Block scheduling in Coppell’s future

Next year at this time, Coppell High School will operate a new block schedule that has been modified in an attempt to alleviate student stress. Several adjustments have been made to meet student satisfaction.

CHS Principal Mike Jasso said the proposed block schedule is currently a draft but was modeled after Allen High School.

“A move to a modified block schedule from a student standpoint would give [students] relief from facing that amount of work everyday, potentially homework as well as going through a busy existence,” Jasso said.

The modified block schedule will contain “A” and “B” days. On “A” days, students will spend most of their time in second, third and fourth periods. On “B” days, students will spend most of their days in fifth, sixth and seventh periods. Those blocked classes will have a duration of approximately 90 minutes.

First period and eighth period, dubbed “skinny periods”, will repeat at the beginning and end of both “A” and “B” days. The newly added eighth period will function as an opportunity for students to participate in extracurricular activities or other academic endeavors.

However, this adjustment negatively affects some students’ private life because of the alteration of the school’s start and end times.

“I already struggle to get to my lacrosse practice on time. If the school ends later, then I will have to bust through traffic somehow and I don’t know if I can do that,” CHS junior Faith Parker said.

New Tech High@Coppell will follow its regular schedule for the most part, but Jasso said accommodations will be made to their schedule as well in order to align with CHS’s modified block.  

As a result of the change in the block schedule, lunches will be adjusted as well. Instead of the traditional A, B and C lunches, the school will move to the modified A, B, C and D.

“A, B and C lunches are always crowded, so having a fourth lunch period is nice since it could facilitate that,” CHS sophomore Julian Olivares said.

The May 2016 bond election confirmed that a freshman center will take the place of Coppell Middle School West in the 2018-19 school year. Thus, blocked scheduling will bring a 15 minute passing period to accommodate travel between the two campuses.  

The students who remain on campus during passing period will have this time to study, buy snacks in the cafeteria, which will be open throughout the day, or relax and socialize.

Spanish teacher Derryll Lee has been teaching at CHS for 11 years and is quite ecstatic about the new changes in the blocked schedule of next year.

“These changes will definitely allow me some time in between classes,” Lee said. “It is difficult sometimes for even a teacher to take care of their needs in between classes with a shorten amount of time, so if it lengthens it just slightly maybe I can even run to the coffee machine.”

While some find this change as a benefit from school stress others believe that this is not necessary.

“I don’t get why we need a long passing period, like students will use that time to procrastinate on other things,” CHS junior Christina Liu said.
The provisional plans will be set to run a three day pilot in early January. In the year of 2017-2018, students and teachers will start using the modified block schedule.