NHS block scheduling advantages outlined

Newton High School Principal Bill Peters didn’t use his time at the podium Monday night to defend or promote the modified block scheduling system used at his school. Instead, he cut right to the details about the benefits and challenges of it.

During his 25-minute talk and questions he took from the Newton Community School District Board of Education as part of a learning workshop, Peters explained while there are a few constraints to block scheduling, it’s a largely a flexible system.

“We call it modified blocks, because each block is modified to meet the needs of the learner,” Peters said. “Not only do we try to find the best way to package different subjects in terms of classroom time, we also try to adjust to each year’s students. That doesn’t mean we can custom-tailor every course, but it does give us some flexibility.”

Since July 2015, the board has held learning leadership workshops in order to get more information about specific topics prior to one of its two meetings each month.

Peters said some courses that feature labs, such as biology or writing classes, lend themselves to the 88-minute double block, while others that are more lecture-based or intensive in other ways are better taught in 44-minute single blocks.

“Take band and choir, for example,” Peters said. “Band students tell me 44 minutes is plenty; choirs tell me you can only sing for so long.”

Peters said block scheduling has been in place at NHS, in some form, since before he took over as principal for the 2004-05 school year. However, he said dual enrollment college/high school classes were minimal at that time, but there are 76 college credit hours of courses for NHS students to choose from.

Two major benefits to block scheduling, Peters said, are the ability to set up STEM and Project Lead the Way courses in various ways, and to keep seniors on campus and engaged for all four years of high school.

“Work experience is important, but so is getting a start in college or a trade school,” Peters said. “Block scheduling not only puts some kids through a freshman (college) year’s worth of dual-enrollment courses, it keeps them here on campus, too.”

Board Vice President Travis Padget asked how lunch fits into the eight-block schedule at NHS.

“I don’t really know; it just does,” Peters said. “It’s like a black hole in space; it’s just there. It just works out every year.”

Peters said there are some courses that are dropped, and simply cannot be worked into the modified blocks due to lack of interest. However, he said if there are a handful of students who really want to take a specialty class or advanced-placement section for credit and a teacher that is willing to take it on, students and teachers can arrange to meet before or after school on a regular basis to meet a curriculum without having to devote a school-day hour to it.

Prep time for teachers, especially those teaching several different courses in a particular quarter, is also taken into account with block scheduling. Peters smiled as he described the ambition and organizational skills of NHS teachers who don’t technically have a prep hour in their day.

“We have a few teachers who teach eight classes in a day,” Peters said. “I think they’re insane.”

The next regular board meeting is set for May 9.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com