Rethinking the scheduling of school time

The link between time and learning is one of the most consistent findings in educational research. This handbook describes a process for developing effective use of instructional time through the identification of important decision-making criteria and the use of these criteria to create a school schedule. The handbook describes an 11-step process, the Criteria-Driven Change model (CDC), for developing an appropriate school schedule. The first part discusses the importance of time management and the complexities of the change process. The second part describes strategies for developing, implementing, and evaluating the schedule. The 11 steps include: (1) define the problem; (2) form the committee; (3) set the purpose; (4) learn together; (5) collect data; (6) develop criteria; (7) visit sites; (8) synthesize; (9) create the plan/schedule; (10) implement and support the plan/schedules; and (11) evaluate the plan/schedule using the criteria. Finally, continued learning is crucial to maintaining the program.