Reply to tell me about block schedules

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[quote=Anonymous]DC will be a rising high schooler next year. Our HS uses a block schedule, which as we understand it is a mixture of the 4/4 kind and the A/B kind.  
4/4 kind means students complete 4 year-long courses each semester by having 90min instruction in a subject every day. Most non-DE courses are taught in this format.
A/B means that courses are taught over a year, but every other day also in 4 90min blocks per day.  Then, we understand, this can be mixed in that during some double periods students take
a semester long course and during others they alternate, complicating their schedule.

For instance, math courses like Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II are taught in the 4/4 format, whereas the following courses DE Precalc/Trig, Calculus, etc. are taught in A/B format. All language courses are taught in 4/4 format as are most AP courses in other subjects.

My thoughts:
- taking Geometry + Algebra II allows students who didn't qualify for Algebra I in 7th to catch up by 10th grade by doubling up in 9th on Geometry + Algebra II, but at the cost of an intense year of math as freshmen.
- Homework would be insane if homework intensive subjects are part of the schedule (for instance, in MS Algebra/Geometry that are daily 30-40min homework assignments, which would then double to 60-80min each day if stretched proportionally).
- for most students, however, it would create a discontinuity where some semesters they have math (and ELA) and others they do not - not my idea of a continuous and well-paced education - we're worried about summer loss in math - then we'll have an entire semester break if math is taught only during half of the year.
- 90 min periods in both 4/4 and A/B schedules are insane and require breaks or other activities, leading to less instructional time compared to the traditional 45min over one year schedule.

I read that block schedules are particularly popular in VA and NC but not widely used elsewhere (like in CA, where during the CMF discussions there was a strong negative sentiment towards doubling up two math courses in one year).

I read that it benefits the teacher/student relationship since teachers teach fewer students each semester, getting to know them better?  And students have to focus on fewer subjects at a time?

What are actual experiences with block schedules, particularly of the 4/4 kind in core subjects? Have they been shown to be successful?  Why do some states love them and others don't?
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