New Academic Lab Format Presents Pros, Cons

          Administration has issued a new format to the Academic Lab schedule, where travel is delayed twenty minutes – ten more minutes than previous years.  Also, every student who earns an F on the three week RADAR report, must reside in the commons during Lab and are not allowed to travel.
          “I believe the extra ten minutes of no travel could give students and teachers a few extra minutes to establish their goals for lab.  It could get students to ask themselves what they really need to do, and can allow teachers time for one on one conversations with their students,” said junior class principal Keith Sanders.
          When students are summoned to the commons, the main goal is to bring their grades to their attention before the six week grading period and help students bring up their grade.
          “The primary goal is to figure out why students may be failing.  In order to do that, we felt we needed to do something broad and have an intervention for a student who is failing,” said school principal Jenny Marquart. 
          Administrators as well as teachers and teacher assistants in different academic areas will be in the commons to help students during this time.
          Even though this is supposed to be a positive addition to the student’s academic success, some students believe that the new format to Academic Lab is unfair and may present problems.
          “I don’t think the ‘lock down’ method in the commons is fair.  It degrades the students who are failing,” said junior Derek Allen. 
          The new intervention and lab routine will be evaluated at semester and changed as needed.          

Dan Brodsky