Commentary High schools are quite different from K-8 schools, and it’s not just because their students are older. While K-8 students take classes together according to their grade level, high school students are enrolled in a credit system. This means that they pass or fail each course individually. Because of the credit system, high school timetables are considerably less flexible than K-8 timetables. School administrators must ensure that each course has enough instructional hours to cover the expected course content. Otherwise, the course will not count as a credit. During a normal school year, most high schools divide the year into semesters. Usually, students take four courses in the first semester and then four different courses in the second semester. Each individual class goes for approximately an hour a day, five days a week. The semester system works well because it takes a balanced approach. The total course load is …