In a trimester schedule, students have three terms instead of two.

Semesters:
August to January (18 weeks)
January to June (18 weeks)
50 minutes period per semester (90 days)= 4500 minutes

Trimesters:
August to November (12 weeks)
November to February (12 weeks)
February to June (12 weeks)
73 minute class per trimester (60 days)=4380 minutes 

Credits
A class that meets for one Semester currently will meet for one Trimester and be awarded 1/2 unit of credit. Likewise, a class that currently meets for 2 Semesters will meet for two Trimesters and be awarded 1 unit of credit. The longest any class will last is the full year and those classes will have 1 1/2 credits awarded annually.

Class Choices
    Semesters: 
    12 For most students 
    14 Maximum 

    Trimesters: 
    15 For all students

Failures
    Semesters: 
    After 1st Semester failure, repeat takes place the next year. 

    Trimesters: 
    After 1st Trimester failure, repeat immediately in 2nd Trimester. 


Effects

• All students will take 5 classes per term. NCCTC students & Interns will have 2-3 classes @ NHS per term. 
• Parents will receive a mid-term progress report at the 6 week marking point. Parent / Teacher Conferences have been moved to adjust to the new schedule. 
• Trimester grades are based 80% on classroom work and 20% on the trimester exam.
• Each class after the Class of 2005 will have additional credit required for graduation. In four years we will be at 26 credits required for graduation.

Advantages

• Fewer classes – Increase in student focus
• A consistent block of teaching time.
• Students get 1 more class per year.
• Lower Student to Teacher ratio.
• More student remediation opportunities.
• Trimesters coincide with Athletic seasons.
• More student scheduling flexibility – annually.
• Higher frequency of student feedback for parents.
• No additional staff needed for implementation
• Maximize opportunities in the expanded high school.