Virginia Beach proposes 'ThriveTime' in middle school master schedule to protect electives and increase targeted support

Matt Delaney, chief schools officer, introduced a presentation on proposed changes to the middle school master schedule and said the school division will return with an informational update Jan. 28 and an action request on Feb. 11. The work responds to the Virginia Department of Education’s school performance and support framework and the Virginia Literacy Act’s shifting instructional priorities.

Dr. Smith, senior executive director for middle schools, and a design team of middle school principals and teacher representatives recommended a uniform schedule across middle schools: block schedules for core classes of roughly 90 minutes and bell schedules for electives of about 50–55 minutes. The division proposed adding a daily "ThriveTime" — about 50–55 minutes — intended to give students access to electives while also providing structured time for SOL remediation, English‑learner supports, special education services and counselor‑led advisory and career planning.

Why it matters: under the current variety of schedules across the division, students who require additional support often lose elective classes. Dr. Smith said ThriveTime would allow students to receive targeted support without forfeiting elective access. He gave several sample schedules showing how a student in SOL lab or an English‑learner could keep elective courses (for example band or world language) while receiving support within ThriveTime. He also showed examples where students with IEPs could receive academic concepts during ThriveTime and still complete a full slate of electives and potentially earn high‑school credits (for instance, Spanish 1).

Key recommendations and details included: - Uniformity: move the majority of middle schools to a consistent model (90‑minute core blocks; 50–55 minute daily electives) to ease student transfers and allow consistent supports and PLC scheduling. - ThriveTime: a daily 50–55 minute bell dedicated to a mix of academic interventions, electives, counseling/advisory and pull‑outs for small‑group instruction. The district emphasized ThriveTime is not intended to be a study hall; principals will develop specific uses locally. - Protections for specialized programs: Plaza Middle School (International Baccalaureate) and Old Donation School (gifted center) will keep schedules that allow three electives; those schools will continue SOL support models as needed. - Teacher schedules: core teachers would work a mix of two 90‑minute blocks and a daily planning/lunch structure intended to preserve PLC time and planning; elective teachers’ schedules remain largely unchanged (five daily elective classes).

Board members asked about how ThriveTime assignments would be made and how students would be pulled for supports. Dr. Smith said every student would be assigned a Thrive bell; students requiring specialized services (ESL, special education) would be served during that time or pulled into alternate settings for individualized instruction. He emphasized the plan aims to reduce the common situation where students lose access to electives because they must be removed for remediation.

Implementation timeline: the division will continue collaboration with principals and school‑based teams, present additional detail at the Jan. 28 meeting, and bring the plan to the board for action on Feb. 11. Dr. Smith and principals invited board members to submit questions in writing to central staff for compiled responses at future meetings. No formal vote occurred on Jan. 14.

Board members who spoke during the Q&A included questions on mastery and student outcomes, length of ThriveTime (about 55 minutes), elective participation, and how the plan protects planning time for teachers and PLCs.