I think that school class length effectiveness varies depending on your schedule. The middle school and high school's are so different that you really can't discuss their changing of schedules as one topic.

Well I am in Middle School and I personally think that the Class periods are fine! Most of my teachers, barely have time to do what they have to do now! My math class, is so jam packed, that we don't even have time to check the classwork as a group!

reason simple all our county does is prepare for the MSAs

With the 4 period day we have more time to learn. I've had all the schedules (8,7, and 4 period day) and think that the 4 period day is most effective. During the 8 and 7 blocks it seemed only time enough to do a drill and review from what the teacher "touched" on the last class. With extended time i am able to actually learn something.

**Most of the teens i talk to about it wanted the old schedule only to spend less time in their borring classes.**

the 55 minute period (6 period day ?) is much more effective than the 4 period day, the fact is you lose or 2000 minutes of instuction a year with the change from 55 to 86/87. thats over 36 class period of teaching. (a marking period avgs 45-47 days)

I think that 87min is a lot to sitt through class I feel that kids aren't doing as well because they can't consentrate they are too bord and their teachers aren't very interactive and they could use that time to make sure that kids can have both social studies and science because I have a hard time rembering things I know how hard it is for kids how need extra help! :shock:

Truly, I really love the 86 minute class periods. First of all, they allow you to take more classes. Having four classes a day gives you more time to do other things after school, since I am sure that having six classes of homework to do every night is much more homework than just four classes.

Second, what if the students want to challenge themselves and take rigourous courses such as A.P. courses so that it looks good for college? If they only had to deal with two of those A.P. courses a day, it would not be as hard as dealing with four every day...doing the homework of four A.P. classes every night. I know people who have taken five A.P. classes in a year and they have been very very successful....and it was probably because they didn't have to deal with every A.P. subject every night.

Lastly, high school is the time for students to see what they are interested in and what they want to be. If they have those two extra slots on their course selection form, then they are able to do trial and error so that they will not waste years in college doing the experimentation. For example, I started this year of high school wanting to be an engineer. As I took an engineering course, I realized that engineering really isn't what I want to do with my life. So, I know now that I shouldn't be an engineer. But, what if I hadn't had the room in my schedule to try that engineering course? What if I had just assumed that I would like it and tried classes in other subjects instead? I would have been in trouble if I went to college and wasted my time taking engineering classes. After about a year, I would have realized that I really didn't want to be an engineer, but that is an entire year wasted! I could have been taking classes that actually prepare up to what I want to do in my life!

Truthfully I would like to have the Ap classes on the same dday instead of split apart. It lets you plan days that you can miss (i.e. field trips) and if they were every day you wouldn't lose as much class time when you are gone. With the strict schedule in AP classes missing a day can sometimes be pretty rough for some people.

But would you still like the A/B day? Then, if you had most of the A.P.'s on one day, then you could plan field trips. But, if you had them all on one day in 6 period day, then wouldn't you get behind in all of them?

That would be better but there are limited sections of certain classes so that wouldn't be realistic for all of the kids classes.

But doesn't having alternate days help you finish your A.P. homework?

It would be as much if it was every day and technically you should do a little every day because most of the Homework is due several days later.

to me the 5 or 6 period day would work the best... becaus it gives a lot of time to get out the information and not to bore a student to death

That's true, but as a high schooler you need room in your schedule to experiment with different interests. For example, the beginning of my freshman year, I was as sure as anything that I was going to be an engineer. But, as I took an engineering class, I realized that I didn't want to be an engineer. It is really important to have as much room as we do to experiment with different electives.

56 minute periods is all we need w/a free period. So much stress relif.

but again as aria said, how on earth could we have a 5 or 6 period day. think about the importance of electives. If you take the 4 core subjects and a foreign language that is all you get. In order to take your required classes, ignore music and academic electives, you have to eliminate math, science, social studies, or your language. narrowing choices that much would make it impossible to make up failed classes, would make school terrible for many non-academically oriented studetns, and would kill art/music/P.E. programs.

(you can debate with the AP classes around this, I'm just an 8th grader)

though I know in my classes, I'm bored to death constantly and fall asleep A LOT (although I still manage straight A's :D ) because there's not enough learning in the middle of class

it's to long

Also, I read somewhere that people only have an attention plan of, lik, 15 minutes

but with the classes, there's not enough to do for us in math, and we have a few things we could kick out of Language Arts

I think maybe a 6 period is good
since your having class the next day, you shouldn't have as much homework as to if you were to have it in 3 days

Try a 100 min period and 8 hr day, until then please dont say anything

when do you have a 100 min. class and 8hr day?