Why do a trimester schedule? With the advent of block scheduling, many high schools conducted research on utilizing that plan in a trimester format. There appeared to be three issues that most schools faced: (1) How to provide substantive instructional time that was not fragmented?; (2) How does the school climate contribute positively to…

Community colleges offer a pathway to the middle class for low-income individuals. Although access to college has expanded, graduation rates at community colleges remain low, especially for students who need developmental (remedial) courses to build their math, reading, or writing skills. The City University of New York's (CUNY's) Accelerated…

To offer insights into scheduling strategies, this paper presents the effects of block scheduling in one rural public secondary school. This case study revolves around three questions: (1) "What prompted the school's move to block scheduling?"; (2) "How was block scheduling implemented?"; and (3) "How has block scheduling affected perceptions of…

School officials have tried various scheduling strategies to strengthen curriculums. One such strategy, block scheduling, affected the operation of Portsmouth High School, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This status report examines the use of block scheduling over a 2.5 year period and focuses on how this change influenced people, curriculum, test…

Despite considerable documentation and implementation of block scheduling, there is little evidence that it achieves an increase in student understanding of subject material. Field research that examined seventh-grade math achievement scores in block scheduled and regular schools showed that none of the anticipated results were realized regarding…

An evaluation of the 4 X 4 block schedule used in three North Carolina high schools elicited strong support from teachers, students, and parents. Schools planning to implement this model should review D. G. Hackman's guidelines covering faculty input, feedback procedures, training opportunities, teacher fatigue, holidays, classroom monitoring,…

Summarizes results of a nationwide survey to determine secondary principals' attitudes toward selected aspects of block scheduling. All 69 participants (from 10 states) expressed full support for block scheduling. Many principals expressed concerns about student maturity, sequential course offerings, and time spent on homework. Schedule…

Block scheduling and intensive or extended-time scheduling have been appearing in high schools across the United States. This guidebook is designed to help each school find the best route to achieve this organizational change. The book's premise is that structural change in schools is not sufficient to create meaningful educational improvement.…

This study, administered by students in the department of Instructional Technology at Utah State University (USU), examined the block scheduling program at Millard High School (Delta, Utah). The block scheduling program, begun in the 1998-99 school year, was introduced to allow greater flexibility in scheduling, particularly for released time…

Provides evaluation snapshots of nine programs operated by the Chesapeake (Virginia) Public Schools to illustrate the importance of ongoing program assessment. Advises evaluators to use teamwork, employ a full-time evaluator, utilize consultants as needed, write annual management plans, involve school division administrators, and meet regularly.…

Block scheduling has grown rapidly in recent years. In North Carolina, 77 schools started block scheduling in 1995-96, bringing the total number of blocked schools in the state to 207. A previous evaluation compared 1995 End-of-Course (EOC) Test scores for block-scheduled (blocked) and nonblocked schools. This report presents results of the…

An Ohio high school staff's action-research project examined effects of a recently implemented block-scheduling arrangement on student achievement, behavior, and student-teacher relations. Results support other research: students earned higher grade point averages, more students attained the honor roll, disciplinary referrals were reduced,…

The use of four periods in the school day, as opposed to six, with each period 90 minutes in length is referred to as 4 X 4 block scheduling. In Virginia, as in many states, there is increasing interest in this kind of scheduling to deliver education that meets the instructional needs of students. In 1995-96, Western Branch High School (WBHS) of…

Examines possible relationships between student achievement and implementation of middle-level program concepts within 10 middle/junior high schools of a large, urban school district. Middle-level programming was positively related to student achievement, although relationships were small, considering the overall influence of past achievement.…

Because of the high number of at-risk students at Carver Middle School (Meridian, Mississippi), the principal developed several programs to bring student achievement to the level commensurate with other students around the nation. The Early Bird Program is a Chapter One program of individualized work in math, reading, and language arts classes to…