Minute by Minute - School Strategies for Optimizing Time - Case Studies of Promising Practices

Oct 15, 2026

Minute by Minute: School Strategies for Optimizing Time presents school scheduling approaches designed to strengthen academic programming and improve college- and career-readiness outcomes. Produced for the New York City Department of Education, the report explains how schools can find and use instructional time, determine best-fit uses for that time, and support teachers within an interlocking program structure. It includes an executive overview, guide to key themes and case studies, and multiple model school examples, tables, appendices, and a reader’s guide to apply practices in local contexts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages82

Reading Time3 h 27 min

AccessFree to download

MESSAGE FROM VANDA BELUSIC-VOLLOR

Executive Summary

Guide to Key Themes & Case Studies

Case Studies

Case Study 1 Academy for Careers in Television & Film (ACTvF)

Case Study 2 Channel View School for Research

Case Study 3 Edward R. Murrow High School

Case Study 4 High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology (HSTAT)

Case Study 5 Manhattan Bridges High School (MBHS)

Case Study 6 PACE High School

Case Study 7 Pelham Preparatory Academy

Case Study 8 The Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science (AMS)

Case Study 9 The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice (SLJ)

Case Study 10 Williamsburg Preparatory High School

Appendices

Glossary of Terms

Minute by Minute: Reader’s Guide

Minute by Minute School Strategies for Optimizing Time Case Studies of Promising Practices ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was produced by the New York City Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Readiness (OPSR) and Research & Policy Support Group (RPSG) . OPSR and RPSG gratefully acknowledge the valuable contributions from many individuals to produce this resource. First and foremost, we want to express our deep appreciation to all the school staff who participated in this project. Through their support, we had the opportunity to engage with principals and school communities throughout the city whose time, insight, and hospitality were essential for the success of this project. In particular, we would like to thank Edgar Rodriguez, Pat Tubridy, Allen Barge, Phil Weinberg, Mirza Sanchez-Medina, Yvette Sy, Carlos Santiago, David Krulwich, Suzette Dyer, Michael Shadrick, Alona Cohen, Millie Henriquez-McArdle, Gary Giordano, and their committed teams. Additionally, critical support came from Josh Thomases, Vanda Belusic-Vollor, Julian Cohen, Lauren Perkins, Noel De La Rosa, Victoria Crispin, Ailish Brady, Michelle Paladino, and Katie Hansen; and the following offices, OPSR, RPSG and Office of Academic Policy and Systems. We are also extremely grateful for our expert reviewers who provided ongoing encouragement and constructive feedback. Finally, we would like to thank the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation and The Fund for Public Schools for graciously supporting this work. Sincerely, The School Time Lab Team Lisa Anzalone, Program Director Kathleen Mulgrew-Daretany, Program Manager Verna Lauria, Consultant Nancy Sheehan, Intern Luanne Smith, Intern Office of Postsecondary Readiness Elise Corwin, Evaluator Lillian Dunn, Evaluator Amanda Warco, Intern Research & Policy Support Group TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM VANDA BELUSIC-VOLLOR 2 Executive Director, Office of Postsecondary Readiness, New York City Department of Education EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3 GUIDE TO KEY THEMES & CASE STUDIES 6 Table 1: Model School Key Demographic and Performance Information 8-9 Table 2: Model School Program Structures and Priorities 11 Table 3: Balancing Priorities and Tradeoffs 13 Table 4: Road Map to Case Studies 16 CASE STUDIES Case Study 1 Academy for Careers in Television & Film (ACTvF) 18 Case Study 2 Channel View School for Research 24 Case Study 3 Edward R. Murrow High School 28 Case Study 4 High School of Telecommunication Arts and Technology (HSTAT) 33 Case Study 5 Manhattan Bridges High School (MBHS) 38 Case Study 6 PACE High School 43 Case Study 7 Pelham Preparatory Academy 48 Case Study 8 The Urban Assembly School for Applied Math and Science (AMS) 52 Case Study 9 The Urban Assembly School for Law and Justice (SLJ) 57 Case Study 10 Williamsburg Preparatory High School 61 APPENDICES Appendix A Sample Schedules 66 Appendix B Brooklyn Frontiers High School: Using Trimesters 68 to Bolster Credit Accumulation Appendix C Susan E. Wagner High School: Creating a Senior Seminar 70 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 72 MINUTE BY MINUTE: READER’S GUIDE 74 This interactive guide will allow readers to more easily navigate the report and apply lessons learned to their own context Recommended Citation for this Report Corwin, E., Dunn, L., Warco, A., Laura, V., Mulgrew-Daretany, K., Anzalone, L. (2014) . Minute by Minute: School Strategies for Optimizing Time: Case Studies of Promising Practices. New York City Department of Education. MESSAGE FROM VANDA BELUSIC-VOLLOR In its basic form, Academic Programming serves as the infrastructure for the look and feel of the school day; however, a school’s academic program is, more importantly, an incubator for probability. Students’ likelihood of graduating college and being career ready is directly related to the opportunities provided to them in four years of high school. This report provides insight into an often under-utilized p

FAQs

What is the central focus of the report?

The report focuses on Academic Programming and how schools can optimize time during the school day to improve college- and career-readiness.

How does the report describe Academic Programming?

Academic Programming is described as creating schedules that support school vision and goals, align common objectives and team commitments, and coordinate budgets and resources to maximize time use.

What does the reader gain from the case studies section?

The case studies present promising practices from model schools, supported by tables and structured guidance so readers can apply lessons to their own school context.

Oct 15, 2026

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