Potential block schedule changes district-wide?
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Anonymous
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Noticed this in the MCPS CIP presentation for today: "The decision to do block schedule is a school based decision. If a school wants to change the structure of how
they support students, it is the decision of the leadership team. By 2027, we may need all schools to implement a consistent model. MSDE is requiring an increase in math instructional minutes at the middle school level, and regional programs also will necessitate greater alignment across high schools." https://go.boarddocs.com/mabe/mcpsmd/Board.nsf/files/DNBKR55311CE/$file/FY2027%20Cap%20Bdgt%20FY2027-2032%20CIP%20251111%20PPT.pdf I looked it up and the MSDE requirement is 300 math minutes per week for middle schoolers. How many minutes per class per week do middle schoolers have for block schedule versus regular schedule? Does this mean that they are likely to switch to all block schedule or get rid of block schedule everywhere? (ES parent with a kid heading to MS so I'm not familiar with this but very curious about the implications.) |
Anonymous
| Ooph. I don't know about that. I agree kids need more time with math instruction, but I have mixed feelings about block scheduling in general, because it's easy to do it poorly and result in kids who are given an abundance of free time and become disengaged with school. |
Anonymous
| Neither regular nor block schedule gets you to 300 minutes per week, do they? Are they going to have to do double periods of math or something? |
Anonymous
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Hmmmmm ...Let's do the math:
In "regular" it was 40 minutes multiplied by 5 days= 200 minutes per week In block it was 75 minutes multiplied by ~3 = 225 minutes per week |
Anonymous
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Regular MS classes are about 45-50 minutes, right, and block schedule classes about 75? So right now kids are getting about 225-250 minutes of math a week on regular schedules, and averaging about 190 on block schedules (150 one week and 225 the other)?
They are probably planning on getting rid of block schedules everywhere, then, but even that doesn't get you to 300 minutes a week. Either they'd have to cut down to 6 periods a day (only one elective slot) to do 60 minute periods for all classes, or maybe they are thinking kids could do a double period of math once or twice a week and have an elective during that period the other 3-4 days? |
Anonymous
Some weeks it is even less minutes on math under block schedule. |
Anonymous
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60minutes would require some math special programming during mascot time, or carving time out of science class for math focus, or lecture on math during lunch, or something like this.
You can't have one long class and 6 short classes unless everyone has math at the same time |
Anonymous
Yeah, this seems super tricky, honestly. I don't see how your suggestions would even work unless they give up on trying to keep specific classes together and coherent, and just cram in the extra math minutes in really random and disconnected ways. Maybe they will cut a period and go down to 6 60-minute classes per day? That would really stink on the electives front. |
Anonymous
| Huge math classes. Huge math departments? |
Anonymous
| Seriously? No one needs that much math unless they want a career in STEM. They should let kids self-track _off_ this crazy math train. Geez. And no, colleges aren't going to want them more just because everyone is deluding each other about how advanced they are. Colleges are already struggling to remediate. Kids should do less math with better fundamentals and slower practice. |
Anonymous
| Kids aren't getting math. Don't put them in compact math when they don't get it causing a miserable time for students who actually do get it and like math. |
Anonymous
Do we know why kids aren't getting math? They're only putting the kids who "get" math in K-3 into the compact math. Where is the point of failure in the math education? |
Anonymous
The requirement is for 60 mins per day, not 300 minutes per week. It means that block scheduleing would have to ensure a standalone hour for math every day, which could get tricky. But even regular scheduling would require more time for math, as 45 minutes still won't cut it. It will be interesting to see what MCPS does. |
Anonymous
| The Superintendent was at Sligo Creek elementary tonight and said most schools might have to abandon block to meet the 60 min per day. |
Anonymous
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