By Shannon Lukens.

 

The option of Zero Hour at Steamboat Springs High School has been removed from next year’s school schedule, after over 30 years of having it available. Principal Jay Hamric said 30 years ago, SSHS was a much smaller school. There are 880 students now and about 220 of them take Zero Hour.

Zero Hour is where school starts an hour earlier than normal and students are allowed to take that early class to get out earlier for sports practices, or other activities like extra classes at CMC.

SSHS Principal Jay Hamric led a meeting with parents, coaches, and students Thursday night at the high school. He stressed that the change best serves the entire student community.

“The decision for this change ultimately is about creating a balanced schedule here at Steamboat Springs High School that all students have access to all of our teachers, all of our courses, and all of our resources. And our current schedule doesn’t allow for that accessibility for all of our students. So that is the big why behind this change.”

He said all SSHS students will still be able to fully participate in SSHS sports and extracurriculars but practice times may change. The change in the schedule will reduce conflicts and road blocks for the students. He also said there is a problem with school culture and climate when students leave early. And bus service cannot accommodate those students getting to school early for Zero Hour.

“I think we’ll have less schedule conflicts when kids are registering for our courses. I think we’ll have more of our teachers providing support and tutoring students who need help throughout the school day and we’ll be able to balance out our class offerings throughout the entire school day so that we have rigorous programs not just in the morning but in the afternoon classes as well.”

As far as practice schedules, an example is the hockey team, where the players can start the day earlier and then get out earlier to get to practice at Howelsen Ice Arena in the early afternoon, before all other Steamboat Stampede Youth Hockey practices start. An online class may have to happen and one parent said they went through that with COVID and it wasn’t good.

Hamric said the school is working with the city to come up with hockey practice times. A parent then said the school didn’t meet with the city until Tuesday.

 

Another big concern from parents at the meeting was from those whose students participate in Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. It’s called “Skier Schedule,” where they can take the early morning class and get out at 11:35 a.m. to get over to the ski area for on-snow training. Hamric says there are about 40 students on Skier Schedule. These parents were very vocal at the meeting because Hamric said this change affects their athletes the most. Those students will take four in-person classes and at least two classes online through SSHS. The school district provides that at no cost.

“We will continue to work with SSWSC on any challenges.”

Gillian Morris is one parent who spoke about how Zero Hour supports those student  who are making commitments to athletics as well.

“It supports them having in-person learning, it supports them having the interaction with other students and teachers and taking that away is doing the opposite of supporting them.” (applause)

Another concern from those at the meeting was how families weren’t involved in the decision. One parent asked, “Where was the engagement with the community before the decision was made?”

Hamric said the conversation was with staff, counselors, and district administration. No students, teachers, or coaches were involved.

He was again asked, “Why didn’t you get the parents involved?”

Hamric responded, “Parents weren’t involved. We’re having that discussion now.”

Another parent said, “Just cutting it off without any discussion is very unfair.”

Another parent of two high school boys said, “It doesn’t make me happy that I came here and it has already been decided.”

Parent Izabela Banas said, “You will lose a lot of students to Steamboat Mountain School,” adding that this is a very unique town and, “We have been successful with zero hour for 35 years.” She said students will choose athletics over school and people will be moving.

Another parent added that they understand that just because something has been in effect for 30+ years doesn’t mean it should continue now.

Hamric also stressed overall academic achievement and growth and how SAT scores have been on a steady decline in the past seven to eight years and he hopes to turn it around.

School District Superintendent Celine Wicks says it is a high school administration decision and not within the purview of the Board of Education. “Decisions related to the bell schedule and academic programming fall under the authority of the SSHS administrative team.”

Mike Morris created a survey for parents that includes over 335 responses students, parents, teachers, and coaches, asking that it be continued. Morris wrote, “This is a hot topic for a lot of families for sure. The school administration made this decision without input from stakeholders. They did this in a non-transparent manner. A small leadership team made the decision to change the schedule from the way it has been for 30+ years and this is going to have a huge impact on academics, athletics, student employment, recreation, family dinners/time together, etc. Our community does not have a Rec Center, so with limited gym time, ice time, day light hours this will have a huge impact on student and family schedules.”

Keep Zero Hour Support Form

 

At the meeting, a handout was provided from SSHS, called “Early Release FAQ.” It is below.

