Increasing Time on Task - Part 2: Passing Periods

In case you missed it yesterday, the Super Secret Formula for Improving Student Performance is as follows:

1. Teach the Right Thing. If you aren’t doing that, quit reading right now. Because until you get that rectified, everything else you are doing just doesn’t matter.

2. Teach the Right Thing, Better. This is where the Fundamental 5 comes into play.

3. Teach the Right Thing, Better, and Longer. This is where the master and daily schedules come into play.

Yesterday, we discussed the master schedule and depending on what schedule you are currently running a trimester schedule can produce up to 12½ more days of instruction in a given year. Today we are going to examine the time that is lost during your passing periods. Once again, we will look at the 4 different schedules. First up, the 8-period day.

The 8-period day has 7 between class transitions. With a standard 5-minute passing period, the 8-period day squanders 6,195 minutes a year in the hallways.

The 7-period day has 6 between class transitions. With a standard 5-minute passing period, the 6-period day squanders 5,310 minutes a year in the hallways.

The 5-period trimester day has 4 between class transitions. With a standard 5-minute passing period, the 5-period day squanders 3,550 minutes a year in the hallways.

The 4-period A/B block theoretically has 3 between class transitions. But in practice, due to lunch, one period is usually split, creating 4 between class transitions. With a standard 5-minute passing period, the 4-period A/B Block day squanders 3,550 minutes a year in the hallways.

Now consider what would happen if you shortened passing periods to 4 minutes instead of 5 minutes. This is an easy transition to make. Here is the impact on each schedule.

The 8-period day would recapture 1,239 minutes or about 3½ days of instruction.

The 7-period day would recapture 1,062 minutes or about 3 days of instruction.

Both the trimester and A/B Block day would recapture 708 minutes or about 2 days of instruction.

As you can see, it doesn’t matter what schedule you are running. If you maintain your traditional 5-minute passing periods, you are giving away days of instruction.

Think. Work. Achieve.

Your turn...

• Call Jo at (832) 477-LEAD to order your campus set of “The Fundamental 5: The Formula for Quality Instruction.” Individual copies available on Amazon.com! http://tinyurl.com/4ydqd4t
• Follow Sean Cain and LYS on www.Twitter.com/LYSNation
• Now at the Apple App Store: Fun 5 Plans (Fundamental 5 Lesson Plan Tool); PW Lite (Basic PowerWalks Tool); PW Pro (Mid-level PowerWalks Tool)
• Confirmed 2012 Presentations: NASB Conference; TASSP Conference (multiple sessions); Region 10 ESC Fall Leadership Conference (Keynote)