Block Scheduling Considered in Mt. Pleasant Schools
The Mount Pleasant School District is exploring instituting a block scheduling format that would double the time middle and high schools students would have in class for core curriculum subjects that could begin in the 2013-14 school year.
For nearly two years the Secondary School Redesign Committee has been exploring potential changes at Westlake Middle School and Westlake High School During the Jan. 11 board of education meeting, high school Principal Keith Schenker and middle school principal interim Principal Dr. Robert Hendrickson discussed the potential new secondary school format, which they said would better prepare students for college, get them more involved in the learning process and improve achievement.
The committee has been exploring a series of new scheduling options to replace the current format of 40-miute periods. The format most favored by the committee would be to have core subjects taught in 80-minute blocks that would rotate every other day. For example, an 80-minute math class could be held on Day A and the next day, Day B, a student would take an 80-minute class in another core subject, such as English. There would be 40-minute lunch period and some blocks could be divided into two, 40-minute periods with an elective class taken in each 40-minuite segment.
Schenker said changes in the secondary school format were needed to meet the students’ needs in a changing world. “The 40-minute class is not cutting it,” he said.
Instead of just listening to teacher lectures, the 80-minute schedule blocks would allow the middle and high schools to encourage “a shift to student ownership of learning,” Schenker said. A series of meetings with “a pro and con look” at potential new scheduling formats have been conducted with the schools’ faculty, he said.
Several other school districts in the tri-state area have already implemented block scheduling, including Sleepy Hollow,Hastingsand Croton “and more are going this way,” Schenker said. Nationally, school districts have been using block scheduling since 1996, he said. Committee members have traveled to districts that have instituted block scheduling, he said. Over the past summer, some secondary school faculty received training in adapting teaching to a block schedule format and those educators have shared their knowledge with their colleagues this fall, Schenker said, adding that students have also addressed the concept with the committee.
Schenker said this spring faculty will create mock block schedules and in April, will meet with district consultant Mike Rettig to discuss master schedule options.
During the 2012-13, school year, the district will do a pilot block scheduling program for students for two or three weeks, Schenker said.
Though not committing to the new secondary school scheduling format, board of educations members said they liked the concept. Trustee Francine Aloi said. “I’m really excited about this. It’s getting the kids ready for college.” She added that the district needed to tell students and the public that the 80-minute periods would not turn into just 80-minute teacher lectures. Schenker agreed, saying the district would need to educate students and the public about block scheduling if the school board decided to implement it. Having 80-minute periods would allow teachers “the time to go deeper” into their courses, Schenker said.