Link to Handout

25-26 SSHS Schedule / Early Release FAQ

What were the driving factors behind this decision?

The instructional hours of the SSHS school day according to the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) is determined by the hours that all students are able to access education. During 0 Hour (7:20-8:20), only approximately 220 students are able to access instruction. Therefore, 0 Hour does not count toward the minimum number of instructional hours required by CDE. In order to provide equal access to teachers and courses provided by our school district’s budget, it is important to move those resources (teachers and courses) back into the school day during which all students can benefit. As is, there are 8 teachers who are not present to engage with students during the entirety of our regular school day (8:00-3:45) because they teach 0 Hour, and there are 8 courses that are not available to all students because they are taught during 0 Hour. Additionally, those 8 teachers’ have altered contract times, which means they are not available through 3:45 as are other teachers. This limits teachers’ ability to: 1) Collaborate with their colleagues through our district’s required Professional Learning Community initiative; 2) Participate in required Individualized Education Plan (IEP) team meetings for their special education students; 3) Be available to students who are seeking support with coursework.

The goal is to ensure that our instructional resources are available to all students during the regular school day hours. This will increase each of our 872 students’ ability to enroll in classes as needed according to our graduation requirements and their individualized career and academic plans (ICAP).

There are more student requests for 0 Hour than there are opportunities for students to take a 0 Hour class. However, there are not enough 0 Hour requests to warrant consideration of moving the official SSHS start time to 7:20. Additionally, it is not feasible to move the official start time of SSHS to 7:20 due to the bus routes. With all of these considerations, it is not equitable to continue 0 Hour. In lieu of 0 Hour, the availability of early release for the limited number of students who require an early release can continue through online courses.

This change is part of an overall initiative at SSHS to increase the equity in the availability of courses throughout periods 1-8 during our regular school day.

 

What are more of the benefits of this shift for students?

• There are equity challenges in who does and who does not get scheduled for 0-Hour. Many students request 0-Hour and there are limited spots available.  The number of classes offered during 0-Hour is limited due to teacher and administrator availability  
• Increased equity in access to SSSD funded resources during the typical school day
• Students who traditionally have schedules that require an early release and an extensive amount of traveling from SSHS will have easier access to their online classes as opposed to having more in-person classes
• Staff who would otherwise be teaching 0-Hour classes will have an additional class offering during the 8:20-3:35 school day, which will alleviate scheduling constraints for the entire student body and open up more learning opportunities for all students
• Staff who would otherwise be teaching 0-Hour classes will be present at the school during the typical teacher contract period, which means that they are more available for common department collaboration times and are more available to all students throughout the school day
• Students who need an early release are able to sleep later which supports research for healthy brain development in adolescents
• Students will not have to choose between academic classes and going to SSHS sports practice during the school day. Students will have access to varsity and junior varsity after-school practices to allow access to the different team levels as their skill develops.

 

What are the benefits to the school?

• Balanced master schedule allows for classes to be spread out during the school day for all students to access. A balanced master schedule reduces scheduling conflicts for all students.
• AP classes can be offered throughout the school day rather than stacked in the morning and early afternoon blocks AP numbers by class period.  Currently we have 21 AP courses before lunch and only 9 after lunch to meet the needs of the current model. This imbalance creates many scheduling conflicts and less rigorous opportunities in the afternoon of our current school day. With a more balanced schedule, students will have less schedule conflicts with other singletons (ie. courses that are only offered once) and have more opportunities to take more AP courses as well as other singletons
• Allows for flexible scheduling that meets students ICAPs 
• Allows for all staff members to be available for support during the entire school day 
• Allows for equitable access to classes (no bussing for zero hour students)
• Allows for more balanced class sizes. Currently our morning classes are much larger than our afternoon classes.
• Classroom space can be spread out through the day (the high school is limited on classrooms)
• Students can access Concurrent Enrollment (CE) classes during the school day and earn CE credits 

 

What does an early release schedule look like? 

• If a student needs to be released at 11:35 for Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC)  training, they will take two morning classes on Red Days and two morning classes on White Days for a total of 4 in-person classes. They will take two classes online through SSHS.  If they want additional online classes, they will pursue approved off-site online courses.
• Not all class options may be available with early release times. Next school year, there will be a more balanced master schedule, with classes spread throughout the school day.

How does a student register or schedule for SSHS Online Classes?

