Potential block schedule changes district-wide?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it work to have 4 by 4 block schedule in middle school where students have 4 classes fall semester and four other classes second semester? They could just have math all year which would be three classes plus math in fall and three other classes plus math in spring.

For the high schoolers, it would be 8 total classes in one year. The extra class would help kids who want to go to Edison, kids who need to repeat a class, or kids who want to get ahead. Lots of Maryland counties already do this. For seniors, they could have graduation requirements in fall and use spring for internships or MC classes.

Why is this better than regular block schedule (alternating days) but with math every day?

Honestly I think regular block schedule with math every day is probably the best solution here. It drops block schedule kids down to 2 electives rather than 3, but if they try to increase math on the regular schedule it could knock kids down from 2 electives to 1 which is worse.

Having 4x4 block will give students fewer classes to focus on in one semester than A day B day (alternating day) block. I am having some trouble envisioning how the alternating day schedule with math every day will work for scheduling. I guess math would be scheduled as periods 1 and 2 or similar to how double period classes are scheduled?

For students, 4 x4 block also gives the students one more class per year, so they will not be dropping an elective for a double period math class. For high school, it is more opportunities to earn credit or to take unique programs.

How would they manage one-semester classes like Health in a 4x4 block? Split a block?

OP here - They do 4x4 block in many of the other counties in Maryland. I don't know how they manage one semester classes. Maybe they just take the full health requirement in one semester? It is a good question. Not sure if 4x4 block is overall a good fix or not. There are definitely pros and cons to this arrangement.

[Anonymous]

https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year. Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.) I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives.

[Anonymous]

I can find very little coverage of this policy change, which leads me to believe public engagement was lacking, to say the least. When the impacts of it on school schedules are made apparent, I hope there will be significant parental pushback. I have no idea how to organize a fight against the MSDE, but I’m going to start by contacting this genius, Director of Mathematics for the Maryland State Department of Education, Lyndsey Brightful at [e-mail].

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year. Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.) I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives.

Maybe. I mean I personally think it is good to focus on math over electives or foreign language in middle school, as math scores across the county are so so bad. That being said I think the focus should really be on kids that are behind. What supports are being provided to kids that are below grade level? Do we just send parents test scores and expect them to remediate at home/with private tutors?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can find very little coverage of this policy change, which leads me to believe public engagement was lacking, to say the least. When the impacts of it on school schedules are made apparent, I hope there will be significant parental pushback. I have no idea how to organize a fight against the MSDE, but I’m going to start by contacting this genius, Director of Mathematics for the Maryland State Department of Education, Lyndsey Brightful at [e-mail].

This change was one part of a huge math policy overhaul that included tons of things like the change to Integrated Algebra/dropping geometry, changes around math interventions for kids who are behind, changes around math acceleration, changing up the standards of what has to be covered in math in different years, etc... it may have just gotten lost in the shuffle at the time. Reaching out to MSDE isn't a bad idea, but honestly if they're going to change this they're probably going to need to hear pushback from the districts themselves, so it would be worth thinking about how to push MCPS to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year. Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.) I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives.

Maybe. I mean I personally think it is good to focus on math over electives or foreign language in middle school, as math scores across the county are so so bad. That being said I think the focus should really be on kids that are behind. What supports are being provided to kids that are below grade level? Do we just send parents test scores and expect them to remediate at home/with private tutors?

I personally disagree and see this as a quality over quantity issue. I don’t think extra time in a math class helps the lowest common denominator. And I think languages and the arts are already wildly undervalued in our school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year. Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.) I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives.

Maybe. I mean I personally think it is good to focus on math over electives or foreign language in middle school, as math scores across the county are so so bad. That being said I think the focus should really be on kids that are behind. What supports are being provided to kids that are below grade level? Do we just send parents test scores and expect them to remediate at home/with private tutors?

What kids who are struggling in math need is extra, focused intervention time in the school day outside the main math period. Which will be really freaking hard to fit in if schools have to drop to 6 periods and no advisory periods/flex time in order to meet the 60 minute mandate. So either those kids don't get extra help, or they just don't get to take any electives in middle school at all (which is a great way to decrease student engagement with school and help nudge an already-struggling student on the path towards dropping out down the road...)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can find very little coverage of this policy change, which leads me to believe public engagement was lacking, to say the least. When the impacts of it on school schedules are made apparent, I hope there will be significant parental pushback. I have no idea how to organize a fight against the MSDE, but I’m going to start by contacting this genius, Director of Mathematics for the Maryland State Department of Education, Lyndsey Brightful at [e-mail].

This change was one part of a huge math policy overhaul that included tons of things like the change to Integrated Algebra/dropping geometry, changes around math interventions for kids who are behind, changes around math acceleration, changing up the standards of what has to be covered in math in different years, etc... it may have just gotten lost in the shuffle at the time. Reaching out to MSDE isn't a bad idea, but honestly if they're going to change this they're probably going to need to hear pushback from the districts themselves, so it would be worth thinking about how to push MCPS to do so.

Great idea to make lots of changes at once so that if there is improvement, we'll have no idea what worked!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Would it work to have 4 by 4 block schedule in middle school where students have 4 classes fall semester and four other classes second semester? They could just have math all year which would be three classes plus math in fall and three other classes plus math in spring.

For the high schoolers, it would be 8 total classes in one year. The extra class would help kids who want to go to Edison, kids who need to repeat a class, or kids who want to get ahead. Lots of Maryland counties already do this. For seniors, they could have graduation requirements in fall and use spring for internships or MC classes.

Why is this better than regular block schedule (alternating days) but with math every day?

Honestly I think regular block schedule with math every day is probably the best solution here. It drops block schedule kids down to 2 electives rather than 3, but if they try to increase math on the regular schedule it could knock kids down from 2 electives to 1 which is worse.

Having 4x4 block will give students fewer classes to focus on in one semester than A day B day (alternating day) block. I am having some trouble envisioning how the alternating day schedule with math every day will work for scheduling. I guess math would be scheduled as periods 1 and 2 or similar to how double period classes are scheduled?

For students, 4 x4 block also gives the students one more class per year, so they will not be dropping an elective for a double period math class. For high school, it is more opportunities to earn credit or to take unique programs.

How would they manage one-semester classes like Health in a 4x4 block? Split a block?

OP here - They do 4x4 block in many of the other counties in Maryland. I don't know how they manage one semester classes. Maybe they just take the full health requirement in one semester? It is a good question. Not sure if 4x4 block is overall a good fix or not. There are definitely pros and cons to this arrangement.

Big con for world language learning, if it is done with a semester on/off type model.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.governing.com/policy/the-urgent-case-for-rebuilding-student-achievement

Apparently it's this weird think tank/policy org ExcelInEd pushing the 60 minutes a day idea, based on what looks to me to be just the vague assertion that there are a few countries that score higher on math than the US that also have higher numbers of hours of math instruction per year. Unless they have other stronger sources they're not showing, this just seems like sloppy BS to me, not something worth upending middle-schoolers' education over.

Also, despite their advocacy for this 60 minutes of math a day thing, ExcelInEd says that literally nowhere else in the county requires it for middle school (Alabama does for elementary school, which I think would be fine for Maryland to do too.) I am really pissed at MSDE deciding to experiment on our kids on this, at the expense of foreign language learning, the arts, and other electives.

This I agree with. I don't mind kids having 60mins of math a day, but as a nation we neglect FL, Arts, and other skills that could actually support kids in becoming better at math and surely understanding its use in the real world.