Designing Quality Middle School Master Schedules

1. Designing Quality Middle School Master Schedules Michael D. Rettig Professor Emeritus James Madison University P.O. Box 203 Crozet, VA 22932 434-249-3024 rettigmd@jmu.edu schoolschedulingassociates.com

2. Agenda • Introduction and History • 8 Guiding Questions • Scheduling Ideas • Planning Process • Staff Development • How to Fail! • Work…

3. Summary of the Scheduling Trends in Virginia High Schools 1994-2006

4. 8 Guiding Questions Which Help Us Revisit the Mission and Goals of Middle Schools What is an appropriate number of students a middle school teacher should see each day/term/year? Is there a relationship between how a teacher works with students and the number of students assigned to a teacher? What is the appropriate number of teachers for middle school students to see each day/term/year? Is there a relationship between student behavior and "sense of belonging" and the number of teachers a student is assigned during a day/term/year?

5. 8 Guiding Questions Which Help Us Revisit the Missionand Goals of Middle Schools, con’t What is the appropriate time balance between core and encore subjects? What factors should be considered in determining this balance? What is the appropriate number of subjects for students to be enrolled during any one day/term/year? Is there a relationship between the number of classes for which students are responsible and their success in those classes? How should exploratory classes be scheduled in relation to other subjects?

6. Key Question 3: What percentage of a student’s day should be spent in the following basic subjects: English (including reading), mathematics, science, and social studies? How should the total time allocated to ELA, math, science and social studies be divided among these subjects? How should the time allocated to encore classes be divided among the various possibilities?

7. School Factors Influencing Achievement

8. 1. Opportunity to Learn - the extent to which the school ensures that the specified curriculum isbeing followed and that the curriculum includescontent on which student achievement is assessed. To what extent does your school provide explicit guidelines in terms of the content to be taught in classes? 1 2 3 4 To what extent does your school monitor the extent to which the content guidelines are being followed? 1 2 3 4 To what extent does your school monitor the extent to which the content in the curriculum covers the material on the assessment(s) used to judge student achievement? 1 2 3 4

9. 2. Time - The amount of time the school dedicates to instruction To what extent is your school aware of the time it devotes to instructional versus non-instructional activities? 1 2 3 4 To what extent does your school maximize the amount of time scheduled for instruction? 1 2 3 4 To what extent does your school monitor the extent to which classroom teachers maximize their instructional time? 1 2 3 4

10. 8 Guiding Questions Which Help Us Revisit the Mission and Goals of Middle Schools, con’t While many middle school schedules on paper show the possibility of flexibly combining single periods into longer instructional blocks, in practice, we find classes typically are taught in single periods; hence, does the middle school experience become even more fragmented for both students and teachers? Does such practice create stress and make it difficult for teachers to implement some of the more productive teaching strategies?

11. 8 Guiding Questions Which Help Us Revisit the Mission and Goals of Middle Schools, con’t With the growing diversity of school populations, do we need to plan schedules which permit extended learning time for those students who need additional time to meet course expectations? Should a middle school schedule be compatible with elementary and high school schedules in the feeder pattern?

12. However…remember the prime rule of school scheduling: To put something in, you must take something out!

13. Middle School Scheduling Options • Four-Block Schedule (and variations) • Equal Core Periods > Encore Periods • The Intervention/Enrichment Period • Encore Scheduling Options • Math Scheduling Ideas

14. The Four-Block Schedule: (Double Dose of LA and M) Day 1 Day 2 Block I Language Arts and Reading Block II Mathematics Block III Social Studies Science Block IV Elective/Exploratory/PE

15. Two-Teacher Team

16. Three-Teacher Team

17. Four-Teacher Team

18. Six-Teacher Team

19. Four-Block Master Schedule

20. Major Pros and Cons of Four-Block Pros • 90 minutes is provided daily for LA/Reading and Mathematics. • Students and teachers only take or teach three academic classes daily. • LA and Mathematics teachers instruct only three groups all year. • Adequate time is provided for SS/SC. • Adequate time is provided for Encore for most students. Cons • Students who select two year-long electives (i.e. Band and FL) have difficulty scheduling PE/H. • No clear time for re-teaching. • SS/SC teachers on six-teacher teams work with six sections all year long. • SS/SC teachers may not believe adequate time has been allocated.

21. The Four-Block: Variation 1 Day 1 Day 2 Block I LA/Reading Mathematics Foreign Lang. Block II Block III Social Studies Science Block IV Elec./Exp. Elec./Exp.

22. Four-Block Schedule: Variation 2 Day 1 Day 2 Block I Mathematics LA/Reading Foreign Lang. Block II Block III Social Studies Science Block IV Elec./Exp. Elec./Exp.

23. The Four-Block Schedule with a 9th Period for Intervention/Enrichment Day 1 Day 2 PE/Exp./Elec./Interv./Enr. 9th Period Block I Language Arts and Reading Block II Mathematics Block III Social Studies Science Block IV PE/Exp./Elec. PE/Exp./Elec.

