“Coug time”, a new addition to the Capital High School’s schedule, allows for two half hour segments to give students more opportunities for catching up on classwork each Friday. Not only allowing more choice for students, it also decreases class time during the remainder of the day. Capital’s mission statement, located on the school’s website states “The CHS community inspires all learners to think, explore, and grow”. So when evaluating “Coug Time”, does it fulfill the mission statement that CHS has stated?

When asked about Coug Time’s success, Mr. Johnston of the English department is relatively unsure. “I have no idea on the continuation,” he says, “some particular students have come in, but not a marginal amount.” When asked on an idea for Coug time’s future, “It’s too early to say, I really have no predictions.” Ms. Finley with the science department has a much different view. When asked how effective the system was, “I’m highly optimistic about the future. But right now, I’m only seeing about 10-20 students.” She later on begins to expand this, “I will see when course work becomes more demanding, such as an oncoming test, there will be a great increase in students. I’m also disappointed that it limits class time.”

Jacob Hom, a full-IB student, is highly supportive of the new Friday schedule. “It gives you a variety of choice,” he says, “much more like the real world. Out there, what you choose to do determines your success. If you want to accomplish something, it’s up to you; and this thing works to do that.”

So does Coug Time fulfill the CHS mission

statement? By allowing students the freedom of exploration, how they think and grow, from a student’s perspective, absolutely. However Finley’s statement says something else; when course work expands, so does attendance during Coug Time.

This is relatively restricting in that it might bend some teachers to have to schedule certain tests or quizes, retakes, etc. to take place during these segments.

After all, it does limit class time; when we are supposed to be doing quizzes, tests and other things in the first place.

As Johnston states, in that it is much too early to determine how effective it will be for Coug Time, Jacob’s perspective rings quite true in a student’s view of the new Friday Schedule.

Based on just it’s core values, it is highly effective in that it offers student freedom; which, as Jacob states, it’s essential to student success. But, that freedom might come at a cost for teachers in that they have to schedule certain activities on their Coug Time segments; as Finley says, limiting class time; and their choices in teaching.

At this early in the year, it is much too early to distinguish; as Johnston says. But the fact it makes the students happy and learn more effectively, as well as meet CHS’s mission statement, as of now, it’s success is not quite making a dramatic impact. But the future could see much more learning to occur within school walls. Student choice, it seems, is more relevant; and schools have had dozens of arguments in the recent years on why the content that is taught is not relevant to modern day. But this offer of choice in a student’s education, long term it seems, might have positive benefits in the near future.