Although many high schools are switching from a semester to a trimester schedule as a response to increased high-school graduation requirements, there is very little empirical research on trimesters. In this ethnographic case study (2006-2009), we observed 22 math and science classrooms, interviewed seven administrators, two counselors and 22…

Syllabus use in higher education instruction is ubiquitous, yet what actually constitutes a syllabus remains unclear. The authors assessed the contents of 1000 syllabi, sampled from the Internet, based on 26 criteria determined from a literature review of recommended syllabus components. Syllabi contents were assessed according to four categories:…

Children with autism and other disabilities frequently do not eat a variety of foods, eating only a few very specific foods. Additionally, many children are extremely resistant to trying different foods and attempts to introduce new foods often result in problem behaviors. This can have serious health implications for some children, as the foods…

This paper examines the relationship between course scheduling and student achievement, controlling for student and course characteristics. The literature in psychology recognizes that performance varies by time of day and that spacing learning out over time may foster greater long-term memory of items. We use student grades as a measure of…

Many students, especially those with disabilities, have difficulty in middle and high school with assignment organization and completion. This article presents a learning strategy to assist students in keeping a calendar or agenda book. The strategy presented cues students to specific actions they must take in order to remember assignments, study…

Positive Behavior Support (PBS) is a framework by which all educational decisions are made in order to produce a safe, civil, and productive learning environment. The goal of PBS is to improve school climate through a range of systemic and individualized strategies that are offered to students and teachers, based on their demonstrated level of…

Despite the challenges of understaffing, unfunded legislative mandates, and tight budgets, district support services departments are still expected to meet school systems' myriad noncurriculum-related needs. But the very nature of these services, even when they are focused on school safety and security, is so diverse and labor-intensive that…

This research brief addresses the quandary that arises when distance learners require both time and place utility, and prefer live interface. The development of the hybrid course, which incorporates elements of time delayed and instantaneous interaction, is seen as a response to instructor and student scheduling conflicts. Faculty and student…

This study compared the effects on reading outcomes of delivering supplemental, small-group intervention to first-grade students at risk for reading difficulties randomly assigned to one of three different treatment schedules: extended (4 sessions per week, 16 weeks; n = 66), concentrated (4 sessions per week, 8 weeks; n = 64), or distributed (2…

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…

This "Brief Report" summarizes results from a study that investigated joint effects of two innovations adopted at a high school in an affluent suburban community in the northeast United States: 4 x 4 block scheduling and the "Standards"-based curriculum, the Interactive Mathematics Program (IMP).

Progressive-ratio (PR) schedules were used to identify the break point (i.e., the last schedule value completed) for 2 reinforcers under single and concurrent schedules. After the respective break points were established, the same reinforcers were presented under concurrent fixed-ratio (FR) schedules that were yoked to the break points obtained…

This is a phenomenological, qualitative study of 25 school nurses employed in a large, urban school district in the Midwestern section of the United States. The study's participants possess histories of professional work experiences in nursing specialties other than school nursing. Thematic analysis of the data revealed three prominent factors…

This study investigated the provision of physical education (PE) in Singapore. Singapore is a small island city state of approximately 699 square kilometres with a population of about 4 million people. This article aims to highlight the current status of PE in Singapore schools and compare it against suggested international standards and…

Students who pursue a bachelor's degree in four-year colleges and universities often take longer than four years to complete their degrees. The reasons for prolonging the time to degree seem to fall into three broad categories: part-time enrollment, deficiencies in academic readiness, and inadequate course planning. This paper focuses on the…