DOCUMENT RESUME ED 056 5(13 EM 009 360 TITLE Proceedings of the 4th NATIConference. Multiple Choice; The True Test of theFuture. INSTITUTION National Association For theIndividualization of Instruction, Wyandach, N.Y. "1 PUB DATE NOTE 130p.; Proceedings ofConference of the National Association for the Individualizationof Instruction (New York, N.Y., November7-9r 1971) AVAILABLE FROMMr. Angelo A. Cialdea,WLC-Waltham, 125 Wyman Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02154($5.00 plus postage) EInS PRICE MF-$0.65 HC-$6.58 DESCRIPTORS *Conference Reports; *Educ,,tionalInnovation; *Flexible Scheduling;*Individualized Instruction; *Nongraded System ABSTRACT The report of a conference onindividualized instruction contains briefdescriptions of the two conference sponsors--the Westinghouse LearningCorporation and the National Association for theIndividualization of Instruction.The report also provides abstracts of somespeeches delivered at theconference and biographies of the speakers. Abibliography of individualized instruction, nongraded classes,differentiated staffing, and environmental variablesassociated Tr'ith individualizedinstruction is also included. Three resourcepapers areappended--one on nongraded education by instrumentationand two reports of otherconferences on individualized instruction. (JY) 4th NA!Conference M IfipleCh ice: TheTrueTest ofthe Future rti (ra's National Association for theIndividualization of Instruction and Westinghouse LearningCorporation /LIJ STEERING CONNTTEE El Coniemnce Di)tectox Azziatant Angelo A. Cialdea Noel C. Medrow Westinghouse Learning Corporation Westinghouse Learning Corporation Waltham, Massachusetts New York, New York PM.Lde.nt, NM/ Vice-ftesident, NATI James Lewis, Jr. James Butler Wyandanch, New York Wyandanch, New York Semetany/Tnectisuit.eit., NAII Donald Kelton Wyandanch, New York TRADITIONAL SCHEDULING The modern secondary schooloffers its students a highlydiversified curriculum. It is not uncommon forthe number of available courses to exceed one hundredand for nmnw of these to becomposed of multiple sections or classes. It's easy to understand 1,:nythe task of pre- paring a master scheduleand student schedules has becomeexceedingly complex and tedious. The administration must try tosatisfy the academic desires of the students while being mindfulof practical considerations such as teacher class loads, semester balanceand building utilization. MUch of this work is essentiallyclerical and repetitive in nature; it wastes administrativetime, is subject to extensive errorand us.ually ends up requiring changes that may take weeks or even months to camplete. Westinghouse Learning Corporationhas developed a computerized scheduling system which isefficient, effective and econominal.More Amportantly, the system meets therequirements of the schooladminis- trator. Just a few of its many importantfeatures include: the assistance af aa expriencededucational consultant; extensiverror checkingand editing procedures; a powerful classloading program; and built-in flexibility which allows easyconversion to flexible modular scheduling andother innovative systems. GRADE REPORTING Westinghouse Learning Corpurationha\s- developed a computerized grade reporting system as partof a bomprehensive educational data services program. The system,Olichwas designedby educators and computer experts, has provento Eie reliable andresponsive to the needs of secondary schools. It is completely compatible with WLC traditional and flexiblescheduling systems and gains ineffi- ciency through the use of datacollected from these systems. Versatility is one of the system'simpOrtant points: six-week or nine-week grading periods may beused;\variable grade weights may be assigned; credit may bebased on sem\ester grades orend-of-year grades; and courses may havedifferent credit values rangingfrom 0.00 to 9.00. Efficiency, simplicity ahdreliability are the other attractive features of WLC'sgrade reporting system: it saves asub- stantial amaunt of time andeffort; it's easy to use andunder- stand; and the generatedinformation is consistently accurateand complete. The basic reporting serviceprovides the school with severalim- portant items including reportcards, cumulative pupil attendance reports and lists of pupilswith failing or incompletegrades. In addition, a schOol may elect to receive avariety of optional re- ports and services: Rank in Class Lists Frequency Distribution of Grades Comments on Report Cards Class Lists with CumulativeGrades Maintenance of Cumulative GradePoint Average Summary Lists by Counselor EDUCATIONAL CONSULTING Westinghouse Learning Coiporation is striving to assist schools with methodical, well-planned change. To WLC, change means progress for the betterment of education: improvement in