Four weeks into the school year, Decatur High School experienced a schedule change. Between their third and fourth period, students now attend Eagle Time.

The thirty minute block came after a year affected by COVID-19. After the start of the pandemic followed by a year full of online classes and quarantine, learning loss has been evident in schools across the state.

“Eagle Time is the school’s response to House Bill 4545, which charged schools with helping students gain ground on the STAAR test after last year’s struggle with COVID,” associate principal Brett Phipps said. “The idea stemmed from what our team had seen as successful ventures in various other situations.”

Adding the period, while changing the time classes get out, allows students to utilize the period as a study hall, either working on homework or receiving tutoring.

“We hope Eagle Time gives students an opportunity to stay on top of their workload and, give students who need it, time embedded into the day an opportunity to work on the necessary skills to be successful on the STAAR test,” Phipps said.

The new block of Eagle Time mirrors the Wednesday schedule last year, but rather than being tacked onto the end of the day, it’s been built into the school day.

“I think it’s definitely what you make of it,” junior Hannah Smith said. “It’s really helpful because it gives me time to get a head start on my homework so I’m not spending quite as much time on it at home.”

Currently, teachers require students to stay in the classroom during Eagle Time to prevent students from wandering around or skipping the period. Since students must stay in the classroom, it forces them to utilize their time rather than waste it.

“I like Eagle Time because I can watch Tik Tok, but also do my homework that I forgot about the night before,” sophomore Nico Vera said. 

On Fridays with home football games, a themed pep rally replaces the usual study hall period. Thanks to the change in schedule, students’ schedules no longer change on days of the pep rallies.

“I think we are starting off in the right direction,” Phipps said. “I think we will continue to find ways to make it more and more valuable to our students.”