Ferryway 2.0

School Background

• Cambridge , MA
• 200 students
• 68 staff
• Principal – Carole Learned-Miller

1.) Can we get copies of the schedules (master – grade level)?

• We were provided with copies of several different grade levels as well as initial schedules that did not work well
• We will attach schedules with notes in the binder

2.) How did the schedule change? Lunches/snacks?

• Old school day = 9:00-300
• New school day = 8:00 (7:30 for teachers) – 4:00
• One family in charge of snack each week in some classes

3.) Are starting and ending times the same for all (students and teachers)?

• Start/end times are the same for all students
• Start/end times all different for staff according to staff preference
• Some staff work 8-2, others 9-3, others12-6, others 8-4, and 15 teachers working the full extended day
• Said that this staggering does impact community feeling among teachers…help if you are here at one end…if not, “feels like you are jumping on and off a moving train”
• But, staff happy because they could choose
• Everyone doing a job that they chose, can be creative
• No one opted out
• Union president took a vote and only one teacher was against it

4.) How are the extra minutes spent? In addition to extra classroom time – what other programs were created, advisory, clubs, enrichment – how were these handled?

• Elective piece is new…wanted to be sure to add enrichment
• Electives offered: Sports, yoga, art, beading & bead making, music/chorus, mixed media (K-2); Sports, drama, music/chorus, Spanish, mixed media (3-5); AVID, MCAS prep, sports, film, Chinese intensive language prep for China trip, Community Service Club 6-8
• Elective class size = 15-18 for most
• Teachers/assistants/parent volunteers choose the electives they teach
• Students choose top 3 choices
• Every day for a semester
• We will attach brochure in the binder
• Everything else has stayed the same, but just more time
• More time for their literacy collaborative
• More time dedicated to projects

5.) How attentive are the students during the last hour? Do you recommend activities or academics at the end of the day?

• Have found that it is better for middle school students to end the day with electives
• K-5 has academics at the end of the day, but it is hands-on, project-based, so it has not been a problem
• Could be developmental…middle school students need electives at end of day
• Kindergarten students have developed stamina…at first, they needed to wean them to get to 4:00
• They balance each day according to what K students can handle
• Sometimes crying at 3:00…”tired tears”, but for the most part, they have gotten used to it
• Nap/quiet time in middle of the day for K students

6.) Are all the staff involved in extended day? How did specialists (SPED/ELL) fit into the extended learning time?

• Staff could choose if they wanted to work extended day/staggered hours/regular hours
• Special Ed works regular school day
• Specialists work regular school day

7.) Are students kept after school? Or, are there other discipline policies in place?

• Just implemented the “Responsive Classroom” this year, and this has cut down on discipline issues
• Still have to keep some students after school…there is a late bus at 5:00

8.) How is the extended day impacting students with disabilities? Are more services able to be provided?

• They have a more traditional model…not a lot of co-teaching
• Principal says that there are ways to be more creative with scheduling for students with disabilities
• All special ed staff work regular school day

9.) Did you add staff? Who? How were they funded?

• Because some staff have chosen to leave early, they work with Lesley University to bring in assistant teachers
• Assistants, parent volunteers to teach electives (also teachers teaching electives)

10.) Which groups were involved in the planning of the extended day activities?

• Principal stated that it was very effective for someone besides herself to take on planning for the electives
• She said she would not have been able to coordinate electives on top of everything else
• Mass 20/20 offered help in writing the grant last year

11.) What has attendance looked like for teachers/students?

• Same

12.) What are the benefits of extended day?

• Time to teach the curriculum “the right way”
• More time for projects
• Opportunities for electives/enrichment that the students would not normally have access to
• Felt like science has been pushed aside in the past…now can emphasize
• No longer a feeling of always having to rush through everything…don’t find yourself saying “hurry-up” anymore!
• Feel more like a family when you are with your students for 8 hours a day
• Flexibility
• Time to “pursue teachable moments”
• If you get involved with a good class discussion, no longer the need to end it abruptly
• Extra minutes in the morning to get students ready for academics

13.) What are the drawbacks of extended day?

• Change is always hard
• Not a lot of resistance, but more personal change
• Growing pains with anything

14.) Will you apply for the grant next year?

• Yes

15.) What are your expected results?

• Too early to tell about MCAS…hope to see an improvement
• Also hope to see an improvement on Cambridge Periodic Assessments

16.) How are you measuring these results?

• Too early to tell about MCAS…hope to see an improvement
• Also hope to see an improvement on Cambridge Periodic Assessments

17.) How did the class time for specials/exploratories change?

• Specialists do not do extended day…work regular school day

18.) Does everyone have the same amount of preparation time?

• Extended day teachers get 60 minutes
• Not sure about other teachers

19.) Is common planning time worked into the schedule? Is there any time made available for vertical teaming?

• Common planning time is worked into the middle of the day for K-5 when students go to electives and then assistant teachers take over
• Middle school teachers get common time at end of day when their students are at electives
• Also have professional development coaches who work with teachers once a month for 2 hrs.
• Team-teaching partnerships taking place at end of the day

20.) Is there time during the school day for homework assistance?

• Not worked into the school day
• HW Center from 4-6 for middle school students
• But, most only stay until the late bus at 5:00

21.) Do you give homework to be done outside of school?

• Yes, but not as much

22.) Did you have to negotiate with any labor unions?

• The union president came to the school to poll the teachers, and only one teacher out of 68 voted against it
• Unions did not really have to get involved because teachers were allowed to choose hours

23.) How are release days handled?

• Early release once every 6 months
• Day ends at 2:00 (trying to get a 1:00 dismissal)
• All teachers expected to stay until 4:00 on early release days

24.) What kinds of professional development activities have you been doing? How is it scheduled? Do they use outside resources, or internal resources?

• Coaches within the building…own teachers who attended a course at Lesley
• Did not talk about any additional PD

25.) Any additional advice? What would you do differently?

• Need to have dedicated faculty
• Faculty needs to be willing to wear multiple hats
• Need buy-in of all staff

26.) How did you choose your partner programs, and what have been the benefits and disadvantages in working with them?

• Already had a program in place with Lesley

27.) Other comments:

• From administrative point of view…feels less hectic, feeling of calm that was not present in the past, but can’t get paperwork started until after 5:00
• All teachers stressed the importance of buy-in and that choosing hours allowed the buy-in to occur

Compiled by Jenna Wasson
Site Visit Team: Jenna Wasson, Courtney Kiley, Julie Jones, Bonnie Page, Judy Leisk