sport one semester.  That is the only way my rising junior could participate.

 ·           Since everyone takes four years of English, there should be a popular English course for each grade offered 8th period and definitely Algebra II and chemistry which I assume many students take.  Offering health which is a required course for everyone also makes a lot of sense.  Every effort should be made to offer the 3 or 4 most upperclassmen populated courses.

 ·           I think a special effort ought to be made to identify the students who have learning difficulties, who often doze in class or those who act out...and individualized guidance should be provided to steer these individuals to a 2-8 option.

 ·           Extended study hours in the library should be offered and an activity bus for kids from areas not covered by public transportation and free Ride-on options.  Ridership supplements should be available to the small number who may need it.

 ·           I agree that constructive feedback is the best.  I applaud your diplomacy in broaching the subject.  Thanks for working so hard on this - it's so important for our kids.

 
Appendix C:
Results of Teacher Survey

This is a summary of results from 34 teacher surveys that were returned.  The number who checked off each answer is indicated in the in parentheses below.  Please note that this is an informal, non-scientific survey.  We do not know, for example, if these responses are representative of the teachers who did not respond to the survey.  Further, it is not possible to do simple percentage analysis of the results because some teachers checked 2 or 3 answers for a single question while others skipped some questions.  In spite of the technical flaws, the survey instrument and process may have, the overall results are credible and consistent with what we have heard from teachers in general.  Most have their own reasons for not volunteering for the 2-8 Pilot, and the majority of teachers appear to oppose a changed schedule of this type.  However, a few left the door open to volunteer in the future if specific issues are resolved.  More detailed follow-up would be needed to determine whether there might be enough volunteers to staff a refined 2-8 program in the future.

Survey Results:

1) Did not volunteer because:
     A.  Family obligations (7)
     B.  Commute too difficult (12)
     C.  Teach singletons (2)
     D.  Not enough info (5)
     E.  Other – Coach conflict (4),  Other extracurricular activities (2)
     N.  No answer (6)

2) Interested if:
     A. Student benefit clear (4)
     B. EC activities adjusted (5)
     C. Change schedule to non-singleton (1)
     D. One semester, not full year (2)
     E. Other:  
"wait and see how it turns out" 
"did volunteer, but other science teacher had already volunteered"
     F. Not interested (18)
     N. No answer (5)

3/4/02 Draft

1.  Why this Pilot Program?

A recent student survey confirmed that BCC teenagers average 6.5 hours sleep a night -– 2 to 3 hours less than recommended by medical experts and the National Sleep Foundation; and many are getting far less than the average.  Sleep deprivation of that magnitude can have serious health consequences and can make it harder for students to learn efficiently.  Other schools around the country (e.g., Arlington, VA and Minneapolis) are adopting later start times and finding improvement in attendance, alertness, safety on the roads, student behavior, psychological well-being and other aspects of student performance.  Scientists and health professionals are also recommending that schools start later.

2.  What exactly is 2-8 Pilot Program?

The 2-8 Pilot Program gives students and teachers the option of starting school one period later and staying one period later.  Currently, students and teachers start in the first period (7:25) and finish in the seventh period (2:10).  The "1-7 group" schedule will remain unchanged.  Students and teachers in the Pilot Program group (the "2-8 group") will start in the second period (8:23) and finish in the eighth period (3:02).

3.  What advantages does the 2-8 Pilot Program offer?

It incurs few if any new costs and has many advantages, including: 

· Choice:  It provides extra sleep to students who need it without forcing a change on students, teachers, and families who prefer the current schedule.

· Low Cost:  It involves no significant transportation or operating costs, since it does not require new buses or drivers.

· Positive Teacher Impact: It benefits teachers who prefer a later start without penalizing those who prefer the current schedule.

· More efficient use of space:  It allows extended use of scarce facilities (such as science labs).

· Flexibility:  It can be tailored to the unique characteristics of specific schools, and it can address specific needs of individual students and families.

4.   How many students can participate in the Pilot Program?

There will be 3 or 4 teachers and about 100 students in the Pilot Program for the Fall 2002 semester.

5.  Will students or teachers be forced to participate in the Pilot Program?

No.  The Pilot Program is strictly voluntary. 

6.  Which classes will be offered 8th period?

Fall semester 2002 8th period classes will be Computer Applications, Honors Biology, and French 4/French 4 honors.  These classes will be offered at other times during the day as well, so students who want to take them can, whether they sign up for the Pilot Program or not. 

7.  What if a student wants to be in the Pilot Program but is not eligible for those specific courses?

Unfortunately, s/he won’t be able to sign up this time.  But the student may have an opportunity to sign up in the future when other courses will be offered. 

8.  What if more students want to participate than there are places available?

The school administration will devise a fair way of setting priorities  -- such as medical or other needs, giving preference to upperclasspersons, or possibly a lottery system.  Those not selected might get preference for the following semester or year. Clear expressions now of student/family desires to participate could encourage the school to try to offer a wider variety of classes starting 2nd semester next year.

9.  What about IB, AP, other classes,  lunch time, test schedules, etc.?

Students in the 2-8 group will be fully integrated with all of the other students during periods 2?7.  They will have the same classes, lunch period, etc.  On days when standardized tests begin first period, 2-8 Pilot Program students would come to school in time to take the test with the other students.  At present time, no IB or AB classes are offered in the 8th period. 

10.   How might after school activities be affected?

In general, sports and other after school activities will not be changed to accommodate the 2-8 Pilot group.  While some activities begin right after 7th period, others do not. Most clubs meet at lunchtime, rather than after school.  Students considering the Pilot Program should check with specific coaches or other activity leaders to see if their participation will be a problem.  Click on 2-8 Pilot and Extra Curricular Activities for more details.

11.  How will the bus system be affected?

The school bus system will not be changed for the Pilot Program. Those who participate in the Pilot Program will need to get to school on their own: walking, biking, driving, car pools, public transportation. For getting home, there also are 2 after-school activity buses. RIDE-ON buses are free for students in the afternoon. If transportation issues create a financial hardship for some students, it may be possible to provide a subsidy to cover these costs.

12.  How will the Pilot Program be evaluated?

The BCC PTSA has formed a committee, with parent, staff and student involvement, to evalute the Pilot and make recommendations for its future.

13.   How do I sign up for the Pilot Program? 

To sign up, you will need to follow these general steps:

A. ____ Determine that you are eligible for one of the 8th period classes being offered.
B. ____ Determine that you won’t have an unacceptable conflict with after school activities.
C. ____ Determine that you can get to and from school without using the regular school bus system.
D. ____ Discuss the program with your guidance counselor.  Such discussions should indicate any special reasons for desiring the 2-8 option.

 * * * *

[Note: This Q&A sheet was prepared March 4, 2002, based on information available at that time; it will be revised periodically, as new information becomes available.  If you have further questions, have additional answers to suggest, or feel other issues should be added, please contact WAKEUP pilot team member KirkRenaud@aol.com.
 

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