Know how staff spend their time and provide guidance on the effective use of time

Implementing best practices on a large scale while keeping costs manageable requires districts to gain a thorough understanding of how staff, including special educators, related services providers, and RTI staff, currently serve students. Collaboratively establishing expectations for the service delivery model and setting guidelines on the amount of time spent with students is crucial.

The multitude of tasks performed by staff makes it challenging for districts to comprehend how time is allocated. Schedule sharing technology proves valuable in providing a deep understanding of current practices. It often reveals surprising insights, such as the significant time spent in meetings, the deviation from IEP recommendations for small groups, and the extent of instruction provided by paraprofessionals. Armed with this understanding, districts can thoughtfully plan the most effective use of time for each role, grade level and student need.

Additionally, school and district leaders must support principals, special education, and intervention staff in creating thoughtful schedules aligned with best practices. The master building schedule should not force teachers to pull students from core instruction, hinder grouping students with similar needs, or demand excessive meeting attendance. Scheduling is both an art and a science, and effective scheduling is essential to meeting student needs. Recognizing that not every teacher or principal may be an expert scheduler, coordinated scheduling becomes crucial to ensuring time is used most effectively, acknowledging the interconnectedness of multiple schedules impacting the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the educational system.