Examining the Effect of Block Scheduling on African-American Males' High School Test Performance

Abstract

Over the last several decades, the United States has seen an increase in the number of high schools implementing block schedules to enhance student learning. Yet, research on the effectiveness of block scheduling has been mixed. Furthermore, many of the existing studies have not considered factors such as gender, race, and socioeconomic status. Taking these factors into account, the present study analyzed the impact of schedule type among African American male students' test performance in a large, urban district of high schools in the southeastern United States. Using a hierarchical linear modeling analysis, test scores in biology, English, and math were examined. Results indicated that schedule type had no significant effect on Black males' test scores in any of the subjects. However, White males performed significantly better in traditional schedules for biology and English, whereas Black males performed similarly across schedules.