A Comparison Study of Block Scheduling with Traditional Scheduling Concerning their Effect on ACT Scores in Alabama Schools

Running head: SCHEDULING AND ACT SCORES






A Comparison Study of Block Scheduling with Traditional Scheduling Concerning their Effect on ACT Scores in Alabama Schools


A Proposal
Presented to the Graduate Faculty of
Troy University
In partial fulfillment of requirements for
EDU 6691
By Teresa A. Duppstadt
Troy University Dothan





Chapter I
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
Block scheduling in high schools is being pushed from a variety of sources. These sources offer long lists of euphoric values for block scheduling with no hard data and without any consideration for the down side. Regrettably, school boards around the world have been adopting this experimental program based completely on opinions rather than hard data. While there may be some successful stories at several schools, the case for block scheduling has not been established through serious, long-term scientific studies. The case for block scheduling is teneous and, in some cases, contradicted by scientific studies. It may fare no better than Modular Scheduling which was around in the 70’s and 80’s. (Lindsay, 2008) This study will provide hard data concerning block scheduling and its effects on academic performance so educators can better decide whether block scheduling is improving academic performance. Researchers feel educators focus on the convenience of block scheduling for themselves and students instead of looking at possible academic concerns. While it may have some positive aspects,
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to determine if there are positive or negative effects on ACT scores related to the use of block scheduling or traditional scheduling in Alabama high schools. The results will offer parents and educators hard data to aide in assisting their decision process concerning block schedules and traditional schedules as they relate to ACT scores. Many schools across the country have been looking at scheduling as a major issue; however, Alabama hasn’t really addressed the issue of scheduling and how it may be affecting students. The major purpose of this study is to provide Alabama educators with hard data concerning the relationship block scheduling and ACT scores have in Alabama high schools.
Significance of the Study
This study will reveal the relationship between block and traditional scheduling on ACT scores in Alabama high schools. The findings can be used to influence scheduling policies that may aid in improving academic achievement of Alabama high school students. The lack of literature found makes this research very valuable and very much needed. Once the research is complete the results can be compared to the results found in other states. The comparison will help educators in Alabama make better informed decisions concerning scheduling.
Definition of Terms
ACT was called the College Testing Program but in 1996 changed its name to ACT Inc which doesn’t stand for anything. This is the standardized achievement examination for college admissions. This test scores students in four areas: Math, English, Reading and Science reasoning. They now offer an optional writing test. This test is accepted by all four-year colleges and universities in the United States. (ACT, 2009)
SAT Reasoning Test formerly Scholastic Aptitude Test and Scholastic Assessment Test is standardized test for college admissions in the United States. This test contains three sections students are scored in: math, critical reading and writing along with other subsections scored separately. This test is more popular among colleges in the coasts and the ACT is more popular in the Midwest and South. There are a few schools who do not accept the SAT at all. (SAT, 2009)
Modular scheduling uses the concept of modules instead of blocks or periods. A module allows students to schedule classes and still leave time for any activities that interest them. For example you will have some classes that meet for 15 minutes, some for 20 minutes, and some meet for 10 minutes allowing 20 modules per day. The length and time of modules can vary. You may be in one class for a total of 40 minutes (2 mods). This type of scheduling is very hard to understand and was introduced and used only briefly. Block scheduling was a modification of modular scheduling. (Lindsay, 2008)
Block scheduling consists of 4 blocks each 80 to over 100 minutes in duration. Students with this type of scheduling have 4 classes each semester with a total of 8 classes a year. The duration of each subject area is one semester. A school year is comprised of two semesters. For example, algebra I is taken the first semester and some other subject is taken the second semester. This type of scheduling allows student flexibility but provides gaps in the learning process. Math, for example, needs to be taken in sequence. When a student takes a math class the first semester of one year and doesn’t enroll in the next math class until first semester of the next year, he has had six months pass with no math. This gap in the learning process is detrimental to the Math learning process. Math builds on each subject area. (Trent & Newman, 2002)
Traditional scheduling is comprised of seven or eight periods with subject area being covered in one complete year. Each class is 45-50 minutes in duration. Students have seven or eight subjects per year. The student has an entire year to learn the same material a student in the block system learns in one semester. Traditional scheduling was the only type of scheduling in use years ago. Today, some schools that have moved away from it are coming back to it. (Hackman, Curtis & Brown, 2002)
GPA is a student’s grade point average. It is calculated in most schools using weighted averages. The elective classes do not carry as much weight as do core classes. Hard data is used to describe data that contains numbers. For the purpose of this study hard data means ACT scores.
Limitations and Delimitations of the Problem
The study is limited to high schools in Alabama that use block schedule or traditional schedule. It is further limited to only how these types of schedules affect ACT scores. The results of this study can be generalized to determine the affect of block and traditional scheduling and ACT scores in Alabama High Schools.
This study does not take into consideration any other factors that may contribute to ACT scores. This can include: students attention span; retention; teacher attitudes; students attitude toward scheduling; academic performance in each subject; students GPA; curriculum standards; content covered; attendance; students attitude toward learning; and students behavior, just to mention a few factors. (Lindsay, 2008) I believe all these factors play a role in academic performance at any school regardless of scheduling. The researcher will limit the focus of this study to the effects block and traditional scheduling have on ACT scores. This study will not deal with any school which uses a modified block system or any other type of scheduling other than traditional and block scheduling.
Hypothesis
Students in Alabama high schools with block scheduling will have lower ACT scores than those using traditional scheduling.

