A/B Block Scheduling Meeting Powerpoint

Riverwood InternationalCharter School

A/B Block ScheduleInformation Meeting

• Thank you for taking the time to attend this meeting.

• Please write any questions or concerns on an index card. While we willcertainly answer your questions, I would like to include your questions and theanswers on the new schedule blog.

• http://www.shawadmin.com/RICSSchedule/

Welcome Parents & Students!

•Welcome &Introductions•Why Changethe Schedule?

Meeting Agenda

As the new Riverwood principal, I held many conferences with students, parents,and staff during the summer of 2013 to learn more about the school. The EightPeriod daily schedule was repeatedly cited by stakeholders as a concern.

Riverwood transitioned to this schedule from an A/B Block a number of yearsago (2009?)in an effort to cut costs while maintaining several of the school’sunique instructional programs including:

• International Baccalaureate Programme• International Studies Magnet• Middle Years Programme• Visual and Performing Arts• CTAE

Why Change the Schedule?

Some of the concerns cited with the Eight Period Day included:

• Number of student and teacher transitions during the school day

• Inequity in teaching assignments compared to colleagues in other Fulton schools

• Frequent teacher turnover based, in part, on the workload caused by the Eight Period Daily Schedule

• When the Eight Period Day was implemented at Riverwood, the faculty was told that classes would remain small, thatthey would not have to do specific duties, and that the long lunch period would be used for academic remediation. Over time, these promises were abandoned or not implemented

• There was a belief mentioned among parents and some teachers that the school’s academic performance had declinedsince the implementation of the current schedule.

• Parents and teachers discussed an anecdotal belief that, since the school implemented the Eight-Period Day studentdiscipline at the school had suffered. They shared concerns about the multiple daily transitions and large lunch periodsin an overcrowded building.

Why Change the Schedule?

Some Numbers…..

Survey Results….

A Committee of Teachers reported several schedule options to consider:• 6 Period Day• Tri-Mester Schedule• Current Schedule with Lunch Adjusted and Study Hall

All were excluded from consideration for various reasons (discussed later)

Why the A/B Block

The teacher committee discussed the following: Who is Riverwood, what do we value, and what should our schedule support?

• Internationally-Minded Curriculum supported by IB, MYP, and International Studies Magnet Program

• Holistic and Well-Rounded Instruction

• Not a typical, traditional high-school

• Personalized Instruction, Pedagogy, Productivity

• Diverse student population-Bell Schedule must provide opportunities for advancement, recovery, and remediation

• Community expected that our tradition of rich course offerings would continue• Fulfill commitment to students and strengthen the integrity of our programs• If the teacher workload could not be reduced, could it be made more manageable?

Why the A/B Block?

Two Riverwood administrators met with Dr. Michael Rettig and sharedall of the information regarding Riverwood, our school, and ourscheduling challenges. Dr. Rettig shared the following:

• For a school our size, Riverwood is understaffed in certifiedpersonnel

• An A/B Block Schedule is the best schedule to continue offeringour programs and educational opportunities

• While the A/B Block does not reduce the overall instructionalresponsibilities of teachers, it does reapportion those duties andreduces the huge amount of instructional time currently lost duringlunch

• 5 more teachers would allow Riverwood to operate an A/B BlockSchedule.

A team of teachers and an administrator visited Marietta HighSchool in the fall of 2013. Marietta High, a Title I school, has successfully supported IB, MYP, and APprograms. The team also observed block classes that were dually scheduled (forexample, AP US History and AP Lit) for cross-curricular instruction. Mariettaalso has a sizeable “at-risk” population that receives remedial classes on theblock, including Math Support and Reading instruction. The team met with Debbie Woolard, Marietta High School IB Coordinator “Of all the things we value at Marietta, the most important is our A/B BlockSchedule. Everybody has tried to change it, including the city council, but oursuperintendent and principal have fought for it and there is no way we will everchange it. We couldn’t offer what we do without our A/B Block schedule.”

-Debbie Woolard

An A/B Block has the following characteristics:

• Four 90 Minute Periods in a Day

• 4x4 Block = Classes taught in a Semester where students and teachers start new classes second semester

• A/B Block = Students have Blocks 1,2,3,4 on one day and Blocks 5,6,7,8 on the second day

• Four 30 Minute lunches built into Blocks 3/7

What is the A/B Block?

Riverwood International Charter School

Alternating Day Block Schedule

2014-2015 School Year

A Day B Day

StudentHoliday

Final Exam Days

AUGUST JANUARY

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 1 2 3

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

24 25 26 27 28 29 30 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

31 A=8 B=7 A=9 B=9

SEPTEMBER FEBRUARY

S M T W T F S S M T W T F S

1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

14 15 16 17 18 19 20 15 16 17 18 19 20 21

What is the A/B Block?

