The traditional school model is the foundation of our society. For more than 100 years, educational institutions have held classes Monday through Friday, approximately 180 days per year, advancing students one grade level at a time as they master information predetermined by their age and start date.
Butler County’s premier career technical center, Butler Tech, is committed to supporting the whole child by leading the transformation of public education away from the traditional one-size fits all model.
In February 2020, Butler Tech, one of the largest career technical centers in Ohio, launched an innovative school calendar featuring 15, consecutive four-day school weeks. For students, Fridays became “The Fifth Day Experience,” allowing students to use their Fridays off to personalize their own learning and growth outside of the traditional classroom.
“These Fridays are not a school day,” explained Jon Graft, Butler Tech Superintendent. “All students will attend the same number of school days and receive the same amount of instructional time with this non-traditional school calendar. Instead, the Fifth Day Experience is an opportunity for students to make their own educational choices and grow outside of an outdated model that no longer meets all of the needs of our students.”
The students are responsible for choosing their own Friday activities with more than 100 options supported by Butler Tech on their campuses. Students can choose to pursue college credit, learn new skills, take courses to earn additional career certifications, attend drivers’ education classes and participate in guided college and industry tours across the region. Additionally, many students are pursuing off-campus experiences such as job shadowing, internships, and part-time jobs.
“The Fifth Day Experience has been an amazing opportunity. I have been able to try out personal interests, such as dance and culinary classes that I would never had tried if it wasn’t for the Fifth Day Experience,” explained Ben Rose, senior Graphic Design student.
Cory Hickman, junior Aviation Exploration student, used his most recent Fifth Day Experience to attend a local business-networking meeting. “I was able to network with insurance companies, realtors and debt elimination companies to help me grow my own aerial drone service business,” explained Hickman.
The “Fifth Day Experience” is the first of its’ kind in Ohio and is drawing interest from educational leaders across the state and beyond.
“Butler Tech has taken the seed of an idea — to extend the real-world experiences of students in ways that meet their interests — and created a world of opportunities with and for students that are engaging, thought-provoking, and real,” shared Thomas S. Poetter, PhD, Professor and Chair, Miami University Department of Educational Leadership. “You can tell by the students’ responses and participation in the Fifth Day Experience that they care deeply about their educational experiences today, as well as their futures tomorrow. And that’s not just on the Fifth Day, but every day.”
This is not the first time Butler Tech has disrupted the traditional education model. Through new programs focused on robotics and automation as well as drone technology and aviation, Butler Tech continues to create next level opportunities for students.
“We are committed to meeting the needs of students by creating innovative models that can be replicable across the state and the nation. As far as a historical significance of being the first or one of the firsts to implement a model like the ‘Fifth Day Experience,’ it will only be historically significant if we inspire others to replicate the model,” explained Graft. “My hope is that other districts join the education revolution. Our communities are demanding it, and our students deserve it.”
About Butler Tech
Butler Tech is one of the largest career technical schools in Ohio. Its passionate educators are on a shared mission of transforming lives to make our students career-ready and college-prepared. Our teachers serve more than 17,000 students daily on Butler Tech’s five campuses and in classrooms within our 11 associate school districts. Butler Tech also serves adult students with programs in healthcare, industry, public safety, commercial trucking, drone piloting, high school diploma programs, and English as a Second Language. For more information, visit ButlerTech.org.
About Fifth Day Experience
The Fifth Day Experience is an opportunity to transform our students’ learning experiences by restructuring the traditional school calendar to include 15 consecutive four-day weeks beginning Friday, February 7, 2020 – May 15, 2020. Fifth Day Experience applies to high school students who attend Butler Tech’s high school campuses (Fairfield Township, Monroe, West Chester).
These Fridays are not mandatory school days. Instead, they allow our students to pursue personalized experiences determined by their own voice and choice. The overall goal of the Fifth Day Experience is to enhance students’ education and growth through freedom and flexibility based on their interests, needs, and ambitions.
FFor more information about the Fifth Day Experience, visit www.FDE.Butlertech.org