An Examination of the Impact of Block Scheduling
Block scheduling is a strategy for rearranging the school day to establish longer periods of uninterrupted classroom time for student learning and instruction. Its proponents suggest that such an arrangement will intensify the studentsu2019 learning experience and ultimately promote improvements in academic achievement. The current interest in block scheduling arose in part out of two landmark publications, Prisoners of Time, produced by the National Education Commission on Time and Learning (1994), and Breaking Ranks: Changing an American Institution, a report from the National Association of Secondary School Principals(1996). These reports suggest that the quality and quantity of classroom time are of particular concern, given the fact that U.S. students spend significantly less time in core academic subjects than their counterparts in Europe. Conclusion From the perspective of the teachers and students, the most significant changes that accompanied implementation of block scheduling were related to instructional practices, assessment practices, and student involvement in the instructional process. Evaluation results for this implementation period suggest that numerous and substantial positive changes have occurred in the high school as a result of implementing block scheduling. School data related to specific outcomes suggest that the academic environment of the school has improved as evidenced by enhanced grades, particularly in the core academic subjects, and decreased failure rates. The results indicate that meaningful changes have occurred in the instructional approaches used by teachers and in the classroom experiences of students, indicating that block scheduling can be a catalyst for positive change. Jeff C. Palmer is a teacher, success coach, trainer, Certified Master of Web Copywriting and founder of https://Ebookschoice.com. Jeff is a prolific writer, Senior Research Associate and Infopreneur having written many eBooks, articles and special reports.
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