Review of Research

on the Efficacy of
Block Scheduling in
High Schools
CARL PEITZ – DAVE MAIMONE
Introduction

Research Review Topic:

The Effects of Block Scheduling on the Academic

Achievement, Behavior, Instructional Practices, and
Perceptions of High School Students.
Why is it Significant to Educators?
 Does scheduling have an impact on academic achievement,
behavior, instructional practices, and perceptions of high school
students?

 How does it benefit or affect students, teachers, administrators, and

school systems?
 Graduation Rate
 Duel Enrollment
 Electives
 Retakes
 Intervention class
Key Terms

 Traditional Scheduling
 Block scheduling
 4X4 block scheduling
 A/B Block Scheduling
 Hybrid
Traditional Schedule
4x4 and A/B
Synthesis and Evaluation

 Academic Achievement

 Behavior

 Perception

 Instructional Strategies
Academic Achievement

 Mixed Results

 National Test- (ACT, SAT), GPA, State Tests

 Short term compared to long term implementation

Behavior

 Decrease in behavior issues

 Less transitions
Perception
 All groups reported positive effects of block scheduling
Students
 Students didn’t feel rushed within class
 Students had an extra day to complete homework
Teachers
 Have more instructional opportunities
 Use a variety of methods
 Less instructional fragmentation
 More individual student attention
Parents
 Positive impressions
Instructional Strategies

Number of Instructional Strategies

increased Lecture decreased

 Group work
 Discussion
 Cooperative learning increased
Evaluation

Methodology

 Believability?
 Objective Measures
 National and State Assessments
 Subjective measures
 Questionnaires
 Grades
 Behavior
Evaluation

Methodology
Reliability
 Small sample sizes

 Isolated schools

 SES, Race, and Ethnicity

 Questionnaires
Conclusion

 Beneficial to all

 Did not show decrease in achievement

 Student Choice

 Teacher preparedness
Conclusion
What Research Still Needs to be Done?

 SES, race, ethnicity, gender

 Dropout rate/graduation rate

 Teacher PD/preparedness