HIGHLANDER TIME: HOW REDEFINING THE SCHOOL DAY SUPPORTS STUDENTS
Baldwin High School took a bold step at the start of the 2025-2026 school year in reimagining what a school day can look like— and after a full academic year in practice, the results are speaking for themselves. At the heart of the new model is“ Highlander Time,” a flexible period built into the middle of each day that’ s designed to meet students where they are academically, socially, and personally.
A New Kind of School Day
The change begins with the bell schedule itself. Rather than attending eight classes daily in 40-minute periods, Baldwin students now take courses in 80-minute blocks that meet every other day. This extended format gives teachers the room to blend direct teaching, small group work, labs, and project-based learning all within a single period. Transitions are fewer, focus is deeper, and teacher-student relationships have more time to develop meaningfully.
Highlander Time then gives students a mid-day opportunity to engage with something tailored to their individual needs or interests— whether that means tutoring, joining a club, working out with an athletic trainer, or exploring a new passion. Students are in the driver’ s seat of their own learning experience.
A Year of Measurable Benefits Co-Principal Brandon Whitfield sums up the philosophy simply:“ By building in flexibility, we’ re empowering
every Highlander to grow academically while pursuing opportunities that match their goals and passions.”
After a full year, that vision has produced real outcomes. Highlander Time has created intentional space for targeted academic support without pulling students from core instruction. Interventions happen seamlessly, and students are addressing needs before small struggles become larger ones. Equally notable are the benefits no one anticipated. Students have grown remarkably more independent and self-advocating, and relationships— between teachers and students and among peers— have flourished beyond expectations. Organic peer support networks have formed, adding a powerful community layer to what began as structured support time.
A Community Grown Stronger
One year in, Highlander Time has shaped a stronger school culture overall. Teachers are engaging with students beyond their own rosters, and a collective sense of responsibility for all students has emerged across the staff. Looking ahead, school leaders see Highlander Time as an inherently adaptable tool— one that can shift groupings, offerings, and supports in real time based on student data, making personalized learning more achievable than ever.
After an entire academic year, it’ s clear that Highlander Time isn’ t just a scheduling innovation— it’ s a statement about how student-centered instruction can empower students to thrive. aldwin-Whitehall BALDWIN-WHITEHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
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