Block Scheduling has been considered a cure for a lengthy list of educational problems. This report reviews the literature on block schedules and describes some Oregon high schools that have integrated block scheduling. Major disadvantages included resistance to change and requirements that teachers change their teaching strategies. There is…

Although parents are key stakeholders in the educational process, their perceptions are often neglected in studies of school reform. This paper presents findings of a study that explored the attitudes of parents of New York State high school students toward block scheduling. A survey of all parents of 11th and 12th graders in a rural New York high…

Without fear, there is no courage, only ignorance of a situation's dynamics. Acknowledging a decision's liabilities promotes fear and forces the educational leader to exercise courage in formulating and carrying out a response to that situation. Courage alone is not enough, however, and could lead to professional suicide. Wisdom to marshal that…

A study focused primarily on building-level leadership by observing how principals in 12 high schools (11 public and 1 Catholic) engaged in planning a structural change from a traditional schedule with 45-minute periods to the 90-minute periods of a block schedule. Using a concerns-based model of change, principals' behaviors and teachers'…

This study examined the procedural changes that high school special education teachers make in their transition from traditional scheduling to block scheduling. Also, teachers' perceptions of the effect of block scheduling on the literacy skills of secondary students with special needs was examined. Teachers at a national special education…

A study of teacher perceptions regarding a proposal to adopt block scheduling was done at a small-city high school located in a predominantly rural county. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 selected teachers from the faculty of 41. Lack of communication was found to be the central theme in the resistance that emerged. This paper…

Some of the difficult questions surrounding intensive scheduling, along with examples of successful applications of this approach, are described in this document. This book offers a blueprint from a practitioner's perspective and is intended for educators and lay people interested in improving secondary schools. Chapter 1 demonstrates how to…

This book investigates school schedules by examining the use of time at the middle level and discussing strategies that schools may use to provide greater flexibility to the school day. Eleven specific scheduling models are presented and described. Complementing the models is a discussion of the factors that propel a school's investigation of…

Block periods of 75, 90, 100 minutes, or longer require good teachers to continue to develop and improve their teaching skills while keeping the student engaged over a long period. The fewer class meetings in the semester or year, and the rich potential for creativity and innovation provided by the longer period all combine to offer a challenge…

This paper reviews the literature on 4x4 block scheduling. Studies reveal that the advantages of such scheduling are simplicity, potential for greater student achievement, and reduced disciplinary referrals. Discipline is enhanced through this type of schedule because it decreases the number of times that students are moving in the halls between…

This research explores the structure of possible science education reform that can be compatible with structural change in high schools. Financial pressures, increased or decreased enrollment, state mandated changes, block scheduling, and assignments of students to age-appropriate grades are all examples of structural changes. Block scheduling is…

This paper describes a pilot program at the City University of New York Brooklyn College which pairs an English as a Second Language (ESL) reading and writing class with a Calculus I class. The class focuses on students' language development but makes use of themes, readings, and vocabulary from calculus. This model requires coordination before…

A Nebraska high school implemented interdisciplinary teaming several years ago as a direct result of its strategic planning effort. It eventually rejected the intensified block schedule, which manipulated time without changing teacher roles, and adopted a flexible block schedule. Departments were replaced by interdisciplinary teams of teachers and…

Draws on data from 1988 National Education Longitudinal Study to estimate the impact of block-scheduled mathematics course on 10th-grade student achievement and teachers' use of class time. Findings suggest that while block scheduling is positively associated with teachers' use of multiple instructional methods and more individualized instruction,…

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…