In the 2017/2018 academic year, the government of Ghana, through the Ministry of Education, began an educational reform policy codenamed the "Free Senior High School" (FSHS) policy to fully absorb the cost, increase enrolment, and improve the quality of education for all public senior high schools in Ghana. To accommodate more students…

The purpose of this study was to examine data regarding the implementation of critical components of the Multi-tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework in Minnesota public secondary schools, defined as middle and high schools that service any combination of Grades 6-12. This study's mixed method design utilized secondary data collected from the…

California is in the midst of significant educational reform initiatives, especially at the secondary level. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) were adopted in 2010, and these new standards contain significant changes in the areas of math, English, and literacy across all subjects. Many districts are also implementing new initiatives to engage…

A southwest Arkansas high school is meeting teachers' and students' needs with a reorganized 4:4 block schedule that changes the traditional arrangement (7 55-minute classes daily for 180 days) to 2 terms with 4 90-minute classes per term. Teachers can teach a concept, work with it, and discuss results in one class period. Students have homework…

Massachusetts is heralded nationally for being the first in the nation to enact a state policy to redesign and expand the learning day for all students to advance academic achievement, broaden enrichment opportunities, and improve instruction. The Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative has gained momentum over the past several years due to the…

Describes an upstate New York high school's success at restructuring its schedule according to a modified Copernican Plan. The Dover Renew 2000 block schedule divides the school year into trimesters; each term has two 120-minute periods and a shorter interest block. This approach "dejuvenilizes" the high school and allows more focused,…

Concerned about educational quality in the Mifflin County (Pennsylvania) School District, a committee of educators surveyed 11 other Pennsylvania districts concerning their experience with intensive scheduling in high school special-education programs. Responses were generally positive, except for concerns about special-education support services.…

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…

As of 1996, Chaparral High School in Las Vegas, Nevada, was in the fourth year of a radical restructuring effort. The school changed from a 6-period day, composed of 51-minute periods, to an alternating day schedule, composed of 3 102-minute periods per day. This report describes how the school developed and implemented the new schedule. Faculty…

A Minnesota study showed that changing school starting times to accommodate adolescent sleep patterns profoundly affected many families. Implementation processes substantially influenced how families received changes. Policy makers should inform and involve all stakeholders, allow ample time, provide research-based justifications, support…

Compares time-block scheduling efforts at two Pennsylvania high schools. The small-town school chose a semester-block system; the small rural school chose a trimester arrangement. Despite setbacks arising from changing leadership in one school and changing programs (mastery learning) in the other, the intensive time scheduling projects will…

Our children deserve an education that fully prepares them for the future--success in college, the workforce and a healthy, fulfilled life. The Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Initiative is redesigning and expanding the school schedule to offer children new learning and enrichment opportunities. With state resources, participating…

Some school reform programs, such as the "Copernican Plan," advocate long blocks of classroom instruction time to allow greater instructional flexibility and active student participation in classroom work. This study investigated the effectiveness of this strategy by examining the perceptions of high school teachers who were entering or…

Researchers who view schools as cultural organizations have tended to assume that they are monocultural entities. This paper presents a view of complex secondary schools as multicultural organizations. It discusses findings of a year-long study that examined the professional culture within two high schools in Washington State as each attempted to…

In 2003-04, 11 Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) high schools moved from a traditional student schedule of six full-year courses to a block schedule of four courses each semester (4x4). Implementation went fairly smoothly, with 90% of teachers trained prior to the change. Academic course opportunities and course enrollment numbers increased…