1. Mark Balestracci, M.Ed. and Lindsay Kett, C.A.G.S.
MTSS Architecture in Secondary Schools: Scheduling Supports into the School Day
Mark Balestracci, M.Ed. and Lindsay Kett, C.A.G.S.

2. MTSS at Mashpee Middle/High School
Demographics:
Grade(s) Served: 7-12
Enrollment: 729
Selected Populations:
24% Economically Disadvantaged
41% High Needs
20+% Students with Disabilities
What does 41% high needs mean?
Any EL?

3. What is a Master Schedule?
“The master schedule is to a school what grading policies are to teachers and classrooms. It reveals the true beliefs, attitudes, values, and priorities of the school. The school’s master schedule is like looking at an MRI of the inner workings of a school. It is
the window to the soul of the school.”
“The Master Schedule: A Culture Indicator”, (NASSP)

4. BETTER SCHEDULES = BETTER SCHOOLS
What does your Master Schedule reveal?
Resource for all staff members
Tool to maximize student learning
Tool to maximize staff support
Flexible & Fluid

5. Values Collision
What the master schedule contains is as important as how it is constructed:
• How do the professionals interact?
• How are key decisions made?
• How do staff members value input from each other; does it reveal the true beliefs & attitudes of the staff?
-NASSP

6. Response To Student Data
Be sure to consider:
Is your school(s) schedule…
ADULT/TEACHER or
STUDENT/LEARNING focused?

7. Adult/Teacher Focus Schedule
• Reflects the wants of the staff.
• Few or no interventions.
• All students are expected to complete courses in the same time frames.
• No double block classes
• The strongest, most experienced teachers are teaching the top students.
• Best students are in the smallest classes.
-NASSP

8. Student/Learning Focus Schedule
• Reflects the needs of the students.
• Multiple tiered interventions.
• Accommodations are built into the schedule for students who need additional support (second scoop).
• Strongest teachers are teaching the students with the most need.
• Teachers teach both higher level courses & support level courses.
• Students most in need are in the smallest classes.
-NASSP

9. Determine your Scheduling Essentials
Collaborative Planning Time for Staff
SBLT Meeting Time (built-into daily schedule)
Include Special Educators included in Departmental PLC’s
Built-in Tier II and III Instruction that is fluid
Also providing opportunities for enrichment
Scheduling courses to correlate and allow for fluidity
Data Dashboard for ALL Staff
Moving toward a new Schedule Format (committee formed to explore alternate schedules)

10. Establish Which Data will be used to Determine Schedule Changes/Needs
MMHS Data Dashboard
Standardized Assessment Data (PARCC/MCAS)
Proficiency levels and Growth
STAR Reading and Math progress (benchmark)
Overall student progress across curricula
Cohort and subgroup data (i.e. students with disabilities, low-income, etc.)
Student placement and class sizes (how are we utilizing the resources we have?)

11. Balancing Supports Classes with Credit-Bearing Classes
Easier in Grade 7 and 8 because credits are not awarded.
Grades 9-12: MMHS grants .25, .5, or 1.0 elective credits depending on how long the student is in a support. (each student is in for a minimum of 10 weeks).
MMHS graduation Requirement is 24 credits
Each student actually accrues 7 per year (most graduate with a total of 26+ credits).

12. Making Changes to the Master Schedule
Resource Inventory and Identifying what students need
Look at what you need first---Then at what have---never at what you don’t have
Steps:
1. Based upon relevant data, Identify cohort(s) of students in need of Tier II/III interventions.
2. Explore where/how you can provide this during the school day
3. Build the intervention blocks/classes so they are backed up to other courses (i.e. electives)

13. Expect Obstacles… Change is difficult
Some contractual language can make changes difficult
Special Education Staff took the longest to come around (still a work in progress for some).
Personnel needed to meet the needs of students (i.e. some larger classes in order to accommodate the support/intervention blocks).
The work is messy (it is a marathon, not a sprint) these types of changes take a while to be fine-tuned.

14. A Unified Vision
Data Analysis ↕ Student Needs Scheduling Graduation Requirements Program of Studies

15. Follow Up Questions Mr. Mark Balestracci, M.Ed
Contact Information:
Mr. Mark Balestracci, M.Ed
Mark
Mrs. Lindsay Kett, M.A., C.A.G.S
MMHS