About 20 years ago, a number of Yukon schools took a different approach to outdoor education and outdoor pursuits. During the 1970s and 1980s, most Yukon high schools and junior high schools offered a course called Outdoor Education. These courses fit into the conventional blocks in a school timetable. Outdoor activities longer than these blocks…

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…

Several studies have found that an inordinate amount of potential instructional time is lost in the American secondary school classroom. This paper briefly overviews the history and types of block scheduling in secondary schools and presents findings of a study that examined the perceptions of administrators and teachers in two large eastern…

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…

Describes a committee's efforts to revamp schedules to improve their high school's elective course options, provide equitable teacher-preparation time, and use instructional time productively. From three viable schedules (a four-period block, alternating-day schedule; a five-period trimester with a flexible period; and a modified trimester plan…

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…

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…

Summarizes the results of a study concerning the efficacy of block scheduling for music programs. High school band directors in Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky responded to questionnaires. Results were mixed, although most directors agreed that scheduling works best when music teachers and administrators work together to individualize a schedule.…

A series of experiments with single and double mod scheduling at a large suburban Maryland high school has led to a highly flexible schedule that meets teachers' and students' needs. This schedule allows courses to be offered in the most suitable format, creates more time for students and teachers, streamlines hallway traffic, and fosters a team…

In 1995 the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), Richmond (Virginia) commissioned a study of alternative high school scheduling modules to determine the effects of different schedules on teaching strategies, teacher and student satisfaction, and student and school performance. This report presents the results of an analysis of the…

In 1995 the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), Richmond (Virginia) commissioned a study of alternative high school scheduling modules to determine the effects of different schedules on teaching strategies, teacher and student satisfaction, and student and school performance. This report presents the results of an analysis of a…

This article discusses one school's experiences in planning, implementing, and dealing with the changes resulting from a modular flexible scheduling system. (Editor)

This study examined one public school system's change in its scheduling format from a seven-period day to block scheduling. This longer uninterrupted instructional time, usually lasting 90 minutes, provides for fewer classes and transitions per day, and the completion of more course credits during the school year. Participants were 200 high school…

The principal of a traditional high school in upstate New York asked faculty to reexamine the school schedule. After considerable debate, teachers decided to rotate class time so that no one suffered the afterlunch slump or day's-end rowdiness in a single class. Having gained confidence, a permanent teacher committee has added time blocks and…

Three articles describe block scheduling in two Florida high schools, the changes necessary for implementation, advantages of the system, and effects on library media programs. Areas of impact for library media centers include management, collection development, and information skills instruction. (JKP)