People are often surprised and excited when they see what is possible. They start to look at their goals and solutions very differently. There are many sensible strategies that schools can implement simultaneously while working within contracts and by leveraging a school's existing resources fully. Through our programs, participants will learn about national trends, opportunities and resources.

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Enhance Instruction

How much time is allotted per class directly influences how a teacher designs a classroom and prepares lessons. It determines how students seek help and access computers. It affects how teachers collaborate and learn from each other. It impacts how school leaders support staff and ensure accountability, and more. 

 

Many of the instructional approaches happening today will be more successful if a school aligns its schedule and staffing to the programs and innovations they are implementing:

 

• Directed Instruction, small-group instruction, independent work

• Technology-enhanced instruction

• Personalized Learning models

• Enhanced co-teaching models

• Mastery- or competency-based assessment strategies

• Community partnerships

• Project-enhanced learning

• Early college, dual-enrollment credits

• Career and technical enrollment (CTE) programs, and internships

• Advanced placement, gifted and talented programs

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Offer More Responsive Student Supports

One of the most important, and perhaps challenging, components to building a master schedule is to design an effective and accountable program for students with targeted needs. Mandated services and supplemental services are critical. We work with schools that are seeking solutions that help all of their students to thrive. By developing a transformative schedule a school can enhance its:

 

• RTI plan to provide tiered student services

• Co-teaching opportunities

• ELL supports

• Collaboration between general education, special education and mandated services personnel

• Student grouping flexibility

• Services for students who need supports but who do not have an IEP or 504 designation

• Enrichment opportunities for students who have mandated services

• Reporting and accountability responsibilities

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Expand Teacher Collaboration and Professional Learning

Perhaps one of the most valuable ways to improve a school is to create significant time every day and week for teams of teachers to be able to collaborate. We prioritize helping schools to provide substantial vertical and horizontal common planning time. For years our founder has sought organizational structures that can help promising teachers to become great and great teachers to stay deeply satisfied in the profession. Supporting effective teaching is essential to supporting all students. 

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Increase Enrichment Opportunities for Students

Schools throughout the country are looking for ways to offer the types of enrichment experiences that students need to thrive. Arts, music, fitness and other programs matter. Schools bring their own priorities about the types enrichment they hope to offer. We share strategies that help them organize and expand their enrichment offerings while providing strong academic programs. 

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Make Data-Responsive Decisions

Most districts, charter networks and individual schools have unprecedented access to performance data about their students. What can be missing, however, is the opportunity to fully understand and respond to the data they have. It is not enough to know “what” a student missed, schools need to understand “why.” To do this teachers need substantial time to make sense of data. They also need flexible blocks of instructional time to respond to what they learn from this data.  Transformational scheduling can help accomplish this.

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Improve Operations - Such as Lunch or Transitions

While it is important to build a school model around the learning priorities first, we know that school-wide operations play a big part in a well-run school. Our training programs create opportunities for school teams to evaluate their current operations and explore new ways to enhance them.

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Gain Clarity About our Potential Opportunities and Barriers

People often assume things have to be done a certain way because the law says so or a teacher contract requires it. Sometimes this is true. Often it is not. Practiced norms -- “We’ve always done it this way!” -- can have as much to do with how a school is organized as anything. We help schools explore perceived barriers and seek solutions that work within a school’s governing context. We will help them as they clarify when a challenge is related to schedule choices, staffing norms, logistics and operations, culture and climate, or other potential factors.

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