Analysis of the Impact of the Seven-Period Day. Revised.

A preliminary analysis of the impact of the seven-period school day found that a seven-period schedule allows small high schools in Montgomery County, Maryland to offer almost as many courses as larger six-period schools and allows their students to enroll in more courses, particularly in academic areas. It further concluded that students took advantage of expanded offerings, with the number of sections of academic courses increasing by 7 percent. This later analysis confirms but qualifies the former findings. In both six- and seven-period day schools, total course offerings decreased slightly from 1981-82 to 1982-83, but seven-period schools added academic courses. Despite school enrollment declines, course enrollment increased in both types of schools, growing 11.7 percent in seven-period schools. Both "academic" and "non-academic" departments in seven-period schools gained enrollment, with increases of over 2,500 students in business, home economics, and industrial arts, and over 1,000 in physical education, art, foreign languages, social studies, mathematics, and science. In six-period schools, however, only mathematics gained over 1,000. Students used seventh periods to acquire vocational and life skills as well as to add academic courses. The seven-period day affected 10th and 11th graders' course selections, but not those of 12th graders. The seven-period day affected students of all achievement levels equally; the shift toward taking a slightly greater proportion of nonacademic courses was similar for both high and low achievers. (MCG)