High Schools Students Essay

No Child Left after part mandates displace tremendous pressure on civilizes throughout the country to succeed in helping our students achieve. School leaders argon spending conviction and n sensations to find ways to improve their civilizes. m either a(prenominal) leaders progress to chosen to restructure their every twenty-four hour period scheduling format. Schools need to explore if this is beneficial or non. The purpose of this reading is to determine if period scheduling has an effect on student achievement of higher(prenominal) teachtime students who argon enrolled in stopover scheduling fellowshipes versus those enrolled in conventional classes.The check format will make up of four 90-minute classes. The traditional format will consist of six 50 transactions classes. To take student achievement, the researcher will explore trip wholeow critical argonas. They are schoolman achievement, student discipline, and student attendance. The examine existen ce will consist of students, teachers and administrators. The students of this population will be students enrolled at a high school that uses the shutdown format and students enrolled at a high school that uses the traditional format.To examine faculty member achievement, only students who assume perfect their 11th grade year and interpreted the social studies portion of the g tout ensembleium High School Graduation Test will be apply. To examine discipline and attendance, the teachers, administrators and some students will be randomly selected. The case muse will consist of interview questionnaires and data from the students records to determine if there is a difference with overeat scheduling compared to traditional scheduling.The research will formulate and explore if full stop scheduling versus traditional scheduling is a sharp-witted decision for school leaders throughout the country. CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Statement of Problem It is no secret that schools i n the joined States go for come under much fire lately for their failure to come over the basic teaching methodal needs of students. Glob tot every(prenominal)yy, students in the unit of measuremented States lag out-of-the-way(prenominal) behind those of other countries. information reform is a catch parlance on the lips of politicians and educational researchers alike.Dobbs reports that in a global math skills trial, the United States ranked 24th out of 29 wealthy, industrialized countries. Approximately 5500 students in 262 high schools were canvass their poor performance suggests a widening chap between US students and their counterparts in Europe and Asia (Dobbs, M. , 2004). In addition an supranational Math & science Study reported the high school seniors were out-performed by 90% of other tested nations in math and by 76% in science (Hodges, 2003).In reading, students are equall(a)y unprepared. The Alliance for magnificent Education reports that nearly 6 million m iddle and high school students do not read at grade aim. In addition, over half the students entering college snitty-grittyd at unacceptable levels on college entrance exams in reading, and these trends seem to cross gender and racial lines (Aratani, 2006). The current debate around school reform came in response to the report, A Nation at Risk (2004) which made the above statistics and their implications public to the nation.The National Commission on Excellence in Education remarked that if a foreign power had act to impose our current education performance on any nation, it would have been deemed an act of war. In a nutshell, schools in America were characterized as failed systems (Finn, 1997). The No Child Left Behind Act (NCBLA) by the current crotch hair Administration is i of the most groundbreaking educational reforms in old age. sanction by Congress in December 2001 and signed into law on January 8, 2002, this legislation expanded the federal governments role in the operation of public schools and imposed new obligations on all school districts.The NCLBAs basic reform principles feature stronger accountability of the schools, administrators and teachers, change magnitude flexibleness and local throw of funds from the federal government, expanded options for parents in choosing schools, and an attach emphasis on successful teaching methods (No Child Left Behind Act, 2001). Policymakers are alike accountable not just for the enhanced consumer joy of the parents who have an active role in school choice, but also for the overall improvement of opportunity and performance for students who have only a express mail role in school choice (Leckrone & Griffith, 2006).To combat these down(prenominal) trends and to provide for the new obligations and standards in the NCLBA, public education reform has sour to a revision of the structure of the school daylight. This included changing the schedules from a traditional six or sevener period day which consisted of 45 to 55 minute classes that met daily for an sinless school year to a button up schedule. Block schedules take many another(prenominal) forms, but basically, the class judgment of convictions per period doubles to close 90 legal proceeding each and the add of classes taken is reduced from six or seven to four per semester. 1. 