Block Scheduling has been considered a cure for a lengthy list of educational problems. This report reviews the literature on block schedules and describes some Oregon high schools that have integrated block scheduling. Major disadvantages included resistance to change and requirements that teachers change their teaching strategies. There is…

This report is an excerpt from the National Education Commission On Time and Learning Final Report, "Prisoners of Time," published in April, 1994. In it, the Commission concludes that the reform movement of the last decade is destined to founder unless it is able to harness more time, and better management thereof, for learning. The…

Secondary school administrators must carefully consider the ramifications of a proposed alternative scheduling plan before proceeding with implementation. The first article in this newsletter presents findings from a study that compared data from two groups of schools (one group with a 4 X 4 block plan and the other with a trimester plan) to data…

This information brief describes problems involved in scheduling elementary-school specialist teachers and offers suggestions for resolving them. Poor scheduling results in fragmented classes, unequal distribution of instructional time, and lack of common planning time. Poor scheduling is usually due to lack of congruence between school mission…

This bulletin summarizes the chief quantitative findings of a survey of 264 small and medium sized colleges and universities in the midwest concerning their use of and interest in academic scheduling software. This type of software assists in planning course offerings, assigning instructors and course functions to facilities and time slots, and…

Two challenges that confront principals attempting to generate effective collaborative planning time with teachers are examined in this document: altering the conventional schedule and ensuring productive use of planning time. Principals, superintendents, and other educators were interviewed about the techniques and outcomes of these two aspects.…

This newsletter issue discusses time management techniques for parents of special needs children. Techniques include changing one's attitudes about perfection, prioritizing tasks, having a back-up plan, learning to say "no," asking for help, keeping things simple, hiring others, using waiting time wisely, and doing two things at once. Household…

Star of the Sea School, located in the Wai'alae-kahala area of Honolulu, implemented year-round schooling (YRS) in 1991. This publication describes the history of YRS, the status of YRS in the Pacific region, and outcomes of the Star of the Sea's program. The private Catholic K-8 school adheres to a 45-10 plan, which includes 180 regular school…

Parents, teachers, and government officials agree that America's schools must be reformed. However, new research suggests that most reforms will not work without closer attention to one critical resource--time. This document presents findings of a study conducted by the Rand Institute on Education and Training, which found that any reform takes…

One avenue being explored as a way to cut costs while maintaining the quality of programs and services is year-round education (YRE). In most cases, the known benefits and drawbacks of an existing component of traditional scheduling must be weighed against the theoretical advantages and disadvantages of YRE. The five articles reviewed in this…

The school-reform movement has not as yet helped to relieve teachers of their nonteaching duties. One result of shared decision making is that some principals have replaced student-supervisory duties with that of committee work. These duties can take as much time as many of the traditional nonteaching duties. One way to improve teacher morale and…

Advantages and examples of year-round education are discussed in this publication. Advantages include instructional benefits, relief from overcrowding, savings on operational and capital costs, increased teacher flexibility, improved attendance, and reduced vandalism. Guidelines for implementation, calendar design, and descriptions of various…

This 23rd volume of "English Leadership Quarterly" contains articles on topics of interest to those in positions of leadership in departments (elementary, secondary, or college) where English is taught. Each issue focuses on a different theme. Articles in Volume 23 Number 1 are: "Block Scheduling and Student Achievement"…

This publication presents a system of proactive classroom management for use in elementary school, grades K-6. Characteristics of the proactive concept are described as: (1) planning for prevention rather than reaction to behavior problems; (2) considering the classroom as a total process of facilitating achievement as well as appropriate…

Intensive foreign language courses are discussed in terms of historical background, categorization of types, definition of components of intensive instruction as practiced at present in academic settings, and advantages and special problems of intensive instruction. Practical considerations for the implementation of intensive options cover the…