Focus Learning Time

While a longer school day or year presents schools with the opportunity to implement myriad new activities and initiatives, we have found that the most successful schools resist this temptation and maintain a laser-like focus on a small set of clear and ambitious goals for student learning. School leaders use data to establish focused learning goals, and then thoughtfully plan student schedules with these goals in mind. Time for academic instruction across the entire school day is apportioned based on assessment of student needs and clear goals for student achievement. Classtime is similarly focused; teachers "backward map" lessons based on clear objectives for student learning. Overall, time is invested and trade-offs are made, in accordance with a clear set of priorities.

Promising Practice 2

In this chapter of Time Well Spent, read about how successful, expanded-time schools prioritize time according to focused learning goals.
Jacob Hiatt Magnet School, Worcester, MA

Like any resource, it’s not just about having more time, but what you do with that time. Read about how Jacob Hiatt Magnet School developed a school-wide instructional focus to target the use of more time and the dramatic impacts on student achievement.
Frank M. Silvia Elementary School, Fall River, MA

Creating an instructional focus can be daunting given the immense number of challenges schools face today. Read about how Silvia Elementary used data and formed teams to build support for and develop an instructional focus that cuts across multiple subjects in their expanded day schedule.
Roxbury Prep, Boston, MA

The gift of time has allowed Roxbury Prep to create four periods to math and reading (two in each subject) each day. Read about how the content for these periods differ and how more time allows the school to teach with greater breadth and depth.