Creating a special education schedule doesn’t have to be overwhelming. The “preferred times” method makes caseload planning faster, reduces conflicts, and keeps your IEP service schedule flexible.
Here’s how to use the preferred times method for efficient special education scheduling.
Step 1: Organize Your Caseload Details
Before starting your IEP scheduling, gather all relevant information for each student on your caseload:
Service minutes and frequency
IEP or evaluation due dates
Grade level and teacher
Location (if you serve multiple sites)
When your caseload data is organized, you can quickly spot patterns—like students who share a teacher or grade—which makes grouping easier.
Kit Connection: If you already have this information in Kit, give yourself a high five—because all you have to do is sort your caseload by header to scan and group students in seconds!
Step 2: Request “Preferred Times” Instead of Full Schedules
Instead of asking teachers for their entire classroom schedule, request their three best time blocks for you to see the student. This small change speeds up responses and gives you the most actionable information.
Teachers respond faster to a simple request.
You get top-choice times without sifting through lunch, recess, and specials.
If a teacher doesn’t respond, you can often use another teacher’s times from the same grade level as a guide.
Tip: Let staff know that scheduling is first come, first served—early replies have the best chance of getting their top picks.
Kit Connection: Once you have your list of preferred times, you can create a temporary “draft calendar” in Kit to visualize where each slot could go before finalizing your schedule.
Step 3: Place Students Into Their Preferred Times First
Once you’ve collected preferred times, begin placing students:
Group by grade, teacher, or service type.
Schedule non-negotiables first (compliance minutes, IEP timelines, planning blocks).
Fill in remaining open spots for the rest of your caseload.
This approach keeps you in control of your schedule while reducing conflicts and back-and-forth with staff.
Kit Connection: Kit’s drag-and-drop calendar makes it easy to try different arrangements until you find the one that works best—without erasing and rewriting the whole thing.
Step 4: Use Kit’s Calendar to Keep It Flexible
Once your schedule is set, add it to Kit’s calendar for easy management:
Drag and drop to move sessions when changes arise.
Color-label groups for quick reference.
Create multiple calendars for different service types, schools, or frequencies.
Add one-off events (IEP meetings, make-up sessions) without disturbing the main schedule.
Kit Connection: Because Kit allows multiple calendars and easy edits, you can keep your “ideal plan” intact while adjusting for real-life curveballs—without losing your original setup.
Why the Preferred Times Method Works for Special Education Scheduling
By focusing on “preferred times” instead of full schedules, you reduce the complexity for both you and your colleagues. Teachers give you the most workable options without overthinking, and you get the flexibility to adjust as needed.
Check out how Kit’s calendar can help you adjust when plans change!