8-day rotational schedule alternating long-block days and short-block days. Croton-Harmon High School in Croton-on-Hudson, New York adopted this schedule as a first move toward longer blocks, to give teachers and students time to practice the skills and strategies of teaching and learning in longer periods. Each cycle accommodates a session of the Student-Faculty Congress, one advisory group meeting, a daily
Students take four courses each semester for about 90 minutes a day; teachers teach three courses per semester. Some blocks are split into two 45-minute periods for lunch or short electives. Similar schedules are used at Noble High School (Berwick, ME); Coral Springs (FL) High School; and Reynoldsburg (OH) High School. Semester 1 Semester 2 P E R I O
Extended teacher planning blocks in a 4 x 4 semester; half day on a 4-day cycle. Teachers with Block 4 assigned for planning have no free block on Day 1, but have a half-day free on Day 4. This works best if no extra duties are assigned during lunch, at least on Day 1 (Reprinted from R.L. Canady, Block Scheduling,
In a recent survey of 178 principals in urban high schools undertaking major change efforts, lack of time, energy, and money were identified as the key implementation problems. On average, teachers devoted 70 days of time to implementing a project, while “the more successful schools used 50 days a year of external assistance for training, coaching, and capacity building.” The
Intensive foreign language acquisition using the “4 by 4” semester block schedule. This shows how a student could experience a semester-long language immersion (perhaps including a foreign exchange) after taking an introductory language course the semester before. (Both schedules on page 2 reprinted from R. L. Canady, Block Scheduling, with permission.) Blocks Fall Semester Spring Semester Block 1 (90 min.)
Six-period Day on Monday and Friday and four 80-minute blocks on Tuesday through Thursday. Classes meet four days out of every five. At Fairdale High School in Jefferson County, Kentucky, teachers see all their students every Monday and Friday, during which they introduce and review the work they will do during longer blocks on two out of the three midweek
Three 100-minute classes a day on alternating days year-long. This “extended schedule” at Gig Harbor High School near Tacoma, Washington also includes a 30 minute period four times a week for advisory teams and/or sustained silent reading (SSR). Teachers have 100 minutes of planning time every other day, and an extra half hour at the end of the day Friday,
Several Coalition high schools use some variation of this schedule, (which resembles a “Copernican schedule”) with three 95- to 100-minute blocks each day in two semesters. An additional 50- to 57-minute block is used for teacher planning or elective courses. Robeson High School, Chicago. Three subjects per semester; three 100-minute classes a day, plus lunch. Teachers get half-hour morning prep
Evergreen High School in Vancouver, Washington has three 12-week terms with four courses each, meeting 80 minutes a day, with 50 minutes for lunch, activities, and help. Teachers teach three classes a term and have one 80-minute prep daily. Class size increased by about two students per class; teachers see no more than 90 kids a term. Previously full-year courses
Moving to longer schedule blocks can help schools focus more on depth in the curriculum and active student engagement. But unless teachers get substantial time to develop and reflect on new practices-and unless the needs of students drive the use of time-a long-block schedule won’t accomplish much. SUDDENLY THE SCHEDULE is the hot topic in school reform. Frustrated by pressures