In immersive block models students learn over shorter teaching periods and with fewer concurrent units than in typical semester or trimester models. A core aim of many such innovations is to enhance students' learning outcomes; however, there are few investigations of student satisfaction at scale in immersive block models. This paper reports on…

The authors investigated whether the curricular structure of an economics course (semester, trimester, or compressed block schedule) has an effect on an undergraduate's subsequent retention of course material, while controlling for other relevant differences. They tested separately for theoretical or process comprehension and for graphical…

The purpose of this study was to determine the impact block scheduling has on (a) student academic achievement, discipline, and attendance, and (b) administrator, teacher, and student perceptions. The study compared 2005-2010 data from a high school utilizing the A/B block schedule and a high school under a traditional schedule, in one suburban…

Surveyed for their perceptions, students attending four Alabama block-scheduled high schools identified block scheduling as more effective than traditional scheduling. Perceptions are unrelated to years of student experience. Teachers use more diverse strategies; students earn more graduation credits; instructional climate is improved; and making…

Findings are mixed on the effectiveness of various scheduling models. These models include a traditional 7 or 8 period day, a block schedule with four classes meeting one day and another four meeting the next (A/B Block), a block schedule of four classes that meet every day for a term (4x4 Block), and several hybrid models. Some findings conclude…

During the past 4 years block scheduling has been adopted by a majority of the high schools in Middle Tennessee. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the effects of the new schedule. Data were gathered from a questionnaire that was completed by 280 teachers and approximately 2,000 students from 6 high schools in the region. Both…

This report compares student perceptions of the block schedule with those of the traditional seven periods in high school. It describes a public school that voted to implement a modified three-block schedule containing two traditional periods. The participants in the study were 200 high-school students, all of whom were switched from a traditional…

The block schedule is fast becoming the new instructional delivery format of choice for the 1990s in American secondary schools. This paper presents findings of a study that examined the effects of changing from a six-period day to a four-block schedule on two large high schools in Knox County, Tennessee. Part I of the study examined the…

Describes an empirical research study conducted at one midwestern high school using a trischedule (block, traditional, and hybrid) format. Survey data revealed that the hybrid schedule appeared to benefit most students, though it increased teachers' anxiety. The block component improved students' GPA, attendance, and attitudes about school. (14…

This paper describes the 2-year outcomes of one high school's implementation of an intensive 4-block schedule. The study at Angola High School (Indiana) compared schoolwide grade-point averages (GPAs), standardized test scores, attendance data, and disciplinary records to school-baseline data from the 2 years prior to implementation of the block…

This document reports that many community colleges are considering changes in their traditional semester calendars. In California, the most common question facing colleges is whether to switch from the traditional (in California) 18-week semester to a 16-week one. This paper details the results of a student and faculty survey conducted at…

Block scheduling has become an increasingly popular reform movement for schools, school districts, and principals to enact. Much of the decision making as to whether to implement some type of block scheduling has occurred without understanding the implications this type of reform has on teachers and their classroom practices. This paper reports on…

The three primary purposes of this report were to: (1) determine to what extent the Cross-College General Education (CCGE) pilot at Sheridan College (Ontario, Canada) achieved its goals of offering students choice of quality courses and access to all goal areas, including alternate delivery courses, and opportunities for student mix; (2) analyze…

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…