Periods vs. blocks:
Students discuss pros, cons of class schedules

By Alexis Lilly
Capital High School

Traveling through unknown territory can sometimes be intimidating, especially when it’s home to a well-known enemy.

For two brave Capital High School students, the excursion began early one morning amid snowdrifts and black ice. Their mission: to prowl around South Charleston High School and to discover the mysterious world of block scheduling. This was definitely a trip into the wild.

Capital is the only public high school in Kanawha County that uses a standard eight-period day. South Charleston and six other high schools in the county use block scheduling, while George Washington runs on a modular schedule.

“My personal feelings are that I like it better,” Capital Principal John Clendenen said. “With the block schedule, material isn’t covered as thoroughly. Plus, with the eight-period schedule, we are able to maintain superior foreign language, math and special education departments.”

The process

Block scheduling has students attending only four classes a day versus eight classes a day. For most CHS students, just sitting in a 55-minute first period is hard enough, but the mere thought of being there for 90 minutes is enough to make them shudder and dismiss the idea of block scheduling.

Block scheduling condenses the content of classes. Material that is normally covered in two semesters is completed into one.

“With block, you have a set number of classes a semester,” Capital junior Mira Stanley said. “For example, you may have Algebra first semester of your sophomore year, but in the first semester of your junior year you may have Algebra II. You don’t retain what you’ve learned as well. It defeats the purpose of learning.”

At Capital, students have a complete year of English before working on a required paper in early spring. Students at South Charleston who take English in the first semester complete their research papers before the Christmas break or right after the New Year.

“With this type of schedule, we come early and get out early,” South Charleston junior Michael Francis said. “There is less homework because we get more done in class.”

South Charleston Principal Bill Walton said the block schedule has had a positive effect, but he has decided to try something new next year. The school will have an “AB” block schedule. Students still will attend four 90-minute classes a day, but they will have four classes on day A and four different classes on day B. Days A and B will rotate, allowing students to attend classes all year long.

“It is designed basically to create interest with the seniors,” Walton said. “It will give them continuity, and somewhat of a cut in homework.”

The negatives

South Charleston senior Tuesday Taylor said this seemingly simple way of making school easier does have its drawbacks.

“I don’t like it because you are in class for an hour and 25 minutes. It gets boring. I think the eight-period schedule has more variety.”

One student at Capital said he might prefer the block schedule.

“Eight periods a day become boring and repetitive,” sophomore Adam Castleman said.

For Clendenen, there are only two negatives with eight periods. One is the heavy backpacks students must carry. Also, it is harder for students to get all the credits needed to graduate.

The atmosphere

It’s not proven anywhere that the block scheduling produces a better student, but it might be concluded that the combination of longer classes and a smaller school creates a close-knit community of students.

“Teachers are on a one-on-one basis,” South Charleston senior Ashley Grogg said. “It makes you feel comfortable with friends and teachers.”

Other students at South Charleston seem to have the same attitude. With an enrollment of around 840, South Charleston High School emits a feeling of a big family. Capital’s enrollment is almost double that. Students there admit that it’s difficult to bond with their peers.

“It’s packed,” Capital junior Shayla Hess said. “It’s hard to get to know everyone. You recognize people, but you can’t put a face with a name.”

The future

Even though block scheduling is used by most high schools in Kanawha County, it looks as if Capital will stick to the same eight-period schedule that it has followed throughout its 11-year history.

When Clendenen was asked if Capital would change, he said, “Not as long as I’m principal.”