<p>My S's HS is undergoing a change this year. They had been on block scheduling, 4-90 minute periods/day with schedule alternating from day to day with the potential of 8 classes or 7 if one is double blocked (scheduled every day). They are going to 7- 50 minute classes per day every class every day. With kids having the option of scheduling an additional class at the beginning of the day before school officially begins. Many kids and parents loved the old system both for the flex time it afforded them to get homework done especially if EC's ran late on some nights, the longer class periods also worked out really well for band and athletics and indepth advanced classes. The strongest argument for the new system is daily face time with teachers in all classes and catering to the limitied attention span of students. Neither of my kids are happy about the change and as school is about to begin I am wondering if any of you have experience with this and what your opinions are. Thanks, (This is also posted on the HS forum.)</p>
<p>My kids went to different high schools. D had 8 50 minute classes; S has 7 55 minute classes. I am pleased with both situations.</p>
<p>I substitute teach in a high school on 90 minute blocks. To be perfectly honest, I feel like many teachers misuse the block schedule. They do not seem to be skilled at utilizing the time, and kids end up actually covering less material throughout the year than my kids did at their schools. In addition, doing homework in class sort of defeats the purpose of homework. Students have easy access to answers in class, rather than having to work it out on their own. They don't learn to balance commitments if they aren't doing work outside of class.</p>
<p>While it will be a change, I am sure it will work out just fine.</p>
<p>My S' high school is going the opposite way this year, from 7 - 55 minutes periods to 4 - 90 minute blocks a day, plus a 90 minute "seminar" every other day. So far, no one here likes block, but have only 2 weeks experience. The seminar time is a glorified study hall, that most kids don't want or need. Jury is definitely still out...</p>
<p>I guess my distaste for the block is that the 7 hour schedule was working fine, why mess w/success. The school is a very high achieving suburban school that has test scores that lead the state, etc. Plus it is my S senior year and he feels like the seniors are getting a raw deal.</p>
<p>I absolutely LOVED block scheduling. We got so much more done in class and I can't imagine going back to 50-minute classes.</p>
<p>The Mom, the high school where I sub has 2 seminars a week. Yuck, I say - as a sub, I spend the time trying to keep kids in line. The rules state that, unless they are visiting a teacher for extra help or to make up a test, students are to do school work or read something of their choosing. No one is allowed to sleep, chat, or just sit there. Points are awarded for productively using time, and a lack of points results in failing seminar (seminar credit is required for graduation). Unfortunately, quite a few teachers think it's a joke. Kids come to their classes to goof off, and others allow kids to sleep, talk, whatever. Some teachers enforce the rules, and kids in these classes are either productive or a problem for me. It's a good idea that doesn't always work.</p>
<p>My son had block scheduling in middle school and the seven period day in high school. He much preferred the seven period schedule. He liked the faster pace of the classes.</p>
<p>Kelsmom - Agree, the HS has same idea regarding use of seminar time. Kids need a pass from a teacher to leave the assigned seminar to work on something. School has indicated no one can leave seminar for the first 4 weeks of school. For my S, seminar is a total waste of time. Once students can leave seminar, he will get a pass from the band director and hang out in the band room and jam for an additional 3 hours a week, as will his band friends. Not exactly productive use of a seniors time.</p>
<p>I guess we feel the same way in reverse about our switch. With block the classes are longer so they allow for more depth. There is no seminar. Kids come it early if they need tutoring which is one problem with what they call 0 hour scheduling. If they have an early morning class and EC's after school there is not time for tutoring at all. With EC's there are several days per week where he will not be home until between 7:00 and 8:00. That's when dinner begins. It seems really late for HW to start for 7 classes. He also feels like he is getting a raw deal for his senior year but I guess change in general is hard. I will say our school is not that high achieving but he has been high achieving and so he hates to make the switch.</p>
<p>My oldest son is a senior, and his school is on the block. He loves it. He gets so much done in a block -- it's amazing. It's great for labs, band, art. The downer is for math and foreign language, because kids do tend to forget from year to year, especially if you have math in the fall one year but in the spring the following school year. Since he takes several classes online, the block gives him more than enough time to do his work.</p>
<p>I worked at a school that had a modified block schedule. Monday, Tuesday and Friday was an 8-period day, Wednesday and Thursday were 4 90-minute blocks. I thought it was a great combination -- on Wednesday and Thursdays you could do activities (labs, debates) that took more time. I really liked this schedule.</p>
<p>My daughter went to a high school with block, my son is at a high school with 7-period day. Seems to me that both had the same amount of homework each night. I could get into a list of pros and cons, but to me there really isn't much overall difference other than with block scheduling a student could potentially graduate with 4 additional classes.</p>
