PROGRAMS OF STUDY: CREATING A SCHEDULE THAT WORKS

Rob Atterbury – Director of Professional DevelopmentConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career

Vision/Mission/ Outcomes

CurriculumConnections

Professional Development

Budget

Staffing

Facilities

Program of Study

StudentsMaster Schedule

Let me tell you a story...

If you were in charge of designing a new academy, what elements would you include?

Organizing Principles

• Prepare students for both college and career

• Lead to the full range of postsecondary options

• Connect academics to real-world applications

• Improve student achievement

Pathway Components NAF Three Pillars

Connect Ed Components

• Academic Core

• Technical Core

• Work-based Learning

• Support Services

NAF Model

Academy Structure

Work-based Learning

Curriculum & Instruction

Advisory Board

Math Science Social Studies

English

Technical Core/Theme

Prepared for

Collegeand

Careers

Pathways…

Integrate academic and technical core

Real world relevance

Promote project-based teaching and learning

Use more authentic assessment methods

Discussion

Is your vision articulated by clear program outcomes?

How are the components integrated?

Is there a clear sequence of courses?

How is integration supported?

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

Technical Core

Middle School

ArticulationMultiple

Post-Secondary

Opportunities

Post-Secondary ArticulationCollege and Career Plan----------college Tours----------Applications ------------Courses

Technical Core

Technical Core

Technical Core

SupportServices

SupportServices

SupportServices

SupportServices

Introductory

Level

Intermediate

Level

Capstone

Level

Work-based Learning Opportunities Company Tours ----------------------------Job Shadowing------------------------------ Internships

How do the vision and outcomes lead to a program of study?

Program of Study Activity

• Does the sample have the academic and technical core components?

• Do you see some examples of integration?

• What is the progression of work-based learning?

• How are the supports embedded?

Specific Examples

http://www.connectedcalifornia.org/pathways/pathways.php

Translating the Program of Study into the Master Schedule

So how do we get started?

Vision/Mission/ Outcomes

CurriculumConnections

Professional Development

Budget

Staffing

Facilities

Program of Study

StudentsMaster Schedule

Questions to ask yourself:

• What grade levels will we include?• How much curriculum do we expect to

be integrated?• How much purity do we expect? • How much of the student’s day do we

expect the cohort to be together?

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

SocialStudies

Science

English

Math

Technical Core

Middle School

ArticulationMultiple

Post-Secondary

Opportunities

Post-Secondary ArticulationCollege and Career Plan----------College Tours----------Applications ------------Courses

Technical Core

Technical Core

Technical Core

SupportServices

SupportServices

SupportServices

SupportServices

Introductory

Level

Intermediate

Level

Capstone

Level

Work-based Learning Opportunities Company Tours ----------------------------Job Shadowing------------------------------ Internships

Continuum of Integration

BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Conceptual Integration

BEGINNING INTERMEDIATE ADVANCED

Single Subject

Parallel (Paired)

Interrelated

Conceptual

Teacher team uses a concept or

problem to frame instruction and

create curricular coherence

TechCore

Math

Eng

SocStud

Sci

Arts

ForLang

An Effective Master Schedule

• Reflects mission, vision, goals

• Creates structures

• Minimizes interruptions

• Supports personalization

An Effective Master Schedule

• Strives for purity

• Utilizes available resources

• Reflects input from stakeholders

• Is limited only by creativity!

So why is the master schedule so complicated?

• Multi-level classes – “prescribe and reduce”

• All things to all people• Lack of a clear sequence• Inflexible Freda • Not seeing the pathway as the solution• Lack of agreement on the vision

The Master Schedule Cycle

Stage 1:Planning

Stage 2:Course

Selection

Stage 3:Construct Schedule

Stage 4:Analyze, Adjust,

Distribute

Stage 5:Fine-tune &Re-adjust

Stage 1: PlanningVisionPriorities and PhilosophyProgram Of StudyCourse DescriptionsCourse Catalog

Stage 2: SelectionParent MeetingsStudent Recruitment and MarketingStudent Counselor Meetings

Stage 3: ConstuctionNumber of seats, and sectionsCohorts of teachers for the AcademyCohorts of StudentsMap it

Stage 4: AnalyzeRefine and AdjustRe-tally Resolve conflicts by committeePrint out schedules for teachers and students

Challenges

• “Hope is not a plan”• “Prescribe and reduce”

– Reduce the levels of math• “There is extreme power in common

teachers with common students with common planning”

• Size matters!• Interest grouping – not ability!• Integrate student supports into the

program of studyQuotes taken from Mike Neubig

Master Schedule Timeline

• Planning

• Design Program of Study

• Determine specific course offerings• Develop catalog of courses

• Student articulation rising 9th graders

• Scheduling current students

• Finalizing master schedule• Summer planning

September

October

November

December

February

March/April

May

June/July

The Evidence

• Compared with their peers, students in pathways:o Attend at higher rates

o Are less likely to drop out and more likely to complete high school

o Pass the California High School Exit Exam at higher rates

o Are more likely to score proficient or higher on California Standardized Tests in English, science, and social studies

o Need considerable help in mathematics

o Earn more annually in the five years after high school graduation –$2,500 per year more!

What I didn’t tell you was...

• High academic rigor

• Technical core was college level

• Internship connected

• The theme was integrated

• Multidisciplinary

• Exhibition of the work

So…who was the student?

Master Schedule Resources

www.naf.orgwww. casn.berkeley.edu

The Practitioner’s Guide to Scheduling SLC’s and Career Academies; Equity in Action – Mike Nuebig www.capture-education.com

How to Build the Master Schedule in 10 Easy Steps: A Guide for the Secondary School Administrators – Steven S. Kussin www.amazon.com

Additional Information

ConnectEd Website:www.connectedcalifornia.org

Rob Atterburyratterbury@connectedcalifornia.org