Whether your school has a flex block already or you are looking to launch a new one, a mid-year implementation is an option that you have. Many schools assume that summer is the best time for technology implementations because of the extra time in the summer and the desire to start the year fresh.
We have found through our implementations and many years of EdTech experience that the summer and start of school is very busy with school operations and professional development. A mid-year implementation can be more streamlined because stakeholders are present, time can be allocated to make decisions quickly and change management can be smoother.
Schools looking to add a flex block
A mid-year implementation is a great option for schools who are looking to incorporate flex block into their schedule. Our article Getting Started with your Flex Block walks through the steps to set up a flex block in your school.
Schools manually managing their flex block
We’ve heard from several schools who have a flex block but they don’t have a tool to manage it. They use spreadsheets and manual lists to track students and fit takes a lot of administrative time. Schools like this who already have the time allocated and the stakeholder buy-in can easily add in a scheduling tool to relieve the administrative burden. If that tool is intuitive then teacher training will be minimal.
Schools looking to upgrade their scheduling tool
Another group of schools are those who have a flex block and have a tool to manage it, but the tool doesn’t meet their requirements. Whether that is because it is difficult to use or because the data isn’t shared with their SIS on a daily basis, these schools are struggling to make the tool work for them. Switching tools mid-year is a smooth process and can take just a few weeks to get up and running.
The start of a new semester is an opportunity to make time for intervention, SEL time and enrichment. Whether your school has a flex block already or you are looking to launch a new one, mid-year is a good time to make these important changes.