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…

Research was conducted to determine what impact school organization and classroom dynamics had on student achievement. Results from standardized benchmark tests found no significant differences in scores across all schools and content areas; yet, end of course standardized measures indicated that students in sites employing block scheduling…

Stonington High School in Pawcatuck, Connecticut, adopted an alternating day (A/B) block schedule in 1998. The shift in schedule has resulted in less movement throughout the building and fewer instances of disruptive behaviors. In addition, the initiatives that Stonington has been able to implement have caused the daily attendance rate to increase…

As high schools have struggled to increase the academic performance of their students to meet state and national guidelines, all aspects of the schools' operations have been reviewed. This includes the type of schedule, block or traditional, used by the school. This study was a comparison of teacher attitudes and teaching strategies between two…

The number of public high schools implementing a semester 4 x 4 block scheduling design within the state of South Carolina has tripled since 2005. However, minimal local research has been conducted regarding the impact of block scheduling on student academic achievement. The purpose of this study was to determine if significant differences exist…

As schools continue to strive to meet federal testing requirements, many schools have been looking at ways to improve. During the 1990's many school districts thought they had found the method, tool, or program, with which to accomplish this goal: the "block schedule". This study was a comparison of the teaching strategies and attitudes of…

A Georgia high school got on the block-scheduling bandwagon after discovering that their students were having difficulties meeting new state graduation requirements and wanted more electives. After receiving extensive retraining and working on a block-scheduling plan for graduate credit, teachers successfully made the transition. (MLH)

In this analysis of 58 empirical studies of high school block scheduling, the authors report findings in and across five groupings. Within groups, data were inconsistent regarding whether teachers' practices changed, but teachers believed that staff development was necessary to teach in a block schedule. Block scheduling appeared to increase…

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to record and summarize the tensions and problems experienced by a high school administrative team as they attempted to change supervision alongside instruction in a transition to a new block schedule. Design/methodology/approach: A case study method was used. As a case study, the research is contextual in…

This study examined quantitatively the effects of varying retention intervals (RI) within a 4 X 4 block schedule on knowledge retention of Algebra 2 skills and concepts. Specifically, the study contrasted the mean scores of students having an RI of 0, 8, and 12 months on a pre-review, post-review, and end-of-course test in precalculus. The study…

Teachers at four block-scheduled schools in the Huntington Beach (California) Union High School District were asked whether the change yielded differences in instructional practices, assessment techniques, social interaction, curriculum, and school management. Responses to an (anonymous) Likert scale indicate that block scheduling allows teachers…

In recent years, the blocked class schedule has replaced the shorter traditional schedule in high schools throughout the United States. In order to study this change, these researchers examined physical education teacher perceptions of their experience teaching on a block schedule compared to the traditional schedule. The views of fifteen physical…

As forms of school restructuring sweep the nation, teachers are interested in how block scheduling will influence their models of professional development. This report examines the effects of a high school's transition from a traditional to a hybrid schedule--three traditional and two block classes each day--on science teaching and learning.…

This research explores the structure of possible science education reform that can be compatible with structural change in high schools. Financial pressures, increased or decreased enrollment, state mandated changes, block scheduling, and assignments of students to age-appropriate grades are all examples of structural changes. Block scheduling is…

Discusses the teaching methods shaping the classroom of tomorrow, where sixth graders carry laptops and teachers work in teams. Space requirements for departmentalized vs. interdisciplinary education are examined as are the types of materials and furniture used in design classrooms for block scheduling, and differing instruction methods changing…