Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Block schedule dumped

Block scheduling is going the way of the dodo at Prescott High School.

In its regular monthly meeting, held Tuesday, Jan. 22, the Prescott School Board decided block scheduling wasn't working because standardized test scores aren't at the level they were six years ago when the scheduling was instituted.

Instead, students at Prescott High School next year will be dealing with "flex" scheduling, which will incorporate both the block and seven-period formats.

A committee consisting of PHS Principal Steve Britton, board member Jeff Haynes, PHS Counselor Paula Cossey, Hyacinth Deon and Donna Smith, along with a rotating board member, will look into the best way to do the flex scheduling.

There was a packed house at the meeting, with those who spoke favoring the block schedule. To a person it was agreed students are bringing home better report cards under block scheduling because they have more time in class to get information they need.

However, standardized test scores, primarily the SAT-9, have remained lower under block scheduling than when the district operated a seven-period day.

It must also be said, though, about the time Prescott went to the four-period day, the SAT-9 tests were moved from being given in the spring to the fall.

Karen Johnson, a teacher at PHS, said she had taught 23 years under seven-period days, but students get more out of block scheduling.

As a mother, she said, she's watched her own children stay up late and get up early to get their homework done.

Donna Smith, another PHS teacher, said overall there is no difference in instructional time between block and seven-period days.

The difference, she said, is students get more material in less time under block scheduling than in a seven-period day with 50 minute classes.

Smith also pointed out the problem students have of getting across campus in the five minutes they have between classes. In some instances, she said, it takes seven minutes minimum if students stop at their lockers to get the books they need.

Additionally, she said, the state will be returning SAT-9 testing to the spring soon, and this alone should improve these scores.

Students, Smith said, don't retain what they've learned over the summer, and are required to take the SAT-9 shortly after school starts.

According to Smith, 75 percent of schools in the nation are either on block scheduling or are changing to it.

Under the flex schedule, she said, the district would have to reduce the number of credits required for a student to graduate.

The board did this when making the change, dropping the requirements from the current 29 to 21 because student's won't be able to take as many classes under the seven-period schedule.

Smith also pointed out most of the advanced courses are offered in the spring, and these classes have more than doubled in number, with triple the number of students taking them under block scheduling.

Bob Cummings, a parent in the district, said he thought it was crazy when the district went from the seven-period day to the block schedule, but has since changed his mind.

His daughter did well under the block system and his son was looking forward to it when he starts high school.

Cummings said the district hasn't given block scheduling enough time to see if it will work or not.

Kim Hale, a teacher at Prescott Elementary, said she was also concerned about block scheduling because teachers aren't able to cover all the material in one semester.

Part of the problem, she said, is class size is still too big, with 30 students per class.

"We need to be reaching for the top academically," Hale said. "We need to want the best these students can do. We need to expect more of them than they think they can do, and we need reading (classes) all year long."

Cossey said the seven-period day won't make the test scores increase, and pointed out in college the class size is sometimes 130 students instead of 30, which is allowable under state law.

Smith told the board math scores have dropped across the nation, the problem isn't strictly felt in Arkansas or at PHS.

Christy Heckman's daughter, Elizabeth, has been under block scheduling for three years at PHS. "I thought it would be a bad thing at first," she said.

"I didn't learn what these children are learning when I was in school. I didn't have the tough classes they have.

"My daughter takes classes all year to get ready for college. She's been able to excel under the block for three years. A lot of it's up to the students. If you change now it will be hard on them."

Heckman said her son takes longer to learn than does her daughter, but he, too, has done well on block scheduling, better than he did before.

Elizabeth Heckman said she takes all advanced courses and going to a seven-period day with these courses and the homework they have would mean she couldn't keep up.

In addition, she's involved in extracurricular activities at school, including the band, and in her church.

However, she told the board it wouldn't just be the students who felt the added pressure, but teachers would as well. "If we go to seven periods," she said, "teachers will have more tests to grade and more students to keep up with."

As it stands, she said, there are teachers at PHS who are also teaching at PES and McRae Middle School.

Superintendent Ron Wright said he likes the block schedule and wished he'd been able to teach under it, but the test scores haven't been keeping up with the improvement in student grades.

The board voted 5-0 to go to the flex schedule.