[UPDATE 2-17-15]
The board will open discussion on changing back to a A/B block schedule at an upcoming meeting. Since this story last ran, the purpose of moving to a nine-period day was to save money and force teachers to add another class teaching seven of eight classes, teachers now teach six of eight classes which is the same as a block schedule. There is no extra cost to move back to block scheduling. However, by changing back to A/B block, students would be more prepared for longer classes in college. They would have less stress of homework each night. They would be in class more because of less passing periods (75 more hours a year). They would not be rushed in and out a class with little instruction. Assuming the schedule would be the same at Ben Barber, they would not have to give up career tech classes which could fit in their schedule. On the current schedule students must give up three classes at their home campus for a career tech class. Everyone, especially the student, wins on block schedule.
The board should move forward with returning to a more successful, less stressful block schedule for students.
[January 2013]
With the intent to save money, the district moved from the A-B block system to the nine-period schedule after official approval at the board meeting May 3. With the implementation of the revised schedule, the district decreased the number of teachers at established schools without having to hire many new teachers for Lake Ridge. While the district gained financially from this arrangement, both students and teachers suffer repercussions.
Having nine periods in one day means students spend more school time walking to their classes during the passing periods, which amount to a total of 40 minutes of traversing through the halls. (Which totals up to 120 hours – 15 days of time outside of class.) In addition passing periods shrunk from seven minutes to five minutes, and the overall school day increased in length by 15 minutes. Shorter passing periods create problems of their own, since many students struggle to get to their classes on the opposite side of the building without tardiness. This time crunch combined with more classes to walk to each day makes students more physically exhausted, affecting their performance in class.
With the new schedule, students can receive assignments from up to eight different classes and teachers must grade and teach seven classes, one more than previous years. Experienced teachers with set agendas had to change their entire lesson plans to accommodate the 45-minute class periods as well. While giving teachers seven classes keeps the district from having to hire new teachers and allows them to keep all of the offered courses, it also harms teachers by making them perform more work for the same wages.
By the end of the school day, teachers would have repeated themselves numerous times. Students also listen to eight different lectures throughout the day, decreasing their attention spans as the day progresses.
The district tried to assist the student body by forming a homework policy, defining when a teacher could have students turn in work or take quizzes and tests. While this policy meant to rectify the problems students have faced with work, it merely moved the problems into large clusters of due dates throughout the week. Furthermore, it interrupted teachers’ class work schedules by confining teachers to handing out assignments and testing students’ knowledge to certain days.
If the district really desires to balance the new schedule and the repercussions created by it, it should modify the policies they have put in place based on the complaints of its students and teachers. The homework policy should mimic the previous year in that teachers could not assign work they made due the following day because of the nature of the A-B block system, and administrators give students more time for passing periods. With modifications to the existing policies, the district would alleviate some of the stress caused by the nine-period schedule.
Barrett Adix • Jul 16, 2015 at 11:04 pm
Lessons are very short now, especially for classes that start with a sponge activity. In my US History class last year, we would spend 10 minutes working on it, then another 10 (ish) minutes talking about it, successfully taking up about half of the class period. The short passing periods barely allow enough time for me to cross the school (something I had to do about 6 times a day last year) and definitely leave no time to use the bathroom, however I was reluctant to leave classes (if the teacher would even let me) because every time I left I would miss large chunks of the lesson due to how fast the teachers teach now. Although it is nice to have a shorter period for classes I dont like, it is very annoying to have to keep packing up and leaving for a new classroom, where I would unpack and start a new lesson 8 times a day. I dont know if I would want to go back to an A day/ B day schedule (mainly because I remember people having trouble remembering which day it was and bringing the wrong day’s supplies), but there has to be some way to fix this schedule issue.
Dawn • Jan 17, 2013 at 11:29 am
The 9 period day along with the use of IPADs, that our children have not been trained on, is causing great frustration with students, teachers and parents. By the time students all get in their seat and attendance is checked the 45 minute class is cut short another 5 minutes. Lecture is rushed therefor the students note taking is suffering. Assignments given in class are rushed and left to finish for homework. Students with any type of extracurricular activity or job has no chance of performing to his best ability with the stresses added by the 9 period schedule and the technology they expect them to use without training. The emails parents receive from the Skyward system are very confusing. Assignments marked as missing are not always missing, teachers just haven’t entered grades. Grades seem to be entered at the end of the grading period all at once which does not allow for student to make up missing work that they were unaware of.
Dillon Jones • Jan 8, 2013 at 8:11 am
I actually just dropped out to become home schooled due to the stress and frustration of the current system of teaching and education offered at legacy. The 9 block schedule was especially one of those stressful implications due to the fact that it was incredibly compressed. While on paper we have the same amount of time as last years AB Block schedule, what was not accounted for was the time required to review the same material as yesterday, addressing students questions from yesterday, as well as the preparation of materials and the packing up of materials at the start and end of each class day. I had classes that all these combined could take up half the class period or more (especially in math based classes for questions on homework). I can guarantee that the effects of this will show up on the next testing period for the district.