Teachers vote on the bell schedule every year, and some options are better than the others as shown by student polls taken on the matter
Staff Writer
The AHS bell schedule is voted on towards the end of every year by the teachers on campus. Although, since this is a contractual right for teachers, students have no voting power in the matter. However, some schedules proposed are not as favorable to students. Because block periods would improve outcomes in various ways, the current 4-block-day schedule would be the best for AHS students.
In an informal survey conducted over the course of six months to present students’ opinions on bell schedules to teachers, more students showed satisfaction with the current bell schedule than any alternative. Out of 233 students surveyed, over 95 percent preferred the current schedule over the options of the two block day or five 6-period day schedule.
The current bell schedule gives more students leeway in terms of time to complete assignments, as well as allows them to put more effort into their work. With the gap day in between classes, students can produce more thoughtful and less rushed work, resulting in higher levels of long-term retention. The longer class periods also allow more extended learning on a subject, such as in AP classes which have more content to cover in a shorter amount of time. In contrast to the regular 60-minute period, a block period allows more content to be covered, with more time between class days to digest information.
Another recent informal survey, this one conducted by the Eagle Era, also confirmed this preference, where over 91 percent of 83 students surveyed preferred the current bell schedule.
Another major reason for this preference is the four days of FLEX, a time meant for academics and extra support from teachers. Rather than forcing students to miss important lectures and make up missed assessments during class time, FLEX allows students to make up missing work without sacrificing understanding of course content.
While FLEX allows students to catch up on work that they may not otherwise have time to complete due to extracurriculars or other obligations, it also helps them recuperate and relax before the next class of the day. In the previous survey, 92 percent of students said that they received a mental health benefit from FLEX. In a time where the pressures of education keep students sleep deprived and exhausted, some relaxation during the school day helps students stay more focused during class time—ultimately improving their overall academic performance.
Some arguments made by teachers regarding the removal of FLEX include students wasting their time on non-academic activities. Academics can span across a vast variety of subjects, including building social relationships, time management skills, and scaling mental capacity. FLEX offers the opportunity to collaborate on group activities, or mentally recuperate for those who need it. For those who don’t, it teaches the important lesson of responsibility and time management.
The current bell schedule holds significant benefits to students that the other options presented fail to account for. There are vast educational opportunities through the use of block periods and FLEX than there are from a move towards more 6-period days. And the presented data shows that more students prefer the extended periods, fewer classes, and more FLEX time in comparison to the reduction of block days. If the teachers’ criteria to choose a bell schedule emphasizes promoting student performance, there is no reason to deviate from the schedule that fulfills this criteria most strongly.
Removing the extended block periods and eliminating FLEX would be harmful for students’ ability to learn and digest concepts long-term (Art Credit: Kingston Lo (12)).
Eagle Era 
Leave a comment