Summary of Master Schedule Changes
for 2004-2005

Allen High School and Lowery Freshman Center will be changing to a seven-period system in 2004-2005. This system will till be built around a block schedule in which students will take seven classes at a time instead of the eight classes they can take this year. Some general observations about the new schedule include:

• The day will begin with one “skinny” period of sixty-minutes (First Period) that meets every day. This period will also serve as a homeroom period with general announcements and campus business taking place at the end of the period. Next there will be three ninety-minute block periods that meet on an “AB” alternating-day schedule. There will be another sixty-minute period at the end of the day.

• First period will be heavily loaded with programs such as girls’ athletics and band. There will be approximately 1200 students who will be served through these programs first period. Other elective classes will be “front-loaded” during first period, meaning as many elective teachers as possible will teach first period. As much as possible, the focus will be to give teachers with six regular TAKS-impacted classes a first-period conference period.

• Juniors and seniors will have to take at least five classes in order to qualify as full-time students. Juniors and seniors taking five classes will have to take one of the skinny periods and two of the block periods every day.

• Double-blocked program (athletics, dance team, and band) classes will be eliminated. The one program caveat to this is soccer which will probably still be double-blocked in the middle of the day for facility use reasons. The programs currently double-blocked will be served in the sixty-minute periods that meet daily. Academic classes that are currently double-blocked will continue to be double-blocked based on student needs.

• The school day for grades 9-12 will begin at 7:50 AM. The earlier start allows for better facility use and efficient use of the bus transportation system. The main portion of the school day will end at 2:12 PM after the third block of the day.

• Eighth period will begin at 2:27 and will include an array of choices for students. Teachers will monitor and participate in these activities an average of two days a week. Boys’ athletics and drill team will meet during this period.

• Tutorials will be moved to the end of the day. All teachers will have two days a week that they hold tutorials a portion of the eighth period block (at least thirty minutes per day).

• No programs will be eliminated. Students will be taking an average of one less elective. This will cause elective programs to constrict due to the loss of students picking an additional elective; but overall growth in the student body should offset much of this constriction. Upper-level electives will probably not be impacted since these are normally chosen as a student’s first or second elective choice.

• There may be more classes that will have to be offered eighth period. International Baccalaureate diploma candidates have to fulfill two sets of diploma requirements – the districts and IB requirements; many of these students are also involved in extra-curricular programs that restrict their schedules. This may cause a group of students to need an eighth option for scheduling purposes.