The Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) is providing instructional minutes recommendations and examples for scheduling kindergarten through 8th grade in the following document Instructional Minutes Recommendations and Examples for Scheduling K-8.
The purpose of this document is to provide recommendations for instructional minutes and sample schedules for each grade level to maximize instructional time and improve student outcomes. The Mississippi Public Schools Accountability Standards include several process standards directly related to instructional time and instructional planning time.
Each minute of the school day is critical to building knowledge, fostering student motivation, and driving student outcomes. To make the most of the allotted time, teachers must first develop engaging lessons that meet the various needs of students. This requires teachers to collaborate, plan, and reflect outside of instructional time. Effective school schedules maximize the time teachers spend with their students while recognizing teachers’ additional responsibilities beyond instruction.