Chapter II
Literature Review
Introduction
Studies concerning block scheduling and its affect on ACT scores have been conducted in other states across the country. This literature review reveals the effect block and traditional scheduling have on ACT scores in other states. Some studies revealed significant drops in ACT scores while others revealed significant increases in ACT scores. A few studies revealed no significant increase or decrease in ACT scores as it relates to type of scheduling.
Literature Revealing Significant Drop in ACT Scores
Studies concerning this matter have been conducted in other states across the country. Iowa State University in conjunction with ACT inc.com(2002) completed a series of studies regarding the effects of the block scheduling on ACT scores in Iowa and Illinois. The findings showed block scheduling hurt ACT scores noting students in schools with block scheduling produced “markedly lower” ACT scores than students in schools with traditional scheduling. A study performed in Texas reported that with the exception of graduation rates significant difference was found for all other dependent variables to include ACT scores (McCumber, 2002). Block scheduling over traditional scheduling has been noted by parents to drop SAT scores. In 2004 a parent in Delaware wrote the following:
I live in a small beach community in Delaware. For years, our local high school was the pride of the state-top in state testing, SAT scores/college admissions, and various athletic awards. But six, years ago, our school superintendent imposed the “sentence” of 4x4 block scheduling!...We know have the lowest AP completion scores in the state, our SAT scores are falling way below the national trends, our state testing scores are falling. We have been labeled a school “at risk”. It has been 6 years of failure, in every definition of the word.
…Recently we have started another movement to rid our system of this nightmare: we provided a petition with numerous signatures, a school board member in favor of returning to the traditional strip schedule, provided a clear presentation of the downward trend in our school, and after reading your web site, I called the superintendent on many of the points you raised. We asked them to rethink the flawed scheduling and to consider returning to the traditional schedule. The vote was tied (3-3) and our very weak school board president, state the following, “As president I have to cast the deciding vote. I am voting in favor of staying with the 4x4 block, because my daughter just loves it.” When parents screamed that this is not just about her daughter, she refused to answer.
Later in 2004 with the election of two new board members they won their battle and are going back to a traditional schedule. She further tells everyone to never give up for change, especially when you know it is needed. Another parent wrote to Lindsay saying “SAT scores have fallen every year since block went into effect”. A parent from Lexington High School is quoted by Lindsay as saying in 1997 “Lexington High School posted scores well above the state average in 1992-1993, before they adopted the A/B block schedule. Since then their scored have declined”. (Lindsay, 2008)


Literature Revealing No Significant Difference in ACT Scores
Another study compiled in 2006 called the “Traditional and Block Scheduling for College Science Preparation” found block scheduling appeared to provide no advantage to students in terms of college preparation in science. (Lindsay, 2008) Yet another study “Effects of a High School Block Scheduling Program on Students” found no significant decline in ACT scores on schools with years of block scheduling, note this study held IQ constant and thus co varied (Trenta & Newman, 2002).
Literature Revealing Significant Gains in ACT Scores
Another study “The Effects of Block Scheduling on High School Academic Achievement” revealed gains in mathematics and reading scores when looking at ACT and level tests (Lewis, Dugan, Winokur & Cobb, 2005). In 1992, Parkland High School in North Carolina changed from a six-period day to a 4-block and noted SAT scores dropped the first year and did not improve (as of 1995) to the level they were before the change took place. They did note a slight increase in ACT scores. (Lindsay, 2008) Another study conducted in Tennessee revealed block scheduling attained the highest mean ACT score with traditional scheduling having a lower mean ACT score (Carter, 2003).
A study conducted in Tennessee revealed while teachers believe block scheduling adversely affects student’s achievement, no such overall affect was found in the sampling undertaken (Ford, 2001) Another study compiled in 2006 called the “Traditional and Block Scheduling for College Science Preparation” found block scheduling appeared to provide no advantage to students in terms of college preparation in science. (Lindsay, 2008) Another study conducted in Tennessee revealed block scheduling attained the highest mean ACT score with traditional scheduling having a lower mean ACT score (Carter, 2003).
Significance of Literature
The whole basis for this research is on literature read and researcher’s own experience. It provides proof other schools in other states are noticing the effect block scheduling has on ACT scores. The researcher was unable to locate any material pertaining to the effects block scheduling has on ACT scores in Alabama Schools. The literature read was significant in forming the reason why studying the effect block scheduling and traditional scheduling has on ACT scores in Alabama schools is so valuable and important. The literature further provided the basis for the hypothesis of this study.












