 Robert Lynn Canady's Grading and Scheduling Workshops:
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Workshop 1: School Policies and Grading Practices that Increase the Odds for Student Success and/or Failure
The implementation of certain school policies and grading practices can either encourage or discourage student motivation. Historically many grading practices were focused on sorting and selecting students. With the accountability factors operating in schools today, we need to focus on what we have learned during the past two decades relative to teaching, assessing and reporting learning and the relationship of those factors to student motivation. Grading issues and policies related to student motivation and valid assessments, along with suggestions for improvement, will be offered.
Materials for Workshop 1:
Workshop 2: Building Middle School Schedules that Provide Extended Learning Time (ELT) for Reading/ Language Arts, Mathematics, Advising and Tutorials (EEE* Period)
With increased accountability and student needs identified in Grade 9, middle grade programs and schedules are receiving greater scrutiny. Workshop participants will explore various middle school schedules that include additional time in reading/language arts and mathematics, along with suggestions for providing tutorials and interventions during the school day. If time permits, at least five scheduling models will be explored, along with two schedules that allow for recovery credits to be earned during and after Grade 8 for students who have failed up to three courses.
E = Extended time for some students, such as (1) completing homework, (2) working in computer lab, (3) re-taking tests, advising, counseling, receiving tutoring on specific skills identified from formative assessments, etc.
E = Elective class for students experiencing few academic difficulties.
E = Enrichment and additional Exploratory opportunities for those temporarily not
needing assistance provided during Extended time.
Materials for Workshop 2:
Additional Resources for Workshop 2:
Scheduling Strategies for Middle Schools by Michael D. Rettig and Robert Lynn Canady
High Failure Rates in Required Mathmatics Courses: Can a Modified Block Schedule Be Part of the Cure? by Michael D. Rettig and Robert Lynn Canady
Workshop 3: Designing High School Schedules for Under-Credited and/or Over-Age Students at the end of Grades 8, 9 and 10 Who Need Support and Acceleration to Increase Graduation Odds
For at least 40 percent of the school population, Grades 8, 9 and 10 have become the “Make It or Break It” years. By the end of Grade 10, nationally we have lost over one-third of our students, and in some urban areas the loss is over 60 percent. This tragic loss of human potential is now being called “The Silent Epidemic.” To increase the odds for graduation for these students, we must provide both support and acceleration for them, which means providing schedules other than the traditional high school schedules with core classes running a full school calendar year.
Scheduling factors which increase graduation odds for under-credited students include:
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Balancing their work load in core classes that have a large amount of homework.
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Balancing the workload for teachers who teach these students so these teachers can perform the most productive teaching functions.
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Reducing the amount of failing time for these students.
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Providing support/tutorials during school hours.
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Varying school hours for core classes; for example, beginning some primary core classes after 10:00 a.m. or even noon.
Workshop participants will review at least four schedules that incorporate the above five factors and study pros and cons of each.
Materials for Workshop 3:
Workshop 4: Building the Elementary School Master Schedule
Major goals of this workshop are to assist participants in designing master elementary schedules that:
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Provide teachers at each grade level or Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s) common planning periods at a regular time each day;
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Provide a daily intervention/enrichment (I/E) period for students (see Chapter 4 in Elementary School Scheduling: Enhancing Instruction for Student Achievement by Robert L. Canady and Michael D. Rettig, referenced below);
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Reduce fragmentation of the school day and school programs;
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Blend support programs and reduce stigmatization of students;
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Where school resources will permit, provide reduced instructional groups in reading and mathematics as described in Chapters 6 and 7 of Elementary School Scheduling: Enhancing Instruction for Student Achievement by Robert L. Canady and Michael D. Rettig, under the topic of Parallel Block Scheduling (PBS); if this objective can be met, the design of the master schedule will eliminate the need for traditional seatwork activities and/or center activities.
With the above structures in place, in most elementary schools we observe a reduction in discipline problems and improved student test scores.
Materials for Workshop 4:
Elementary School Master Block Planning Schedule for Grades K to 6
Elementary School Master Block Planning Schedule for Pre-K to Grade 8
30-60 Minute Block, Concept-Progress 6-Day
30-60 Minute Block, Concept-Progress 8-Day
Workshop 5: Scheduling Options for Shared-time Career/ Technology Centers and Home Schools
Participants will explore at least four scheduling options for shared-time centers and home schools. The goal will be to eliminate problems created by traditional schedules, such as
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Students spending excessive time on buses, which also is costly.
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Students not being able to attend career/technology (C & T) center during Grades 11 and 12 because they must make up failed core classes in home school or complete test-prep courses after failing mandated exams during Grade 10.
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Students experiencing numerous interruptions in core classes caused by arrival and dismissal times not being coordinated.
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Teachers from both C & T and home schools not having common instructional planning time.
Materials for Workshop 5:
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