Wilson is almost certainly going to have a 4×4 schedule next year. The Beacon Staff strongly encourages DCPS to rethink their decision in order to improve both the quality of education and the mental health of their students.

Since the beginning of this school year, Wilson has been using a 4×4 schedule. Instead of having nine months to master a certain subject, our full-year classes are crammed into one semester. Compared to the previous odd-even day schedule, the 4×4 is tedious and repetitive.

Attending and being assigned new work for the same classes every day offers nothing to look forward to, except an increase in stress.

The impact of rushed material is twofold: more cramming and less retention. Especially for STEM, ESL/foreign language, and AP classes, continuity is more productive than condensed content. With less time to master new skills and content, as well as months after the semester ends without any practice or review of certain subjects, student learning will be compromised. 

If this schedule is inevitable, DCPS should at least continue to dedicate one day per week to asynchronous learning. This break may not be a perfect solution, but it provides a much-needed respite from the drudgery and relentlessness of a school week. 

The 4×4 schedule is unhealthy and unsustainable. If DCPS cares about the well-being of it’s students, they must reconsider the 4×4 schedule.