teaching methods; better understanding between teachers and students; the implementa- tion of new programs or the revision of traditional ones; and the revamping of teaching-learning philosophies to keep pace with today's educational generation. In advocating this change, we feel an essential ingredient is the proper use of consultants. And because educational problems differ from those in industry, WLC has built a consulting staff consisting of former school administrators and professionals with first-hand knowledge and expertise in the development and operation of school programs. Expert assistance is available in administration, com- puter systems, curriculum development and a variety of other impor- tant educational areas. The Board of Education, the administration and the public have a right to question the need for using "outside" consultants. Is it really necessary?What will be accomplished?When and how do you choose the firm and the consultant? To answer some of these questions, you shouhl review all of the points listed on the following pages. If you then feel that further discussion of your particular educa- tional problems would be helpful, a WLC consultant will contact you personally, with no obligation. The WLC educational consulting office nearest you is listed on the last page of this brochure. FLEXIBLE MODULAR SCIIEDULING Flexible modular scheduling is one of the innovative educational services offered by Westinghouse Learning Corporation. It is a tool which the local school administrator can use to great ad- vantage to individualize instruction so students can learn at their own pace. The Westinghouse Learning Corporation Flexible Modular Scheduling System, which incorporates the Stanford School Scheduling Syster, generates the school master schedule, assigns students to classes, and produces class lists, and teacher, room and student schedules. This scheduling tool allows the school to utilize a greater number of time blocks than in traditional scheduling. By combining time blocks, the school may schedule its classes for various lengths, -Irequencies, class sizes, staffing patterns and instructional activities. Traditional periods are yeplaced by "mods" (modules of time) of usually 15 to 20 minutes. The number of mods varies from class to class and from day to day for various classes. Students meet in large lecture groups, in small groups, and in lab sessions. Students may also have 25 to 50 percent of their time unschedul&i when they can choose their own activities. The implementation of a flexible modular schedule does not by itself make a drastic change in the curriculum. It does, however, provide the opportunity to change the present curricula to provide a much more individualized approach to the programming of each student. Flexible scheduling enables the administrator and the educational staff to make optimum use of the faculty's time, the students' time, and the school facilities and offers the oppor- tunity to provide an individualized program for the student and the teacher. The faculty will have more opportunity to structure and teach their classes using the most appropriate instructional materials and methods. Schools which consider a flexible modular schedule usually do so in order to meet certain objectives which they have determined to be meaningful for their setting. These objectives usually include some or all of the following points: 1. To individualize instruction. 2. To further the professionalization of the teaching staff. 3. To expand, develop, and improve curriculum. 4. To inplement new instructional methods. 5. To instill within the students somedegree of responsi- bility for their own education. If your faculty has collectively asked questionssuch as these: How can we better educate our slow learners?How can we help our upperclassmen prepare for the greater independencethey will find in college?How can we enable the boy with five majorsand physi- cal education to sample same minors? HOW can webring our program into line with our stated belief inindividualizing instruction? then it's time you seriously investigatedflexible modular scheduling. National Association for theIndividualization of Instruction is an organizationdedicated to: developing unitv in the movement forindividualized instruction, producing available andinvaluable materials aboutihdi- vidualizing instruction forits membership,continuously alerting school districtadministrators, educators, agen- cies and the generalpublic to the need forindividualizing the instruction program,and establishing a homebase for those interested inobtaining furtherinformation, expertise leadership and planning inthe area of individualizing instruction. NAII SERVES THROUGH: Conferences - NAII conducts anannual conference with some of the most