Course scheduling would "move from teacher to teacher with the same group of peers throughout the school day" (Brown & Knowles 2007 p 227). This enhances the quality and depth of curriculum and instruction through more intimate governance. Empirical studies on the benefits of block scheduling show a general 12-15% increase in vocabulary scores (Wormeli 1999). According to the research, "When teams have some control over the class schedule, students have the opportunity to explore ideas for longer periods of time" (Brown & Knowles 2007 p 229). Each team should be within the context of a block structure, allowing students to be more engaged in that team's strategies and coursework during the shared time that extends over several classes. This would require longer class periods, but the research shows that if managed innovatively by collaborative teaching strategies, the students will most likely respond positively (Wormeli 1999). Moreover, the new school design must implement advisory programs to help students cope with a number of social, academic, and emotional issues that they may find themselves plagued with. Such programs are "an essential element of effective middle school design," as recommended by the National Middle School Association...

Teachers working at the middle school should be assigned a group of students which they are responsible for in terms of providing guidance and support, both academically and emotionally. This teacher should meet with his or her issues students "on a regular basis for the primary purpose of helping students develop trusting relationships with an adult and close social bonds with a small group of classmates," (Brown & Knowles 2007 p 236). Scheduled sessions should be a mix of student-to-student and student-teacher style conferences and meeting sessions. These will be scheduled at the beginning of the school day for between thirty to forty-five minutes once a week (Brown & Knowles 2007). Scheduling at that time and for longer durations will help increase perceived importance and the work that can be done within that given period of time.
References

Brown, D.F. & Knowles, T. (2007). What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know. 2nd ed. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Wormeli, Rick. (1999). Block classes change instructional practice: Carpe diem! On Target. National Middle School Association. Web. http://www.amle.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/scheduling/scheduling_3.pdf