2009 institute for staff development students today, leaders tomorrow

2009 Institute for Staff Development

Students Today, Leaders Tomorrow

Master Scheduling for Maximizing Course Selection

Mike Neubig

PurityStudent Purity

The percentage of students in each SLC specific class who are actually in that community:

• should be above 90% in grade 9• should be above 80% in grades 10-12.

Teacher purity-

Teachers in each SLC should teach the majority of their courses within the SLC and have 3 hours per week

of common planning time.





Team A Team B Team C

Outside TimeLearning

Community Time

Outside Time

Learning Community Time

Outside Time

Outside TimeLearning

Community TimeOutside Time Outside Time

Curriculum Analysis

The size of the “SLC Box” (student time spent in each SLC)

depends upon how much a school is able to: • prescribe vertical course sequences • reduce core course levels and assign

teachers by SLC - not by department.



Consider These 9th Grade Math Courses Math Foundations

Algebra A

Algebra A and B

Algebra 1

Honors Algebra

Honors Geometry



Algebra 1

Honors Algebra 1



vs. these...

Segmentation by Expectation

Providing multiple labels to students based upon past performance and other data:• Teacher recommendations• Grades• Attendance/discipline• Test scores

in order to place students into a tracking sequence.



De-Tracking

SLC’s are designed to provide equal opportunity within each community, by providing less

segmentation and more flexibility to move between

course levels.



Consider these grade 11 – 12 Science courses....

Biology + Honors

Chemistry + Honors

Ecology + Honors

Geology + Honors

Physics + Honors

AP Biology

AP Physics



vs. these....Grade 11

All SLC - Chemistry or Physics (or Honors)

Grade 12All SLC - Ecology, Geology (or Honors)

AP occurs as “global” class across all SLC’s

Note: Biology is not offered as a repeat -- must take in summer school, online, or in alternative setting.



Key Elements of Scheduling SLC’s

Prescribe and Reduce

Philosophy

Planning

Process



Philosophy

A school must first address the philosophy/culture within the school in order to create a belief system that ALL students can learn and ALL teachers should be expected to teach high level curriculum.



Planning

Sample templates from:

Pemberton, NJ

Nashville, TN

Albuquerque, NM, and

Rochester, NY



Sample of Purity



School 9th Purity

10th Purity

Overall Average

Teacher Purity

Antioch 96% 72% 84% 49%

Cane Ridge 77% 61% 69% 32%

Glen Cliff 82% 47% 65% 33%

Hillsboro

Hillwood 78% 59% 69% 33%

Hunters Lane 62% 54% 58% 32%

Overton

Maplewood

McGavock 77% 82% 79% 50%

Pearl Cohn

Stratford 79%

Whites Creek 58% 54% 56% 33%

District Average

71% 61.30% 69% 38%

School9th

Purity10th

PurityOverall Average

Teacher Purity

Antioch 97.05% 73% 85% 50%

Cane Ridge 76.30% 61% 69% 30%

Glen Cliff 80.40% 45% 63% 33%

Hillsboro

Hillwood 80% 59% 70% 36%

Hunters Lane 76.30% 56% 66% 33%

Overton

Maplewood

McGavock 81% 82% 81.50% 46%

Pearl Cohn

Stratford 64.32%

Whites Creek 61% 59% 60% 36%

District Average

72.50% 62.10% 71% 38%

First Run Second Run – Mid August

Sample of Purity



School 9th Purity10th

PurityOverall Average

Antioch 97% 72% 85%

Cane Ridge 78% 63% 71%

Glen Cliff 81% 52% 67%

Hillsboro 86%

Hillwood 92% 73% 83%

Hunters Lane 90% 70% 80%

Overton 82%

Maplewood 78%

McGavock 90% 84% 87%

Pearl Cohn 73%

Stratford 74%

Whites Creek 89% 64% 77%

Third Run - Late August

Final Average

9th Purity

10th Purity

Overall

District 84% 68% 76%

What does the Nashville data say?

