On your side: Pros and cons of block scheduling for students

AIKEN, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - School leaders in Aiken County say the public school district will shift all high schools to a block schedule starting this fall.

We’re On Your Side with what you need to know about the pros and cons of the system.

Room for more electives and the opportunity to retake failed classes are just a few benefits Aiken County says will come from the new block scheduling, but some parents say their students aren’t in on the changes.

“They’re not exactly thrilled with it,” said Kristin Brown.

Brown is the mother of two students at North Augusta High School going into their junior year. While she sees the potential benefits to block scheduling, she still has concerns about how it will all work.

“The hardest thing for me, for the transition, like seeing for them, is the longer class schedules. And that’s not really realistic for college either unless, you know, you’re taking a long class. But generally, it’s a 50-minute, 40-minute class in college,” she said.

Professor Christine Craddock with Augusta University’s College of Education breaks down some of the pros and cons from the higher education perspective.

Classrooms that mirror college instruction, more electives, and fewer transitions are just a few of the pros. And the cons could be a difficult adjustment for teachers and more time to engage students productively.

And with these changes, Brown hopes there are plans in place to help everyone adjust.

“I feel like kids already have a hard time focusing. So I’m curious as to how that will help and how that will how the teachers will adjust to that,” said Brown.

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