When schools and divisions choose a daily schedule structure to follow, it is important to consider its purpose and potential impacts on students, educators, and families. The purpose of this MERC research and policy brief is to inform the work of school division leaders and school board members making decisions about whether to adopt or continue the use of block scheduling in middle and high schools. It explores the following questions:

1. What are block schedules and where are they used?
2. How are school schedules related to student outcomes and educator quality?
3. What policies at the federal, state, and local level inform decisions about course schedule adoption in the MERC region?

It concludes with five key takeaways and recommendations. 

Click here to download the brief.