Board members say long blocks may be detrimental
Gilroy – The high school’s block schedule may be re–examined by the Gilroy Unified School District board members next school year, perhaps initiating changes down the road.
Gilroy High School students attend three two–hour classes each day. The classes that are held Monday, Wednesday and Friday one week alternate to a Tuesday, Thursday schedule the following week. The schedule has been in place since 2003 when classes were extended 30 minutes each, but some board members believe there may be some merit in examining the block schedule structure.
“Some of us believe that long blocks are hard on both teachers and students and in some subjects, perhaps detrimental, especially for the students that are struggling,” said board member Tom Bundros. “For example, in math and foreign language, I think there’s data to show that students benefit from having it daily and for shorter periods of time.”
Three school board members, Pat Midtgaard, Rhoda Bress and Bundros, have requested a study session to analyze the GHS block schedule system and instructional time being used.
A modified version of the block schedule was in place prior to the current schedule. This included a more traditional meeting on Mondays, where students had each of their seven classes for 50 minutes each. Tuesday through Friday, students had four classes for about 90 minutes each – however, one period was a tutorial, or study hall, session.
“It was the tutorial that became the problem,” said assistant principal Greg Camacho–Light. “The majority of teachers and students did relatively nothing. It became lost instructional time.”
While some students spent the tutorial period receiving additional help from their teachers or doing homework, others used the minutes to chat with friends.
Both GHS administrators and teachers wanted to remove tutorial period because they felt the majority of time was not utilized appropriately.
Advocates of the block schedule format say it allows more time in the classroom and for teachers and students to have more one–on–one time.
Critics claim students need daily contact with teachers in certain subjects to keep them from falling behind and that they do not have the attention span to sit through long class periods.
School districts nationwide began implementing variations of the block schedule in the early 1990s, however, conclusive evidence favoring one model over another has yet to be determined.
The U.S. Department of Education offers research supporting both the traditional model and the block schedule – the most recent study included was released in 1999.
While the state does not have up-to-date information on how many school districts implement some form of the block schedule, school officials believe the majority do.
“The most popular is the alternating block,” said Bernie Norton, an administrator for the California Department of Education’s high school initiatives office. “The six period day is impersonal, factory–like – it can create discipline problems,” he said, citing reasons some California school districts have moved away from the traditional format.
Camacho–Light explained how the current schedule has created stability on the campus.
“Right now we have excellent order at the high school,” he explained. “Kids are on task.”
He believes changes to the current schedule would increase the number of tardies students receive. With the size of the campus, changing classes several times each day would increase the number of opportunities students have to skip out or show up late.
A fear some school officials have is that two hours may be too long a period for teachers to keep students actively engaged or to plan a lesson plan that does not involve students silently reading during classtime or doing their homework at the end of the period.
“A teacher can, if trained appropriately, have no trouble filling a two-hour period,” Camacho-Light said. “It’s a matter of variety.”
Norton also cited the importance of teacher training when districts implement a block schedule.
“It doesn’t mean that you just talk for a longer period of time,” he said. “If teachers aren’t provided with special training, it’s going to be challenging.”
Board members are hoping to examine the schedule in a study session to better understand how classes are being taught.
“Anything that affects instructional time needs to be evaluated for its effectiveness,” Bress said.
She will be looking at how students can receive a well-rounded education under the current system and if it’s the best schedule available.
For sophomore Gories Kwong, the schedule is ideal.
“You have more time to do your homework,” she said. “”I think you learn more (with longer classes.) We can actually do an activity and finish it in one period.”
GHS senior Loures Garcia was torn. She found sitting through geometry difficult, but liked having an extra day to do her homework between classes.
Senior Nynette Sicairos acknowledged that the block scheduling benefitted some classes, such as science, “where you have labs,” she explained, over others.
“It may get boring, but it’s a lot easier homework–wise,” Sicairos said. “If (classes) are shorter, then the lesson is crammed. And you don’t want to feel rushed when you’re learning.”
