So last spring, Principal Anthony G. Smith and Bloom teachers persuaded district leaders to overhaul Bloom as a magnet program with an accelerated curriculum. It opened in August as an accelerated school. At first glance, it seems like any other middle school. Morning announcements remind students about bus passes, report cards and athletic practice. Students' work hangs in classrooms.
Teachers tell students to walk, please, don' t run, in the halls.
But it's drastically different. Students meet for 90-minute classes in most core academic subjects, instead of 45 minutes. Students stay in classrooms while teachers travel between classes. The shift adds 20-25 minutes of instruction a day, totaling about 64 hours a year. Contracts with parents and students.