Managing Schedule Constraints
Prior to placing sections, a scheduler should gather information concerning constraints. A constraint is any consideration for a given scheduling resource that limits where it can be placed. All scheduling resources can be constrained, and it is important that a scheduler identify both hard and soft constraints. A hard constraint is inflexible, while a soft constraint is more likely a strong preference.
Abl recommends working with staff to gather hard and soft constraints prior to scheduling. Keep in mind that constraints are often context-specific. The list below covers common constraints schedulers may encounter, but it is not exhaustive, nor is it aware of any specific context for your school.
Course Constraints
Courses can be constrained in several ways:
Capacity Limits: Some courses have a hard cap on the number of students who can be enrolled
Staffing Requirements: Some courses need staff with special certifications
Space Requirements: Some courses need specific space (i.e. science labs needing lab classrooms)
Staff Constraints
Some types of staff constraints are:
Contractual Requirements: Staff often have strict rules about teaching loads and minutes.
Non-Course Sections: Staff will have duties, special assignments, and prep which may or may not be flexible.
Full-Time and Part-Time Staff: Schedulers must schedule staff within their allocation and pay particular attention to part-time staff who have more limited availability
Personal: Some staff may have limited availability due to family responsibilities, medical needs, or other personal issues
Student Constraints
Students constraints include:
Special Education/504/ELL Status: Students with these designations will have specific scheduling needs and early consideration of these needs in scheduling is advised
Scheduling Groups: Students belonging to pathways, academies, or other special scheduling groups will often require a specific set of courses, which often constrain scheduling possibilities
Extra-Curricular: Some students will be off-campus for various activities (athletics, college coursework, etc.) which can be considered a constraint in scheduling.
Facility Constraints
Room constraints include:
Shared Spaces: Many schools share common spaces with co-located schools and often only have access to the cafeteria, gym, or yard at specific times
Special Facilities: Some classes rely on special facilities and must be scheduled into specific rooms. Examples include science lab courses, computer lab courses, fine arts courses, performing arts courses, and physical education, and potentially others.
Passing Times: Schedulers should be mindful of the lived experience of a particular schedule. While not a true rooms constraint, being mindful about how far teachers and students may need to travel across campus within a passing time is important.