A half-sheet of paper lies on the ground in the hallway outside of room 19. Dirt from several footsteps hides the title from being seen easily. Upon closer inspection, it is a supply check from Tiger Connection. Students continue walking past the form, ignoring its existence.
As noted by several teachers and counselors, MacArthur students have been using their binders less effectively in class and for homework. According to AVID teacher Mrs. Tammy Manske, students have had difficulty because they put their papers in their binders, and they believe that writing homework takes too much time.
“It keeps them organized and organized people get more work done,” said Manske.
The three-ring binder and agenda have long stood as MacArthur’s expectations for students. Binders had to be three inches before the 2023-24 school year. As of last year, though, they just need to be at least two inches but can be larger.
The original justification for the large, three-inch binder was so students would not need multiple binders. The dividers would separate the work for each academic class. Also, the pencil pouch would house the supplies. It was a one-stop shop for anything a student would need in class.
However, the three-inch binders are significantly more expensive than two or two-and-a-half inch versions. Over the years, MacArthur faculty have looked for ways to make this burden easier on families including having supplies packaged for purchase at program verification, or using site funds to purchase binders and supplies for those in need.
The efforts have not been well-received by students, though.
“It takes too long to take it out and put classwork in your binder and have to put it back in your backpack as the period is passing,” said seventh-grader Jeremiah F.
Eventually, the three-inch expectation was reduced to two-inches or large. Now, students use science and math notebooks in their classes and may not need to keep several hole-punched handouts organized in their dividers. In science, students glue their worksheets and classwork in their science notebooks. In math, students use their math notebooks to take notes in class and complete homework by reading the problems on their Chromebooks or CPM books.
Since the 2015 school year, students have been issued Chromebooks, too. Many assignments are now completed digitally through Google Docs, Canvas, Google Classroom, and other online programs. That reduces the need for binders.
Now, many students consider the binders more of a nuisance than a tool.
“It takes too much time to take the binder out because of the passing periods,” said seventh-grader Yeagerist C.
Teachers and counselors do argue for the importance of binders. According to the faculty, binders can help students keep track of paper assignments and homework, ensuring that they do not lose credit for the work they complete. The Agenda can also help students avoid using Assignment Cards by allowing them to track what each assignment is and when it is due.
As the school year comes to an end, it remains to be seen if MacArthur will make any other changes to bring back the relevance of binders.