HD27 - A Seven-Period Extended Day for High School Students

  • Published: 1987
  • Author: Department of Education
  • Enabling Authority: House Joint Resolution 96 (Regular Session, 1986)

Executive Summary:
The Department of Education conducted a study to determine "the feasibility of revising regulations to facilitate a seven-period extended day for high school students." A review of the Standards for Accrediting Schools in Virginia, adopted July, 1983, indicated that there are four criteria which have a bearing on implementation of a seven-period day:

1. The implementation of a seven-period day requires a more efficient use of the existing school day, a longer school day, a lengthened school year, or a reduction in the number of hours required per unit of credit. Also, the seven-period day requires a more effective use of staff or a larger staff.

2. The study showed that the seven-period day for high school students is rapidly replacing the traditional six-period day in Virginia. The current regulations as contained in the Standards for Accrediting Schools in Virginia, are not posing insurmountable obstacles to this movement. The standards pertaining to length of the school year and length of the school day are minimum standards which school divisions may exceed, if they find it desirable, but increasing either of those requirements would place undue hardship on certain school divisions. The requirement pertaining to the number of hours required for a unit of instruction could be reduced but the amount of content covered in the course would also need to be reduced.

3. The number of class periods that a teacher may teach per week has been a concern of those responsible for the revisions of the "Standards". After a very serious consideration of all factors involved those responsible for the revision of the "Standards" now in progress have made a proposal for a change in this criteria.

4. It is recommended that the proposal for the change in the standard governing the number of class periods that a teacher may teach be adopted. It is further recommended that the standards pertaining to the length of the school year, the length of the school day, and the number of hours required for a unit of credit remain unchanged.