Since 1989, North Carolina has implemented several statewide initiatives to establish high expectations for all students. State educators have also paid increasing attention to the flexible use of time as a resource for expanding student learning. Block scheduling is a reorganization of school time that is increasingly being adopted by North…

This study examined the relationship between school scheduling format and average composite scores on the ACT Assessment after controlling for lifestyle factors, gender, school enrollment levels, number of examinees, and years under the scheduling model. The participants were 38,089 high schools seniors in 568 public high schools in Iowa and…

One schedule innovation--the four-period day and semester-length courses--is revamping North Carolina and Virginia high schools. At Orange County (Virginia) High School, a simplified and flexible 4-year 9-13 semester-block program is helping kids complete more courses, receive better grades, and take and pass more advanced-placement exams. (MLH)

Author reviews Student Use of Unscheduled Time,'' by Walter J. Foley, Gordon C. Harr, and Larry Smiley (Iowa Educational Information Center), and Comparing Block Scheduling and Traditional Scheduling on Student Achievement and Attitudes,'' by Adrian P. Van Mondrans, James L. Schott, and Denny G. French (paper presented at the convention of the…

This paper describes the 2-year outcomes of one high school's implementation of an intensive 4-block schedule. The study at Angola High School (Indiana) compared schoolwide grade-point averages (GPAs), standardized test scores, attendance data, and disciplinary records to school-baseline data from the 2 years prior to implementation of the block…

A study attempted to determine if block scheduling in secondary schools affected curriculum and student achievement in English courses. Interviews were conducted with 22 teachers, 4 principals and 1 former principal; questionnaires were collected from 44 students. Of these, 10 teachers, 3 principals, and 23 students were in schools with rotating…

During the 1992-93 school year, the leadership of Benjamin Russell High School, located in Alexander City, Alabama, decided to experiment with blocked class periods. Under this option, sometimes referred to as the Copernican System, subjects are taught in double periods rather than in the conventional 50-minute periods normally used in most…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This brochure describes a two-volume book that provides examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The strategies…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This handbook comprises the first of two volumes that provide examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The book…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This handbook comprises the second of two volumes that provide examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The book…

The major objective of this study was to determine if the achievement of students in a two-hour block would be comparable to students in a three-hour block. Data on student attitudes, attendance, and dropout rates were also gathered to see if there were any positive correlations between resultant data in these areas and student achievement in the…

This dissertation examines various characteristics of 79 Iowa public high schools reporting success or failure in the use of flexible modular scheduling (FMS), based on questionnaire responses. FMS schools were defined as having a daily schedule of more than 14 modules and using either variable class times, large group, small group, or independent…

A one-year evaluation was conducted of the Exemplary Business and Office Education (BOE) Program as implemented in seven rural Colorado schools. The individualized program featured a two-period block core curriculum with three or more optional areas of study. Evaluation objectives were to describe the exemplary projects in light of the…

A central theme in the history of American education in the 20th century is the expansion of formal schooling for more children. This literature review surveys the research on the educational uses of time, with a focus on the quantity and quality of time that teachers and students spent in school and, to a lesser extent, students' out-of-school…

The effectiveness of the Block Plan, developed and implemented by the seventh grade students at Edith Rogers Junior High School in Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) was investigated. The Block Plan uses the concept of a pair of teachers assigned to two classes of students for the homeroom period plus a pair of teachers assigned for each of four academic…