A crash course in the new public high school schedule

When the new schedule for high school students in Ottawa’s biggest board landed on Wednesday, there were more questions than answers.

The schedule has students going to school on alternate days and taking two 112.5-minute classes on each day that they’re in school, followed by an early dismissal.

Most of the second day will be spent on “self-directed learning at home” followed by 75 minutes of “remote support/study hall.”

The scanty details have left a lot of parents confused, said trustee Mark Fisher. “They think kids will be sitting on their hands.”

Q Do the new plans meet the requirements?

A The Ottawa Catholic School Board’s plan gives students two 150-minute classes on the day they are at school, followed by a day of at-home learning.

Q What about the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board?

A Its revised plan is a little different. Students will get a 112.5-minute class, then 10 minutes of transition time, followed by a second 112.5-minute class, for 225 minutes. They will then have 40 minutes to get home and have lunch. The afternoon will be spent on 75 minutes of “independent learning with support,” for a total of 300 minutes of instruction. The next day will be spent at home. Students will spend about two-thirds of the day on “self-directed learning with support.” In the afternoon, they will get 75 minutes of “remote support/study hall.”

Q What is self-directed learning ?

A This includes such activities as watching instructional videos, working on assignments and accessing instructions on various online platforms. Materials will be posted weekly. Students won’t be completely on their own, said board chair Lynne Scott. On the days they are at home, they will be accountable for staying engaged. Student attendance will be monitored and parents will be informed if a child doesn’t sign in. Q Does the plan meet the 50-per-cent expectation?

A It’s about 35 per cent, according to Fisher’s calculations. “Initially they were at 25 per cent. So, clearly, they have made improvements,” he said.

“If we need to go further, it becomes a funding issue. We might need more teachers. It becomes a space issue.”

A spokesman for the school board said the Guide to Reopening Ontario Schools says boards may shorten the in-class school day and use remote learning and independent study either synchronously or asynchronously (not at the same time).

According to the revised plan, students will receive 225 minutes in front of a teacher every other day, as well as 75 minutes of synchronous virtual support on their “at home” day, plus 75 minutes of asynchronous learning at home in the afternoon on their in-school day, he said.

“Teachers will schedule synchronous opportunities for students at home to join the cohort in the classroom synchronously for some aspects of the learning period, therefore augmenting their synchronous time,” he said.

The new plan comes as close as possible to meeting Lecce’s 50-per-cent expectation, given health and safety requirements and the board’s collective agreements with unions, Scott said.

“Even when students are at school all day, they are not being lectured for 300 minutes (a day),” she said. “It’s not part of a regular experience. “