Caroline High School is  the only high school in the  area that follows the traditional seven-period scheule. But that could change as  the Caroline School Board  considers a switch to block  scheduling.

Currently, Caroline students attend seven 50- minute classes each day and  can earn 28 credits per year.

Caroline High Principal  Harper Donahoe presented this Scheduling Alternatives Power Point to the board Monday night that went over the pros, cons and concerns about block scheduling.

The advantages of block  scheduling included more  instructional time, about 90 minutes,  in the  classroom, students would  be responsible for four classes/tests per day instead of  seven and 32 credits could be  earned for graduation, he  said.

Disadvantages to that  model include teachers having to change the way they  teach and being able to keep  the students’ attention for a  for a longer period of time.

Harper said 74 percent of  his faculty voted in a secret  ballot last week to implement a block schedule format next year.

Mattaponi District School  Board Member Wendell  Sims, who is also a math  teacher at Chancellor High  School that has block  scheduling, says he doesn’t  think block scheduling is in the best interest of student achievement.

He thinks some classes,  such as math and foreign  language, should be taught  everyday for continuous reinforcement.

Block students are usually  on one of two types of  schedules—A/B or four-by- four.

A/B students take seven or  eight classes for the entire  academic year, but take half  on “A” days and the other  half on “B” days.

Four-by-four students are  on a two-semester academic  year. They complete four  courses each semester.

Stafford schools follow a  hybrid block system. Students can complete core  academic classes in one  semester, à la four-by-four.  But they can also take certain  classes every other day (in A/ B style) for an entire year.

High schools in the city of  Fredericksburg, Stafford,  Spotsylvania, King George,  Culpeper, Prince William  and Fauquier counties already use block scheduling.

Caroline’s board members  will continue to discuss the  issue.

In other school board  news:

The school system was  awarded $946,574.38 in federal Education Job Recovery  Funds.

These funds can only be  used to recall or rehire  former employees, retain existing employees and hire  new employees that provide  school-level, but non-administrative services.

Assistant Superintendent  Rebecca Broaddus said the  money can be spent over a  two-year period and will  first be used to hire two  special education teachers, a  instructional specialist, a  maintenance worker and two  custodians.
Other hires and use of the  remaining funds have yet to  be determined, Broaddus  said.