Effects Of Block Scheduling On Academic Achievement

“The U.S. research challenges one of the main arguments for abandoning conventional schedules: year- round schooling improves achievement because it prevents students from falling behind during the summer and because it does not waste precious time reviewing past years’ lessons”

How would the population react if the schedule that structures many peoples’ entire year were to change? This change is a reality for a growing number of families across the country as a method of improving primary and secondary education through year-round school. Although many have come to accept or even embrace year-round school in an effort to help students retain more material, year-round school would actually disrupt the learning environment, be potentially detrimental for students and their family’s financial health, as well as that of the schools, and could take away from family and personal time.

What is your least favorite class, the one you dread most? Picture yourself walking into that class, taking a seat, and watching the clock move slowly as you suffer through the next 90 minutes. Yes, you read that correctly. Imagine being stuck in your least favorite class for an hour and a half! This is a reality that many high school students experience every day. It is block scheduling. “Unlike traditional bell schedules - which typically comprise six to eight class periods per day, lasting anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes - block schedules contain just four daily class periods, with each one lasting an average of 90 minutes” (Block Scheduling in Schools 1). Although designed to increase student achievement, block schedules carry a number of disadvantages that make them an inadequate method for offering high school students a successful learning environment. Despite its few benefits, block scheduling works in direct conflict with most human attention spans, creates more scheduling problems than it solves, and lacks any solid evidence of improving student learning. In a world where educational practices come and go, block scheduling is a fad that should never have arrived in the first place.

Sommerfeld, Meg. "More and More Schools Putting Block Scheduling to Test of Time." Education Week. N.p., 02 May 2016. Web. 24 Mar.

As a way to minimize summer learning loss, the reorganization of the traditional school calendar in the year-round education system replaces long summer vacations with several smaller breaks throughout the year (Raisch, 2008). In year-round education policies, the schools are set on a school plan and track system. This maximizes the use of school facilities by dividing the school attendance days into rotating instruction and vacation segments. According to Chittom and Klassen (2014), “The plan determines the number of consecutive days students attend school and also dictates the break schedule.” In the year-round school calendar, the 45-15 plan, the 60-20 plan, and the 90-30 plan are the most common. For example, students on a 45-15 plan would

Pea Ridge High School (PRHS) has long prided itself of being a high achieving school in academics; it is number six in the state for the 2013-2014 school year. Since the implementation of the Common Core Standards, PRHS has found itself having to reteach educators to use the literacy standards because most in the non-literacy/math disciplines still use the Arkansas Frameworks. Not only has the literacy standards been an arduous task to implement in the literacy areas, the high school struggles with the concept of teaching literacy in the areas that are not necessarily considered literacy areas.

As of 2014, over 3000 schools in the United States are year-round. Instead of having one longer summer break, these schools take several shorter breaks throughout the year (Scholastic 15). With so many advantages and very few disadvantages of year-round schooling, it is not surprising that these schools chose to exchange their excessively long summer breaks for shorter, more frequent breaks. Not only can year-round schooling improve the academic performance of students, but it can also economically benefit all aspects of society. Schools should adopt a year-round calendar, causing one to question the perils of year-round schooling.

In the article “Schools scrutinize block scheduling” Groves (2015) addresses the effects of block scheduling in Alamance-Burlington School System. He claims that implementing block schedules did not help this school system, and in fact has been detrimental to the students. Groves (2015) argues that before changing student schedules, enough research should be completed to determine whether this change will be helpful. With a traditional schedule, he says, students can slowly learn the information, instead of cram it in all at once. He believes that teachers and students should have a say in which schedule the school adopts. Groves (2015) concludes that block scheduling is an unnatural, ineffective way for students to learn.

According to a report from the New York City district, a school that received funds for longer days fared better on standardized tests. This school had seven percent more students scoring at or above grade level in reading, when two other schools had increases of five and six percent. In math, three percent of students scored at or above grade level in a school with a longer day, compared with one percent for a low performing school and an average of one percent for other schools (Brett 1). This information is one example of many studies that illustrate that long school days have a great positive impact on school performance. The main school goals are improving students’ knowledge and building different skills that will help them in the future. Therefore, if longer school days support these educational goals, people should be concerned about improving schools by lengthening the day.

In this outline, Jason W. Brooks goes over what advantages the principle of Newton High School in Iowa, Bill Peters promoted during his speech with the Newton Community School District Board of Education. Peter’s speech consisted of the positives that come along with having a blocked schedule also he states how flexible the schedule can be. The two main arguments are the flexibility and to keep the seniors on campus. The president believes that “Block scheduling not only puts some kids through a freshman (college) year’s worth of

Rivera-Batiz (1992) stated, “Mathematical achievement of individuals strongly predicts their success later in life.” Watson & Gable (2012) mention that basic academic skill are fundamental to long-term academic success and, on a post-secondary level obtaining employment in a highly competitive job market.” National Longitudinal Transition Study-2 (NLTS-2); ( Newman, et al., 2011) stated that more than three quarters of youth with disabilities test below the mean. Far less information is attainable on mathematics than reading instruction (Gregoire’ & Desoete, 2009). The same report mentioned that 45% of students with disabilities compared to 25% of their typical peers complete a below standard curriculum. What makes mathematics a strong

“It is difficult to point to a single aspect of a middle school that has as much impact on the children and adults as does the schedule.” (Craig, 1995 p.22). Much of the research currently suggests that many schools that shift to block schedules need to take the time and effort to not only do their own research for an appropriate model that works for their school, but to also follow a thorough and focused process to develop a schedule that benefits teacher, students and the community at large. All variations of block scheduling need to be considered, particularly at the middle school level. Unlike high school, middle schoolers have the need for more continuous and ongoing instruction. (Mowen & Mowen 2004). Schools that have implemented block schedules with success continue to stress the need to customize and refine the schedule repeatedly before they begin the shift. The ultimate goal of any school schedule should be that it is flexible and that is should meets the needs of the school, and therefore must be developed by the school itself (Craig, 1995, Mowen & Mowen 2004).

Schools are increasing time available for instruction by extending classes beyond the traditional fifty minutes. The reason for this is because when students are in up to eight classes that are fifty minutes the content can become fragmented. There is less time for students to reflect on the eight subjects they are being taught and can only produce moderate work. Some high schools provide students with dual enrolled courses with a partnering university. If a student decides to use this opportunity, students are able to graduate high school with college credit because of the extended time formats in block scheduling. Teachers at schools benefit greatly because they have time to improve on their pedagogy by learning new and engaging instructional

Scheduling is absolutely one area in education where newer versions are critical. “Why do we need school to run for 13 years, kindergarten through 12th grade, to say that Johnny has graduated?” (Jacobs, 2010, pp. 63). Jacobs (2010) suggests students that need more time for growth before being promoted be given that opportunity while those who are ready for higher education be able to move on.

School’s start times have been an arising issue in the United States for many years and recently began to surface. More and more individuals everyday are realizing the effects of a school’s start time on those attending the school, teaching at the school, parents of those who attend the school as well as the surrounding community. “…education seems to be the most sleep-deprived field in America” (Black, 2001). Beginning a school’s start time at 7:17 in the morning isn’t the best time to try and teach adolescents calculus or Shakespeare. “For many, the unusually early start time is nothing short of torturous. A survey of 26 Denver –area companies showed that the average adult trudges into