AJC.com > Blogs > Get Schooled > Archives > 2008 > December > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMore debate over block scheduling
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The merits and pitfalls of block scheduling came up Wednesday as the State Board of Education reviewed annual requests of waivers from schools using the program.
The arguments were the same we’ve been hearing for years. But what is surprising is that the debate continues.
The traditional high school day contains about six class periods, each lasting about 55 minutes. Students typically take the same classes all year. Block scheduling divides the school day into larger blocks of time. Students take fewer classes each day, but sit in those classes longer.
About half of all Georgia high schools use block schedules.
Many people say the block design is flawed. Students spend about 30 fewer hours of classroom time on a subject under this plan. The classes usually meet only half a year, reducing the number of hours teachers spend on each subject.
Critics also complain that block can force students to wait too long before taking next-level classes in sequential courses. (A student may take Spanish I during the first semester of freshman year, but not take Spanish II until the second semester of sophomore year.)
But there are benefits. Students take eight courses a year instead of six, so they have more time for electives and fine arts. And a 90-minute class gives teachers more time for hands-on projects, such as science experiments or group activities.
During the late 80s and the 90s block scheduling was the hot fad. When it moved to Georgia, there was a ton of debate. What is about block scheduling that gets people all revved up?
ALSO: For those of you in Gwinnett, the school board will hold a public hearing tonight on its plan to opt out of some state mandates in an effort to improve student learning. The hearing begins at 6:30 at the school board offices, 437 Old Peachtree Road in Suwanee.
Comments
By yesiamworried
December 11, 2008 9:36 AM | Link to this
Teachers can’t teach effectively for 90 minutes and most students can’t listen for that long.
Bad teachers are worse for 90 minutes than they are for 50 minutes.
Math, science, foreign language etc should be year long courses.
The data is GA is clear— block isn’t making any difference.
Teachers love the block — because they teach fewer students.
By mystery poster
December 11, 2008 10:23 AM | Link to this
Teachers do NOT teach fewer students under the block:
Block: 3 classes of 30 students each semester times two semesters = 180 students
Traditional: 5 classes of 30 students all year = 150 students.
By Ann
December 11, 2008 12:39 PM | Link to this
Block scheduling isn’t working for many students. Having Math for one semester and then a 9 month break before the next Math class ensures that a lot of time must be spent on reviewing concepts.
Also, administrators do not implement the program in the way that will benefit students. For example, an AP class is only offered once a year and that is in the Fall. With the AP test in the Spring, you have students trying to recall material from 4 or 5 months earlier to study for the AP exame while they are still keeping up with their current classes.
Also, some schools leave students on the same rotation throughout their four years. So if you always take History and Science in the Fall, you will remain on that schedule. When it comes time for the AP exams, you are always trying to review from months earlier.
By Sarah
December 11, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this
Laura, Aren’t you even going to mention the sex scandal at the Augusta, GA middle school? I think it is so funny.
By TheBlogger
December 11, 2008 1:42 PM | Link to this
The Block vs. Standard schedule is really a waste of time. Either one can be academically great. This debate is really a waste of time. What really matters?
Students that know how to behave. Students that want to learn. Parents that are involved. Teachers that are engaged in lessons. Administration that does there job. And, so on.
The schedule is a VERY minor thing.
By Old School
December 11, 2008 1:48 PM | Link to this
Many schools, including ours, have gone to a modified block where a couple of shorter classes are scheduled for the full year.
As a lab teacher, I have no problem balancing lecture, small group instruction, individualized instruction, and self-directed learning in each of my 4 block classes and I have at least 4 completely different subjects going on at the same time for 9th - 12th graders. Granted, there are teachers who insist that lecture is the only way to go but as the teaching population gets younger through attrition and retirements, that will not be as big a problem.
Teachers do need some training if they have never taught on block and students need to take advantage of opportunities for review (our school does this quite well.)
By Tony
December 11, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
This is an example of a decision that should be made at the local level. What works best for the school is the only consideration because there is no evidence of any effect on student achievement.
By HS Parent
December 11, 2008 2:56 PM | Link to this
Math and foreign languages should be taught every day and not on a block schedule. AP classes should not be on a block due to the problems with testing. There is probably some advantage to teaching science courses with labs and certain electives such as art on the block.
My experience is that very good teachers can successfully teach on block or regular schedule. However, poor teachers prefer block scheduling and lazy students love the block because their teachers let them do homework in class rather than filling the time with instruction. Look at DeKalb high schools. All but two are on block schedules and the two that are not on block are two of the best.
Do any of the top private high schools schools utilize a block schedule?
By tom
December 11, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
“Block” doesn’t mean you must complete a coure in a semester. You can have students take 6 courses over a year but classes meet on alternate days.
Scheduling (block or not or anything else) can be done in many different ways - things get really weired when someone says THIS must be THE way to do it.
By HS Teacher, Too
December 11, 2008 5:17 PM | Link to this
There are pros and cons to both. I went to a high school that had a modified-block schedule, of sorts, and it was the best hybrid I’ve yet seen. But I don’t care to explain it unless someone asks. Instead, I’ll point out my primary criticism with block in the current Georgia system: all the days that we already lose to testing are ALL THE MORE SIGNIFICANT when you lose what amounts to a day and a half instead of a day.
Moreover, there are some classes where practice on concept A is necessary before you can successfully move to concept B. Block scheduling on the traditional four-by-four plan doesn’t really allow for this “digestion” time, and that does harm students, no matter how you slice it.
I’m all for a hybrid. I think we can absolutely have the best of both worlds, if anyone would be willing to try it. God forbid.
