Block scheduling caused the test scores of high school students in Iowa to drop, according to a new study by Iowa State University. The popular reform, which ordinarily divides the school day into four 80-to-90 minute classes instead of the traditional schedule of eight classes of 45-to-50 minutes each, led to "markedly lower" ACT scores. Schools often favor the reform because they believe it allows in-depth exploration of content and more hands-on activities, and because it may enhance school climate and reduce discipline problems. "Scores dip at 'blocked' schools," by Clark Kauffman and Staci Hupp, Des Moines Register, July 3, 2002. A press release from Iowa State is available at http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/releases/2002/jul/act.shtml.
