Transcript Strategic plan page, highlighted

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Middle School Program Planning
Committee
2015-2016 Proposals
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Goals
To develop a schedule that:
• Provides all students with the full “circle” of
the IB MYP curriculum
• Allows us to have longer class periods
• Addresses related issues such as:
– School day length
– Number of periods
– Course offerings
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The Process
Program & Planning Committee met several times
since November
Working group reviewed input from Program &
Planning Committee as well as input from the previous
administration
Working group developed 3 scheduling options which
were presented to Program & Planning Committee
Program & Planning Committee proposals are now
being shared with Shaker parents, community
members, staff and faculty
Options we discussed
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Option A: Block schedule
– Core classes would be approximately 90 minutes long and would meet 2-3
times/week
– Non-core classes would be approximately 45 minutes long and meet every
day
– Because of logistical and staffing issues, this schedule does not currently
work for our school
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Option B: 8 period schedule
– Move from 9 periods to 8 periods
– This is the schedule currently being proposed by the Program and Planning
Committee
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Option C: 9 period schedule
– Continue to offer our current 9 period schedule, but eliminate conferences
and extend the school day to 3:45 every day
Option B
Option B
• Provides all students with the full “circle” of the
IB MYP curriculum
• Allows us to have longer class periods
• Addresses related issues such as:
– School day length
– Number of periods
– Course offerings
We are proposing that we adopt Schedule Option B
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Proposed Schedule Summary
Move from a 9-period day to an 8-period day
Continue to provide all students with the opportunity to take
Foreign Language (Language Acquisition), PE, Design and a
performing or visual arts course in addition to the 4 core classes.
Combine PE and Design so that students have PE and Design 2-3
days per week for the entire year
Students choose between a semester/year-long performing arts
(music) course or visual arts course
Eliminate lunch study hall and most other study halls
Reduce the number of lunch periods from 6 to 3
Schedule meets transportation restrictions: Start time must be
between 7:45-8:05 and bus pick up must be at 3 PM or 4 PM.
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8 Period Day
50 min period length
PE/Design combined to move from 9 periods to 8
periods
Visual arts will be a semester/year long class, instead
of a “cycle” option
Students will choose between music (performing
arts) and art (visual arts)
Raider time remains 3 days/week
Teacher team time built into schedule
Comparison
Current Schedule
Proposed Schedule
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9-period day
39-minute long periods
Students take 4 core classes + Foreign
Language, Band, PE and cycle
Cycle consists of four 9-week “mini-courses”
and include design, art and pre-algebra lab
All students have a 21 minute lunch and a 21
minute “lunch study hall”
We offer additional study halls throughout
the day
Students in need of additional interventions
take Reading classes, Mathletics,
Successmaker and small group classes
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8-period day
50-minute long periods
Students take 4 core classes + Foreign
Language, Art (music or visual) and PE/design
Cycle no longer exists. All students would
take a STEM-aligned Design class 2-3
days/week for an entire year.
