A Comparison Of The Use Of Instructional Time In Block Scheduled And Traditionally Scheduled High School Classrooms PDF Download

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate differences between schools which utilize "Block Scheduling" and those which utilize "Traditional Schedules" for student grade point averages, student daily attendance, student behavior/discipline, and student satisfaction with school. Procedures. Using data from an initial survey of Missouri school leaders which revealed the prevalence of block scheduling in the state, schools were selected to participate in the study. Twenty schools using block schedules were selected. Twenty schools utilizing a traditional schedule were selected to serve as a comparison group. Approximately 25 students from each participating school were selected from the first non-honors senior English class on the school's master schedule. Each student involved in the study was asked to complete an initial demographic survey, respond to two open-ended questions, and complete a Student Satisfaction Survey. School personnel were asked to provide each student's cumulative grade point average, the number of days they missed school during their junior year, and the number of behavioral/disciplinary referrals received during their junior year. Findings. Of the 497 public Missouri high schools, leaders from 163 schools (33%) indicated they would implement some form of block scheduling for the 1996-97 school year. Of the 163 Missouri high schools with some type of block scheduling, 61 percent have an eight-block schedule. The ten-block schedule is the second-most common (17%), followed by the four-block schedule (10%). Block scheduling is a recent trend in the state of Missouri. Of the 163 Missouri high schools with some form of block scheduling, only 29 schools reported that they had those schedules before the 1994-95 school year. Leaders from 102 Missouri high schools reported that they had implemented some form of block schedule since the 1995-96 school year. There were no statistically significant differences between block-scheduled schools and traditionally-scheduled schools in the areas of senior student grade point averages, the mean number of discipline referrals received, and student attendance. Students enrolled in traditionally-scheduled schools expressed greater levels of satisfaction with school on two subscales of the NASSP Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments (CASE) Student Satisfaction Survey. A post-study analysis of the impact of school size on the variables of this study revealed that school enrollment was a factor that could have influenced the results. Further research is recommended to investigate the issues of school size, length of time a school has used a block schedule, and the nature of instructional practices before conclusions can be drawn about the impact of block scheduling on student variables.