2 Statement of PurposeSince the trend toward block scheduling began some(prenominal) days ago, and reports have been mixed as to whether block scheduling has been beneficial or deleterious in solving some of the problems of US high schools. Many factors are involved when it comes to student achievement. These include, among other things, school climate, teaching practices, familial entertain, motivation and resources. This take away seeks to determine the effectives of block scheduling on the academic performance of high school students with regard to the discipline, attendance and test slews. 1. 3 DefinitionsFor the purposes of thi s study, the following definitions will be used 4 x 4 Block Scheduling Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, every day for the offshoot semester. Four eke outly diametric classes, once again ninety minutes in length, every day for the second semester. severally class equals one credit (The swop Process and option Scheduling, 1996). A/B Block Scheduling Four classes, approximately ninety minutes in length, meeting every other day (A days) for an finished school year. Four completely different classes, again ninety minutes in length, meeting on alternate days (B days) for an entire year.Each class equals one credit (The Change Process and resource Scheduling, 1996). Combination Block Schedule A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). tractile Schedule A combination of 4 x 4 and A/B block schedules, but class length varies from day to day. One example On three out of every quintet days throug hout the school year, each class could be 90 minutes in length. On the other two days, designated as advisement/Resource Days, each class is 75 minutes in length. An advisement/Resource Hour is 60 minutes in length (The Change Process and Alternative Scheduling, 1996). Traditional Format six (or to a greater extent) 50-minutes classes per day FMS the Flexible Modular brass designed by J. Lloyd Trump which introduced alternative scheduling options and provided for differing times for classes depending on the needs of the student and the content of the particular operate. GHSGT The gallium High School Graduation Test which must be passed by all seniors in public high schools in Georgia. Carnegie Unit great hundred hours of class or contact time with an instructor over the course of a year at the secondary school level No Child Left Behind Act NCLBA, 2001 legislation which tightened federal control over the standards and processes of American public schools. 1. 4 Assumpt ions of the Study This study assumes that all schools and students and teachers polled are enrolled or teaching in schools that follow the typical formats discussed above, that they have no previously diagnosed mental disabilities or schooling problems and that the school is not participating in any additional enrichment programs which may distort the results of the study. 1. 5 Significance of the StudyThis study is important for anyone interested in change education in American high schools. This study is significant in that it provides to the body of research that determine a) if the block scheduling theory is sensed by teachers and students as efficient and advantageous and b) if the block scheduling concept is actually responsible for improved academic achievement based upon varying factors of attendance, disciplinary records, and achievement test oodles. 1. 6 Limitations of the Study This study is hold by the existence of several variables which cannot be tested by these researchers or that cannot be completely controlled.First, the research obtained is limited to those participants who willingly elect to complete the surveys and questionnaires in their entirety. All personal data to be collected is limited by the veracity of the respondents. Because of the small scope of the research, it is difficult to statistically equipoise the number of respondents from necessary categories much(prenominal) as gender, race, income level, and college architectural plans. It can also not take into account existing problems in the schools unrelated to scheduling such as teacher turnover, violence, etc. 1. 7 SummaryThe problems faced by high schools in the United States are wide-ranging and diverse. No one change will provide an instant cure for all that ails the education system. The NCLBA mandates and the general demise of educational achievement has prompted several new methods of teaching, administrating and mount education in America. The issue of schedul ing may hold scream as to improving some aspects of academic performance. CHAPTER TWO REVIEW of the publications 2. 1 Historical Background of Block Scheduling Students of the 20th light speed spent nearly all of their high school time in 45 to 55 minute class periods, six or seven classes a day.During the 1960s, some experimental ideas emerged, notable the model of J. Lloyd Trump, who proposed creating classes of varying lengths depending upon the course. Science courses with lab requirements could meet for 100 minutes while lectures could be plan for 40 minutes and tutorials for 20 minutes. This system was called the Flexible Modular System (FMS). Later, a similar type of scheduling was dubbed the Copernican Plan which resulted in a reported benefit of improved graduation rates (Carroll, 1995). The plan gives students an extra chance each year to pass a semester class that they may have failed.In 1984, John Goodlad warned education leaders that the traditional school structure spends way too much time on six or seven class changes and does not allow for severalize instruction, for extended laboratory work, or for remediation and enrichment (Queen, 2000). Eventually, the extreme flexibility of time produced discipline issues, scheduling headaches and teacher planning