• Students can discuss options with their counselor, especially if they need an approved, early release for training or other commitments (e.g., SSWSC).

• Students can only enroll in online courses through SSHS if they meet eligibility requirements (i.e. SSWSC early release schedule or credit recovery as determined by counselors and administrations)
• In limited approved circumstances in which students require an early-release schedule, students must have at least four in-person classes and two online courses. (CMC concurrent enrollment counts as in-person). It is still strongly recommended for all students to take seven courses per semester.
• If students are approved for the limited early-release schedule, the student must be enrolled in at least 6 courses through SSHS; they can enroll in additional off-site online courses through approved entities.  Students enroll in and pay for these off-site courses on their own after completing an off-site online course contract with their counselor
• Students must work with their school counselor to determine online course eligibility, online course selection, and completion of online course contracts

What are the options for students who need an alternate schedule for outside sports, work, etc.? 

In prioritizing and preserving the instructional day from 8:20 – 3:35, all SSHS sports are being asked to move to after school practice times. Having sports practice after school hours is a very common model in secondary public schools. We are also asking non-sanctioned sports and extracurricular programs to also honor the SSHS instructional day and offer practice times after or before school.

Students who would like to work during the school day, should consult with their school counselor and register for work-based learning. Work-based learning is a credit bearing course that is part of the student’s Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). Many students who currently work during school hours are not accessing this credit-bearing course.

 

Can students take online classes during the summer?

• Students can work with their counselor to complete the off-site contract for online courses through approved programs. 
• The student/family must register directly for these courses with the approved program and have the transcript sent to SSHS.  

 

How many classes do students need to take each year to graduate on time?

SSHS requires 24 credits to graduate. Students must complete the following to graduate on time:

• Take a minimum of six classes each semester for four years. It is highly recommended for students to take 7 classes each semester.  Seniors in good standing to graduate in four years, may take less.  Students should work individually with their school counselor on course loads and to ensure they are eligible for CHSSA sports and extracurriculars. See question below for more details.
• Pass all of their classes.
• Plan out their schedules to meet all of the graduation requirements.

 

How many class periods is the school promoting for student-athletes? 6 or 7 periods per semester? Why?

SSHS recommends that all students take 7 classes per semester; however we recognize that there will be students who cannot fit 7 classes in their schedule for different reasons. In these rare cases, a student may take 6 classes (4 of which need to be in person classes and 2 can be online).  

SSHS requires students to complete 24 credits in specific graduation buckets to graduate with a SSHS diploma. A student can complete all 24 credits over the course of four years by taking 6 classes each semester and graduate with their class. Again, this is not recommended but with a flexible course schedule, it can be done. CDE requires that all students complete a College and Career Readiness Measure in addition to the HS credit requirement to receive a diploma.  

At SSHS, a student is considered a full time student through the CDE by taking 6 classes (4 of which need to be in person, 2 can be online). It is recommended that seniors take 6 classes during their second semester of their senior year; however, they can take 5 classes and still be considered full-time students.   

Students are encouraged to take more than 24 credits during their high school career. This allows for students to explore career options and courses that will align to their interests and goals. Taking more than 24 credits students can earn college credits and/or a college associate degree while in high school. 

 

What do you recommend for SSWSC who need an early release after morning classes to make sure they get in all their credits and all their desired classes?

• All of our SSHS students work directly with their school counselor on their Individualized Career and Academic Plan. 
• Each student’s goals and pathways are unique.The counselor can help students determine which courses are best for them to take online versus in person. 
• It is important to keep in mind that all students and families have choices, but not all students will be able to have every option available to them.  
  • For example, there may be a single class that is only taught during one class period.  If that class period falls in the afternoon within the master schedule, then that course will not be an in-person option for a student who chooses to have an early release after morning classes.  Fortunately, BYU provides many elective options, core content courses, Advanced Placement options and  NCAA approved courses.

How did the school come to this conclusion? What process was used?

The SSHS Leadership Team led the process in making the decision to revise the current master schedule. The SSHS Leadership team is composed of department heads and school administrators. This team has been working with school staff and the SSHS counseling department since early November in considering changes to the master schedule. SSHS leadership considered the inequities and teaching challenges that the current master schedule presents and recommended the flexible schedule model. SSHS leadership also worked closely with the Director of Teaching & Learning from the district administration to come to this decision. The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club administration was also consulted.