CATvisory: What do high schoolers  think?

   CATvisory is a half-hour period held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School. It takes place in between our fourth period class and lunch, and the goal of this period is to provide time for students to complete homework and/or ask for help from their teachers. In many CATvisory classes, events such as discussion circles are also often held, with the stated goal of encouraging students to express their opinions and feelings on certain topics. From March 24th-30th, we polled a number of high school students on their opinions of CATvisory at this school. The poll consisted of two questions, the first of which being “Would you prefer for the school to keep CATvisory as it currently is, or to use that time in another way?” This question was asked to establish how important CATvisory is in these students’minds, and if they would rather see it replaced with anything else. For those who answered that they wished to see it replaced, we asked a follow up question of “What would you prefer the allotted CATvisory time be used for?” The second question on the poll was “Overall, do you have a positive or negative opinion on CATvisory at this school?” This question, being rather simple, was asked to gauge general opinions on the period, whether people enjoyed having it or didn’t feel the period was necessary. The results of this poll point to a clear majority opinion on both questions.

  According to our poll, which was responded to by a large portion of students from grade levels 9-12, a majority of 76.9% wish to keep CATvisory as it currently is. Most respondents see the class as beneficial, and prefer to have that available time to study, prepare for tests and projects, and work on homework. Some common reasons these students stated for wanting to keep the class as it is included that it allows them to complete work they otherwise may not have, that it gives them the opportunity to ask teachers for assistance if they need help on an assignment, and that they prefer having that period to having other classes on those days be longer. In the same vein, the second question on our poll painted a similar picture; 61.5% of those who responded reported having a “positive” opinion of CATvisory classes. According to this sample, the majority of students at Calistoga Junior/Senior High School likely support the institution of CATvisory.

   However, there is also a clear and present minority of respondents who oppose CATvisory, and wish to see it removed. According to our polling, 23.1% of students who responded want to see CATvisory’s time used elsewhere on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Some common reasons for students’ holding of this opinion include that CATvisory is a waste of time, that many people may not have much homework and therefore don’t need the time, and that they dislike being forced to participate in discussion circles and conversations every week in that class. Those who answered in this way also provided their ideal alternatives for where to spend those thirty minutes; the most common were either having each regular class be ten minutes longer, or creating a new period in which students are essentially able to do whatever they want. A similar minority group harbored negative feelings towards CATvisory in general, as 15.4% answered that they disliked CATvisory and had a negative opinion of it. This group of students, about one-fifth of the pool of students who participated in the poll, who view CATvisory negatively are not the majority by any means, but they are very present and willing to share their views on the school’s institutions.

   It is clear, after this polling has been completed, where many Calistoga students stand on CATvisory as a class. While some hold negative feelings for it, the evident majority of those asked see it as an overwhelmingly positive use of time, and wish to see it remain as it is in the Calistoga schedule.

 

By: Sean Birge 

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