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…

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…

To use a block schedule or a traditional schedule? Which structure will produce the best and highest achievement rates for students? The research is mixed on this due to numerous variables such as: (1) socioeconomic levels; (2) academic levels; (3) length of time a given schedule has been in operation; (4) strategies being used in the classrooms;…

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 advantages and disadvantages of block scheduling are considered in 24 articles. The editors provide an overview for each section and a conclusion for the anthology. The first section includes articles which examine issues, concepts, and cases: (1) "All around the Block" (Michael D. Rettig and Robert Lynn Canady); (2) "Block Scheduling: A Means…

This paper describes how Central Missouri State University converted to block scheduling to provide higher quality field experiences for education majors. The university changed its 50-minute Monday/Wednesday/Friday classes to 75-minute Monday/Friday and Tuesday/Thursday classes, with Wednesdays off for field experiences. This paper explains the…

Discussion of the introduction of block scheduling in high schools highlights two case studies that illustrate how a schedule change impacts the library media program. Shows how the library media specialists modified teaching and scheduling practices to take advantage of the extended instructional time. (Author/LRW)

Today's elementary principals must address three major issues related to scheduling: providing quality time for teaching and learning; dealing with class size; and varying learning time for students who learn at different rates. Parallel block scheduling offers a flexible, cost-effective strategy for achieving these ends. (MLH)

Block scheduling constitutes one of the major types of restructuring considered by school administrators seeking to improve student performance. The relationship between two school schedules--the seven-period A/B block and the seven-period traditional schedule--and achievement of students in grade 11 was examined. Comparisons showed no significant…

This report examines both the educational and political dimensions of time reform. It presents the findings of a wide range of research on time reform, discusses the impact of various time reforms on the life of schools and beyond, and makes recommendations for policymakers about how to best leverage time in and out of school to improve student…

This study discusses the outcomes of a survey of 23 educators from 19 high schools on a block schedule in New Hampshire. Educators from each school were asked their perceptions of the effects of the block schedule on students identified as having emotional/behavioral disorders and/or attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders (ADHD) in comparison…

This booklet is part of a series of reports on "hot topics" in education. It explores alternative school schedules as ways to make education be the best it can for all students. Block scheduling, 4-day school weeks, and year-round education are alternative scheduling methods that generate interest in schools in the northwestern United…

Block scheduling has grown rapidly in recent years. In North Carolina, 77 schools started block scheduling in 1995-96, bringing the total number of blocked schools in the state to 207. A previous evaluation compared 1995 End-of-Course (EOC) Test scores for block-scheduled (blocked) and nonblocked schools. This report presents results of the…

This digest provides a description of block scheduling and discusses specific advantages, concerns, and considerations of block scheduling and foreign language instruction and learning. Block scheduling is a reorganization of school time that comes in many complex variations, including 4x4 (four blocks of 90 minutes each) and A/B (eight blocks…

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…