2. *To heighten awareness of the impact of the timetable
on student learning
*To examine the process of timetabling in relation to
curriculum and school values
*To introduce practical approaches to timetable design
and implementation
*
6. *Subject choice/”Packaging of subjects”
*Effects of TT on behaviour
*Providing a holistic curriculum
*How we group our students
*Higher/Ordinary level decisions
*
7. Identify a common timetable
practice or configuration and
assess this from the perspective of
the student/learner experience
*
8. * Students who report restricted subject choice or who regret
taking certain subjects have significantly more negative
attitudes to school and their teachers
(ESRI/NCCA 2004)
* Access for students to a broad and balanced curriculum that
is sufficiently differentiated to take account of learners‟
starting points, that motivates them, raises their self esteem
and gives them a sense of achievement
Task Force on Student Behaviour
*
9. While schools may believe that streaming enables them
to better meet the learning needs of particular students
the findings of this study show that students do not
benefit from the arrangement. Streaming has a polarising
effect on students.
One group, primarily those in top streams, is more
positive about school, gets on well with teachers,
becomes more engaged with learning and expects
success in the exams. It seems that they get a „better
deal‟ all around.
*
www.ncca.ie/uploadedfiles/publications/ESRI_3rdYr.pdf
10. The other group, more frequently students in
lower stream classes, becomes progressively
more negative about school, „acts up‟, gets given
out to more by teachers and is drifting or
disengaged.
What appears to be happening is that students
reach the level of achievement, or rather
underachievement that is expected of them.
*
www.ncca.ie/uploadedfiles/publications/ESRI_3rdYr.pdf
11. Research tells us that students who risk
disaffection at school respond best to a
curriculum that is holistic, that actively
engages them, that is responsive to their needs,
interests and learning styles, that combines
integrated academic, social skills, and
vocational education with career development
and work-based learning
*
12. *What role do you currently play in designing the
timetable?
*Who is involved in planning and preparing the
timetable?
*What are identified as the greatest constraints
or pressures when planning the timetable?
*
15. *What are the most pressing
timetable issues for you at present?
*
16. Sample Curriculum A
Core Subjects
Optional Subjects: one from each line
Irish
4
English
4
Mathematics
4
History
3
Geography
3
Religious Education
2
Home Ec.
CSPE
1
SPHE
1
Physical Education
2
Science
4
French
4
Music
Business
Home Ec
Art
Art
German
Business
What are the issues and values
evident in this sample curriculum?
What are the implications for student
learning?
17. Sample Curriculum B
Core Subjects
Optional Subjects: one from each line
Irish
5
English
3
Geography
3
Religious Education
1
Physical Education
1
French or German
4
Music
4
Technical
Graphics
Business
Science
Art
Metalwork
Business
Business
3
CSPE
MTW
5
History
Art
5
Mathematics
Home Ec.
What are the issues and values
evident in this sample curriculum?
What are the implications for student
learning?
23. * Core
* Modules
* Items that need to be fixed
* Options?
Transition Year can be complex and some items may need to
be placed and fixed on certain days
*
24. Keep core of time table from this year.
Clear timetable but keep structure for:
* 1st
2nd
* 2nd
3rd & 5th
6th
* All these year groups are moving up a year and will mirror closely
what existed in this current year i.e. class/teacher/opt group etc.
*
25. * Allocating extra teachers to bands ie. Maths, Irish and English
* Science –max 24 in class –what are implications for you ?
* Home Economics: Max of 20 students
* Options
* Job sharing
* Study leave/Secondment/partial secondment
* Other requests
* Subject Requests
* Teacher Requests
*
26. ...The managerial authorities are urged to consider
favourably applications for the scheme.
....In developing a policy the welfare and educational needs
of the pupils will take precedence over all other
considerations. The managerial authorities should consider
other factors such as the number of approvals in any school
year and the arrangements available for the teaching of
classes.
*
27. *Spending time doing this slowly and accurately will save
time later trying to solve problems that could have been
avoided.
*Senior Leadership Team (Principal and Deputy Principal) are
central to the timetabling process.
*
28. Pen & Paper
A4 sheets
Planning Matrix for Teaching Groups
Planning Matrix for Teachers
(example handout)
Same can be done on computer package but easier with pen
and paper if you are unfamiliar with computer programme
(example handout).
*
29. If using Scheduler...........
1.Need to do end of year Procedure
2.Need to make sure many of the admin decisions are made
i.e. no. of classes, teachers etc.
