Trimesters to Continue at THS Despite Neutral Impact

Students will continue to have trimesters at after board members voted Monday to approve a recommendation to continue the unique scheduling style.

District administrators said slight improvements in test scores were not a factor in making the recommendation to continue trimesters. Instead, administrators said the unique scheduling style allows students to select a wider range of classes, which creates an opportunity to explore different areas of study.

After four years of using trimesters, providing students 15 class choices over three grading periods, district administrators have concluded that the scheduling style had a neutral impact on students at Trenton High School, according to information provided by .

Administrators began implementing trimesters in 2009, and the practice has continued since implementation.

Ann Deneroff, director of curriculum, said the district used from the last four years to evaluate how trimesters might have impacted student achievement.

Deneroff said Trenton High School students had slight improvements in nearly all areas of study including reading, writing, science and social studies. Math scores took a slight dip in 2010, but improved the following year.

Other Downriver districts such as Flat Rock and Southgate also noticed slight improvements in MME scores after implementing trimesters in 2008 according to district data.

“Overall there was a more positive increase in (MME) scores on trimesters,” Deneroff said.

However, Deneroff concluded trimesters had a neutral impact on student achievement despite improvements in test scores.

She said research has shown scheduling does not significantly affect student achievement adversely or positively.

Deneroff said there are much more critical factors that impact student achievement with teacher quality being number one on the list.

Some other factors that impact student achievement are curriculum alignment, instructional strategies, parent involvement and instructional leadership.

Superintendent intern and assistant principal at THS, Rodney Wakeham, said students benefit from trimesters because the scheduling allows them to select from a wider range of important classes including classes teaching world languages and art.

Wakeham said students would have an average of about 12 fewer class choices over a four-year period.

Wakeham asked students what classes they would cut out of their schedule if the district were to revert back to normal scheduling, and the results showed many students decided not to take high-level world language classes and art classes.

School board member Carol Oakley said trimesters give students an opportunity to explore new areas of study.

“I think the trimesters are a good thing, as long as our kids are performing,” Oakley said. “I think it would be foolish to go back.”