Chapter III
Methodology
Methods Undertaken
This study is being conducted to find out the impact 4 x 4 block scheduling has on ACT scores in comparison to traditional scheduling. This study is a Quantitative study with a Quasi-experimental design. The dependent variable is ACT scores, while the treatment variables are block scheduling and traditional scheduling. The researcher will contact school counselors who have either traditional or 4 x 4 block scheduling for ACT scores. The selection of ACT scores will be random using no names. Once the data are collected and coded it will be analyzed. Results will be given in a table, a graph and explained in detail.
Research Questions
The questions this research will answer are the following:
1. How is block scheduling affecting ACT scores in Alabama schools?
2. How are traditional scheduling affecting ACT scores in Alabama schools?
3. How many schools in Alabama have block scheduling?
4. How many schools in Alabama have traditional scheduling?
5. Are there significant differences in the ACT scores of students in schools that have a 4 x 4 block scheduling vs. students’ ACT scores in traditional scheduled schools?
Population
The population of this study will consist of all 11th and 12th graders with 4 x 4 block scheduling and traditional scheduling in Alabama who have taken the ACT.

Data Collection
ACT scores of 11th and 12th graders throughout Alabama will be collected from a state web-site who have 4 x 4 block scheduling and traditional scheduling. Only quantitative data will be collected.
Instrumentation
The instrumentation used to analyze will be t-test because we have two variables. The variables are 1=ACT scores with 4 x 4 block scheduling and 2=ACT scores with traditional scheduling. SPSS software will be used to perform the t-test. The results will be given in a table, graph and explained in detail.
Data Analysis
The t-test will compare the two variables. When comparing variables, if p>.05 the null hypothesis will be accepted or if p< .05 the alternative hypothesis will be accepted. Descriptive data will also be analyzed.
Ethical Treatment of Human Subjects
All permissions will be gained from schools or authorizing organization. No information except age and ACT score will be provided to researcher.


References
ACT examination. (2009). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 28, 2009, from http://wikipedia.com
Carter, M. (2003). Comparison of Traditional and Block Schedules on the ACT Mathematics Test and Algebra I State Examinations and on Student Perceptions. Dai-A, 63(07), 2483.
Ford, L. (2001). Determining the Educational Impact of Block Scheduling in the Jackson-Madison County Schools: An Analysis of Student Achievement Data (Tennessee). Dai-A, 62(06), 1993
Hackman, D., Curtis, C., & Brown, K. (2002, July). Block Scheduling in Schools May Impact Student Achievement/ACT Scores. Iowa State University News Service, 29-30.
Lewis, C., Dugan, J., Winokur, M., & Cobb, R. (2005). The Effects of Block Scheduling on High School Academic Achievement. Nassp Bulletin, 89(645), 72-87
Lindsay, J. (2008). The Case against Block Scheduling. In Personal. Appleton, Wisconsin. Retrieved February 9, 2009, from JeffLindsey.com Web site: http://www.jefflindsay.com/block2.shtml
McCumber, P. (2002). A Comparative Analysis of Traditional Versus Block and Accelerated Block Scheduled High Schools over and Eight-Year Period in a Large Urban School District. Dai-A, 63(02), 486.
SAT examination. (2009). Wikipedia. Retrieved February 28, 2009, from http://wikipedia.com
Trenta, L., & Newman, I. (2002). Effects of a High School Block Scheduling Program on Students: A Four-Year Longitudinal Study of the Effects of Block Scheduling on Student Outcome Variables. American Secondary Education, 31(1), 54-71.