Goals for the New Schedule

1. Increased instructional time with less time spent on transitions andclassroom management activities

2. Four shorter and smaller lunch periods3. Provides flexibility for innovative teaching strategies4. Improved school climate5. Continue rich course offerings while allowing the work day to be more

manageable for administration, faculty, and staff

What is the A/B Block? 2013-2014

8 Period Day2014-2015A/B Block

Daily Class Transitions 7 3Student Daily Class Time 343 minutes 360 minutes

Time in Transition 35 minutes 15 minutesNumber of Student Classes 7 4 (8 Over Two Days)

Student Lunch Time 49 minutes 30 minutesTeacher Daily Planning/Lunch

Time 98 minutes 125 minutes

Opportunity to earn credits (7 x 4) 28 (8 x 4) 32

What is the A/B Block?Block Advantages

Teachers prepare for four classes a dayStudent only have four classes a day

More time for use of technology in classesMore time for teachers to plan collaboratively

More time for teachers to develop and use different strategiesMore orderly lunch periods

(The hope is to put all students in the cafeteria for lunch~except seniors)

A/B Block v. Other SchedulesSchedule Advantage Disadvantage

6 Period Day Less workload for students andteachers

Would result in fewer courseofferings for students and could

damage fidelity of RICS programs

Tri-MesterWould allow for the same richcourse offerings and a more

manageable day for students andteachers

Almost logistically impossible andcould not be implemented untilthe

2015-2016 school year

Rotating Block/Periods Would allow for a mixture ofBlock and Traditional Classes

Impossible to plan Internships,WBL, and Joint Enrollment. Also

difficult for teachers to plan

4x4 BlockAllow students and teachers tocomplete a full-credit course in

one semesterAP and IB exams are onlyadministered in the Spring

Sample Daily ScheduleRiverwood International Charter School

Regular A/B Daily Bell Schedule

Blocks 1A/1B 8:20 AM - 9:55 AM

Blocks 2A/2B 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Blocks 3A/3B 11:35 AM - 1:55 PM

A Lunch11:35 AM - 12:05 PM

B Lunch12:10 PM - 12:45 PM

C Lunch12:50 PM - 1:20 PM

D Lunch1:25 PM - 1:55 PM

Blocks 4A/4B 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Riverwood International Charter School

Advisement A/B Daily Bell Schedule

Blocks 1A/1B 8:20 AM - 9:51 AM

Advisement 9:57 AM – 10:13 AM

Blocks 2A/2B 10:19 AM - 11:47 AM

Blocks 3A/3B 11:53 AM - 1:53 PM

A Lunch11:53 AM - 12:23 PM

B Lunch12:28 PM - 12:53 PM



Blocks 4A/4B 1:59 PM - 3:30 PM

Sample Student Schedule9th Grade Schedule

A Day B DayBlock 1A/1B 9th Literature Biology

Block 2A/2B Spanish I Band

Block 3A/3B CCGPS AlgebraWorld Geography/

AmericanGovernment

Block 4A/4B Weight Lifting Intro to Art

● Will attempt to schedule academics and electives on different daysbut singletons may disrupt that effort

● 9th grade students should come to Riverwood with a Four-Year Plan

(but if not, one will be developed)

Sample Student ScheduleAdvanced 9th Grade Schedule

A Day B DayBlock 1A/1B Design Fundamentals Honors 9th Literature

Block 2A/2B Honors Biology Spanish I

Block 3A/3B AP Human Geography Introduction to BusinessEssentials

Block 4A/4B Introduction to Chorus Honors CCGPSCoordinate Algebra


A Day B DayBlock 1A/1B 10th Literature ChemistryBlock 2A/2B Spanish II World History

Block 3A/3B CCGPS Geometry CCGPS GeometrySupport

Block 4A/4B Health/PE Culinary I

● Math and Math Support must be scheduled concurrently and as acohort class

● Health and PE is required for graduation

Sample Student Schedule12th Grade IB DP Schedule

A Day B DayBlock 1A/1B IB 20th Century History IB Spanish HL

Block 2A/2B IB English HL WorldLiterature IB Theory of Knowledge

Block 3A/3B IB Business Management IB Math SL

Block 4A/4B IB Chemistry Gifted Internship


A Day B Day

Block 1A/1B GPSPre-Calculus

Multi-CulturalLiterature

Block 2A/2B Government EconomicsBlock 3A/3B US History Earth SystemsBlock 4A/4B Minimum Afternoon

● Senior student only needs six credits to graduate so this schedule has two freeperiods. Free periods can be taken every other day to add an elective

● Be cautious about Minimum Day in regards to academic goals● Seniors MUST have transportation and not be on campus during Minimum

Morning or Afternoon

Lunch On the Block Riverwood International Charter School

Lunch Schedule

A Lunch11:35 AM - 12:05 PM

B Lunch12:10 PM - 12:45 PM



● A bell will ring to dismiss students to lunch andanother bell will ring signifying that lunch hasbegun.