All students have a 25 minute lunch and no
“lunch study hall”
Reading classes will continue to exist during
the school day. Additional interventions will
possibly take place during Raider Time
Proposed Bell Schedule
Period
Time
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7:50-8:50
2
8:54-9:44
3
9:48-10:38
4
10:42-11:07 (L)
5
11:11-11:36
6
11:40-12:05 (L)
7
12:09-12:34
8
12:38-1:03 (L)
9
1:07-1:57
10
2:01-2:51
Raider Time
2:55-3:50
Benefits and Known Issues
Positives
• Provides us with the ability
to expand period length
while continuing to offer
the same range of options
that we currently have
• Maintains current school
day schedule and meets
transportation restrictions
Known Issues
• 3 lunch periods
• Limits some intervention
options during the school
day, because we will not
have space in the schedule
to provide students with
study halls, Mathletics,
Success maker, etc. Some
of these interventions may
be incorporated into
“Raider” time
Art and Design
Proposal
• Design will balance out with PE. Design classes will meet 2/3 times per week for the entire
year
• Every Design class will meet the IB design curriculum standards and will incorporate STEM
best practices and community STEM partnerships
• Visual art will be separated from the “Design cycle” and instead becomes its own
semester/year long course
• Students will have the option to select a semester/year-long visual or performing art when
they enter the 7th grade and rise to the 8th grade
• Students will be required to take an arts class during their entire Middle School career, but
will no longer be required to take a semester of music in the 7th grade
Expected consequences
• We currently only have 2 visual arts teachers (one per grade). We expect that visual art
sections will fill up
• We are most likely to see a drop in choir enrollment. We do not expect to see a significant
drop in instrumental music enrollment
• All students would take Design for the entire year, which may require us to have 1-3
additional Design teachers on staff
• We would need to provide all Design teachers with support and professional development to
ensure consistency of STEM curriculum across Design classes
• No students would be permitted to be exempt from Design
Physical Education
Proposal
• We believe that all students should have PE for the entire year, multiple
times per week
• We believe that physical activity during the school day serves an
important purpose at the Middle School level, even if the student
participates in other athletic programs outside of school time
• We recognize that Shaker currently provides more PE than many/most
other Middle Schools
• Balancing PE with Design allows us to transition to an 8-period school day
• Approximately 30 students are currently exempt from PE and there is no
concrete Middle School policy in place regarding PE exemptions. Moving
forward, we are proposing that PE exemptions be eliminated entirely or
restricted to very specific cases. We are proposing that the Middle School
not adopt the “flex credit” policy of the High School (which is a state
policy). If and when a student is exempt from PE, they will still be required
to complete the Design and Health requirements.
Language Acquisition
Proposal
• All students will continue to be required to take foreign
language, except for students who are identified as
severely below grade level in reading ability or who
have a specific language acquisition special need
• Because of the 8-period day, students will no longer be
able to take 2 foreign languages or 2 bands/arts at the
same time during the school day. Students may be
able to take additional foreign language courses online
• Offer an intro-level Language Acquisition (Spanish)
course to students new to the District at the 7th and 8th
grade level
Additional Items
Proposal
• Modify the number of math levels in the following way:
Proposal
Current
7th grade: Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Algebra
Math 7, Pre-Algebra, Pre-Algebra Advanced
8th grade: Math 8, Algebra I, Geometry
Math 8, Algebra I, Algebra I Advanced. Geometry
students go to High School
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Maintain current course offerings/levels in Science and Social Studies, subject to additional review
and revision as the district builds the science and social studies curriculum (2-3 years)
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Maintain the reading workshop intervention as a separate class. The Read 180 software program
may be integrated into Raider Time, but will no longer have a separate 90 minute block during the
school day
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Pre-algebra Lab may become an intervention/enrichment option during Raider Time, but will no
longer be offered during the School Day. Mathletics/Successmaker may become an
intervention/enrichment option during Raider Time, but will no longer be offered during the School
Day
Teacher Meeting Time
• We believe that regular teacher team time must
be built into the school day to provide time for
teachers to collaborate and to design successful
and effective instruction
• We believe that Friday afternoons are not
generally the most effective time for teacher
collaboration time
• We propose having teacher meeting time on
Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week during
Raider Time. Teams will continue to have
common planning time during the school day.
Raider Time
Proposal
• Raider Time will replace conference time
• Work with teachers, students and parents to
ensure that Raider time will be used effectively
for:
– Targeted intervention and small group tutoring
– Enrichment
– Co- and Extra-curricular activities
• Teacher meetings will take place on Tuesdays and
Thursdays
Next Steps
• Receive feedback and input from Program
Planning Committee, PTO, full faculty and
community members
• Continue to identify and resolve known issues
• Attempt to design and develop a working
Master Schedule
Additional questions and feedback?
E-mail Principal Glasner at
[email protected]
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