The 4X4 block schedule was implemented in a rural high school in southern Arizona in 1997. Teacher and student surveys show that after the change, teachers were more satisfied with the teaching and learning environment, their relationship with students, and systemic supports, and students were more satisfied with school. Benefits, problems, and…

Discusses how to schedule library use in conjunction with block scheduling. Highlights include the need for flexible scheduling, collaborating with teachers for long-range planning for library use, and a model schedule for library use coordinated with class activities. (LRW)

Better student learning means making more time for teacher learning. If schools are to be structured for success, professional development must be an ongoing, integral part of teaching. This paper provides examples from different schools and countries of organizing teacher time and rethinking school structures and practices, noting strategies for…

Summarizes research on the impact of all-day kindergarten on academic achievement and behavior. Examines parents' and teachers' attitudes toward all-day kindergarten. Reviews research on curriculum in all-day kindergartens. Concludes that all-day kindergarten impacts positively on academic achievement and behavior and that parents and teachers…

Presents a planning model that serves as a guide for social studies teachers using block scheduling, but is appropriate for any time format. Explains that the model consists of four topics describing each in detail: (1) content selection; (2) instructional strategies; (3) assessment; and (4) higher-order thinking skills. (CMK)

Defines two large categories of risk for camps: relationships and program activities. Relationship risk can be minimized by recruiting qualified staff, providing precamp training, teaching appropriate staff behavior, and defining appropriate touching. Program activity risks can be managed through scheduling responsive to campers' needs and staff…

This article describes the challenges faced by a first-year special educator of children with emotional disturbances. In addition to academic diversity and behavioral challenges, there were also issues related to working with a team of special educators and being the newcomer. These issues included instructional time, behavioral management, and…

Discussion of collaboration between institutions of higher education focuses on the use of an electronic classroom for distance education at Embry-Riddle University (Florida) in cooperation with Nova University (Florida). Highlights include use of the Internet; a description of the interactive nature of the technology; scheduling; and students'…

Describes a study on time management that involved 57 third-year university students who first estimated, then recorded how they allocated weekly time between work, maintenance (sleep, meals, etc.) and leisure. Finds that students spent a mean of 40 hours per week on schoolwork. Offers suggestions on allocating student time. (Contains 19…

Identifies and explains the types of practices and interactions that interdisciplinary teaching teams engage in, which in turn influence instruction and student learning. Presents data to illustrate the impact of common planning time, team size, and scheduled teaming on team activities and interactions. (JPB)

Studied the time of day of optimal attention for 204 5th graders and 202 10th graders who varied in their aptitude for mathematics. Attention levels of fifth graders were especially high in the afternoon, but 10th graders reported increased concentration in the morning hours. Among 10th graders, there was significant interaction between…

Effective principals realize that learning support-teachers can provide job-embedded staff development for general-education teachers. They build schedules allowing the kind of cooperative planning that makes inclusive block scheduling successful. Principals must also share control of the master schedule and support major changes in teaching…

Daniel A. Grout School in southeast Portland, Oregon, built a unified literacy program that sparked change across the school. The "literacy block" program, which focuses on teacher collaboration, early intervention, and higher-order thinking skills, began in 1996 as a Title I Schoolwide program. In 1998, Grout staff received "early…

Discusses the teaching methods shaping the classroom of tomorrow, where sixth graders carry laptops and teachers work in teams. Space requirements for departmentalized vs. interdisciplinary education are examined as are the types of materials and furniture used in design classrooms for block scheduling, and differing instruction methods changing…

Describes the process and preparation for making teacher-requested changes at Notre Dame High School (New Jersey). Narrates the planning that went into making the change to block scheduling, which includes an activity period and double-period class schedule, and discusses the impact of that change on in-service preparation for teachers. Concludes…