Schools Switching to Rotating Block Class Schedule

The Madison school district on Tuesday night unveiled plans to switch to a modified rotating block class schedule in 2012-13 for grades nine through 12.

The shift to a new schedule drops two classes on a rotating basis each day and extends individual class time from 45 minutes to 59 minutes. It will replace the current seven- or eight-class daily schedule.

School administrators presented their plan at the Board of Education’s scheduled meeting Tuesday night at . The board unanimously approved the change. A 19-member scheduling committee of administrators, board members, students and parents worked on the plan.

Madison High School principal Greg Robertson in explaining the new schedule, pointed to a number of reasons for making the change:
— 45-minute periods are restrictive instructionally, and make it difficult for students to complete a task;
— Students are saturated with information in the seven- or eight-class schedule; 
— Lack of common meeting time between students and teachers;
— Lost instructional time due to excessive passing time between classes.

New schedule classes typically run to 59 minutes or as long as 63 minutes, with 45 minutes for a common lunch.

“Kids are on overload,” said Robertson. “They’ll still take the same number of classes but have a break dropping two classes on given days.”

He said the committee held multiple meetings with a scheduling consultant, and explored 15 different schedule models. There were multiple faculty presentations, and a faculty survey. The process included visits to four comparable schools before the committee voted unanimously to adopt the “Ridgewood model.”

The current schedule typically has eight classes per day, unchanging except for a lab once a week.

Robertson said that students, administrators and faculty at every school visited were overwhelmingly positive about the rotating block model. “Change equals inspiration,” he said.

Besides Ridgewood, some of the area schools using the rotating schedule include Chatham, Kinnelon, Livingston, Mendham, Randolph and Montville. The committee visited Livingston, Mendham, Gov. Livingston and Ridgewood.

Robertson listed the advantages of the new schedule:

— Longer instructional periods will significantly enhance the learning process;
— Fewer classes per day will aid student focus on academics and help to relieve stress;
— Common lunch period facilitates a wide variety of school-related activities, students can reenergize and eat with friends;
— Rotating blocks more closely simulates a college course schedule.

Facility upgrades will be needed to accommodate the common lunch. Professional development will be needed for teachers. Robertson said he has contacted the teachers union regarding the change, but has yet to hear from union leadership.

Student presentations will be made in the spring.