Conflicts of Time: Examining School Schedules in Secondary Agricultural Programs

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine how school schedules can or cannot be justified through the perspective of student performance on state core content assessments and occupational skills standards assessments. This study utilized the Theory of Power in Education when considering school schedules as a means to student success on core content and occupational skills assessment. The population of this study consisted of secondary agricultural programs (n = 136) across the state of Kentucky. The survey revealed the majority of secondary agricultural programs work on a seven-period day. Secondary agricultural programs received the highest pass rate on the production livestock occupational skill standards assessment. The majority of students received a passing score on the state mandated assessment area of reading no matter the schedule. Less than half of agricultural students received passing scores in Math, Science, and Social Studies. Trimester schedules had the lowest pass rate in the areas of Reading, Science, Social Studies, and Writing while only outperforming 4x4 block in Math by one percentile.