What is the meaning of a ‘flex day’ in schools? A flex day is an entire school day dedicated to flexible learning time for students. This enables them to work independently, get extra help where they need it, and pursue enrichment projects. Many schools have a ‘flex block’, ‘activity [...]
-- Trent C, Grade 9 FLT is the name of a flexible block program at a high school in New Hampshire that allows students to have time in the school day for intervention and enrichment. This time gives students a voice and boosts academic achievement and overall social-emotional [...]
At Andover High School in Massachusetts, administration was searching for transformation. As in many schools across the country, educators are seeking a way to improve learning for students, to make the shift from a schedule driven by content, to one that enables students to build relationships, master what they're [...]
In the Bronx, a 6th grade girl named Omarina finds her life falling apart. She and her mother are evicted from their apartment. Omarina and her father, who left the family when she was young, are about to be reunited when he dies of a stroke. As her mother [...]
Secondary students face a unique set of challenges. In middle school, it’s the rough transition from the comfort of elementary school to high school. For high-schoolers, as they near closer and closer to graduation, its “What am I going to do with my life?” Secondary students need help through [...]
In a highly tech-driven world, much emphasis is put on preparing students with job skills that will enable them to be adaptable and innovative, specifically in tech, math, and science fields. And looking forward in the 21st century, these job skills will certainly be necessary, as the pace of [...]
What is education really about? Test scores and letter grades? Sometimes it certainly seems that way. But looking forward, there are a lot of positive changes being made -- or talked about. Sometimes talk of education reform may get away from what's actually important: the students. Kids will rely [...]
So, is your current high school schedule a little bit like a Twinkie? The last post looked at the current school system and it’s stale aging process. But let’s look on the bright side. It’s not all bad, and many schools have made progressive changes. Give in to the positive peer [...]
Have you ever come across words from another time that seem to agelessly correspond to a current issue? I recently read an article from ASCD, by Robert N. Bush, entitled: “The Problem of a Flexible Schedule in High School.” The article was from 1961. Despite the fact that it’s words were [...]