By HS Teacher, Too
December 11, 2008 5:20 PM | Link to this
One more thing: As to the debate about fewer students, teachers on block DO have fewer students PER SEMESTER, which means in turn fewer papers to grade at one time. I’d certainly prefer 90 papers to 150. But that also implies testing all the classes the same day, and so forth … and unless you’re teaching all of the same class, if you test all your classes on the same day more than once a year, that’s just poor planning on your part!
By How much more can teachers take?
December 11, 2008 5:23 PM | Link to this
Yet another assault on a teacher today in the AJC. How much more verbal abuse, threats of bodily harm, and violent physical assaults upon teachers must occur before teachers start getting the support they deserve? Does a teacher have to die?
By Lee
December 11, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
Yet another teacher arrested for sexually preying on a student.
Kids assaulting teachers. Teachers preying on students. The good kids caught in the middle of this cesspool.
What was the question yesterday?
Oh yeah, how are parents going to pay for private school tuition?
I don’t know, go down to the Red Cross and sell some blood if I have to…..
By luvs2teach
December 11, 2008 9:38 PM | Link to this
As a teacher, I have never had a chance to teach a block schedule. As a science teacher, I would love it - I could do labs almost everyday. It’s not as hard to plan a good science class “on the block” as science lends itself well to longer periods. I can’t tell you how many labs I’ve had to shorten, demonstrate only, or omit because of time factors.
To whomever posted that teachers love the block because they have fewer students, well, it depends. Schools that do full-year A/B blocks, it’s possible to have three classes of 30 each day (4th block free)- for a total of 180 students, instead of 150 for a 5 period day (leaving 1 period free). On the upside, you would have only half the classes work to grade each day, on the minus side, you would still have 180 assignments.
To whomever said giving a test to all the classes on the same day was bad planning - why? I teach 5 classes of the same thing (middle school) - it would make sense if a teacher were teaching more than one subject, but that’s not always the case - and rarely at the middle schoool level.
As a parent, I LOVED LOVED LOVED the block!!! Since my kids only had 4 classes, there was less homework. Neither of my kids were absent much, so make-up work was not a problem. I LOVED that they were finished with the fall semester before Christmas break. I liked that they could choose a wider variety of classes, and had more opportunity for advanced coursework like the fifth and sixth level of foreign languages, science beyond physics and math beyond calculus. Both my kids were strong academically and I was involved with helping them plan their schedule, and so they were able to take advantage of AP classes, shorter days senior year so they could work, and my son is even graduating a semester early (as of next Friday, my children will be officially done with public education - now, just mom’s stuck with it, lol).
My high school does offer a modified hybrid - several classes, including Math 1 and those particularly for lower level learners are full-year, rather than semester.
By taught on block
December 16, 2008 6:11 PM | Link to this
I taught on block scheduling for six years and left as soon as an opportunity came up. I wholeheartedly agree with those who stated that math and world languages should be year-round if a school forces block on their teachers.
Our test scores went down after going to block. Most of us teachers tried to work very diligently to make sure that the students received the best instruction possible. However, there is something called over-saturation that eventually causes students to lose focus.
We calculated that there were 35 less hours of instruction per course on the block versus traditional scheduling. In math and world languages where material builds, this is disasterous. English teachers could live with doing one less short story or three poems; science teachers could get by with one or two less labs.
I am really thankful that I’m at a school with a traditional schedule now.
By Chris
December 17, 2008 1:36 PM | Link to this
I teach history on a 4x4 block and let me tell you it STINKS. So whoever said teachers love block you’re clueless. I don’t know anybody other than the lab science teachers who like block. I’d rather teach more kids and grade more papers everyday. Data goes both ways so here are some intangibles I’ve noticed:
block actually kills fine arts/elective type programs. Yes there are more classes over the course of the year but you have to take 2 of each of those classes. So if you’re in the band you take band one semester and next semester you might have to chose between band or math. Now you’re not in the band. Same prob with chorus, art, and even the almighty football program. This fall semester we had 4 football players in the weight training period. Out of 90 players - we used to be a powerhouse but now we’re a joke - wonder why.
Teachers don’t get to know their kids. I’ve got kids I taught two semesters ago and now I can’t remember their names. I can see kids I taught for a whole year from years ago and remember everything about them. Teacher-student relationships are important for the successful teacher.
Absences kill. If you miss one day for anything you’re dead in the class. Got a field trip for history class? you just missed two days worth of material in English. Got sent to ISS for 3 days, well you’ve missed a week of material.
By nGATeacher
December 18, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this
The block schedule is favorable in many public schools, and here’s why. For each block , a child gets a credit. Georgia requires 23 credits to graduate. Under the block system, that is 32 shots to get the 23. Under the traditional yearlong system of 6 periods a day, a student gets 24 chances to make 23 credits. Given the high failure rates in public schools, (which are due not to teaching quality but to the socioeconomic problems of the growing underclass), the block system provides time during the regular school year to retake classes and graduate (thus making AYP). Under the traditional system, failing kids have to attend summer school, which the the underclass tends to avoid, so these kids drop out. The schools would then not make AYP and principals get fired. A blogger stated that “lazy teachers use block time for kids to do homework”. This is true, but NOT due to laziness; kids do their work then because they will NOT do any work at home due to the lack of work ethic values and grinding social problems in their homes. Also, this gives kids a chance to do the work in a teacher-supervised and assisted environment, where teachers can monitor and help students. Besides, the new GPS standards-based grading is eliminating homework because, according to the Standards gurus, traditional “homework” grades demonstrate not mastery of the standards but degree of parent involvement. In private schools and higher socioeconomic area public schools, yearlong classes make sense due to home life factors conducive to valuing academics, doing homework at home, etc. In probably 75% of public school homes, though, kids will not or cannot do homework.
By kaa
December 22, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
Leave it to Georgia to pick the worst block schedule model out there. The 4 x 4 is not a good choice on any level.