Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 25, 1995 TAG: 9508250115
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Students probably would have only four classes a day instead of seven under a proposal for block scheduling. They likely would take four courses for one semester, and four new ones the next.
Students could earn eight credits per year. Study halls probably would be eliminated.
Classes would last 90 minutes instead of 50. Teachers would have more time for in-depth instruction and half the student load to evaluate each semester.
School Board members said Thursday night that the proposal sounds good and told a study committee to proceed with a plan that would suitable for the county.
But it probably will be two years before a block schedule can be developed and implemented, Superintendent Deanna Gordon said. Many details would have to be worked out, she said, and advance planning would be required.
Several high schools in Western Virginia have switched to block scheduling: Pulaski County; Parry McCluer in Buena Vista; and Patrick Henry and William Fleming in Roanoke. Franklin County High will begin using it this school year.
The schedules for the schools vary widely, but Pulaski and Franklin counties have so-called ``4-by-4'' schedules that are similar in some respects to the one being studied by Roanoke County.
But Roanoke County's plan apparently will not be identical to any that has been adopted by other schools in Western Virginia.
David Wymer, social studies supervisor for Roanoke County, said the committee is looking at modifications to the 4-by-4 plan that would allow students to take electives such as band or other courses during both semesters.
One way of doing this would be to have two 50-minute periods during the middle of the day for those taking certain electives, he said.
"It might be advantageous for some course to meet the entire year," Wymer said. "We are trying to find a model that fits our needs."
The committee has reached no conclusion, although some variation on the 4-by-4 plan seems the most likely choice, he said.
While the four-period day is more conducive to learning and offers many benefits, it does not meet all of the county's needs, said Allen Journell, Northside High School principal and a member of the study committee.
"The primary problem is that we have not seen a block schedule used at a school identical to Northside and Roanoke County," Journell said. "We have such a multifaceted system that we have not seen a model of block scheduling that we can just borrow and implement."
But he said he believes that Roanoke County can use the basic block format and develop a plan that would best meet the needs of its students.
Studies have shown that block schedules help improve students' academic performance, reduce discipline problems and produce a more relaxed atmosphere in schools.
Board member Frank Thomas said he envisions that block scheduling could begin as a pilot program at Northside High School because Journell and a committee of administrators, teachers and parents have been studying the idea.
But Gordon said William Byrd High and possibly others might be ready to make the switch by the 1997-98 school year.
Board Chairman Jerry Canada said he wants more parents at Northside to be polled before the switch is made to a block schedule.
by CNB