Case Study

Implementing Expanded Learning Time
City of Cambridge

Two K-8 schools in this diverse, urban city worked independently with their school redesign teams to determine how to improve their educational program, yet identified similar priorities which have resulted in redesign plans that look similar in the two schools. These two small schools serve 72% and 79% low income children respectively and more than 20% special education students each. One of them has been identified for improvement in math and the other currently has no AYP status.

The first step in the planning process was for the redesign teams to use the goals they had identified during the development of their school improvement plan as the basis of what they needed to improve student learning. Then the design team used focus groups, surveys, and informal conversations to gather ideas about what the school should offer from other teachers and parents. This input led to a first draft of the priorities the schools wanted to include in an expanded schedule.

Educational Priorities

Both schools decided that the top priority was to provide additional time in the core subject areas of math and literacy in order to:

  • fully implement all components of Literacy Collaborative (guided reading, writer’s workshop, and word study);
  • fully implement the TERC Investigations math program (CMP in the middle school grades), including the reading and writing components and the hands-on activities integral to the curriculum; and
  • better differentiate instruction based on data from ongoing assessments, district-wide assessments and those associated with the curricula

In addition to these curricular improvements, both schools identified the following priorities:

  • Establish a less hurried atmosphere in the school, with a more relaxed lunch period and additional time outdoors for recess and physical activity
  • Provide opportunities for more project-based learning activities across a better integrated curriculum
  • Create opportunities for students to have more real world connections and greater contact with community members working in the arts, science, health, and other fields
  • Provide opportunities for students to develop social competency and self-management skills
  • Provide more time for teachers to plan together and collaborate with each other, and to develop extensions to the curriculum in conjunction with the many community partners participating in the school’s educational program
  • Both schools will integrate the principles of the Responsive Classroom, a curriculum designed to improve children’s self-control, social participation, and human development. 
  • Each classroom will be able to have a consistent 20-30 minute morning meeting time which will serve to improve social competency skills.
  • Allow more time to better integrate the AVID Program into the grades 6, 7, and 8 curriculum that requires a 45 minute elective course daily in the regular school day, which has been very difficult to do with the current schedule.
  • Allow time for other electives, which may include tutoring, study skills, the delivery of individualized special education services, as well as a variety of enrichment activities developed in conjunction with our community partners.

Moving from Educational Priorities to Creating an Expanded Day Schedule

After determining the priorities for the redesigned school day, both schools had to put them into action by creating a schedule that incorporated them. This step required making decisions on how much time to add in specific subject areas, deciding on new electives, and considering a variety of staffing scenarios which included different work days for different teachers, using external partners, and identifying which teachers were interested in working an expanded schedule. After considering different scenarios, both schools  proposed a redesigned school day that is eight hours long and includes the following features:

  • An extra half hour for both the ELA and math blocks, resulting in an ELA block of 165 (Loretta Byrd) and 180 (Raymond Johnson) minutes and a math block of 90 minutes (both schools).
  • A half hour for electives and an additional half hour during the lunch period, both for play and for support groups
  • Time during the school day for teachers to collaborate and engage in professional development

Staffing and Scheduling

Once decisions were made about what programs to add and how much time would be best, the difficult work of creating a staffing plan and possible schedules followed. Both schools considered a variety of plans that used teachers to staff the majority of the additional time and utilized external partners, volunteers, university interns and others to offer electives and staff lunch and small group work. With a plan that includes all of these types of roles, both schools were able to reach their goals for the amount of additional core academic instruction, elective time, and teacher collaboration and meeting time.

Teachers Contract

While the schools and their design teams focused on crafting a schedule and staffing options that fit their learning goals, contract negotiations were ongoing. Part of the challenge the teachers union and the district face was the desire to negotiate an agreement that compensated teachers fairly while also allowing for the staffing flexibility needed to implement the schools’ redesign plans faithfully. This meant that teachers needed to have the option to work expanded hours, and, at the same time, volunteers, partners, and others may be needed to staff some programs. Another level of complexity was that the budget (the majority of which would be used for compensation) had to stay within the $1,300 per pupil parameter set by the state. If a negotiated settlement could not fit within to the budget as set by the state, then there would be no expanded day for these two schools, and the benefits teachers wanted for their students and themselves could not be attained. Highlights of the negotiated agreement follow.

New/Reconfigured Teaching Positions

Three different types of teaching positions offered at both schools based on the length of the work day:

  • 6 hour & 25 minutes (regular full time teaching position from the year before)
  • 7 hour & 25 minutes (receive an additional 10 minutes of duty free preparation time)
  • 8 hour & 25 minutes (receive an additional 20 minutes of duty free preparation time)

Compensation

Teacher compensation is based on two factors – How long a teacher teaches per day and how many years of service

  • Three compensation levels based on years of experience:
    • Level One = 0 to 5 years
    • Level Two = 6-10 years
    • Level Three = 11 or more
  • Additional pay is in form of stipend and is pension eligible

Hiring for Expanded Learning Time positions

  • Additional Time for teachers is voluntary
  • Acceptance and selection of teachers shall be at the discretion of the principal at each school
  • Principal posts positions within schools first
  • If all positions are not filled by applicants within the two individual schools, then the remaining open positions are posted in accordance with contract’s posting provisions

Utilization of Partners and External Providers for Staffing Programs

  • Community Partners will be selected by principal to assist in the operation and delivery of services
  • Selection and usage of community partners is not grievable
  • All community partner positions shall not be positions that fall under the jurisdiction of the collective bargaining agreement and will not be members of the bargaining units.

Community Partners

Both schools had a history of partnering with community-based organizations to provide a wide variety of on-site enrichment programs including gardening, science, math, technology, fitness, and art programs. Prior to ELT, these partners were used primarily for after-school programs. Also, both schools had intensive professional development programs in math and literacy for the majority of their staff that were run by a local university and a national curriculum development organization. In the past, this professional development would be done after school or during the day when teachers would be pulled out of their classrooms and substitutes would be needed. With the ELT redesign, teachers wanted to incorporate the professional development and some of the enrichment programs into the school day. As they moved forward on creating the master schedule, the planning team realized that the enrichment programs and the professional development would work together. Having students participate in enrichment classes staffed by partners, allowed the teachers the time to work together on planning and professional development.