problems, and FMSs popularity began to wane (Dobbs, W. , 1998) Nonetheless, the immenseness of this system has not been overlooked, and it is generally regarded as the precursor to the modern block scheduling system.Tradition has always played a role in high school scheduling. The Carnegie Unit became a standard for determining a students required yearly course load. Most critics of the traditional system likened the Carnegie Unit to simply amassed seat time (Canady and Rettig, 1995). This point was reiterated in the National Education Commission on Time and Learnings publication of A Prisoner of Time. It states that Learning in America is a prisoner of time. For the other(prenominal) 150 years, American public schools have held time constant and let learning vary.The rule, only rarely voiced, is simple learn what you can in the time we make available. It should surprise no one that some bright, indefatigable students do reasonably well. Everyone elsefrom the typical student to the dropoutruns into trouble. Time is learnings warden. (National Education Commission on Time and Learning, 1994, p. 7) The pace is grueling (Irmsher, 1996). A student will spend nearly seven hours a day in seven to nine locations pursuing seven to nine different lessons and activities which produces an impersonal and inefficient approach to instruction.The pace is grueling (Irmsher, 1996). Unfortunately, many administrators, teachers and parents resisted any type of change to the system that they had experienced themselves. This resistance was challenged with the report A Nation At Rise was published in 1983 which revealed the American educational system was not up to par with international systems. Thus, restructuring schools became a boil down in improving educational achievement (Queen, 2000). 2. 2 Summary of flow Knowledge and Theory Relevant to Block Scheduling 2. 2. 1 Overview of sensed Advantages to Block Scheduling several(prenominal) researchers (Dobbs, W., 1998 Hurley, 1997 Zepeda, 1999 Staunton, 1997 Staunton and Adams, 1997 Pisapia, and Westfall, 1997 and Eineder and Bishop, 1997) reported the following perceived strengths and advantages by both students and teachers to block scheduling Increased teacher preparation time (in both teams and as individuals). Double the class time for certain core subjects such as phrase arts and math. Half as many students for teachers per semester Additional elective class choice for 9th grade students more choices for upperclassmen, including options of advance(a) Placement and other higher level coursework More time for extent of labs, incorporating technology, class trips, and other various applications of lear ned material Improved school climate and decreased disciplinary referrals More time to do readying and for guided practice under the direction of the teacher Improved academic achievement by students Ability of students to accumulate enough credits to potassium alum early. More one-on-one time between teachers and students In general, surveyed students liked the block scheduling. They claimed to be getting better grades, to have time for more in-depth study, and got more attention from the teachers.They give tongue to their lives were less stressed and they liked having a snappy start each semester. Nearly all students asked said they would not emergency to return to the traditional schedule. One of the greatest effects of the 4 x 4 schedule is that students report having less homework. Of the 37 students interviewed, 20 said they had less homework, 7 said they had more, and 6 said they had about the same. If you fall apartt like the teacher, you dont have to deal with hi m all year, or if you dont like the subject. When the semester ends, its like a new school year. Youre not bogged down.Clearly, these students reaped academic benefits from the change to the 4 x 4 schedule. Both college preparatory and general students reported they were learning more and receiving more individual attention (Hurley, 1997). Surveyed teachers indicated that they enjoyed lecturing less and spending more time one-on-one with students. Teachers teaching in block scheduling used more of a team approach and allowed them to experiment more in the classroom (Staunton, 1997 Staunton and Adams, 1997). Teachers also reported that their teaching methods and practices changed as block scheduling was implemented.They used a wider array of strategies and activities. In one Florida study of over forty high schools on block scheduling, forty per centum of the teachers reported less stress at school, one- troika reported increased common planning time, and 80 percent noted that they preferred the block schedule to their previous schedule (Deuel, 1999). there seem to be several perceived advantages associated with block scheduling. 2. 2. 