West High School: Study of Passing Times Between Classes

Neil E. Cotter Member of SCC Fall 2011 - Spring 2013

Parent of Student in class of 2012

Abstract—This document presents measured passing times between classes at West High School in Salt Lake City, Utah. Parents walked between classes that parents suggested their children had trouble reaching in time on routes suggested by Principal Jacobs. It was found that two of the six studied routes could not always be walked in the five minutes allotted by a new schedule implemented in the fall of 2010.

INTRODUCTION A new daily schedule was implemented at West High School (WHS) in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the fall of 2010. The new schedule reduced passing times between classes from seven minutes to five minutes. In response to concerns over the reduced passing times expressed by faculty, parents, and students, the author (Neil E. Cotter) initiated a study of the adequacy of the reduced passing times.

METHODS In order to ensure accuracy and optimality of the study, the following steps were taken in this study:

1) Parents were asked via Whipsnet (WHS email network) to submit actual examples of problematic routes for their students. They submitted these to the author via email, and the author selected six routes that had complete information, (such as teachers' names, red or black day, period, and classroom numbers), and appeared to be representative of all submissions.

2) For the six routes chosen in part (1), the author asked Principal Parley Jacobs to choose an optimal route through hallways on a map of WHS supplied by the author. Optimal means minimum time in this case.

3) Where Principal Jacobs gave several options rather than a single optimal route, the author selected a single indoor route (so results would also apply in case of inclement weather). Also, none of the routes studied involved travel from the main building to the field house or other buildings. The new science wing of the school was added after this study was performed.

4) Parents were recruited via Whipsnet to measure passing times between the mapped routes and walked routes during the actual pass times while students were in hallways. This includes walking red-day routes on red days, for example.

5) Parents were given forms with detailed instructions and maps of the routes they should follow. (See Appendix A for the actual forms). The following instructions, designed to give the most favorable possible results for shorter passing times, were given on the forms:

1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Because routes were pre-specified and followed accurately by parents, parents did not show their routes on the maps. Instead, minor deviations and comments were noted by parents, in writing, on the forms.

The instructions for timing passing times omitted the following extra times that would expand the actual time required for students to pass from class to class:

1) Time required to exit a classroom if a student is not among the first five to leave. 2) Time required to get a drink of water or use a restroom. 3) Time required to reach a seat in the classroom after entering. 4) Time required to open a locker and stow or retrieve items (for routes including a locker). 5) Time required to ask a question of a teacher.

By omitting the above times, the measured times reported in this study are a fair representation of the lower bound on passing times

RESULTS Fig. 1 shows the results of the passing time study. (See Appendix B for spreadsheet data.) Too few volunteers were available to achieve the goal of three measurements of each route, but at least one measurement was obtained for each route. Four different parents walked the routes. The author walked six of the reported routes. Fellow SCC member Chris Davison walked four of the reported times. A third parent walked three of the reported times, and a fourth parent walked one of the reported times. For all but route six, at least two different parents walked the route.

For the routes exceeding five minutes, route two included a locker stop, but route five did not. Chris Davison measured the two routes that exceeded five minutes and reported verbally to the author that he got stuck behind slow moving groups of students that he could not pass in narrow confines.

Fig. 1. Results of Passing Time Study.

DISCUSSION The results suggest that five minutes passing time is inadequate for some routes. The study eliminated any activity that would increase passing times beyond the absolute minimum, and the study included the requirement that the walker proceed as quickly as possible without running or being impolite (i.e., pushing people out of the way). Even under these constraints, two of the routes were not completed in five minutes, and six more out of 14 times were less than 30 seconds away from five minutes. Thus, the data indicate that it would be physically impossible for students to be consistently on time to the classes at the ends of the routes studied.

CONCLUSION For the routes at West High investigated in this study, a five-minute passing time was found to be inadequate to ensure that a student could reach class on time with a high probability. This conclusion was reached after selecting what were thought to be optimal routes that would avoid student traffic in the hallways.

The data suggest that six minutes is a lower bound on the absolute minimum achievable pass times, but this would probably rule out water stops, restroom stops, or locker stops on the challenging routes. This study was also completed before the addition of the new science wing at West High. Routes to these classrooms would be physically longer than to those in this study.

