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Differentiated Technical Assistance Team (DTAT) Video Series

Elementary Scheduling Part II of II: Protecting Instructional Time

Judy Johnston, LaVonne Kunkel, & Steve DeGaetani

The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive its continuous improvement for the sake of their own children and students.

- Dr. Sam Redding

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Elementary Scheduling

Session 1 – First Steps

Session 2 – Protecting Instructional Time

Elementary Scheduling Series

The sessions are designed to be used by individuals or in a group setting.

The sessions are sequential. The PowerPoints and all other materials

or references may be downloaded from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Web site.

An Instructional Video Guide is also available on the VDOE Web site.

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PurposeSeries:

•To explore scheduling at the elementary level that will meet the needs of all stakeholders

•To examine strategies that maximize instructional time

Today’s Video Presentation:

•To examine strategies that maximize instructional time

•To examine schedules to provide tiered intervention (remediation/enrichment)

Today’s Focus

To examine strategies to…

Maximize instructional time

oMinimize transitions

oDecrease disruptions

Provide tiered intervention (remediation/enrichment)

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What the Research Says…Lost Instructional Time

Student interruptions Teacher interruptions Visitors to the class Loudspeaker announcements Transitions Other sources

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What the Research Says…Lost Instructional Time

Student interruptions o disruptive behavior, leaving the room,

changing seats, peer conflicts Teacher interruptions

o disciplinary actions, collecting or distributing materials, calling the office

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What the Research Says…Lost Instructional Time

Visitors to the class Loudspeaker announcements Transitions Other sources

o late starts, early dismissals, fire drills

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Plan recess and lunch together.

Plan an abbreviated schedule on early-release or late-start days.

Four-, five-, or six-day cycles instead of Monday through Friday.

Schedule for tiered interventions.

Research-Based Strategies…Not More of the Same

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Encore Rotations

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Tiered Intervention

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Planned Intervention: Tier 1

Whole Group Instructiono Delivered within the regular Language Arts (LA)

blocko Core reading curriculum

Small Group Instructiono Delivered within the regular LA blocko Differentiated instruction

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Planned Intervention: Tier 2

Very focused: covers only targeted skills

Students are placed in homogeneous groups based on skill deficits

Teacher directed Explicit instruction

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Planned Intervention: Tier 3

More systematic and slower paced

Different curriculum Smaller groups More sessions or longer

instructional time16

Interventionist Pool

Teachers and specialists Non-instructional personnel

o Adult volunteers• Parents, community service organizations,

graduate training programs

o Public school students• Cross-age or same-age peer tutors

o Support staff• school psychologist, guidance counselor,

paraprofessionals

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Research-Based Strategies…Not More of the Same

The structure and use of time and space in schools have a direct and significant effect on how, how much, and what children learn.

Chip Wood, Time to Teach, Time to Learn

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Intervention Schedule 

7:40-7:55

7:55-8:10

8:10-8:25

8:25-8:40

8:40-8:55

8:55-9:10

9:10-9:25

9:25-9:40

9:40-9:55

9:55-10:10

10:10-10:25

10:25-10:40

10:40-10:55

10:55-11:10

11:10-11:25

11:25-11:40

11:40-11:55

11:55-12:10

12:10-12:25

12:25-12:40

12:40-12:55

12:55-1:10

1:10-1:25

1:25-1:40

1:40-1:55

1:55-2:10

2:10-2:25

2:25-2:40

Kinder 

120 Minutes 7:55-9:55

Intervention

8:55-9:5545 Minutes

LUNCH 10:35-11:05 10:40-11:10

10:45-11:15

Recess-B 75 Minutes

CAMP 12:55-1:40

60 Minutes

First 

Intervention 7:55-8:55

120 Minutes 7:55-9:55

90 MinutesLUNCH 11:15-

11:45

Recess-B

CAMP 12:10-12:55 90 Minutes

 

Second 

80 MinutesCAMP

9:15-10:00 Intervention

10:00-11:00135 Minutes

LUNCH 12:15-

12:45

Recess-B

105 Minutes

Third 

120 MinutesCAMP 10:00-

10:45

Intervention 11:00-

12:00

LUNCH 12:00-

12:30

Recess-F

120 120 Minutes

Fourth 

30

MinutesCAMP 8:25-9:10

135 Minutes

LUNCH 11:30-

12:00

Recess-F

90 MinutesIntervention

1:40-2:40

Fifth 

90 Minutes 90 Minutes CAMP 10:50-11:35

55 Minutes

LUNCH 12:30-

1:00

Recess-F

85 Minutes

Sixth 

90 Minutes 90 MinutesLUNCH 10:55-

11:25

Recess-F

90 Minutes30

Minutes6th CAMP 1:45-

2:40

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Intervention Schedule

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Floating Interventions

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Parallel Block Scheduling

By protecting blocks of instructional time from interruptions, a schedule can support the delivery of instruction.

Hopkins and Canady, ASCD Nov 1995…Vol 53…#3

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Parallel Block Scheduling

The classroom teacher’s instructional program takes precedence over special programs and support services.

Large blocks of time are devoted to language arts and mathematics.

Extension Center time allows for support services pull-out and enrichment.

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Parallel Block Scheduling

TEACHERS 50 mins 50 mins 50 mins 50 mins

Teacher A Language Arts & Social Studies(Reading-Writing Groups 1 & 2

Reading-Writing Group 1

Reading-Writing Group 2

Teacher B Language Arts & Social Studies(Reading-Writing Groups 3 & 4

Reading-Writing Group 3

Reading-Writing Group 4

Teacher C Reading-Writing Group 5

Reading-Writing Group 6

Language Arts & Social Studies(Reading-Writing Groups 5 & 6

Teacher D Reading-Writing Group 7

Reading-Writing Group 8

Language Arts & Social Studies(Reading-Writing Groups 7 & 8

Extension Center Reading-Writing Groups 6 & 8

Reading-Writing Groups 5 & 7

Reading-Writing Groups 2 & 4

Reading-Writing Groups 1 & 3

Note: Depending on the size of the school, this plan can work with four grade-level teachers, two from each of two grades, or four from each of one grade. Canady and Rettig, 1995

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Reflection

Reinvent schools around learning, not time.Chip Wood, Time to Teach, Time to Learn, 1999

If you could improve the use of time at your school, what would change?

How might you improve it? What might be your first step?

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What was one idea I learned during today’s webinar that I

plan to share with teachers at my

school?

http://www.timeandlearning.org/index.html

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Resources

Canady, R. L., & Rettig, M. (2008). Elementary School Scheduling: Enhancing Instruction for Student Achievement. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education, Inc.

Farbman, D., (2008). The Quality Time Analysis Users Guide. The National Center on Time & Learning.

Hopkins, H. J., & Canady, R. L. (1997). ASCD Curriculum Handbook, Parallel block scheduling for elementary schools. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

National Education Commission on Time and Learning. (1994).Prisoners of time: Report of the national education commissionon time and learning. Washington, DC: U.S. GovernmentPrinting Office.

Wood, C. ( 1999). Time to Teach, Time to Learn: Changing the Pace of School. Turner’s Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

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