An examination into aModified Block Schedule(Harriton High School)

*Input was gathered from a Harriton science teacher, LMEA President (who also teaches there), the principal of HHS, and myself when I worked at HHS.

The Schedule

Per Set A Set B Set C Set D

1 1 7:30 – 8:25 55 min

4 7:30 – 8:2555 min

3 7:30 – 8:25 55 min

2 7:30 – 8:25 55 min

2 2 8:30 – 9:2555 min

1 8:30 – 9:2555 min

4 8:30 – 9:2555 min

3 8:30 – 9:2555 min

3 3 9:30 – 10:2555 min

2 9:30 – 10:2555 min

1 9:30 – 10:2555 min

4 9:30 – 10:2555 min

4A 5 10:30 – 11:00 11:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:10

55 min class + 10min Announcements

8 10:30 – 11:0011:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:1055 min class +

10min Announcements

7 10:30 – 11:0011:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:10

55 min class + 10 min announcements

6 10:30 – 11:0011:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:10

55 min class + 10 min announcements

4B

4C

5 6 12:15 – 1:1055 min

5 12:15 – 1:1055 min

8 12:15 – 1:1055 min

7 12:15 – 1:1055 min

6 7 1:15 – 2:1055 min

6 1:15 – 2:1055 min

5 1:15 – 2:1055 min

8 1:15 – 2:1055 min

Advisory – 25 min2:15 – 2:40

Remediation – 25min2:15 – 2:40

Remediation – 25min2:15 – 2:40

Remediation – 25 min2:15 – 2:40

4 Day - 6 Period (8 Sets) Cycle + Remediation

How the schedule works using a 2-day snapshot…

Teachers meet each class 3 out of the 4 day cycle due to rotation.

Per Set A Set B

1 1 7:30 – 8:25 55 min

4 7:30 – 8:2555 min

2 2 8:30 – 9:2555 min

1 8:30 – 9:2555 min

3 3 9:30 – 10:2555 min

2 9:30 – 10:2555 min

4A 5 10:30 – 11:00 11:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:10

55 min class + 10min Announcements

8 10:30 – 11:0011:05 – 11:3511:40 – 12:1055 min class +

10min Announcements

4B

4C

5 6 12:15 – 1:1055 min

5 12:15 – 1:1055 min

6 7 1:15 – 2:1055 min

6 1:15 – 2:1055 min

Advisory – 25 min2:15 – 2:40

RAM – 25 min2:15 – 2:40

This is a 4 day cycle (A,B,C,D).

There are 6 academic periods (each 55min) per day

However, there are 8 ‘sets’ of academic classes built into the schedule.

Each day of the 4 day cycle, 2 ‘sets’ rotate out of the schedule. In the example to the right, only Sets 1,2,3,5,6,7 are meeting on ‘A’ day. But on ‘B’ day, Sets 3 & 7 rotate out where Sets 4 & 8 rotate into cycle.

Note that Sets 1-4 only rotate about the first 3 periods of the day whereas Sets 5-8 rotate in the afternoon during periods 4-6.

*ONLY 2 DAYS OF 4 DAY CYCLE IS SHOWN

25 min of RAM/Advisory at the end of each day.

Points of Consideration

Total minutes per class at UDHS > HHS. UDHS = 48min x 180days/yr = 8640min/yr HHS = 165min/4day cycle x 45cycle/yr = 7425min/yrDifference is 1215 minutes

Class time & Rotation

Some of time disparity could be erased utilizing the REM period during last 25min of each day. If a student did that once a cycle (25min x 45cycles) it would equal an additional 1125min yielding total of 8550min falling only 90min short. If Advisory is replaced (strongly encouraged) with REM, you could do this w/ 4 courses.

Science gets a double period each cycle yielding extra 2475min/yr = total of 9900min/yr. Therefore 5 courses would have approx time as UDHS.

Class time & RotationEach period is 55 minutes in length including class during the lunch period (pd 4 or Sets 5-8). In one rotation, ALL classes get the same time.Every fourth day, 2 sets rotate out of the schedule. Must account for this in lesson planning especially if you miss your class on a Friday or Monday. Also, there is the likelihood that if you teach more than one class of the same subject, there will only be certain rotation days that both classes meet the same day. If you teach three or more there is a good chance that there will be NO days when all three meet the same day.

