This information brief describes problems involved in scheduling elementary-school specialist teachers and offers suggestions for resolving them. Poor scheduling results in fragmented classes, unequal distribution of instructional time, and lack of common planning time. Poor scheduling is usually due to lack of congruence between school mission…

The traditional seven-period high school schedule is undergoing intense scrutiny. New schedules are reducing class preparation time; permitting students to move ahead, attend alternating full-day vocational and academic programs, and perform community service during regular school hours; and allowing teachers more productive instructional modes.…

A well-crafted school schedule can enhance usage of time, space, and resources; improve instructional climate; help solve instruction-delivery problems; and help establish desired programs and instructional practices. This article discusses scheduling challenges (providing quality time, creating a school climate, and providing varying learning…

Discusses the transition from traditional teaching and scheduling to a comprehensive block schedule with team teaching at the middle school level. Describes the process of educational change, including framing the problem, establishing consensus for change, creating pure teams, designing the master schedule; also discusses implementation issues.…

The implementation of block scheduling by a middle school for deaf and blind students is described. Longer class periods on alternating days were found to expand teachers' opportunities to plan interdisciplinary instruction that addressed individual learning styles. An extension center was developed to provide reinforcement, enrichment, and…

Today's elementary principals must address three major issues related to scheduling: providing quality time for teaching and learning; dealing with class size; and varying learning time for students who learn at different rates. Parallel block scheduling offers a flexible, cost-effective strategy for achieving these ends. (MLH)

Ability grouping persists because few practical, financially feasible, and politically palatable alternatives have been explored. Built to accommodate a team of 6 teachers and 135 to 150 students, 1 Virginia middle school's parallel block scheduling plan exchanges tracking for a practical method of working with heterogeneous groups of students.…

This book presents detailed descriptions of alternative types of block schedules and discusses their effects on teachers and students. The book shows administrators how to organize their schools so that time enhances instruction and fosters learning. Chapter 1 discusses problems with the traditional high school schedule and chapter 2 provides…