The Academic Focus Block Schedule

I am assuming Mr. Hobbs, an English teacher by profession, is well versed in rhetoric. I'm thinking he is, because he uses it extensively to persuade the reader that black is white (or perhaps black is grey).

If, as he argues San Marcos has: "designed a better way to structure the day to meet the demands of the 21st century," why is there no empirical evidence to substantiate this? Instead the only evidence he gives is the classic bland generalization: "The vast majority of our students go on to succeed at some of the country’s top institutions of higher learning." I'm afraid that all three local high schools could make this identical claim, and two don't use the block schedule. Instead, if you look at the only empirical evidence that can logically compare the three high schools, state standardized testing, San Marcos is currently second out of the three, and was third out of the three last year. This hardly seems like "a better way to structure the day to meet the demands of the 21st century." And if you investigate how San Marcos overtook Santa Barbara High to become number two in the district on standardized testing, you will find that they used mostly gimmicks like rewarding students who achieved on the state tests with things like preferred parking spots, longer lunches, and off campus permits. This hardly speaks well for block scheduling.

I feel I must comment on Mr. Sbboyo's comments on Mr. Hobbs' commentary. I couldn't agree with Mr. Sbboyo more. Furthermore let me add a few more details.

Mr. Hobbs states: "Select any criteria for measuring student performance — test scores, countywide competitions, graduation rates, state accreditation reviews, surveys of stakeholders, or college acceptance rates — and you will see that this school excels." (test scores: San Marcos is second, has been as low as third, and has never been first in the district; graduation rates are nearly identical for the three high schools; state accreditation reviews are identical--all three high schools received the same term of accreditation; surveys of stakeholders: worthless, as most stakeholders are true to their own schools; and college acceptance rates: again, not too different than the other schools). Again, all three high schools can make the same claims, and two don't use the block schedule. This is hardly "excelling." It's more like "regression towards the mean." Mr. Hobbs shouldn't be using evidence that puts his school on an equal footing, he should be using evidence that puts his school above the other two. How about National Merit Scholar semi-finalists? San Marcos consistently has less than half of Dos Pueblos. The reason he doesn't have use better evidence because there is no evidence that his school's system is better.

Here is another point. When San Marcos won the restructuring grant to implement the block schedule in 1994, the district said that if it proved to be better, the other two high schools would switch to it. After 12 years of its existence, San Marcos was third out of the three high schools in student achievement. Hardly a rousing success. If you noticed, the district has not switched the other two high schools to the block system.

The reason why people like Jack Hobbs defend the system is because the teachers like it. Get one of them alone, give them a drink, and they'll tell you the truth--they don't have to work as hard.

San Marcos loses more students to Dos Pueblos and Santa Barbara than they receive back from those schools. I hear that many students leave because of the block system.

Full disclosure: I am a Santa Barbara High teacher who was present when we competed against San Marcos for the restructuring grant of 1994. We lost. Maybe this is all sour grapes. Maybe there is truth to what I'm saying.

A schedule is secondary. What's important is what's going on in the classroom:

http://www.middleweb.com/MWLresources/bl...

Lots of arguments of cause and effect, and the truth is that no one is certain about the critical aspect of what makes the best structure. Education is complex, and in the end, the single most important factor in student achievement (defined by much more than test scores) is teacher quality.

According to Rethinking High School: Best Practice in Teaching, Learning and Leadership by Harvey Daniels, Marilyn Bizar, Steven Zemelman (2001, Heinemann, Portsmouth, NH) “…teacher expertise has been found to be the most significant determinant of student success (Darling-Hammond 1996).”

Pay our teachers more, don’t accept mediocrity, and give all staff professional freedom to work as they have been trained to do without regard to politics and the agendas set by bureaucracies.

Well, I went to SM, experienced the block schedule, and I absolutely loved it. Let me tell you, there's nothing more frustrating (to a student that actually wants to learn, as opposed to socializing and such) than having the bell ring, your teacher takes attendance, you go over homework and questions, the teacher presents the lesson plan for the day, everyone gets settled, the teacher teaches, and then 20 minutes later it's time to pack up and get herded off to the next class. I learned so much while I was at SM, and I truly believe I excelled due to the block scheduling. Criticize all you want, but the block schedule makes sense, and unless you've been a student there, or you have a child that is in fact a student there, you really have no ground to walk on. Go Royals!

To SantaBarbaraDon:

You have some good points. However, I must disagree with your view that San Marcos teachers do not work as hard. If you are a teacher at SB as you say, you teach 5 classes a year with a max of 35 kids in each class. So you teach 5 classes and 175 students in a year. At San Marcos, teachers teach 6 classes in a year, with a max of 31 in a class. So they teach 6 classes and 186 students in a year. Seems to me they do more than you do.

Also, which system prepares students for the quarter system at UC's and most other colleges? The block system does.

Now, is the block system for everyone? No. That is why we have three excellent high schools in this area, so families have a choice of where they want to go to. All three schools advertise for students. This article is San Marcos' advertisement.