Our high school is in the fourth year of a new scheduling program called the 8 block. Our previous class periods averaged only about 50 minutes and we had seven periods each day. Now our class periods are 84 minutes long with four periods in each day.
Classes meet every other day.
This allows computer lab classes, science lab classes, shop classes, etc. much more time to actually accomplish the class period tasks. Under the old fifty minute periods you would use 10 minutes to set up and 10 minutes to shut down, which would leave 30 minutes of class time. Staff members are instructed that on most days to allow some time at the end of each class period for student study time. We do not have study halls. This time allowed at the end of the period for students to study is with the instructor who is the expert in the subject matter.