Separate rotation of morning and afternoon periods.

School day at HHS (7:30-2:40) is longer than UDHS (7:28-2:20) by 18 minutes. Pass time between classes is 5min at HHS whereas UD is 4min.

Prep, Collaboration, & HCOne collaboration period is built into cycle with at least one teacher who teaches the same class. This is in addition to the one prep per day. So there is a day where a teacher has a collaboration and a prep period on the same day in a cycle.

Help Center is a place where kids can obviously get help in their subjects but is also a place where make up quizzes and tests are administered. It is the only duty besides a study hall that is assigned to teachers. Help center runs all day with a non-teacher in charge. Phys ed teachers are given study halls in lieu of HC.

One Prep is assigned to each teacher per day. This period has no pattern to it. It doesn’t occur during the same period or Set each day but rather where it fits.

Remediation & AdvisoryRemediation is open-ended. This is where assemblies and meetings can take place. REM is whatever the teacher wants it to be…no grades are given. Teacher sets limit on class size to sign up. Teacher can offer extra help, allow for missed work BUT can also offer activities like playing Wii or watching The Office on DVD. Emails have been sent by admin to teachers asking that they make their REM period more interesting due to lack of sign up for their offering. Students are to sign up for each cycle. However, a complaint is that on average there are about 100 kids failing to do so and end up in a huge study hall in cafeteria.

Advisory is chosen by Administration and occurs once in the cycle. Teachers hate it (not my words) and the kids don’t care for it either…it’s like an arranged marriage where both parties aren’t too fond of one another. It’s an overextended homeroom.

• 3 lunch periods @ 30 minutes each during period 4• ‘B’ lunch is still split, but rotation of afternoon periods

makes this less of a burden.• Classes during lunch (Sets 5-8) remain 55 minutes

long regardless of whether it is A, B, or C lunch.• There is no homeroom in the morning. Instead, there

are 10 minutes of announcements during period 4 class which is 65min long minus the 10min yields 55min of class time.

Lunch & Homeroom

Science vs Other Disciplines

Science teachers teach 4 classes whereas other disciplines teach 5 classes during the year. However, science classes have one double lab period per cycle. Therefore, science instructs students for a total of 16 periods (4 classes x 4pds) during one cycle whereas the other disciplines teach a total of 15 periods (5 classes x 3pds) per cycle.

An example of a teacher schedule

Pd Set

A B C D

17:30-8:25

1 AP Phys 4 Prep 3 CP Phys 2 Help Center

28:30-9:25

2 Prep 1 AP Phys 4 Help Center 3 CP Phys

39:30-10:25

3 CP Phys 2 AP Phys 1 AP Phys 4 CP Phys

410:30-11:35

5 Act Phys (1030-1125)Announcement

s(1125-1135)

8 Help Center 7 CP Phys 6 Prep

512:15-1:10

6 Help Center

5 Act Phys 8 Prep 7 CP Phys

61:15-2:10

7 CP Phys 6 CollaboratioCollaborationn

5 Act Phys 8 CP Phys

ADV2:15-2:40

Advisory REM REM REM

Example of a science teacher schedule:

Additional CommentsIt was pointed out by the LMEA President who also teaches at the high school that “Harriton has been running this schedule for about six years but Lower Merion just went to it two years ago. The faculty there were very apprehensive and doubtful it was a good change but it was remarkable how many teachers loved it in the first week or two and how much the majority of the staff now say its a great schedule for both the teacher and the student.”

“I happen to teach the AP US Gov't and Politics and I do have enough time to cover all the required chapters. In addition, Harriton also has the IB diploma program and those courses are very content rich as well. I have also taught in that program under the new schedule and find that does not hinder getting through the content. The biggest drain on time, and this has nothing to do with the schedule, are things like PSSA testing and assemblies, field trips, etc. Lastly, I have not heard any grumblings from our AP teachers and our composite scores on AP and IB exams have been quite good under the new schedule.

The End