3.Create dummy classes
4.Make a number of new teachers. i.e. NT1, NT2 etc
5.Key changes cannot be made once TT exported and you are
working on it.
*
31. * 28 hours class contact
* Special needs hours: Resource hours must be allocated to
student
* Learning support can be used within timetable but should
benefit appropriate students
* Total teacher allocation – keep a constant eye on this
* Shared teachers or job-sharing staff
*
32. * All planning and inputting done
* Check feasibility– 100%
* Ensure specialist rooms allocated.
*
*
*
*
*
Follow CCM/Serco
instructions
Run time table without restrictions
Need to keep an eye on spread of classes throughout
timetable.
Doubles
Spread of core throughout week
Spread of options
*
33. * When satisfied you have a timetable –
* Save
* Re run with restrictions
* Make adjustments if you have to
or
Revert to first TT if deemed better
*
34. * Specialist Rooms should be done with scheduling
* Allocating remaining rooms can be a tedious process but care
taken here can save a lot of time at beginning of year.
*
35. * Getting the Pre-Planning correct is vital
* Running timetable will take a few days of intense work.
* You may need to run a few versions to get best outcome
* If using scheduler you need to import it back into admin
system. This can be done a number of times but be careful
naming your version you want to keep!!
* Leave plenty of time at end to allocate rooms and make
printouts – Not night before school opens!!
* Always label Timetable “Draft” for first few weeks
*
36. * Does the timetable represent the educational philosophy of the
school?
* Are subjects satisfactorily distributed through the timetable cycle?
* Are subjects treated fairly, by all having a fair distribution of
lessons throughout the day?
* Are specialist rooms and other resources used to the best
advantage?
* Is gender equity observed?
* Has movement been kept to a minimum?
*
37. *Is the staff non-teaching time reasonably spread?
*Does the timetable facilitate curriculum continuity for
the following year – and the year after?
*Is the timetable presented as simply as possible?
*Are class timetables balanced and do all classes have a
fair share of experienced staff?
*
39. * School Matters:The Report of the Task Force on Student Behaviour in
* Second Level Schools 2006 Department of Education and Science
* Do Schools Differ? Academic and Personal Development among Pupils in the SecondLevel Sector
Smyth, Emer 1999
* Moving Up. The Experiences of First-Year Students in Post-Primary Education 2004
Smyth, Emer / McCoy, Selina / Darmody, Merike
Liffey Press in association with the ESRI
* Pathways through the Junior Cycle: the Experience of Second Year Students 2006
Smyth, Emer / Dunne, Allison / McCoy, Selina / Darmody Merike
The Liffey Press in association with the ESRI
*
Editor's Notes
All schools have a mission statement or vision that sets out what it is that they hope to achieve. Typically, these statements include, or imply, a desire to ensure that all students achieve to the highest standards, academically and personally.It is through the school’s curriculum (including the extra-curricular and/or co-curricular) that provide the framework within which the school’s objective are achieved.The timetable is a very obvious and important manifestation of the school curriculum.Therefore it is inextricably linked to the moral purpose of the school: what it is that the school is trying to achieve.We are all very well aware of circumstances where what we would like to achieve is very different from what we are achieving at present.As school leaders, we need to be concerned where our timetable promotes practices or attitudes that re inconsistent with the moral purpose of the school.The objective is not to have you return to you schools on Monday and abandon your present timetable.Rather, the aim is to increase awareness of the positive and negative impact that may arise from curriculum and timetabling decisions.A related objective is to provide an introduction to techniques that will provide a foundation for timetable preparation for next year.Our greatest concern with presenting a module of this type is the expectations that participants may have.We know that the timetable is something that weighs very heavily on the minds of newly-appointed deputy principals. The bad news is that in years to come, it will still weigh heavily.It may be the case that there are very specific concerns relating to your own timetables:How do I provide the best combination of subject blocks for Leaving Certificate?What model do I use to allow students to sample subjects in first year?How do I turn on the computer?So we adopt the view that, while the preparation of the timetable is typically regarded as being a practical or technical problem – of fitting combinations of students, teachers, subjects, and room into a matrix representing the school week -- the perspective that we would like to discuss with you is the fundamental impact that timetabling has on student learning and behaviour, as well as what the timetable says about the values and objectives in your school.To do this, we will introduce you to some of the key planning tools and approaches required in timetabling. We know that there is a range of intensive training for the computer packages provided by Facility/Serco that we will to be able to replicate here.
