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Norridge SD 80 reviews 2026–27 middle-school schedule: ELA and math extended, advisory shifted to homeroom
Summary
District 80 administrators presented proposed 2026–27 schedules for Giles and Lee schools that lengthen ELA and math to 80 minutes per day using a “front 60, back 20” instructional model, move writing into ELA, shift advisory to a brief homeroom, add encore semester courses, and increase lunch to 40 minutes. The board will vote on schedules next month.
Norridge SD 80 administrators presented proposed schedules and curriculum changes for the 2026–27 school year that extend core instructional time and reorganize supports for middle-school students.
At Giles School, the presentation laid out projected enrollments and a daily structure that makes ELA and math 80 minutes each, described by the presenter as a ‘‘front 60, back 20’’ model in which the first 60 minutes deliver tier‑1 instruction and the last 20 minutes provide targeted tier‑2 support. The presenter said writing will no longer be a separate class but will be embedded in ELA, and advisory time will be replaced by a shorter homeroom at the start and end of the day for check‑ins and social‑emotional work. "That front 60 is that tier 1 instruction, and that back 20 is that tier 2 where we have that intensive, or, support," the Giles representative said.
Administrators outlined changes to encore (specials) offerings: Giles would add two additional encore classes, including a dedicated writing encore for grades 5–6 and a financial‑literacy encore; art and STEAM would be offered in semester blocks (18 weeks each). Lunch periods would increase from 30 to 40 minutes, with staggered transitions so different grades use the cafeteria and recess space at different times.
District presenters also reviewed MTSS (multi‑tiered system of supports) counts at Giles: for math, approximately 12 students were in tier 3 (~2.8%), 61 in tier 2 (~14.5%) and 351 in tier 1 (about 82.7%); for ELA, the presenter reported about 17 students in tier 3 (4.2%), 52 in tier 2 (13%), and 333 in tier 1 (82.8%). The report said one interventionist at Giles worked with roughly 40 students this year; administrators recommended continuing and expanding intervention staffing to sustain observed gains.
At Lee School, administrators reviewed current class sizes and projected enrollments in lower grades and discussed reducing second‑grade sections from five to four next year to keep class sizes near 20–22 students. Lee’s representative said the district has piloted an extra 3rd‑grade classroom to offer enrichment and is weighing options for accelerating curriculum for advanced learners versus deepening grade‑level instruction.
Superintendent-level staff told the board they will present the formal 2026–27 schedules and staffing requests for board approval next month; no final votes on the schedules were taken at the March 18 meeting.
Why it matters: The schedule changes reshape how instructional and intervention time are delivered across middle grades, affecting daily routines, teacher planning and student supports. If approved, the reallocation of minutes and the added intervention/enrichment services will alter instruction time distribution and may affect class coverage and staff assignments.
The board set the formal schedule approval for next month, when it will also consider related staffing and posting of several open positions.
