Middle School Scheduling

Community Feedback Presentation

Revised

1

Providing increased instructional time and scheduling flexibility for

middle school students

Issue

22

AlignmentsStrategic Plan Goal Benefits

1Challenge

• Additional instructional time in core subjects• Grade 6-8 World Languages • Increased college and career options

2Eliminate Gap

• Additional instruction in core subjects• Block/flexible scheduling

3High Quality Staff

Professional Development:• Teacher Advisory Period• Instruction in the Block Schedule

5Whole Child

• Addresses individual student needs• Increased electives/exploratory for Grade 6• Maintains Teacher Advisory

3

Plan

Do Study

ActToday

Identify Scheduling Option

4

Community Feedback Process

Online Teacher Course: Early Adolescence

Parent Academy: Early Adolescence

Middle School Design Team 2008-10

ACT II

Grade 6 Spanish

Review of Scheduling Models

4

Current Grade 6 Schedule

Period Course

1 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

2 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

3 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

4 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

5 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

6 Health and Physical Education or Electives Rotation

7 Health and Physical Education or Electives Rotation

Current Grade 6 Schedule with Band

Course

Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History, Reading

Health and Physical Education

Band

5

Proposed Grade 6 Bell Schedule

Monday TA23   Period 1

56   Period 256   Period 3

56   Period 456

Lunch 35  

Period 6A(Elective

or PE) 

Period 7A

(Elective or PE)

Tuesday TA23   Block 1

76   Block 276   Block 3

76Lunch

35  Period 6B(Elective

or PE) 

Period 7B

(Elective or PE)

Wednesday TA23   Block 4

76   Block 176   Block 2

76Lunch

35  Period 6A(Elective

or PE) 

Period 7A

(Elective or PE)

Thursday TA23   Block 3

76   Block 476   Block 1

76Lunch

35  Period 6B(Elective

or PE) 

Period 7B

(Elective or PE)

Friday TA23   Block 2

76   Block 376   Block 4

76Lunch

35  Period 6A(Elective

or PE) 

Period 7A

(Elective or PE)

6

Grade 7 SchedulePeriod Course

1 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History2 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History3 Enrichment/Remediation4 Elective/Health and Physical Education5 Elective/Health and Physical Education

6 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History7 Core: English, Mathematics, Science, U.S. History

Proposed Grade 7 Bell Schedule

Monday TA23   Period 1

45   Period 245  

Period 3(Elective

or PE) 

Period 4(Elective

or PE)Lunch

35   Period 545   Period 6

45   Period 745

Tuesday TA23   Block 1

93  Period 3(Elective

or PE) 

Period 4(Elective

or PE)Lunch

35   Period 545   Block 6

93

Wednesday TA23   Block 2

93  Period 3(Elective

or PE) 

Period 4(Elective

or PE)Lunch

35   Period 545   Block 7

93

Thursday TA23   Block 1

93  Period 3(Elective

or PE) 

Period 4(Elective

or PE)Lunch

35   Period 545   Block 6

93

Friday TA23   Block 2

93  Period 3(Elective

or PE) 

Period 4(Elective

or PE)Lunch

35   Period 545   Block 7

93

GRADE 7 SCHEDULES

Current

Proposed

Grade 8 Schedule – Current Period Course

1 Elective2 Elective3 Core or Health and Physical Education4 Core or Health and Physical Education

5 Core or Health and Physical Education6 Core or Health and Physical Education7 Core or Health and Physical Education

7

Proposed Grade 8 Bell Schedule

Monday TA23  

Period 1(Elective

or PE) 

Period 2(Elective

or PE)  Period 3

45Lunch

35   Period 445   Period 5

45   Period 645   Period 7

45

Tuesday TA23  

Period 1(Elective

or PE) 

Period 2(Elective

or PE)  Period 3

45Lunch

35   Block 593   Block 7

93

Wednesday TA23  

Period 1(Elective

or PE) 

Period 2(Elective

or PE)  Period 3

45Lunch

35   Block 493   Block 6

93

Thursday TA23  

Period 1(Elective

or PE) 

Period 2(Elective

or PE)  Period 3

45Lunch

35   Block 593   Block 7

93

Friday TA23  

Period 1(Elective

or PE) 

Period 2(Elective

or PE)  Period 3

45Lunch

35   Block 493   Block 6

93

GRADE 8 SCHEDULES

Current

Proposed

Where we are now…

8

• Five community forums• Superintendent meeting with teachers at each

middle school• School-based staff meetings• Open Town Hall online forum• ACI Advisory Committees dialogue and input• Online surveys• Individual e-mails• Individual feedback forms (electronic and hard

copies)

We are listening…

9

To date, we’ve received repeated feedback in the broad areas of:

• Interest in increased, uninterrupted, in-depth instructional time

• Concern around the loss of cross-graded elective opportunities

• Interest in maintaining the current level of PE and/or music in Grade 6

• Concern around specific instructional needs for English Language Learners and students with disabilities

Feedback

Continued on Next Slide 10

To date, we’ve received repeated feedback in the broad areas of:

• Need to ensure appropriate reading instruction in Grade 6

• Concern over the developmental and social-emotional abilities of students to benefit fully from increased time in class

• Interest in world language opportunities for all students in Grade 6

• Value of a regular, daily, Teacher Advisor (TA) time• Need for professional learning opportunities for

teachers

Feedback (continued)

11

• Continue to gather feedback through the end of March

• Engage in a period of reflection

• Develop a revised schedule based on what we hear

12

Where we are going…

Important Dates

Dates Description Location

1/9/20127:30 p.m.

Superintendent’s Advisory Committee on Elimination of Achievement Gaps Syphax: 121 A/B

1/11/20127:30 p.m. Advisory Council on Instruction (ACI) Syphax: 121 A/B

1/17/20123:30 p.m. Teachers Council on Instruction Career Center Dining

Room

1/23/2012 & 2/27/20127:00 p.m. County Council of PTAs (CCPTA) Ed Center: 101/102

2/1/20128:30 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.

Community Forum(All community forums are identical in format and last approximately 2 hours.)

Ed Center: School Board Room

2/7/2012Noon

Ed Center: School Board Room

2/21/20126:30 p.m.

2/22/20128:30 a.m.

January & February School-based PTAs and Staffs (TBD by principals) Each Middle School

13

Completed

Completed

Completed

Completed

Completed

Completed

Completed

Completed

Anticipated TimelineDate Action

December 2011 – March 2012

Develop and implement communication and feedback plan (ACI, TCI, PTA, CCPTA, CPST)

May 2012Presentation to School Board on recommended  key middle school instructional changes

May-August 2012Develop & revise curriculum (pacing guides)

October 2012Develop budget requests for FY14 Operating Budget

August 2012-July 2013Implement professional learning for staff

September 2013Implement new middle school schedules at all middle schools

Timeline of Next Steps

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