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August 25, 2005
Block Scheduling - Does it Work?
The Washington Post has a collection of anecdotes about block scheduling in one Northern Virginia school system; the general impression is that this isn't a magic solution to our woes, either.
It's interesting, but no one expressed what I thought would be a serious drawback. Let's say Mary and Louise both take Latin I in 9th grade under a block schedule and Latin II in 10th grade under a block schedule. Mary takes Latin I in the 2nd semester and Latin II in the first semester. She would have the summer slippage, but she would also have 90 minute classes from January to December of one calendar year -- I think she would do pretty well. What about Louise, who gets stuck with Latin I in the fall term of her 9th grade year and Latin II in the spring term of her 10th grade year? Even if she's a good student that puts an entire calendar year between the two courses. No block schedule advocate (and there were lots percolating around Atlanta in the 1990s) even tried to convince me that this wouldn't happen regularly.
I think that would be an academic disaster for Louise. Mary - hmm. I think she'd benefit; how much is open to question.
Posted by CrankyProfessor at August 25, 2005 7:06 AM