24. Unequal Core and Encore Periods In 390-Minute Day LA/Reading Core 1 (60m) Core 2 (60m) Mathematics Core 3 (60m) Social Studies Lunch Lunch (35m) Science Core 4 (60m) Elec./Exp. Encore 1 (45 m) Elec./Exp. Encore 2 (45 m)

25. The Five-Block Schedule Day 1 Day 2 LA/R Block I LA/R Math Math Block II Social Studies Block III Science Block IV Elective Elective Block 5 PE/Health World Lang.

26. The 8 A/B Schedule with and Intervention/Enrichment Block Day 1 Day 2 2 1 Block I 3 Block II 4 Block III 5 6 Intervention/ Enrichment Block IV 7

27. 7 A/B with Intervention/Enrichment Period (30) School-wide Intervention/Enrichment Period

30. Key Issues for Intervention/ Enrichment Period • Scheduling the I/E Period is easy; organizing and structuring activity during the period requires significant preparation and constant monitoring and revision. • All students must be productively engaged; the time cannot be allowed to devolve into a dreaded study hall! • A system for keeping track of students during this period must be implemented. • While some school-wide, grade level, or team activities (assemblies, pep rallies, school pictures, guidance meetings, course registration, seminars, etc.), may use some of this period, the primary purpose is for Intervention/Enrichment, which may include extended learning time, re-teaching, re-testing, tutoring, etc. • The best I/E periods are data-driven by a strong formative assessment system.

31. Scheduling Encore • Two Periods for Encore??? • Three Periods for Encore???

32. Year-Long or by Quarter, Trimester or Semester? Should be Year-long • Band • Orchestra • Chorus • PE • World Language May be Offered by Quarter, Trimester, or Semester • Art • FACS • Technology • Health • General Music

33. Two Period Encore Rotations Example 1:

34. Two Period Encore Rotations • Example 2: *Two years of FL required to complete Carnegie Unit minutes.

35. Two Period Encore Rotations • Example 3: *Two years of FL required to complete Carnegie Unit minutes.

36. Encore Rotations: 3 Choices in Two Periods

37. Encore Rotations: 3 Choices in Two Periods Example:

38. 3 Period Encore Rotations

39. 3 Period Encore Rotations

40. 3 Period Encore Rotations

41. 3 Period Encore Rotations

42. 3 Period Encore Rotations

43. Achieving Common Goals • Common Curriculum • Common Pacing • Common Formative and Summative Assessments • Collaborative Monitoring System • Common Time for Intervention and Enrichment

44. Short Inter-sessions Paced Instruction Paced Instruction Paced Instruction Paced Instruction Assessment Assessment Assessment Assessment Intervention/ Enrichment Intervention/ Enrichment Intervention/ Enrichment Intervention/ Enrichment

45. Progressive Algebra--Rettig and Canady, 1998. Key: Q=4.5 weeks; A=Algebra I, 4 Parts; G=Geometry 4 Parts

46. 60-90 Minute Block of TimeConcept/Mastery 8-Day Rotating Schedule 50 min. Blocks Day 1 M Day 2 T Day 3 W Day 4 Th Day 5 F Day 6 M Day 7 T Day 8 W A C 1,5 C 1,5 P 1 P 5 C 1,5 C 1,5 P 1 P 5 C 2,6 C 2,6 P 6 P 2 B C 2,6 C 2,6 P 6 P 2 C C 3,7 C 3,7 P 3 P 7 C 3,7 C 3,7 P 3 P 7 D C 4,8 C 4,8 P 8 P 4 C 4,8 C 4,8 P 8 P 4 CL 4,7 2,8 2,5 1,6 4,7 3,8 2,5 1,6 CL=Computer Lab C=Concept Class = Two Groups, Heterogeneous Class (e.g.”1,5”) M=Mastery Group = One Group, Performance Level Class (e.g. “5”) A,B,C,D = Teachers

47. Study Process • One year research; one year preparation. • Form study team; include administrators, teachers, students, and parents. • Design decision-making process. • Make general presentation to staff. • Read, bring in practitioners, visit schools. • Involve all staff; leave no one behind.

48. Staff Development Planning: Sample Workshop I. Subject-Specific Issues: “Surviving and Thriving in a Block Schedule” 8:30-9:30 Panel “General Instructional Issues” 9:30-9:45 Break 9:45-11:45 Subject Area Breakouts Topics: Planning, pacing, classroom organization, time use, instructional strategies and assessment. 11:45-1:00 Lunch 1:00-2:30 Subject Area Breakouts Topic: Sample Lesson 2:30-2:45 Break 2:45-3:30 Panel “Q and A”

49. Staff Development Planning, con’t. II. Instructional Strategies A. Cooperative Learning (Minimum 2 days) B. Socratic Seminars (2 days) (Humanities Teachers) C. Technology (2 days) Math/Science/Tech/ Teachers D. Models of Teaching (1-2 days)

50. Staff Development Planning, con’t. III. Pacing Guides and Lesson Design (2 days in departments) IV. On-going Staff Development A. Collaborative sharing by and/or across departments scheduled on a regular basis. B. District-wide sessions by departments to share what works. C. Additional staff development sessions