Larger schools do better.

The shift in philosophy takes time.

You must engage curriculum departments and have them ”prescribe and reduce” course levels

and options.

Train teachers how to differentiate and handle heterogeneous grouping.

You must track these numbers and look for data that identifies areas of difficulty and inequality.



Result of Smaller Environment?



Better safety nets for students --

adult connections

More equal opportunity for

advanced course work

Teachers working together around student needs

Relevance to curriculum by

addition of interest courses

Streamlined communication

between teachers, parents, and

administration.

Access to change instruction within each community

Process



The BIG shifts:

gathering course requests, designing

structure first, then assigning

teachers.

focusing on student purity-

living with more conflicts and

fixing students by hand

building in intervention--

time for personalization and academic

assistance

building flexible grouping

opportunity to move students between course

levels

train teachers on formative

assessment and multiple ways to assess students

spread the wealth-- all

teachers teach all levels.

Its All in the Process



A transparent process in which a clear vision of each Career Academy is defined,

cohorts are scheduled as separate schools (course tags created for each academy),

“branding” is built in student sign up visuals, and academy purity is protected throughout the

process.

A typical example...



A school has 2200 students – • 5 Career Academies• 3 sections of AP English and History traditional enrollment • 4 sections of Honors Geometry• 2 ELL teachers• 3 teachers who have traditionally taught all of Honors/AP• A traditional process to place teachers based upon what

they want to teach or who has traditionally taught the advanced classes and what period they want off for prep.

Does the “cumulative advantage” exist here?... is it pre-decided who will “make it”?

SLC Scheduling Issues...



Multiple levels of core courses

Lack of vertical course sequences

Assigning teachers by department and

choice first

“Sacred cow” courses - maintained for tradition- not as

part of vertical sequence.

Lack of curriculum analysis

Inability to use SIS for cohort

scheduling- and a process to maintain

purity.

Rules for Courses in Personalized Learning Programs



1. Have no more than three levels (or options)2. Are able to be taught by one teacher.3. Occur in similar time periods as other SLC

classes.4. Common to almost all students.5. Have similar enrollment numbers to other

teamed courses.6. Integrate well with other courses.

Sample Flex Block - 6 Periods



PeriodTeam A

(Math On)Team B

Team C Team D (Math On)

1 Elective/Intervention

Elective/Intervention



2 Team Core Team Core MathElective/Intervention

3 Team Core Team Core Team Core Team Core

4 Team Core Team Core Lunch Lunch

5 Team Core Lunch Team Core Team Core

6 LunchElective/Intervention

Team Core Team Core

7 Elective/Intervention

Math Team Core Team Core

Multiple Career Academy-Student Day Example



Period Academy A Academy B Academy C Academy D

1 Elective Lane AP’s/Music

Elective Lane AP’s/Music



2 Academy Core Core Academy Elective Academy Core

3 Academy Elective Academy Core Core Academy Core

4 Core Academy Core Academy Core Lunch

5 Academy Core Lunch Lunch Academy Core

6 Lunch Academy Elective Academy Core Academy Elective

7 Core Academy Core Core Core

Single Academy Teacher Schedule



Period Social Studies English Career TechAcademy Elective

1 Academy Plan Academy Plan Academy Plan Academy Plan

2 Academy Core Outside Corse Academy Tech Outside Course

3 Academy Core Academy Core Core Lunch

4 Outside Core Academy Core Academy Tech Academy Elective

5 Academy Core Lunch Lunch Academy Elective

6 Lunch Outside Corse Outside Course Academy Elective

7 Outside Course Academy Core Academy Tech Outside Course

Other Resources



Scheduling Guide by Mike Neubig

The Practitioner’s Guide to Scheduling SLC’s and Career Academies; Equity in Action

$39.95 each

Available for purchase here or order via e-mail at [email protected]

2009 institute for staff development students today, leaders tomorrow

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