Making Every Minute Count: An Introduction to the School Time Analysis Tool (STAT)

Prepared for the Virginia Department of EducationNovember 25, 2013

Our Webinar Today is Sponsored by NCTL Partner The Center on School Turnaround at WestED

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• Creating Pro-Turnaround Environment• Administering & Managing Programs

Effectively• Providing TA to LEAs & Schools

• Advocating & Leadinghttp://centeronschoolturnaround.org/

NCTL: Who Are We?

The National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) is dedicated to expanding learning

time to improve student achievement and enable a well-rounded education.

Through research, public policy, and technical assistance we support national, state, and local initiatives that add significantly more school time to

help children meet the demands of the 21st century.

NCTL: Our Strategy

Improve School Practice: Through technical assistance, grow and strengthen the number of high-

quality expanded learning time schools nationally

Inform Policy: Support policy development and

leverage federal, state, and local funding to support high-

quality expanded learning time implementation

Generate Knowledge:Document and disseminate effective practices of high-

performing expanded learning time charter and district schools across the

country

Build Support: Build broad-based support to

bring high-quality expanded-time school

opportunities to all high-poverty students over time

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Successful Districts and Schools Maximize Academic Learning Time

Source: Elena Silva, “On the Clock: Rethinking the Way Schools Use Time,” Education Sector Reports, 2007.

Academic Learning

Time

Academic Learning Time Time students gain and

retain subject knowledge

Instructional Time Time devoted to

instruction

Allocated Class Time Total time in class

Allocated School Time Total time in school

Allocated School Time

Allocated Class Time

Instructional Time

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12

9

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10

6

3

1

2

78

54

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9

11

10

6

3

1

2

78

54

12

9

11

10

6

3

1

2

78

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Optimize Time for Student Learning

Use Time to help Students Thrive in School and Beyond

Dedicate Time to Improve Teacher Effectiveness

Make Every Minute Count1

Prioritize Time to Focus on Small Set of School-wide Goals

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Individualize Learning Time and Instruction based on Student Needs

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Build a School Culture of High Expectations and Mutual Accountability

Provide a Well-Rounded Education

Prepare Students for College and Career

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Continuously Strengthen Instruction

Relentlessly Analyze and Respond to Data

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2

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High-Performing Schools Focus on Eight Powerful Practices

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Does Every Single Minute Count in Your Schools?

School-Wide Time AnalysisKey Question:

How do schedules help or hinder schools from reaching their most important school-wide goals?

Process: 1. Analyze school schedules to find out:

• How much time is allocated for highest priority subjects?• How much time is “taken” away from the highest priorities?

2. Determine what schedule changes support the schools’ highest priorities

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Putting the STAT To Use

• To learn how time in your school is allocated across three broad categories: Academics, Specials/Electives, and Other.

• To help your school and educators consider modifications to policies and practices that will optimize learning time for your students.

Consider using this tool:

• Calculate the number of minutes in a week and hours in a whole school year that are spent on the three broad categories listed above.

• Assess whether changes are needed and what changes should be made regarding how time is used in your school so you can better reach your goals.

Use the data generated by this tool to:

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0 min 1,950 min

Weekly Allocated School Time

Purposed Time Non- Purposed Time

Academics and Support

Non Core Academics Other Academics and

Support-English-Math-Science-Social Studies-Foreign Lang.-Tutoring-Remediation-Targeted Supp.-Other

-In class transitions-Misc. interruptions-P.A. announcements

-In class transitions-Misc. interruptions-P.A. announcements

Non Core Academics

-Phys. Ed.-Art-Music-Computers or Technology-Community Building-Advisory-Other

-Lunch/Recess-Homeroom-Transitions between classes-Study halls or Homework-Other

The STAT Provides Visibility Into How Schools Really Allocate Time

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Minutes

How Does the STAT Work?

