Blocking up the Schedule

1. Blocking up the Schedule Tyrell Aagard, Kaylea Drake, Janna Green

2. Purpose • Our school is considering changing to a 5 x 5 Block Schedule, so we created a survey to discover how JHS students feel about it. We also created a similar, biased survey to see if we could nudge the results to show a greater amount of support for the schedule change.

3. Sampling Procedure • Population: Juab High School students • Sampling Procedure: We stratified the students by grades and then gave each student in each grade a number from one to the number of students in the grade. We used a random number generator to select students to survey. We chose 30 students from each grade. The first 15 selected in each grade received an unbiased survey, the last 15 of each grade received a biased survey.

4. Samping Procedures, cont’d • Chosen Bias: We biased the survey question by making the options for the survey more appealing. We also described the 5 x 5 schedule as “superior”, and mentioned how it has worked successfully in other schools.

5. Survey Text Unbiased Seniors Biased Seniors • 5 x 5 Block Schedule (Seniors) • On a scale of 1-5 (1 being lowest, 5 being highest), how familiar are you with the proposed 5 x 5 Block schedule? _________ • Would you have preferred to have used a 5 x 5 schedule in high school rather than a 7-period day? • Yes • No • Undecided • If you are in favor of the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • More time per class each day • Generally more classwork and less homework • Having 5 classes a day rather than 7 • More room to fit in electives • Easier to get required credits • Other: ________________________________________________________ • If you are opposed to the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • Being absent is comparable to missing 2 days in a 7-period schedule • Potentially more confusing than a 7-period schedule • Potentially complicates EdNet scheduling • Teachers will have to completely re-do their class planning • You will have 10 classes a semester as opposed to 7 • Other: _________________________________________________ • 5 x 5 Block Schedule Survey #2 (Seniors) • On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest, 5 highest), how familiar are you with the proposed 5 x 5 block schedule that has worked quite successfully in other schools? ______________ • Would you have preferred to have used this superior schedule during your time in high school as opposed to the 7-period schedule JHS uses? • Yes • No • Undecided • If you are in favor of the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • There is more time in each class, allowing you to spend more time covering required material • It’s proven teachers give less homework if there is more time for classwork • You only have to deal with 5 classes a day rather than 7 • You have much more wiggle room to fit in fun classes and electives • It’s easier to get the required credits to graduate, reducing stress • Other _____________________________________________________________ • If you are opposed to the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • Being absent is comparable to missing 2 7-period classes • Possibly more confusing • Possibly complicates EdNets • Teachers have to re-do lesson plans • More classes per semester • Other _____________________________________________________________

6. Survey Text Unbiased Underclassmen Biased Underclassmen • 5 x 5 Block Schedule (Underclassmen) • On a scale of 1-5 (1 being lowest, 5 being highest), how familiar are you with the proposed 5 x 5 Block schedule? _________ • Would you prefer that Juab High School changes to the 5 x 5 block schedule next year? • Yes • No • Undecided • If you are in favor of the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • More time per class each day • Generally more classwork and less homework • Having 5 classes a day rather than 7 • More room to fit in electives • Easier to get required credits • Other: ________________________________________________________ • If you are opposed to the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • Being absent is comparable to missing 2 days in a 7-period schedule • Potentially more confusing than a 7-period schedule • Potentially complicates EdNet scheduling • Teachers will have to completely re-do their class planning • You will have 10 classes a semester as opposed to 7 • Other: _________________________________________________ • 5 x 5 Block Schedule Survey #2 (Underclassmen) • On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being lowest, 5 highest), how familiar are you with the proposed 5 x 5 block schedule that has worked quite successfully in other schools? ______________ • Would you like JHS to change to this superior schedule next year? • Yes • No • Undecided • If you are in favor of the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • There is more time in each class, allowing you to spend more time covering required material • It’s proven teachers give less homework if there is more time for classwork • You only have to deal with 5 classes a day rather than 7 • You have much more wiggle room to fit in fun classes and electives • It’s easier to get the required credits to graduate, reducing stress • Other _____________________________________________________________ • If you are opposed to the 5 x 5 schedule, which of the following most contributes to your opinion? • Being absent is comparable to missing 2 7-period classes • Possibly more confusing • Possibly complicates EdNets • Teachers have to re-do lesson plans • More classes per semester • Other ______________________________________________________

7. Summary of Results • We had an overall non-response rate of 17.5% (30% of Freshmen, 23% of Sophomores, 3% of Juniors, and 13% of Seniors) • We had a total of 99 surveys completed, which is roughly 1/7 of the total population

8. Summary of Results

10. Summary of Results • In the unbiased survey, the school is almost exactly split into thirds – 1/3 for, 1/3 against, 1/3 undecided. • Our biased survey backfired, and actually a majority of respondents (54.9%) were against the 5 x 5 schedule • There appeared to be no pattern or general trend according to grade (which were all based entirely off of the unbiased surveys)

11. Summary of Results • As a whole, there truly was no general consensus about the 5 x 5 schedule, and the school is equally split in each camp.