Effective Scheduling 2009 Leadership Retreat Carolyn Williamson Senior

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

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