How do you provide interventions that work, when student have varying needs and are a different levels of understanding? It’s a tall order.

At many schools, teachers and school leaders work hard to meet student needs while still providing them progressive, grade-level learning standards. But what happens when some students need more?

In many schools, students need to get to school early or stay late for extra help. If they want to pursue enrichment activities, they may need to going an after-school club. In some cases, those with pressing needs are pulled out of core classes for services and intervention.

But what if all this could be done during the school day, without causing students to miss important instructional time?

Former principal, Assistant superintendent, author, and now coach and consultant Stephanie McConnell was recently a guest on the Reimagining Time podcast, where she laid out how her school was able to solve this problem with WIN, or What I Need time. Here’s what you can learn from her.

Overview

Stephanie McConnell, an educator and creator of the “WIN Time” software, discusses her journey from teacher to Assistant Superintendent and beyond in Hawkins, Texas. She highlights the challenges of traditional intervention methods, which often disrupt instruction and stigmatize students. WIN Time, a dedicated class period for targeted support, was developed to address these issues. Stephanie emphasizes the importance of a shared vision, clear expectations, and a supportive school culture. She notes significant improvements in student outcomes, including Hawkins’ transition from an F-rated campus to receiving the National Blue Ribbon Award. She explains the tool WIN Time Software, which streamlines scheduling, tracking, and communication, enhancing the effectiveness of WIN Time.

Top 3 Takeaways

  1. WIN Time is a dedicated, protected period during the school day designed to provide personalized intervention and enrichment for students, addressing individual learning needs without pulling students out of core instruction.
  2. Implementing WIN Time requires a cultural shift, with a shared belief that all students can learn and a systematic approach to scheduling, tracking, and supporting student progress.
  3. WIN Time can dramatically improve student outcomes, as demonstrated by Stephanie’s school going from an F-rated campus to a National Blue Ribbon Award winner, by providing targeted, data-driven support to students.

Episode Outline

  1. 0:02:20 Stephanie’s unexpected journey into education, inspired by walking her daughter to kindergarten
  2. 0:07:18 Challenges with traditional intervention methods (pulling students from core classes)
  3. 0:11:48 Definition of WIN Time (What I Need Time)
  4. 0:16:32 Challenges in implementing WIN Time, including staff mindset and school culture
  5. 0:19:33 Motivation for writing the WIN Time book – documenting their journey and success
  6. 0:23:03 Development of WIN Time software to help schools track and manage personalized learning
  7. 0:25:55 Tangible benefits: Hawkins school went from an F-rated campus to a National Blue Ribbon Award winner
  8. 0:28:37 Empowering students by giving them agency in their learning
  9. 0:29:55 Stephanie’s key advice: Know your “why” for implementing WIN Time

Listen Now!

Your Next Steps

  • Reach out to Stephanie to get help in starting WIN Time at your school.

  • Brainstorm with and communicate the “why” behind implementing WIN Time to your staff to build buy-in.

  • Explore the WIN Time book and software tool to support the implementation process.