Master Schedule Building Presented by the MIS Department Northwest Regional ESD A Quick Overview

The Goal of this Training Over-view of the scheduling process. Provide helpful documentation. Is NOT meant to be a comprehensive training. Everyone should attend a full-blown Master Schedule Building Workshop.

What do you need to make a good schedule? Good data A good team A good process

Scheduling Philosophy: STUDENTS E A C H E ROOMS S Schedule around the Students – not the teachers! The children’s needs come first. The schedule is designed to deliver the curriculum to the student.

Establish a Scheduling Team – Why? 1.Division of labor 2.Developing backup plans 3.Provide more options for problem solving

Who should be involved in the Scheduling Team? 1.Administration official(s) 2.Guidance counselors. 3.Software Technicians. 4.Department Chairs/Lead Teachers. Like to haves: Teacher notes on how they’d like to have the course they teach scheduled (for example, German language courses taught by a teacher placed back to back, if they also happen to teach math).

Balance Issues – How to minimize conflict? 1.A conflict - 2 or more courses that meet only in the same time period. 2.On the first run of the schedule builder, allow seats to overfill. 3.Change the Master Schedule.

Scheduling Time-line It is important to develop a scheduling time-line. Start at the end, and work your way forward. Establish when you want to have schedules to the students.

Phases of the Scheduling Process: Phase 1 – Preliminary Tasks Phase 2 – Tally Phase 3 – Construction Phase 4 – Analysis & Adjustment Phase 5 – Final Tasks Invest time in Phases 1 – 3, to avoid too much time spent in Phase 4.

Phase 1 – Preliminary Tasks Review & update Curriculum Determine which courses will be offered this year. Review parameters & constraints List all school parameters List all constraints Note team-teaching arrangements, where applicable.

Understand the factors that impact the Master Schedule Curriculum –Number of courses vs. number of students –Percentage of Singletons & Doubletons –Average number of courses selected by a student –Average student density (percent of time scheduled for class) Parameters –Number of periods in a day (more periods add flexibility, but shorten the class) –Number of days in the cycle (more increases complexity & potential for conflict) Organization Facilities Staff Constraints

A constraint is any existing condition which limits or restricts the scheduler in placing course sections in the Master Schedule. Examples: Curricular Constraints –Locked in Singletons, Doubletons & Multi-section courses. –Double period lab sessions –Work study programs –Blocks –Dovetailing courses

More Constraints Examples: Teacher Constraints –Part-time/shared-time teachers –Team teaching –Interdisciplinary teaming –Period assignment requests by teachers –Negotiated agreements Facility Constraints –Specialty rooms used by several teachers –High room density –Shared rooms Other constraints –Late arrival –Early dismissal

There are three key criteria that determine how well the Master Schedule has been constructed: 1.How well the student course selections have been satisfied. 2.The extent to which there is acceptable enrollment balance in multiple section courses. 3.The extent to which the Master Schedule is able to satisfy teacher requests related to course assignment preference.

Phase 2 – Tally Advertise Curriculum, collect student course selections, & print initial tally Edit student course selections Finalize course offerings & make sectioning decisions

Phase 2 – Tally (continued) Print final tally & conflict matrix Determine resource needs & review assignments Prepare Schedule Board, section chips, & Order of Placing Sections.

The Importance of section chips Contributes to the visual effect. Provides a wealth of data that would otherwise have to be looked up. The chips can be different shapes and should be different colors.

The Importance of ‘Order of Placing Sections’ The ‘Order of Placing Sections’ is the Master Schedule building “game plan.” It ensures that there will be a flow and a logical sequence. The tally provides much of the information.

Phase 3 – Construction Build the Master Schedule –Use the conflict matrix. –Courses to be offered, the number of course sections for each course, and the teacher & room assignments are extremely important. Use the Schedule Board to assist in visualizing the process –Make sure that you have someone record it! –A digital camera works well for this. It’s important to look for errors/problems all along the process.

The “Ideal Schedule” The “Ideal Schedule” would have all core classes in the morning, followed by Physical Education and Electives in the afternoon. The Problem – It can’t work, due to constraints such as teacher availability and rooms. The Goal – Spread out the core classes evenly throughout the day.

Order of schedule building: Try to do the following in the same sitting: 1.Singletons 2.Doubletons 3.Constraints

Order of schedule building, Pt 2: Do the following in a different sitting: Multiple section courses Offer each section in as many periods as possible! Place the section in the period with the fewest seats allocated for the grade(s) involved.. Visually scan your Board to make sure that the sections are offered in different periods throughout the year. Visually scan your Board to make sure that the sections are offered in different periods throughout the day.

Phase 4 – Analysis & Adjustment The Master Schedule Board has been built – now it is time to load the software. –Use a computer software program to load (schedule) the students. –Use reports from the software program to analyze the results, and then adjust the Master Schedule accordingly.

Phase 4 – Analysis & Adjustment Load students into Master Schedule: –Students are loaded into the Master Schedule by combining input from the courses & sections to be offered and the student course selections. –This process may be repeated one or more times, depending upon the quality of the Master Schedule that you built. –The better the Master Schedule, the fewer times you will have to load the students to get the best results.

Phase 4 – Analysis & Adjustment Analyze results & adjust Master Schedule. –If the scheduling results are not as good as you need, make changes to the Master Schedule and load the students again. –Things can get worse, as well as better….

Phase 4 – Analysis & Adjustment Resolve final conflicts by adjusting individual student course selections. –If necessary, resolve final conflicts by adjusting student course selections. This is a last resort! –When possible, adjust the Master Schedule to fit the needs of the students.

Phase 5 – Final Tasks The Master Schedule has been adjusted so that you have the scheduling results that you want. After these final tasks, you are ready to start school. –Identify & assign study halls. –Produce final reports.