Page 106 - EdViewptsSpring2019-web

It’s About Time: Later Start Times

for High Schools

By Gary Snyder, Principal and Jessica Baxter, Assistant Principal, Princeton
High School

In the fall of 2016, Princeton for all high schools to address. It is a myriad of associated maladies rang-
High School faculty and supported by research, but difficult, ing from a lack of focus and irritability
to clinical anxiety and depression.
nevertheless. This is our story of why
administration, began an in- we viewed the later start time as im- In early October of 2016, we sought out
quiry into the notion of 21st perative and how we made the change to learn more about the needs of our
for the 2018-2019 school year.
century schooling through Princeton High School, is a high per- students and consider how changes in
our use of time, space, and pedagogy
the lenses of student well- forming school with a uniquely diverse might improve the learning and lives of
ness, student-centered and growing student-body of over students and teachers. The journey, lit-
erally began with our boarding of charter
1,600 students. The accomplishments
are as plentiful as the challenges and buses to spend a day in Philadelphia.
pedagogy, and equity. Our goal
was to examine our current practices the community increasingly concerned Each faculty member was given a small
in light of a changing world, student about the health and well-being of the sketch book, designed by a former
health issues, and emerging research town’s adolescents. Despite standard- student, to record their thoughts, ideas,
in our profession, in order to construct ized test scores and other achieve- and connections made to other people
meaning for ourselves and our students ment metrics perennially among and ideas. On the bus ride to the city
to apply the design of new structures the best in the state and region, the we watched a video about creativity to
for our school. parents, faculty, and administrators encourage ourselves to think in a less
experienced genuine concern about
linear manner and prepare ourselves
One of the outcomes from our two the well-being of our students. The to make the connections about how we
years of work was a shift to a later concerns grew to alarm with increas- might teach and run school differently in
morning start time for the high school. ing reports of stress, lack of sleep, and the 21st century.
This is a critically important change

Educational Viewpoints -104- Spring 2019