STEP 1: Enter students’ start and end times, days per week, and days per year

STEP 2: Break down how time is across a week for a “typical” student

It’s a 5-step web-based tool where users enter data, “Turbo Tax-style,” on how their school uses time:

STEP 3: Make estimates about lost instructional minutes within classes due to daily interruptions

STEP 4: Make estimates about lost instructional hours throughout the year due to special events

STEP 5: Let the tool do the math so you can see the results – a snapshot of how time is spent for a typical student across the day, week and year

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STAT Login Screen

Access the STAT through this link: http://nctl.iontier.com/Login.aspx

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Conducting a School Time Analysis

WHAT YOU NEED• Internet access• Student schedules• School calendar• Information on activities that

disrupt instructional time

WHO YOU NEEDRepresentative team of administrators, teachers, staff, and partners if applicable

HOW LONG IT WILL TAKEApproximately 1 to 1.5 hours to enter the data and review findings

FOLLOW-UP

• Share findings with other members of your team • Prioritize a few areas for

improvement and action steps• Discuss ways to share with entire

staff

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Tips for Using the STAT

Pick a “typical” student to get started

Keep track of anything you classify as “other”

Don’t lose sight of the goal: to get a snapshot of time use and start the discussion on how time can be used

more effectively school-wide.

Check out the STAT User Guide for guidance, suggestions, and pitfalls to avoid!

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Possible Uses of the STAT

Generate Ideas among Staff

Collect Time Use Data

Consider the amount of time your school spends across each of the three broad categories:

Academics and Support

Non Core Academics

Other

Help your school and educators consider modifications to policies

and practices that will optimize learning time for your students

Assess whether changes are needed and what changes should be made regarding

how time is used in your school so you can better reach your goals.

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Smithfield Middle School KEY STAT FINDING: 36 minutes of each 6 hour day taken up by passing time, totaling 10% of daily allocated school time

Action Steps

1. Established school wide goal to reduce passing time by 50%

2. Reorganized students and teachers into 3 interdisciplinary clusters

3. Reconfigured classrooms by cluster

Before

6 Minutes

After

3 Minutes

Reduced passing time to 3 minutes, adding 1,800 minutes/year back into instruction

How Do Schools Use Information Uncovered by the STAT Analysis? (1 of 2)

Outcome

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How Do Schools Use Information Uncovered by the STAT Analysis? (2 of 2)

Crawford Elementary School KEY STAT FINDING: Class before lunch lost 7 minutes each day so children can wash hands, totaling 21 hours of lost instruction each year.

Action Steps

1. Reversed lunch and recess periods so students wash hands after recess instead of during class time

Before After

2. Rotated subjects taught before recess and after lunch to lessen the impact of longer transition time on any one subject

Unexpected Benefit: Change allowed more students to finish their lunch because they weren’t rushing to recess

Outcome

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STAT Findings & Action Steps: SamplePROCESS

A team of six people – three classroom teachers, an art teacher, our Assistant Principal, and a paraprofessional did the STAT for a sample 3rd grader.

KEY FINDINGS (2 to 3)1) We’re losing ~25 min/day because

of inefficient/inconsistent routines to move students around the building.

2) Social Studies is taught for less than 45 min/week for primary grades – insufficient, marginalized.

WHAT IMMEDIATE ACTION CAN WE TAKE TO ADDRESS THESE FINDINGS?

Our existing PBIS subcommittee will create school-wide procedures for hallway transitions and disseminate to staff by Dec 15. All staff will be trained on new procedures on Jan 3 PD day; roll-out to students 1st day back. Grade-level teams will set goals on reducing transition time, monitor progress on bulletin boards.

WHAT DO WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE PLAN FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR?

Consider increasing allocated time for Social Studies. Integrate more literacy instruction into SS – focus on non-fiction and informational text (Common Core).

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• What are the key findings from the data? ‒ What is cause for celebration? ‒ What is cause for concern?

• Where did we find pockets – large and/or small - of lost instructional time? ‒ What small tweaks could we make right now to recapture some of

that time? ‒ What larger changes could we make to our schedule next year to

maximize learning time?

• What are the next steps for this work?‒ What goals and action steps can we develop around 1-2 of our key

findings?‒ How do we want to share the data, key findings, and suggested

action steps with the full faculty?

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Guiding Questions for Your STAT Preparation Team

Joe Rulljrull@timeandlearning.org

Senior Director – State and District Engagement Group

Joe McKownjmckown@timeandlearning.org

Vice President – State and District Engagement Group

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To learn more about our work, visit us at:

www.timeandlearning.org

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