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  • Students with passing grades left Woodward High School in the rain on Wednesday at 2 p.m. as part of the school’s flex schedule. The flex program has motivated students to do well in school, while also allowing more one-on-one time available for students who are are failing or have fallen behind because of illness.

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March 10, 2010

Flex program extended due to initial success

Jenah Kastelic Woodward News

Woodward, Okla. — Woodward High School’s new flex schedule has proved successful and will continue through the remainder of the school year.

 During the Board of Education meeting on Monday, WHS Principal Kirk Warnick presented the board with impressive remediation numbers and requested the flex schedule be extended.  

“In a four-week period we went from having 220 students on the ineligible list down to 139 students,” said Warnick noting that is a 39-percent decrease.

The district approved Warnick’s proposal, and a modified flex-day schedule will resume following Spring Break.  

“There have been a few modifications for the flex days, both in class length and in beginning and ending times of the school day,” said Kyle Reynolds, assistant principal.  He also added, “we will not have flex days on April 21 and April 28, due to EOI (End of Instruction) testing days, and May 19.”

The school piloted the flex days in February as a way to make better use of time for staff and students.  The new schedule provides a block of time in the morning from 7:50 a.m. to 8:40 a.m. for staff development activities, staff meetings and collaboration.

In addition, all ineligible students are required to stay after 7th period and attend tutoring sessions with their respective teachers from 2:22 p.m. to 3:15 p.m.  

Freshmen students Zane Kelly and Treavor Collier both said the tutoring helped, and getting to leave early motivated them to keep up their grades.  In fact, it only took one session to get them caught back up in their classes.  

“I think I’ll be passing by today,” Collier  said.

Seniors Angela Squibb and Lauren Beaner also had positive things to say about the flex-day.  Both were eligible to leave early on Wednesday and said they were going to use the extra time to get some sleep.

You don’t have to be failing a class to utilize the one-on-one time with a teacher either.  Some students attend to improve their grades.  For example, Squibb said she also liked the flex-days because “it gives us time to catch up when we are absent.”

Reynolds said teachers and administrators were “pleasantly surprised” with how well the flex-days are going.  

Will the flex-schedule be a permanent fixture at WHS?

Not yet, said Reynolds, “at the end of the year we are going to distribute a survey to all students, teachers and parents.  After we get their feedback we will see if changes need to be made, or if the flex-days should continue next year.”

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