December 1998 Report Looks at Benefits of Alternative Schedules
The eight-period day, the five-day week, and the nine-month school year are still the norm in this country. But educators are giving serious consideration to alternative schedules that, while challenging to implement, may yield big rewards. A new NWREL publication takes a close look at some of these options.
"In today's climate of renewed commitment to educational change, educators are continually looking for ways to improve school climate, increase teacher job satisfaction, make the most of school facilities, and most important, improve student learning and achievement," says Jennifer Fager, author of Scheduling Alternatives: Options for Student Success, the third in the "By Request" booklet series published by NWREL's Planning and Services Coordination Unit. "They are finding they can achieve all this and more by modifying or even abandoning traditional methods of scheduling."
Scheduling Alternatives looks at block scheduling, the four-day school week, and year-round school. The discussion explains each scheduling alternative and covers its benefits to students, teachers, and the school. Also discussed are concerns to consider and ideas for imple mentation.
Fager notes that while the initial motivation to adopt an alternative schedule is often financial, educational benefits typically are discovered later. For instance, a four-day school week can address problems of declining enrollments and financial resources, and year-round school is often used as an answer to overcrowding when taxpayers do not want to fund new buildings. However, both have also been found to boost achievement scores, reduce the dropout rate, and improve student and teacher attendance, among other benefits.
Following the general discussion is a "Northwest Sampler" of programs in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington that are employing alternative schedules. For each program, readers are given contact information, a detailed program description, a list of observed outcomes, and "keys to success" from the educators involved.
This publication is out of print, but is available online.
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