Have you ever wondered what a smarter and easier alternative to the current KO schedule would be? In the past couple of years, schools across the country have been trying to implement schedules that provide better experiences for students and faculty, directly connected to the needs of that school. This shift in ideology surrounding school schedules largely started to take shape during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. There are a variety of different schedules that schools have started to use, including the standard eight or nine-period schedule, the four-by-four Block Schedule, the AB block schedule, and the eight-day rotation schedule that KO uses. The AB schedule contains two distinct days, each with half of the total class periods. These days (A and B) would alternate. Each of these schedules has its positives and negatives, which means there is not one schedule that is the right fit for every school. Although there are a variety of schedules that could be used, one stands out as the best for our school. KO should switch to a true AB block schedule to increase efficiency, create a more intuitive experience for students, and provide them with a more manageable workload.
First, students will benefit from an AB block schedule by having fewer classes to prepare for each day, and receiving a more manageable homework load each night. The current schedule has eight different periods, with five occurring on any given day, in an eight-day rotation. Because of this, students have five different classes to prepare for every day. In my proposed AB Block schedule, students would have two different days, an A day and a B day, with half of their eight classes on each. If implemented, KO could still include the unique periods that are a part of the current schedule, like lunch, advisory, and community time. These would be added in between classes daily, while still maintaining the AB format for academic classes. This schedule would provide students with only four different 80-minute classes to prepare for each day.
Education Advanced compares the block schedule to the standard high school schedule. “A block schedule is a high-school scheduling method that replaces a more traditional program of six or seven 40–50 minute sessions with longer class periods that meet fewer times each day and week,” they explain. “A typical block-schedule class, for example, would last 90 or 120 minutes and meet every other day, rather than daily.” At KO, we have many other periods like community time, assembly, advisee group, and lunch that we need to fit into our schedule, so in my proposal, we would have 80-minute periods in our AB block schedule.
Another advantage is that KO students would have a schedule that is easier to keep track of, which would allow students to develop a routine and make it easier for the students and teachers to prepare because they know which day they have each class. As a student, it would be easier for me to understand that I would have each class every other day. This way I would easily know what classes I have to prepare for the next day. Furthermore, Jawaher Mushref Alghamdi of Boston University is confident that the block schedule will benefit schools. ”The block schedule reduces the number of subjects per day,” Alghamdi claims, “which means less stress on students and absenteeism. All these factors will result in higher achievement for students”. If implementing a new schedule means helping students in the classroom, that is clearly a benefit that must be considered when considering a change to the schedule at KO.
Additionally, a consistent AB block schedule will aid teachers. Teachers have experience creating lesson plans for a specific class length and would not have to manage, adjust, and plan for different periods. Teachers will also have the same length period for all of their classes, making teaching much easier, especially if a teacher has multiple periods of the same class.
The block schedule with consistently long periods gives students more time for assessments, in-depth discussions, and activities. It is challenging to fully grasp new concepts when learning them over several short classes, often having few opportunities to practice when first presented with the topics. In my experience, it is much easier for students to develop a strong understanding of new concepts over long periods with opportunities to take notes and then practice them in class. Additionally, KO currently does not have passing periods built into the schedule, which means the most common class length is cut to 55 minutes. My proposed schedule would likely extend classes by 15-20 minutes, providing classes with significantly more time.
Furthermore, this schedule will help teachers evaluate students. In order to fairly assess students’ mastery of the material, teachers often need to include a variety of concepts on an assessment. In a short period, teachers would be required to either not test everything taught in a certain unit, not fully assessing students’ understanding, or they would have to stretch the assessment over multiple days, making assessments even more stressful for students. Alternatively, teachers often plan their tests for flex periods, which are an hour and 15 minutes, which puts added pressure on the teachers’ scheduling. However, with my proposed AB block schedule, none of these issues would be relevant because long periods would consistently occur, giving teachers flexibility on when and how they assess their students.
In conclusion, a block schedule would benefit KO students and faculty because it would be easier to understand, more consistent, and allow classes plenty of time for assessments, presentations, or in-depth discussions. KO should switch to the AB block schedule for the next school year because of the listed reason and the school’s dedication to providing the best possible experience for students and teachers. This potential change of schedule is significant, because KO is constantly discussing ways to create a more effective schedule, and we have a new schedule just this year. A further change could be a way to improve upon the positives of the current schedule while eliminating confusions and complication, while benefiting students and teachers alike.