<p>I attend a charter school with 7 rotating periods of varying lengths--the two morning periods are over an hour long each, while periods 6 and 7 are less than 30 minutes each. Supposedly it's geared to teenagers' attention span...it's an interesting idea but screws makeup time when we miss one day of the week. If you missed a long period, the teacher rushes through the lesson so that you'll keep up with the other sections.</p>
<p>I don't know of any schools in our area that use block, but it seems to have its own pros/cons.</p>
<p>I have been involved through the years with school districts wanting to go to block, change from block, etc. There are many arguments pro and con - supposedly you lose time in the classroom with block, because you only have 90 minutes of classroom instruction every 2 days and with the regular, you have 100. While that seems miniscule on a daily basis, if you add it up, it means a lot over the year. However, proponents of block say that the time is make up by not having to take attendance twice, not having to review the second day, and it actually affords the teacher time to complete a unit while able to get more in-depth. These are just the few arguments, but eventually, it all boils down to this: it all evolves around money. Even though most people admitted that it would be better for the kids to have two four-period days, it costs more to have block than to have regular schedule. That is because you have a teacher teaching 6 periods out of 8, whereas in the traditional or regular, you have a teacher teaching 7 out of 8. You need more teachers to make it work. Personnel is the largest line-item budget item for a school district. (BTW, I used 8 periods as an example, because historically, when they went to 7 periods, they did it for a few years, then got us accustomed to it, then added the 8th period. There go the time arguments! It still all boils down to money.) And if you think doing 7 subjects a day with homework every day is hard, just try to do it 8 times a day. If we go to more classes, then clock is superior. I have now taught both, and prefer block.</p>
<p>In our town one of the HS's is on a block schedule with semesters and the other is on a trimester schedule with 5 classes a day. Our D has definitely appreciated only having 5 classes at a time. I do think her grades are better because she can focus more on those classes. </p>
<p>Both seem to work. It's a matter of what one is used to doing. The biggest problem with the trimester schedule is in math and foreign languages. One could go one or two trimesters without a class. Teachers do a lot of review.</p>
<p>My son said he'd love block scheduling (too late now, he's going to be a senior). The kids spend so much time trecking through the halls between short periods--it does seem like a waste. After son is done college app process, I'm going to be working w/a group in my community to make some changes to the HS--I think block scheduling sounds like a really useful idea (for younger daughter who will attend in a few years).</p>
<p>he downer is for math and foreign language, because kids do tend to forget from year to year, especially if you have math in the fall one year but in the spring the following school year.>>></p>
<p>This is easily avoided by using an alternating block schedules. A days classes alternate with B day classes all year long.</p>
<p>My school uses a nice mix. Monday, Tuesday and Friday you have all your classes, which are each 50 minutes long. Wednesday and Thursday you only have half your classes, but each one is an hour and a half. That way, you can do longer labs and in-depth activities on your block days, but you also get to meet with your teacher four days a week. </p>
<p>I think it's ideal. I don't know how I would feel about block periods all the time; whereas some teachers have great block periods, in other classes they don't really know what to do with the time. And certain subjects lend themselves more to prolonged activities, some don't. For example, if you're in your second year of Spanish it's hard to find the patience to practice past tense conjugation and po-dunk little vocab activities for so long.</p>
<p>"The downer is for math and foreign language, because kids do tend to forget from year to year, especially if you have math in the fall one year but in the spring the following school year.>>></p>
<p>My D has blocks and loves it over the method used in middle school. Its ideal for getting homework done (she has two days to do it around her EC schedule) and the longer time permits more depth of material (plus transitions have never been her strong point). But with blocks- of four classes per day- she has math, foreign language, english, and other core course every second day for the whole year. Only fluff electives are per term.</p>
<p>7 or eight classes! My D's high school only has 6 periods, which is why she had to drop orchestra in order to meet graduation and college entrance requirements. I mean, some kids to manage to take band/orchestra all four years, but they end up skimping on science or social studies. </p>
<p>They to have block scheduling 2 days a week. D is completely neutral on whether or not she likes it. It is great for lab sciences, though.</p>
<p>5 kiddos here. Attend the largest district in our state, which uses the 4 x 4 block (4 classes 1 semester, 4 the next). Can't stand, detest, want to pull my hair out, can't abide the 4 x 4 block schedule. Having kiddos that spanned the academic spectrum from valedictorian to special needs it has had numerous disadvantages and NO positives. And that comes from all 5 of mine!</p>
<p>Was horrible for AP classes in the fall when the test is in May and even worse in the Spring when the semester starts Jan/Feb and again tests in early May. Even if you have extended periods it is rather difficult to fit in a year of Ap Physics and AP Calc BC in a few months. Hence the low turnout and pass rate for APs.</p>
<p>Of note the largest science/magnet within our district does NOT use the 4 x 4 block but rather the traditional so as to not disadvantage the largest concentrated percentage of AP students.</p>
<p>Did I mention DETESTING the 4 x 4 block?????</p>
<p>Kat</p>