Neither students nor teachers run like clockwork, but the schedule does. Author discusses ideas for more flexible scheduling. (GB)

Describes the ways in which block scheduling can decrease school-day interruptions, reduce discipline problems, and help students who need more time and a slower pace. Also describes block schedules' effects on students and teachers. Sidebars offer guidelines for block scheduling and selected references. (LMI)

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…

This study, conducted with second grade pupils of an inner city public elementary school, sought to investigate the extent to which an instructional-learning system can be effective in reducing time needed for learning while increasing the time spent on learning by the student. For this study, the individualized instruction program in a…

Curricular innovations designed and implemented in the language department at Colorado College which are based on modular scheduling are discussed in this paper. Sequential courses of several varieties are discussed including: principal "full courses;" interdisciplinary courses; "half-courses;" and "adjunct courses." The courses are designed in…

Previous research has shown that by varying instructional time, schools can better accommodate students' different rates of learning. One method that schools use to meet this challenge is block scheduling; different models which are described. The focus is on the benefits and disadvantages of various models. One of the benefits is block…

Summarizes the results of a study concerning the efficacy of block scheduling for music programs. High school band directors in Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky responded to questionnaires. Results were mixed, although most directors agreed that scheduling works best when music teachers and administrators work together to individualize a schedule.…

In November 1994, the U.S. Department of Education invited a group of exceptional public and private school teachers (n=114) to Washington, D.C., to hear their thoughts and to explore ways in which the federal government can work with educators to achieve the National Education Goals. The teachers centered on two dimensions of the time challenge:…

This paper discusses the challenges and difficulties of adopting new "authentic" methods of instruction that help students not only learn but also develop habits that enable them to use their knowledge more effectively. "Authentic" methods of instruction are defined as those that require students to produce (not just reproduce) knowledge relevant…

Asserts that longer class periods must be approached and planned in a completely different manner than shorter periods. A 90-minute period requires a higher degree of teacher preparation and a critical focus on objectives and planning. Includes a summary of questions, predictions, and findings from teachers. (MJP)

In 1995 the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium (MERC), Richmond (Virginia) commissioned a study of alternative high school scheduling modules to determine the effects of different schedules on teaching strategies, teacher and student satisfaction, and student and school performance. This report presents the results of an analysis of the…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This brochure describes a two-volume book that provides examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The strategies…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This handbook comprises the first of two volumes that provide examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The book…

The Title I program, the federal government's largest elementary and secondary school program, has been redesigned in order to make improvements in the nation's poorest schools. This handbook comprises the second of two volumes that provide examples of schools and communities working together to provide children with more time to learn. The book…

This book presents detailed descriptions of alternative types of block schedules and discusses their effects on teachers and students. The book shows administrators how to organize their schools so that time enhances instruction and fosters learning. Chapter 1 discusses problems with the traditional high school schedule and chapter 2 provides…