The Teaching Allocation and Management Model (TAMM) designed to help university department administrators assign faculty to courses is described, noting its strengths and limitations. The model has been used in business departments, but is seen as adaptable to any discipline. Formulas for budgeting are included in the model. (MSE)

Based on his experience with the Copernican block scheduling plan used in British Columbia secondary schools, a principal identifies administrative challenges (abuse of tutorial time, uneven distribution of teacher-preparation time, teacher fatigue, pedagogical changes, and unrealistic expectations) and suggests ways to address them. Involving…

Describes an urban high school's homeroom classroom calendar that is maintained by students who are deaf and hard of hearing. The calendar is used to record students' schedules, including individualized education program meetings, assemblies, doctor appointments, and other events. It assists students in taking responsibility for their own…

Offers suggestions for developing creative instructional approaches in time-blocked classes. Teachers should continuously engage students in active learning, include group activities to encourage student participation, incorporate activities addressing multiple intelligences, use creative thinking activities, move outside the classroom, employ…

The principal of a traditional high school in upstate New York asked faculty to reexamine the school schedule. After considerable debate, teachers decided to rotate class time so that no one suffered the afterlunch slump or day's-end rowdiness in a single class. Having gained confidence, a permanent teacher committee has added time blocks and…

Argues that educators must "think outside the box" to improve school performance. Suggests several areas for expanded thought, including school size, curriculum coverage, grading practices, use of time, organization of students, time management, and belief statement. (PKP)

Examined how students' grades were affected by disruptions at the beginning of the school year. Data from student-parent interviews in a large urban district indicated that disruption was widespread in ninth grade. Students who experienced more turbulence received significantly lower grades. Significant levels of between-school differences in…

Describes common characteristics of effective leaders, such as insight, strong interpersonal skills, self-growth, flexibility, and communications. Includes examples of effective leadership provided by an assistant superintendent, a middle-school principal, and an elementary-school principal. (PKP)

Reports trends and implications of interdisciplinary teaming practices in middle schools, based on findings from a national survey. Noting that nearly 80 percent of schools currently implement teaming, challenges principals and teachers to move beyond simple formation of teams to the creation of an infrastructure that supports high-performing…

Describes a survey of West Texas elementary schools that examined the amount of time media specialists spend teaching. The findings indicate that the scheduling issue is secondary to the fact that many schools share or do not have a certified library media specialist. The reasons for this situation and recommendations for improvement are…

Discusses teaching methods related to timetabling and scheduling tasks. Analyzes a hierarchy of difficulties for the tasks. Reports success rates for each of the four difficulty types. (YP)

Notes that toddler environments should take into account the behaviors and skills characteristic of this age. Discusses toddlers' physical and motor skills, affective development, and cognitive development. Offers suggestions for toddler environments, and for routines and schedules, such as arrival and departure, naptime, diapering and toileting,…

In fall 1993, a Colorado high school scrapped its traditional semester calendar for a trimester schedule. The school year now has 3 12-week grading periods corresponding to the seasons; the school day has 5 class periods of 70 minutes each. The result: fewer and longer classes, impressively reduced class sizes, more flexibility, and improved…

The master schedule determines instructional time, use of space, student grouping, and teacher role. Currently, secondary school buildings are used like factories, and teachers can spend an entire career in the same classroom. Traditional, intensified, and flexible block scheduling produces master schedules with greater flexibility, less…

Three teenagers with autism, who relied on verbal prompts from the teacher to switch activities, were trained to independently identify transition times and to contingently self-reinforce the verbal identification of transition times. Accurate identification of transition time and self-reinforcement were maintained at one-month follow-up.…