Scheduling: Block or Not? Larry Tash Office of School Redesign March 8, 2006 Supporting Increased Student Achievement

Office of School Redesign Larry Tash

Creating Coherent SLCs Personalization Structure Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Personalization Structure Culturally Relevant & Responsive Pedagogy School-wide Instructional Practices District Initiatives (Special Ed., Gate, ELL) Instructional Intervention Accountability & Assessment Focus on Standards (Rigor with High Expectations) Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Personalization Structure Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Student Connectedness Teacher Collaboration Internships Matching Student Interests School to Home & Home to School Communication Teacher Ownership of Student Outcomes Advisory Program And Family Advocacy Personalization STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Structures that Support Instruction &Personalization Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment Personalization Small Numbers with Contiguous Space Teacher Time for Collaboration & Prof. Development School - “Outside the Box” Flexible Scheduling Family Support & Community Engagement Vertical Organization (Minimize Transition Points) Structure STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

If Time is the Constant, then Learning is the Variable or If Time is the Variable, then Learning is the Constant

BLOCK SCHEDULES Consider the following when implementing a Block Schedule  Operational Requirements  Instructional Considerations

Block Schedule Decision Tool Goals for the Block Schedule:  Instructional Goals  Operational Goals  Type of Block  Advantages/Disadvantages  Rules of Engagement

Block Schedule Preparation  Operational Considerations: Did you initiate faculty and community discussions acknowledging “Form Follows Function”? Does the critical mass support Block Scheduling? Have you considered flexible scheduling? Have you considered all district and state policies? Have you built in to your plan an ongoing evaluation process?

Block Schedule Preparation  Instructional Considerations: How will block schedule support improved student achievement? Will the block increase student engagement in their learning? Will the block allow for greater personalization? Will sufficient time for teacher preparation be available? Have you considered the negative aspects of block scheduling?

Traditional (Six Periods) TraditionalYear-Round Period Advisory1816 Period Nutrition20 Period Period Lunch30 Period Period Total Minutes378418

Block Schedule Activity: TRADITIONAL SCHEDULE  Advantages  Disadvantages - It’s what we’re used to - See kids daily - Difficult to find common conferenc e time

7-Period Day TraditionalYear-Round Advisory2119 Period Period Period Nutrition15 Period Period Lunch30 Period Period Total Minutes378418

Block Schedule Activity: 7-PERIOD DAY  Advantages  Disadvantages

8-Period A/B Block TraditionalYear-Round Advisory1921 Period 1/58190 Nutrition15 Period 2/68190 Period 3/78190 Lunch30 Period 4/88190 Advisory1012 Total Minutes378418

Block Schedule Activity: 8-PERIOD A/B BLOCK  Advantages  Disadvantages

4-Period Quarters (4 Periods/Quarter) TraditionalYear-Round Block A9195 Block B (Advisory) Lunch30 Block C9195 Block D9195 Total Minutes378418

Block Schedule Activity: 4-PERIOD QUARTER  Advantages  Disadvantages

Alternative Scheduling  How else can we use time?

Rules of Engagement District Process State Regulations Physical Education LAUSD/UTLA Contract

SCHOOL IMPACT REPORT Building Council Model for Governance Building Council SLC1 SLC12 SLC3 SLC4 SLC5 SLC6 Significant Topics for Building Council Dispute Resolution Process Space Allocation Process School Schedules Human Resources Considerations Sharing Classes (e.g., AP Classes) Student Recruitment and Transfer

Composition of School Site Council Classroom teachers are a majority on the staff side Parents and community members are elected by parents Students are selected by the entire student body

Resource Materials Traditional 7-Period Model Year Round 7 Period 4x4 Block Model Block Scheduling: An Introduction Rethinking Time: The Next Frontier of Education Reform Around the Block: The Benefits and Challenges of Block Scheduling Websites on Block Scheduling

Summary of Presentation Block Schedule  Know your rules State Requirements District Requirements Existing School Culture  Be Clear on Your Purpose Change classroom Practice Improve Teaching and Learning Create Personalized Environment Have Buy-in from staff and community  Provide Adequate Preparation Process for Block Determination in place Professional Development for Teachers School Impact Report  Stare and District Mandates Covered  School Needs Considered  Dispute Resolution Clearly Defined  Leadership Council Meets Weekly Everyone knows the Rules Upfront

End of Presentation