There are two sessions on timetabling: The first session focuses on the rationale for the school timetable and the impact that the timetable has on school organisation. Session One also looks at how the nature of the school timetable can be influences by a host of internal and external factors. A key focus for the session is to explore how the school timetable impact upon student learning and student experiences in school.Session Two examines the process of constructing the timetable in greater detail. Participants are asked to reflect on their individual roles in timetable preparation. The use of templates to assist in essential data gathering is introduced. An introduction to calculating teacher allocation – with reference to DES templates – will also form part of Session Two.The session concludes with guidance on using the Facility/Serco package and providing a checklist for effective timetabling.
The primary objective of the timetable is to support teaching and learning. Sometimes this consideration can be eclipsed in light of other pressures on the school.The timetable is a clear representation of what is valued in the school. The timetable has a very powerful influence on student experiences within the school. Furthermore, the structure of the timetable gives a clearer picture of what is valued by the school than does – in many cases – reference to the school’s Mission Statement.The pressure on the timetabling team to cater for increased expectations – at the level of the individual student, parent, or teacher; at the level of the school organisation (school objectives and mission statement, Board of Management, subject departments, etc.; at community level; and at national level – is very significant. Not only are schools to cater for the individual needs of learners, they must also address community and national interests. These expectations will increase in our current difficult circumstances.The subjects available on the timetable, the manner in which they are made available to students, which teachers are allocated to particular subjects and groups of students, etc. are influenced by a host of internal and external factors
In any given year, the school’s timetable will reflect a particular context. Some of the influences comprising this context are:Allocation: The teacher allocation, which will change on foot of rising/falling student numbers or following DES changes to the pupil/teacher ratios. (For example, changes to the LCVP ratio). (Calculating the school’s allocation will be looks at in more details in Session Two.)Culture: All schools have a distinctive culture and a unique history. Together, they have a very powerful influence on the nature of the school’s timetable. They are also significant impediments to any proposed curriculum change. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats: The final consideration is a more general one: the school’s timetable may be a key element in trying to build on identified strengths in the school, or to address perceived weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. A simple example of an identified ‘weakness’ might arise from a WSE/MLL or subject inspection (28 hours not allocated; insufficient time allocated to certain subjects; etc.) An example of a perceived ‘threat’ being addressed through the timetable is where a school is in competition for student enrolments: ensuring that school timetables are comparable may be seen as a factor. As for ‘strengths’, schools frequently identify or regard themselves as ‘niche’ schools, with a well-established reputation for technology, science, music, or sport. And finally, revisiting the structure of the school timetable may represent an ‘opportunity’ to influence teaching methodologies, curriculum choice, and student experiences within the school.
Task for participants:
Other Reports:Students who report restricted subject choice or who regret taking certain subjects have significantly more negative attitudes to school and their teachers”(ESRI/NCCA 2004)Access for students to a broad and balanced curriculum that is sufficiently differentiated to take account of learners’ starting points, that motivates them, raises their self esteem and gives them a sense of achievementTask Force on Student BehaviourA umber of reports issued in recent years emphasise the impact that the timetable/curriculum has of student behaviour, attitudes, and academic performance.Ref: Moving Up. The Experiences of First-Year Students in Post-Primary Education 2004Structures and Supports (Taken from the Task Force on Student Behaviour Interim Report July 2005 and the published document School Matters 2006) Effective strategies:A range of structures in operation within a school, evaluated regularlyAccess to a variety of school curricula and programmes that suit the learning needs and capabilities of a diverse cohort of studentsTeaching methodologies that engage students and that provide them with success experiencesEarly identification of difficulties with appropriate intervention Access within the school to extra support - counselling, remedial, behavioural, pastoral, for those students who may need this support if they are to survive and succeed within the mainstream school systemAccess to a variety of extracurricular activitiesAn attractive teaching and learning environmentA school that invests a lot of careful planning and time into smoothing the transition from primary to post primary, especially for children who are vulnerable or at risk of disaffection on entry into second level.
Consider the scenarios included on the hand-out: The Human Element”
Summarise last in-service. Quick re-cap
Depending on which TT package used will determine what is done here. Key point is not all work has to be redone from year to year. Good way of understanding rest of TT if
Handouts here and computer display. Take group manual method and then move over to see how computer will keep track of this simply.
Save Save Save . Continuously save as you go along. Make out clear system of versions etc.Doing this may be a matter of preference. If restriction is an absolute necessity then setting up initial TT with it may be simplest way