Review likely for schedule at high school (03/02/06)

Block scheduling has been a topic of school-related conversation nationwide for decades, but recently, the schedule has been the subject of a letter to the editor, and may soon be evaluated by the school board.

Jay School board president Doug Inman said at a school board meeting in January that one of his goals for what may be his last eleven months in office is to have block scheduling at Jay County High School evaluated by an independent body.

“I have a huge concern with how ISTEP scores drop off at the high school level,” said Inman, who did not tie the concern about ISTEP scores directly to block scheduling.

This sentiment was echoed by board members Jay Halstead and Greg Wellman in their school board goals during a recent meeting.

Superintendent Barbara Downing said that there is currently no timetable or specific plan in place to review block scheduling, but that the board has indicated that it is a priority.

Downing said an analysis would likely examine student achievement, course offerings, SAT scores, ISTEP scores and other academic achievment indicators as well as the fiscal impact different types of schedules have on the school corporation.

She said that the positive and negative impact on all departments would be examined, including fine arts and vocational programs.

“They are all important programs,” said Downing.

Students in the Jay School Corporation currently operate under a traditional school day schedule until they reach high school, at which point they have what is referred to as a modified block schedule.

Though there are many types of modified block scheduling, at JCHS, students attend four classes a day for 75 minutes each.

A fifth period in the middle of the day allows for 30 minutes of lunch and 45 minutes of instruction. While the four longest classes rotate every semester, the 45 minute period does not. This allows students who take classes such as band and algebra, which require constant attention for skill mastery, to take the course year round.

However, effective with the 2006-07 school year, the Indiana State Board of Education will require all schools on block or modified block scheduling to have each class last at least 85 minutes.

Under this new arrangement JCHS will have four 85-minute courses which may rotate in nine week cycles, with a 65-minute time period to allow for lunch, sustained silent reading and Jay Today.

Proponents of block scheduling say that longer class periods allow teachers to conduct projects and experiments that can’t be completed in shorter class periods.

They also allow classes such as cadet teaching, in which a high school student leaves campus to shadow and assist a teacher at an elementary or middle school more meaningful time in the classroom. In addition, the format more closely resembles the schedule in colleges, where students may have classes only once a week for three or four hours, but rarely attend the same class on a daily basis.

However, those who find flaws in block scheduling often point to lack of retention and short adolescent attention span.

Students may find it difficult to remember material necessary to be successful on standardized tests such as the ISTEP or SAT if they have not had a particular course for several months. Also, because college students tend to be more mature and have different incentives for learning than high school students, it may not follow that high school students will be better prepared for college if they are educated on the block.

According to Tipton, block scheduling allows students to get college credit, because some colleges won’t accept credits earned in shorter class periods because they feel the classes can’t cover all skills necessary.

Furthermore, Tipton said a traditional 50 minute period encourages lecture time and discourages teamwork—a skill that has become invaluable in the workplace.

“We are in an information age where remembering facts is not as important as the ability to work together and find answers together,” said Tipton.

Teachers, most of whom have been educated and began their careers on a traditional seven-period day, must modify some of their teaching methods.

“Teachers have to buy into it, too,” said Tipton. “I don’t know too many people who can listen to an 80 or 90 minute lecture.”

Barwick said that he has had few complaints about the schedule.

“Our faculty has always liked the block schedule,” said Barwick. “About 92 percent are in favor of it, and there is a small percentage that doesn’t, but we believe it’s what’s best for the kids.”

Barwick went on to say that in a parental satisfaction survey done this year, he recieved only one complaint about block scheduling.

“Parents have typically been educated on a seven-period day,” said Barwick, “so they may just have a more difficult time accepting it.”

Tipton said the seven-period day is based on outdated notions of what high school education should result in.

“The seven-period day model was a great solution in the 1950s, when the 20-60-20 model was on place, meaning about 20 percent of graduates would go to college, 60 percent would go to trade school and another 20 percent would flunk out,” he said.

“We want more than that 20 percent going to college, and we certainly don’t want 20 percent flunking out. Our kids don’t adapt to college quickly enough unless they come from a block schedule.”

“I don’t know how long block scheduling will be around, but I know it won’t return to a seven-period day,” Tipton said.[[In-content Ad]]