Saving Lower-Enrollment, Advanced-Level Elective Programs: A Way to Get Blood from Turnips.

An innovative, flexible scheduling technique for advanced levels of a foreign language program is described. The technique, predicated on individualized pacing and continuous progress, is generalizable to all elective programs, and offers a workable solution to satisfy the enrollment "numbers game" and to lend breadth and depth to the curricula of small schools and colleges. Any student beyond the first year, regardless of age and language being studied, can schedule "Advanced Foreign Language" during the hours where this option appears on the master schedule. Students negotiate long-term contracts each quarter and short-term contracts on a daily/weekly basis. For each core lesson, students are provided a checklist that details all the requirements for the lesson and facilitates recordkeeping. In contrast to teacher-center instruction, this individualized instructional method requires teachers to: expend more energy and concentrated effort, have a stronger grasp of the subject matter, keep more complex records, and adjust to being facilitators rather than the center of attention. Appended are sample copies of a master schedule, a long-term contract, a student checklist, and a grade record sheet. (MLF)