This paper examines the anticipated advantages and disadvantages of a proposed trimester plan for a Birmingham (Alabama) high school. The proposed plan would maintain the usual length school year, simply dividing it into three "mesters", rather than the traditional two. The Birmingham trimester plan also would lengthen each class period…

This report evaluates an experimental trimester plan adopted by a Birmingham (Alabama) high school during the 1976-77 school year. The Birmingham trimester plan maintained the usual length school year, simply dividing it into three "mesters," rather than the traditional two. The plan also lengthened each class period to 85 minutes, so…

The Fort Worth Trimester Plan (Intensified Learning Plan) employes three terms of approximately 60 days, each to replace a 90-day semester. To maintain an equivalent amount of classroom time, class periods are extended to 80 minutes at the high school level. The plan was implemented at one high school and three middle schools in 1970-71. The…

One result of the extraordinarily rapid pace of educational reform in recent decades has been public expectation of greater accountability for the more than $300 billion spent annually on schools. As reformers have sought better ways to utilize all resources, including instructional time, block scheduling has been developed as a more efficient way…

Secondary school administrators must carefully consider the ramifications of a proposed alternative scheduling plan before proceeding with implementation. The first article in this newsletter presents findings from a study that compared data from two groups of schools (one group with a 4 X 4 block plan and the other with a trimester plan) to data…

This report contains a summary and synthesis of all the information and recommendations contained in six different studies, conducted during 1969-70 in eight Michigan school districts, as to the feasibility of extending the regular school year. Three school districts--Port Huron, Northville, and Utica--selected the four-quarter mandated design for…

Dillingham High School (grades 7-12) in rural Alaska established a schedule and curriculum which provided students and teachers with an active voice in determining their educational experiences. The result was a group of over 200 one-half-credit "minicourses" offered in a variety of time arrangements. All courses were nongraded through the 9th…

This publication describes the development and operation of the scheduling plan developed by the Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, school system. The plan, designed to maximize the use of available facilities and to expand the curriculum offering, combines a fifty-hour instructional week, alternative learning opportunities throughout the community, an…

The project was designed to assess the effects of full-credit semestering, half-credit semestering, and trimestering on the intellectual, social, and emotional growth of students in selected secondary schools in Ontario. The research focused on four major areas--the utilization of instructional time, interpersonal relationships, student…