Effective Scheduling 2009 Leadership Retreat Carolyn Williamson Senior Teacher Lee-Davis High School A Beautiful Mind helps, but you do NOT need to be John Nash

Clean Data Counselors register students by January Counselors enter data and confirm schedules Check student requests and look for anomalies Principal meeting with HR and staffing requests Student verification sheets due back early May

Out of Our Control Building Constraints/Imposed Constraints –Shop –Chorus/Band space –Art and Photography –CTE class size –Bus Schedules Trade Center Hanover High School

What is Important? For Principals –Adequate Staffing to meet instructional needs –Minimize part time and shared teachers –Building security; e.g., duties For Guidance –Every child has a full schedule –Minimize schedule changes –Minimize parent complaints –Schedule distribution

What is Important? For Teachers –Subjects teaching –Number of preparations –Room assignment –Common planning for department chairs –Instructional Planning Time –Collaborative Planning Time; collaborative partner –Schedule supports other school activities –Teacher feels as if they are included in planning For Students –Schedule makes sense with no gaps –Course requests are met with out conflicts –Level changes can be accommodated in the future

Priorities at Lee-Davis Transitions Program –Ninth grade team 4 teams: students assigned on basis of core and electives Teachers of core subjects on each team have common planning Room location: all ninth grade core classes are in the same wing of the building Student schedules are entered in excel and then hand scheduled in CIMS before the rest of the master is run

Priorities at Lee-Davis IB program –Scheduling core and electives without conflict for degree and certificate students Student requests for diploma candidates are used to determine blocks that each course is offered including electives Student requests for certificate students completing two year courses are compared against this template to insure electives are available

Priorities at Lee-Davis Professional Learning Communities –Brain Based Learning –21 st Century Skills What is involved? –Common planning for participants –Reading, Discussion, Implementation, Peer Observation Math Tutorial Center –Staffed by teacher each block

Priorities at Lee-Davis SPED –Collaborative and self-contained courses are set to avoid conflicts using a paragraph conflict matrix –Teachers and collaborative partners are schedule to insure common planning time –Content specific resource classes are set and students are hand scheduled –Specialty programs are staffed and scheduled: BOOST/IDEALS

Master Schedule Team Three People plus Principal Division of Labor –9 th Grade Team Scheduling –IB (consult with coordinator) –Guidance: enter schedule in CIMS and work with team on conflicts before giving to counselors for final resolution

Putting it Together Make chips for each class with student numbers by grade Verify SPED schedules against IEP’s Set Team, IB, and SPED schedules; special planning periods Assign rooms at this point and schedule classes with room assignments from this point on Set Singletons – use paragraph conflict matrix Set Doubletons – compare against singletons to minimize conflict Set rest of courses and balance use total student numbers by grade level

Before You Hit the Button DO NOT Check the following: –Does each teacher have the right number of classes each day –Double check CIMS entry against the “shell” –Teachers available for essential duties –Variety of levels each block –GO FOR IT

Common Problems Study Hall Balance Driver’s Ed and PE numbers need to be resolved Despite checking seats, early release may require small shifts in classes with multiple sections Do not move any singletons for any reason at this point

Discussion