Calendar Change Means Extra Day Off for District 196 Students

School District 196 elementary and middle school students will get an extra day off this spring, thanks to a change in the school calendar approved at Monday's school board meeting at in Apple Valley.

The district's high schools already were scheduled to have the day off while high school teachers participated in staff development sessions.

The extra vacation day for all students will give teachers an additional day to analyze student assessment data and collaborate on instruction as part of an increased emphasis on personalized learning, according to a press release issued by the district office.

District 196 Superintendent Jane Berenz said this was an important step in supporting the work of the district’s strategic plan, which was developed last summer by a task force of district residents and staff.

Berenz said teachers need time at regular intervals throughout the school year to analyze student data, collaborate with colleagues and adjust instruction to address the needs of individual students.

Berenz is considering additional structural changes for the 2012-13 school calendar as well, which could be presented at the March 12 board meeting. The first of these would involve converting three days of school—one per trimester—to instructional analysis days for teachers only, the same as March 9 this year.

Since this would not add duty days for teachers there would be no additional cost to make the change.

The calendar for 2012-13 has 174 instructional days for students, which would drop to 171 if three days of school were converted to instructional analysis days for teachers.

District officials are also considering approval of a two-day late start for elementary schools in the 2012-13 school year.