by Jenny Heath

News Editor

    The rumors are true.  Next year LGHS will have a block schedule.   Though it may seem sudden, the school’s administration has, in fact, been planning a block schedule since the fall of 2007.  They started planning even before Saratoga, which now has a block schedule.  A scheduling committee was formed around Thanksgiving last year, and meets every three weeks to plan the school’s transition to this major change.  The type of block schedule is still undecided.  The committee’s goal is to reach a final decision before Thanksgiving.

    Because the decision to change the schedule has been in the works for so long, the school has had plenty of time to evaluate their plan.  The administration has been evaluating data such as STAR test scores, grades, and AP test scores.  They look at gauges of students’ academic success, and make correlations between the statistics.  Based on this information, they have concluded that block scheduling is the right path for the school to follow.  The switch to the new type of scheduling is supported by the administration and the majority of the staff, who have already voted on it.

    Naturally, there will be plenty of questions about the new schedule.  Meetings will be held for parents who want to know more about block scheduling. These meetings will talk about the benefits, drawbacks, and details of the new schedule.  There will also be opportunities for student input.  Surveys will be created and sent out via SurveyMonkey to students to gather their opinion and preferences regarding the schedule.  The administration wants to focus on the concerns of parents and students leading up to implementation.  Their main goal is to help students and make life easier for them, and that they believe block scheduling is the best way to do this.

    Assistant Principal Marcus Autrey who is in charge of curriculum, guidance, and testing, said that there are many benefits of moving to a block schedule.  “It’s easier to organize yourself,” he said, “There is more time to go deeper into the material and really process the information and engage in the material.”  In addition, the slower pace of the day results in a release of pressure, so that students are not as stressed out.  It allows for more time to do homework and meet with teachers, and is also a lot more like a college schedule.  According to Autrey, it is a “more realistic view of learning.”  Apparently, students at schools with block scheduling truly like it.  “They wouldn’t go back [to a regular schedule],” Autrey says of Saratoga High School.

    Though there will be benefits, there are also some potential drawbacks to block scheduling.  “Of course, with any major change, there will need to be a period of time for adjustment,” Autrey said.  Teaching methods will probably change.  A transformation in the way a teacher delivers the material could end up being positive or negative.  Teachers will have to adjust to the new periods and reconfigure their lesson plans to fit the schedule.  Part of this change could include what is often considered a problem at Saratoga.  Teachers end up giving all tests on Monday because it is the only day that includes all seven periods.  This ensures that there is less cheating than there would be if students had an entire day to exchange information about the exam.  Another disadvantage of block scheduling for some students could be that it is hard to concentrate for a prolonged period of time.

    Overall, the purpose of the block schedule is to improve the future of the school as a whole.  Autrey said that, “it will benefit parents, students, and staff.”  We certainly hope so.