Woodburn instituted multi-track YRE for grades K-8 in the 1993/94 school year.
On a multi-track calendar, groups of students are placed on staggered schedules
so that one-quarter of the students are on a break at any given time during the
year. Students atttend school for several weeks, then have a couple of weeks
off.
Woodburn went to a multi-track year-round calendar due to severe overcrowding
in their elementary and middle schools. A single-track calendar provides for
year-round school -- the same several-weeks-on, a couple weeks off calendar for
all the students -- but it doesn't allieviate space problems.
If current growth projections are accurate, Sisters schools will soon become
critically overcrowded. The high school is already at capacity; that is why the
school board has proposed bringing seventh and eighth graders back to the
intermediate school campus.
The board has indicated that even if the proposed bond to build new classrooms
at the elementary school passes, Sisters faces a choice between YRE and a
building a new middle school in the next couple of years. If it doesn't pass,
YRE may become an immediate necessity.
Either way, planning has to start early. Audrisht said planning takes about 16
to 18 months following a firm board commitment to instituting YRE. After that,
committees can be formed to to develop timelines, calendars curriculum,
staffing plans, registration procedures, scheduling and storage plans.
In Woodburn, parents were allowed to list first choice, second choice and so on
for their childrens' track. Audrisht reported that they had 87-90 percent
success in fulfilling those requests. She said the average success in providing
parent choice is higher. Children from one family are all placed on the same
track.
As to challenges faced in Woodburn, Audritsh said that "multi-track is the most
difficult because you never have your staff there all at once; you never have
your kids there all at once."
She also acknowledged that the schedule raised parents concerns about finding
child care and activities for children who are on break at odd times during the
year. In Woodburn, Audrisht said, the district worked with the parks and
recreation district to provide activities, including indoor swimming, for
students.
While she could not cite direct evidence of academic improvement attributable
to YRE, she did note that Woodburn's state assessment test scores, which had
been steadily declining, stabilized and have started to rise since the
establishment of YRE.
And, she said, the staff likes the schedule and think it has beneficial
results.
"They feel like they come back refreshed," Audrisht said. "The kids come back
refreshed."
Year-round education did not permanently solve Woodburn's space problems; they
are building a new middle school which should be ready next year.
Audrisht said the school will be full on opening.
When the new middle school opens, Audrisht said, the district will review
whether to stay on a multi-track YRE schedule, return to a traditional
calendar, or go to single-track YRE.
She said many parents favor single-track becausde they like YRE but want all
the students to have the same breaks. But, Audrisht noted, with the new middle
school full at the start, event if the district changes calendars next year,
they may have to return to multi-track again.
