Scheduling Middle Level Schools

This book investigates school schedules by examining the use of time at the middle level and discussing strategies that schools may use to provide greater flexibility to the school day. Eleven specific scheduling models are presented and described. Complementing the models is a discussion of the factors that propel a school's investigation of alternative schedules. The manual views time as a resource and discusses ways to empower teachers to use time to make decisions. It also considers the role that adolescence plays in schedules and presents tips on how to schedule activities with this in mind. The text examines the importance of scheduling, outlines some scheduling myths, and explores the "block-time" schedule at length, considering its advantages and disadvantages for administrators, teachers, and students. Some block-time models are provided. Other kinds of schedules that are considered include alternate day, rotating, and dropped schedules. The booklet explores ways to get started on scheduling reform, offering details on planning steps, whether or not to use a computer, simulations, building the schedule, the uses of singletons and doubletons, staffing decisions, and selecting staff members. The text concludes with strategies for manipulating the schedule by challenging regularities, focusing on students, and starting small. (RJM)

This essential resource provides strategies for the effective and equitable distribution of available FTEs throughout the district, while helping you work through the many critical questions and decisions involved in the scheduling process.

With over 150 sample schedules, this book shows how scheduling strategies can enhance your school's capacity to offer exploratory courses, interdisciplinary teaching teams, teacher-based guidance programs, and other programs and practices which are responsive to the needs of early adolescents.

Offers a ten-step approach to schedule development and curriculum planning in secondary schools; and includes exercises, worksheets, related anecdotes, and other tools.

This practical book and its accompanying downloadable resources include over 100 schedules to help elementary schools raise student achievement.

School administrators must constantly evaluate and refine school scheduling for optimum student and teacher performance. This book is for school administrators who need appropriate management techniques for scheduling students into classes. All parts of the puzzle are presented so the administrator can make wise choices about configuring the school day. Discusses a variety of scheduling formats—traditional, block, and team models—but no one type is advocated. Essential for new principals or administrators planning to change scheduling formats, and principals moving between elementary and secondary levels.

This practical, user-friendly resource provides a step-by-step process for restructuring blocks of learning time to improve student-teacher relationships and promote more positive learning experiences.