Tool: Schedulingconsiderations Questions Middle School

Tool: SchedulingConsiderations Questions—Middle School

Consider these questions to shape your Opportunity Culture master schedule:

New Schedule
What teaching teams need time set aside to collaborate with one another? Consider whether this is entire grade levels, subjects, or across grades. /

For each kind of team, how much time do teachers need for independent planning?

How much time is needed for collaborative planning with others (co-planning instruction, reviewing student work and data, adjusting instruction accordingly) and providing feedback to team members?

Who facilitates these planning times?

Which other staff members (for example, support staff) need to be present?

If applicable, how will you give multi-classroom leaders flexible time to carry out the MCL duties, which vary based on the MCL’s team’s needs: direct student instruction, observing and developing team teachers, and planning with and for team teachers?
If applicable, how will you ensure that teachers with larger student loads have adequate time to accomplish all their job requires: more time during the school day to review student work, meet with students, and plan instruction, along with adequate collaboration time?
Optional Considerations for Additional Scheduling Changes
What works well with your current master schedule? Consider students, teachers, and school operations in your answer.
What does not work well?
What should be your schedule’s priority for students and for teachers? Consider answering with “must haves,” “nice to have,” and “things to avoid.”
What is the appropriate number of students a teacher should see each day/term/year?
What is the appropriate number of teachers for middle school students to see each day/term/year?

Is there a relationship between how many teachers a student is assigned to during each day/term/year and student behavior or sense of belonging? How would you team students (for example, which students should be in core subjects together)?

What is the appropriate number of subjects for students to take during a day/term/year?
What is the appropriate length per period? Consider content needs, attention spans, and teacher capacity to plan effective lessons.
What is the appropriate time balance between core subjects and electives, and what factors are you considering?

What percentage of a student’s day should be spent on core subjects?

How should the total time on core subjects be allotted to each (ELA, math, etc.)? (Remember: Teachers may also use planning time that is available because of a time swap for pulling students into targeted small-group instruction.)

Should the middle school schedule be compatible with elementary and high school schedules in the feeder pattern?

*Adapted from materials by Public Impact and Education Resource Strategies