Imagine a K-8 school in a remote corner of southern Appalachia with a student body that once qualified for 100 percent coverage of free and reduced school meals. Imagine a school budget far below the state and national averages and a well-worn building that has been in use for a half-century. This is the reality of Grassy Fork School in Cocke…

After investigating alternatives, a Missouri high school adopted the eight-block flexible scheduling model. Instead of meeting 45-60 minutes every day, classes now meet 94 minutes every other day. Staff and students are enthusiastic. Longer instructional periods allow teachers to develop key concepts and use diverse learning activities and permit…

Teachers will improve student learning if they attend to allocated time, engaged time, and student success rate. (Author)

This study was conducted to: (1) determine if the intercession calendar, an alternative calendar that reduces the total school year for students who do not need remediation, positively impacts overall student achievement; (2) to assess the explanatory ability of the intercession model in accounting for student academic achievement variability; and…

The influence of two time variables (allocated time and pupil time on task) was compared with the influence of two context variables (aptitude and socioeconomic status), on primary level mathematics achievement. Results showed that the time variables accounted for significantly more variance in achievement, with pupil time on task having the…

This study examined the relationship between school scheduling format and average composite scores on the ACT Assessment after controlling for lifestyle factors, gender, school enrollment levels, number of examinees, and years under the scheduling model. The participants were 38,089 high schools seniors in 568 public high schools in Iowa and…

This article reviews recent research by economists, psychologists, and others on the role of time and the value of time in learning and schooling. (Author)

Shortly after Amityville (New York) High School teachers introduced the learning style concept, their classes began to experiment with alternative groupings, varied instructional strategies, and individualized response activities. Student achievement gains were easily estimated, but gains in self-esteem are immeasurable. (MLH)

The Copernican plan can help almost every U.S. high school decrease its average class size, increase its course offerings, substantially reduce teaching load, provide students with regularly scheduled seminars, establish a productive learning environment, and substantially increase learning mastery within present funding levels. Sidebars describe…

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…

THE AMOUNT AND KIND OF READING DONE BY COLLEGE FRESHMEN AND THE NUMBER OF HOURS DEVOTED TO IT DURING AN ACADEMIC YEAR WERE RELATED TO APTITUDE AS MEASURED BY THE AMERICAN COLLEGE TESTING PROGRAM BATTERY (ACT) AND GRADE POINT AVERAGE. TIME CHART FORMS WERE USED TO COLLECT THE DATA. CHARTS WERE KEPT BY OHIO UNIVERSITY FRESHMEN MEN FOR 28 WEEKS. THE…

Time allocated for social studies instruction showed a very slight correlation with fifth graders' achievement in that subject, suggesting that "allotted time" should be carefully qualified when used as a variable in assessing instruction. (Editor)

One schedule innovation--the four-period day and semester-length courses--is revamping North Carolina and Virginia high schools. At Orange County (Virginia) High School, a simplified and flexible 4-year 9-13 semester-block program is helping kids complete more courses, receive better grades, and take and pass more advanced-placement exams. (MLH)

A study of whether the effects of block scheduling on student achievement and attitudes are more advantageous than traditional scheduling was made. The block scheduling treatment involved three required courses on each of four grade levels--freshmen through senior in high school. Interdisciplinary teaching teams were responsible for instruction.…

This developmental project with a research component was initiated at the Laurel County Vocational School with the major objective of determining if 2-hour instructional blocks could be operated in programs enrolling only secondary students. Subobjectives involved data gathering and statistical analyses on (1) student achievement, (2) ratings of…