I have served for the last four months as an alternate parent/community representative to the Four Period Day Steering Committee and I'm pleased to see a healthy, ongoing and overdue public discussion regarding the four-period day at West Seattle High School.

The steering committee, composed mainly of West Seattle High School staff members and some parents, will not reach a consensus but rather will be submitting multiple position papers to Carla Santorno, Seattle Public School's chief academic officer, on June 29 for a final decision regarding the future schedule at West Seattle High School. Staff and parent recommendations will be different.

Staff is truly concerned about potential budget cuts and the loss of teaching positions that may occur, as noted in Wayne Gryttings contribution (letter) last week. I believe these concerns are exaggerated and represent a wage earners sensitivity to change that most of us can identify with, but regardless, student interests must be the primary concern of any decision coming from the district, particularly from Carla Santorno's office.

I'd like to share why I think four-period day is not generally in the best interest of West Seattle High School students or West Seattle families. During my service on the steering committee I have come to know parents who speak with pride that their children attend West Seattle High School. I have also met many neighborhood parents frustrated by the four-period day and it's impact on education options in West Seattle. Some have spoken out, some have not. Many have sent, or will send their children to other district high schools or private schools, enduring long days and commutes.

West Seattle is a geographic island, separate from the core of the city and other schools. You must be very motivated to leave the neighborhood every morning, joining the masses on the West Seattle Bridge and viaduct. In a monopolistic way, West Seattle High School and Seattle Public Schools have presented neighborhood families with a difficult choice: take what we offer you or take the bus into town.

What's being offered at West Seattle High School needs improvement, families readily perceive this yet, as stakeholders, they've suffered through 13 years of poor accountability, endless delays and district inaction or manipulation. A recent study by the district, often quoted by four-period day proponents, applauds West Seattle High School for having continuing improving Washington Assessment of Learning scores. That study fails to discuss however the dismal rate at which West Seattle High School students failed to pass all three required Washington Assessment of Learning modules in 2005-2006.

Of eleven mainstream Seattle Public Schools high schools, West Seattle High School is nearly tied for eighth place, competing for the cellar with schools having nearly twice as many students in poverty. For students unfortunate enough to live in poverty and attend West Seattle High School, their pass rate for all three Washington Assessment of Learning requirements was the lowest in the district except for Cleveland.

Washington Assessment of Learning improvement, such as that often quoted and touted by the district, gauges very little to validate the success of four-period day. Washington Assessment of Learning comparison to other Seattle Public Schools high schools on the other hand gives a clear, and factual picture, of just how poorly the program is doing compared to other schools operating within the same basic district infrastructure.

Why is student Washington Assessment of Learning achievement, on average, negatively affected by the four-period day at West Seattle High School? The biggest cause is math being delivered in longer class periods than other schools. Students just stop absorbing the material in the last half hour of an 85-minute class and teachers feel obligated to turn them loose on their homework during the final portion of the day. Other issues are long gaps between classes in Washington Assessment of Learning subjects, 8 percent larger class sizes and core classes offering only 117 hours of instruction per credit versus 160 at other schools.

It's quite reasonable to assume larger classes and dramatically less seat time will result in a lower measured result. To believe otherwise would seem somewhat "magical" to most parents.

Will four-period day at West Seattle High School change to a six-period day? I believe, along with many other involved West Seattle families, that it should in 2008-2009. Some good block scheduling alternatives based on the six-period day were presented in committee meetings that would provide a compromise between math and science department's conflicting needs for shorter versus longer class periods.

The district, under Carla Santorno's banner, is also seeking to standardize curriculum between schools, a task made impossible with a lone four-period day school. The new school assignment plan will likely make it much harder for students to be assigned outside their neighborhood school, bringing into sharper district focus family expectations.

Carla is paid over $150K a year to make smart executive decisions that make sense for students, regardless of how difficult or divisive. I expect she's up to the task.

Kevin Lorensen is a Gatewood resident and may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com