APPENDIX A PASS TIME INSTRUCTION FORMS GIVEN TO PARENTS

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 9:15 a.m. bell between periods: 1 and 2 Day: X Red Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: T207 Arce-Larreta

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: C400 Nicholas

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): –

(over)

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 9:15 a.m. bell between periods: 1 and 2 Day: X Red Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: 428 Craigle

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: T5 Lenge

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): 2114

(over)

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 9:15 a.m. bell between periods: 1 and 2 Day: Red X Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: D409 Perkes

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: T8 Bartholemew

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): –

(over)

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 9:15 a.m. bell between periods: 1 and 2 Day: X Red Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: C417 Campbell

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: T202 Hansen

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): –

(over)

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 10:52 a.m. bell between periods: 2 and 3 Day: Red X Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: C417 Campbell

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: T202 Hansen

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): –

(over)

West High School Pass Time Record Instructions: 1) Follow the route shown on the map (below and back of page). 2) Measure passing time while students are in the hallways between classes. 3) Start walking (and timing) from just outside the classroom when 5th student exits the room. 4) Walk as briskly as possible (without running or being impolite) to the destination classroom. 5) If you stop at a locker, just touch the locker (time at locker will be added later). 6) Stop timing when you reach the doorway of the destination classroom. 7) Fill out this form (show your route on the map) and turn the form in to the Main Office.

Your Name: Date:

Affiliation: parent, student, teacher, admin, other (specifiy)

Time of Day: 9:15 a.m. bell between periods: 1 and 2 Day: X Red Black

Starting classroom number/teacher's name: T202 Hansen

Ending classroom number/teacher's name: C415 Romeike

Passing time: A Locker # (if any): 3562

(over)

APPENDIX B SPREADSHEET OF DATA

Note: the identity of parents number three and four were kept confidential as the author was uncertain whether these parents were comfortable with being identified.

2012 West High Passing Times Study

Route #

Start Rm Teacher Locker

End Rm Teacher Day

From Period

To Period

Time of Day

1 T207 Arce-Laretta - C400 Nicholas Red 1 2 9:15 2 428 Craigle 2114 T5 Lenge Red 1 2 9:15

3 D409 Perkes - T8 Bartholemew Black 1 2 9:15

4 C417 Campbell - T202 Hansen Red 1 2 9:15 5 C417 Campbell - T202 Hansen Black 2 3 10:52 6 T202 Hansen 3562 C415 Romeike Red 1 2 9:15

Passing Times Data

Route 1 2 3 4 5 6

Pass Time 04:30.0 05:00.0 04:48.0

04:35.0 04:19.0

04:03.0

Pass Time 03:50.0 05:46.0 04:48.0

04:56.0 04:02.0

Pass Time 03:45.0

04:43.0 05:12.0

Ave 04:10.0 05:23.0 04:27.0 04:44.7 04:31.0

04:03.0

Raw Data

Route #

Pass Time

Corrected Time Walker Date Comment

1 04:30.0 30:00.0 Parent 4 3/13/12

Some students left early, but I waited until 5 left after the bell rang

1 03:50.0 03:50.0 Neil Cotter 3/13/12

Left after 5 students left room, but 4 of those 5 students left before bell rang.

1

2 04:57.0 05:00.0 Neil Cotter 2/7/12

Started timing when 5th student left room, which was only a few seconds after bell rang at end of 1st period. Bell rang as I touched door [at destination].

2 06:01.0 05:46.0 Chris Davison 2/7/12

[Chris commented to me (Neil Cotter) in person that he missed locker and walked to Vice Principal's office before turning around. He said this probably added 15 sec.]

2

3 04:48.0 04:48.0 Chris Davison 2/8/12

3 04:48.0 04:48.0 Chris Davison

2/14/12

3 03:45.0 03:45.0 Neil Cotter 2/14/12

Raw Data (cont.)

4 04:35.0 04:35.0 Parent 3 1/24/12

Tues. [I wore] No backpack. 6 students arrived after bell. Halls not very crowded.

4 04:56.0 04:56.0 Parent 3 2/7/12

Tues. 8 students arrived after bell. Halls more crowded. No Backpack. Announcements until 9:26. Students walking into other classrooms as late as 9:22.

4 04:43.0 04:43.0 Neil Cotter 2/28/12

5 04:19.0 04:19.0 Parent 3 2/10/12

Friday. Assembly Schedule today. Time of day 11:32. Halls not crowded. 7 students arrived after bell.

5 04:02.0 04:02.0 Neil Cotter 3/20/12

I wore no backpack. # students late < 1 min 7 # students > 1 min < 3 min 0 Left after 3 min. Very few students in halls after 3 min ≈ 6 in 2nd floor T wing

5 05:12.0 05:12.0 Chris Davison

4/26/12

6 04:10.0 04:03.0 Neil Cotter 2/21/12

Lost approx 7 sec [removed in corrected time] overshooting last turn on 3rd floor after passing locker, 10 students were late for class, 6 were just 30 sec or less late. Did not stop at locker, (just touched it)

6

6 Note: The corrected time for route two measurement became three seconds longer to account for the interval between the bell ringing (when the watch was started by mistake) and the time it took for five students to exit the classroom.