The traditional tutorial system is known and loved by many as it provides students time to stay in class and finish homework or meet with teachers to ask questions about course material.
But starting next school year, Cal High will move away from this and introduce a new system where students schedule this time in advance through a program called responsive scheduler.
The system, which many students experienced in middle school, will allow students to select support sessions each week based on teacher offerings.
The roll out of the responsive scheduler at Cal will begin this fall.
Responsive scheduler is already being used at other district high schools, including Monte Vista and San Ramon Valley.
“It may take some time for folks to get used to the change, especially for students to sign up,” Principal Demetrius Ball said. “We will spend the first two weeks of school really talking about it and helping students.”
Teachers will be required to finalize their tutorial offerings each week by the previous Tuesday. Students will begin selecting sessions each Wednesday with a final deadline on Sunday.
Reminders will be sent through Infinite Campus (IC) every Friday, and the scheduled sessions will appear directly in student accounts.
There will be a limit of 30 students who can sign up for each session.
Since students will now change classes, there will now be a five-minute passing time for students to get to their support classrooms. As a result, school will end at 2:40 p.m. for most students and 3:45 p.m. for those taking a B period.
School will still end at 2:05 p.m. on Wednesdays since there is no student support on those days.
Currently, students spend time in tutorial making up tests, quizzes and other work, and participating in everything from review groups to enrichment activities.
Attendance will be recorded in IC, eliminating the use of paper passes or email sign-ins.
The change to responsive scheduler, which has been in the planning stage for several months, is intended to improve how students access academic support, make-up assessments, and benefit from structured learning opportunities during the 30-minute support time.
“I think that [responsive scheduling] will help me manage the class during tutorial, especially since there is a specific reason why the students are in tutorial,” English 9 teacher Alexis Fernando said.
Ball said the system will offer several benefits, including improved organization and efficiency.
He also said that responsive scheduling will lead to fewer last minute decisions, digital accountability, more personalized support, and greater flexibility.
“If there are two history teachers for example, and one is doing retesting while the other is doing a reteaching on the same day, they can share that responsibility versus having to do both of those things over a certain amount of days,” Ball said.
Counselors, wellness coordinators and librarians also will be able to offer sessions that expand the variety of available resources available to students.
While the system offers potential advantages, it also brings concerns regarding student adaptability.
With multiple steps required each week, including checking offerings, making selections, and monitoring deadlines, some students may struggle to keep up.
Students who forget to sign up may be placed in default sessions or directed to the commons. Some teachers also could face challenges with the transition to responsive scheduler.
“I don’t want random students in my class because then I can’t give them a grade,” AP U.S. History teacher Chris Doherty said.
There is also concern that some students may not take full advantage of the new system, either by selecting easier options instead of sessions where they need support, or by waiting too long and ending up with limited choices.
Students who are requested by a teacher to attend a support session will have their options restricted and must attend the assigned session, which may lead to frustration among students.
“I really like tutorials now, and sometimes when I don’t have anything to do it’s like a free period,” freshman Sarah Horner said. “Always having to sign in for something could stress me out and affect my schedule.”
Questions remain about how consistently students will remember to sign up, or whether the system will truly increase student engagement.
Similar to any new system, ongoing feedback and adjustments may be necessary as the school evaluates its impact during the first year.
“I think this is going to be organizationally beneficial and provide structure,” Ball said. “We’ll be able to make sure that students who need support will be able to get it.”