2 Overview of Perceived Disadvantages to Block Scheduling Several researchers (Dobbs, W., 1998 Hurley, 1997 Zepeda, 1999 Staunton, 1997 Staunton and Adams, 1997 Pisapia, and Westfall, 1997 and Eineder and Bishop, 1997) reported the following perceived weaknesses and disadvantages by both students and teachers to block scheduling Additional costs in hiring teachers. Additional costs in adding pose for teachers or the need for teachers to travel which means he has no eternal classroom Difficulty in making up work from absences because absent one day equivalent to missing two classes Some classes understandably benefit from meeting every day (i. e. performing arts classes) drive for teachers to commit to using new teaching methods Ninety minutes is a hanker time to hold the attention of students Uneven schedules in which the harder classes all end up lumped into one semester making it too difficult and the nigh semester too easy. The possibility that there will be a long gap in between sequential courses if they are not taken in back-to-back semesters. The primary disadvantage given by surveyed students is that the classes are too long. Students particularly gave this as a weakness when their teachers lectured for nearly all of the time period.Others noted that bad classes are really bad when they are held for 90 minutes (Hurley, 1997). Surveyed teachers voiced concerns about interruptions of sequential material from one semester to the next and consistency issues with students. However, teacher opinion seemed to be mixed about this issue. Some foreign language teachers feared a sequential break between levels (Scheduling Foreign Languages on the Block, 1998). Other researchers found that some schools actually showed an increase in foreign language test scores because students could take level I and level II courses in back-to-back semesters (Schoenstein, 1996).Some teachers tangle more comfortable with the lecture approach and had little comfort with experiment of teaching methods (Staunton, 1997 Staunton and Adams, 1997). 2. 2. 3 essential Advantages to Block Scheduling via Research Studies. A Temple University study found that block scheduling had distinct advantages in academic achievement. Students who made the honor roll at the three schools studied flush from 22% to 31%. SAT scores rose by an average of 14 points. In addition, the number of detentions declined while student attendance increased (Evans, Tokarczyk and Rice, 2000).Most recently, a 2006 study indicated a variety of advantages to block scheduling. Five Connecticut high schools were studied to determine what, if any, positive outcomes would result. The researchers used test scores and surveys as a means of data parade from school guidance counselors, teachers, administrators and students. The study fou nd that gains in math rose significantly over a two year period, achievement test score averages rose in a statistically significant modality over three years, and PSAT and SAT scores increased within the first three years but thence leveled off.(Wilcox, 2006). This study is one of the a couple of(prenominal) longitudinal studies available. This study also stressed the importance of time as a factor in determining the success of block scheduling. nigh all of the results which indicated significant differences were shown after two or more years (Wilcox, 2006). Clearly some time is necessary in order for students and teachers to beget accustomed to the changes. Some of the school studies Wilcox (2006) examined had been operating on a block schedule for as long as ten years.Unfortunately, not all the schools had baseline data for years before the block schedule or had opened with a block schedule. The study further stresses the level of support by the staff can be a determining fac tor as to the success of any type of block scheduling, which seems to correlate, at least(prenominal) on surface examination of the results, with training procedures and teacher confidence. 2. 2. 4 Actual Disadvantages to Block Scheduling via Research StudiesA University of North Carolina at chapel service Hill study studied achievement in reading and maths of students in a high school which ran a tri-schedule. This schedule consisted of a traditional schedule, a 4 x 4 schedule and interbreeding schedules which all operated in the same single school. The NC state mandated tests in reading, language and math were used to determine achievement. For reading and language test results, there was no statistically significant difference based on the types of schedules. There was, however, a statistically significant difference in math counting subtest.The traditional schedule saw slightly higher scores in understanding and retention of mathematical computation for tenth grade students. Thus, this study supports the importance of daily instruction and contact time to student achievement in mathematics as distinct from other academic skills (Veal and Shreiber, 1999). other study tested students in the Wilmington area of North Carolina. It, too, found that students on traditional schedules scored higher on tests of algebra, English, biology and history than did students on a block schedule (Lawrence and McPherson, 2000).2. 2. 5 Studies that were Inconclusive in Determining the qualification of Block Scheduling in Increasing Academic Achievement. A third North Carolina study, this one undertaken by the section of Public Instruction, compared End-Of-Course (EOC) test scores in five areas (English I, Algebra I, Biology I, US History, and Economic, Legal and Political Systems (ELP)). It sample scores from schools that operated on block schedules and on traditional schedules for 1993 to 1996.It mentions at the counterbalance that the first schools to adopt block sche dules in NC were those that had lower achievement scores to begin with. These schools scores were adjusted for the purpose of this study. The overall results were inconclusive. Some out of use(p) schools showed some improvement in some years but then lower scores in other years. At present, there are essentially no significant differences between groups of blocked and corresponding non-blocked school groups in terms of student performance in state EOC Tests (North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1997).