By Maddie Nerad
Opinion Editor
and Rachel Waxman
Contributing Writer
A block schedule at Mira Costa would lessen students’ stress levels, provide teachers with more flexibility and enhance learning, all without diminishing Costa’s high standards of academic rigor.
According to Costa Vice Principal Ian Drummond, it would be possible for Costa to switch to a block schedule if teachers voted in favor of its implementation. Based off the block schedules of neighboring schools, it would not negatively impact students reaching their graduation requirements, and zero period could still be accommodated for students.
Schools such as Palos Verdes High School, Redondo Union High School, Vistamar School and Chadwick School have implemented a block schedule, proving it is a viable alternative to the standard six-period day. Vistamar junior Julia Horwitz stated that the block schedule provides her with more freedom to manage her schedule and gives each day greater variation.
According to PVHS counselor Kristen Clement-Huber, the vast majority of PVHS students like the block schedule. In her past experience as a teacher, she felt that the longer period gave her the opportunity to be creative in her lesson plans. A longer period allows teachers to develop a greater variety of lesson plans, such as combining class discussions, debates and documentaries to engage students.
Additionally, Clement-Huber said a block schedule better prepares students for college than a traditional schedule because its longer periods mimic the layout of a college schedule. Because each block is equivalent to two days of a standard class, students learn the importance of coming to class every day and face less of an adjustment when going to college.
The block schedule would benefit classes whose lesson plans are often interrupted by a 56-minute period. According to Costa science teacher Daniel Sponaugle, labs usually take multiple periods to complete ,and a block schedule would allow for lab completion in one day. A block schedule would also benefit classes by allowing longer Socratic seminars and exams, which teachers are often forced to split into two days.
A study by Winthrop University found that the school environment becomes less stressful for students and teachers after the implementation of block scheduling. Due to the fact that classes only meet every other day, students have two nights to complete assignments for a given class. This gives students additional time to process the information before completing the assignment. A student would have no more than three tests on any given day, which would make studying more manageable.
A block schedule would decrease much of the fragmentation of the current schedule by eliminating three passing periods per day. This would not only increase instructional time by up to an hour per week but would also lessen the amount of time teachers spend transitioning between classes and taking roll.
A study by Brown University found that high schools that adopted a block schedule saw an overall increase in student achievement. The change resulted in fewer failed classes and an increase in students’ grade point averages. The same survey also demonstrated that teachers’ and students’ attitudes toward school improved. While Costa is already a high-achieving school, the implementation of a new schedule has the potential to further its academic success and increase the productivity of both students and teachers.
Although the Mira Costa faculty has been resistant in the past, the adoption of block scheduling would increase academic enrichment while also reducing student stress levels, creating an overall positive impact on the school.
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