● Work with the cafeteria staff to ensure thatlunch lines are managed

● Classes that need uninterrupted time (PE,CTAE, Science classes) will be scheduled for Aor D Lunch

● First few days will require admin to “balance”lunches

● Seniors will still be allowed to eat outside● Tardy passes will be required for students late

to lunch

Planning to Teach on the BlockThe following Professional Development plan was implemented for the 2013-2014 school year. Thefocus was to go “back to basics” in two areas; training and coaching teachers to developStandards/Objective Based Unit Plans and Strengthening Course Teams

1. Hosted training for the entire RICS Faculty on developing Unit Plans2. Purchased several duty days for Course Teams to meet and develop Unit Plans3. Empowered Department Chairs and Administrators to check Unit Plans4. Developed mechanisms to observe and collect data on Riverwood Course Teams5. Developed New Teacher Program, which included partnering each new teacher with a mentor,

regular meetings, and allowing new teachers to observe veteran teachers6. Assigned appropriate PD360 modules to teachers that needed additional instructional support with

an opportunity to provide feedback

Planning to Teach on the BlockMoving to an A/B Block Schedule, the leadership at Riverwood recognizes that Professional Development isessential and that we can build on the work we have already completed. Zepeda and Mayers (2006) reported that “their findings suggested teachers believed that adequate staffdevelopment (emphasis added) was necessary for them to be prepared to teach in a block” (p.147). They went on to say that some of the available research suggests that “teachers reported that teaching in a blockschedule was less stressful than in a traditional schedule, and their planning periods were more productive” (p.148). A study by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction listed several area of PD that the teachers wantedbefore the implementation of the Block Schedule:

1. Pacing Guides2. Visits to other Block Schools (or the opportunity to ask questions of their teaching staffs)3. Curriculum Alignment4. Opportunity for Department/Course Team Planning

(North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, 1997)

Planning to Teach on the BlockSome strategies that can be taught to teachers include:

• Structured Time Periods (Bell-Ringer, Presentation, Practice, Assessment, Conclusion)• Review/Preview• Socratic Seminars• Guided Practice/Reteaching• Think-Pair-Share• Guided Notes• Technology• Move Outside the Classroom• Various Forms of Assessment• Case Methods• Simulations

(Cannady & Rettig, 1995; Hackmann and Schmitt, 1997; Queen, 2000)

Planning to Teach on the BlockSome additional PD opportunities this summer include:

• Paid time to work at school• Teach for Excellence• AVID• Fulton County Schools Summer Summit• AP training

…and more

Last Word…..• We don’t have all the answers and won’t pretend that we do• We will be learning as we go and will work with our community to do what we can to find and fix mistakes• We do believe this new schedule, while not perfect, is the best for our unique school• Students will get their course verification forms back Friday April 25th to be returned on Monday, April

28th.

Last Word…..• Transition required the support of District

leadership and Gail Dean• While we believe it will happen, nothing is official

until the Board approves the new budget in Juneof 2014

Date Event Target Audience Responsibility

March 2014 Announce new A/B Block Schedule toCommunity All School Stakeholders Administration

March 2014Develop resources to communicate new

schedule to stakeholders including brochures,web presence, completed year long schedule,

and block schedule informationAll School Stakeholders Admininstration

March - April 2014Organize and Schedule Q & A meetings for all

Stakeholder groups to occur in April-May2014

All School Stakeholders Admininstration

April 2014 Meet with Non-Instructional school leaders todiscuss change to Block Schedule

Head Custodian, Cafeteria Manager, TechSpecialist, Athletic Director, others as needed Administration/District

March-April 2014

Organize Professional Development forFaculty. Staff development will occur throughDuty Days in the Spring, Paid PD Days in theSummer, and during Pre-planning in the Fall. As with the Unit Planning, PD will continue

throughout the 14-15 School Year.

Teaching Faculty Administration/Professional DevelopmentCommittee/District PD/ Teacher Leaders

March - April 2014 Re-focus New Teacher Mentor Program toaddress concerns with the schedule change Teachers New to Riverwood Administration/Teacher Leaders

March - July 2014Meet Regularly with Asst. Superintendent forupdates and suggestions on schedule transition

processAssistant Superintendent Administration

May - June 2014 Hire additional staff based on StudentScheduling Requests and School Needs N/A Administration/DC's

June - August 2014Keep online blog updated with information

about the scheduling process and the answersto questions asked during stakeholder

meetingsAll School Stakeholders Administration

August 2014 Thank the teachers and staff for their hard work and patience to get our new schedule working!!

Again, thank you for your attendance and attention

Any Questions?

Documents

A/B Block Scheduling Meeting Powerpoint