With the launch of our strategic plan, we were seeing gains in graduation rates and overall college readiness in our high schools. However, we knew we still had work to do to reach our goals. Abl’s analysis helped us see that many scholars were not having the rigorous, robust schedules and academic experiences they needed to open every possible door after high school. Not only that, but our scheduling practices were also resulting in a financial hit to our district.

The Leading Through the Master Schedule process and partnership was transformational for our district in looking at how to approach master scheduling as a tool for expanding access and opportunity to college and career readiness for all students.

Partnering with ABL allowed [our] administrators to do away with spreadsheets and stacks of paper — and more easily create academic pathways aligned with our core values of equity and opportunity.

The ABL team brought institutional knowledge of national best practices in scheduling to our strategic planning efforts, which was a serious value add. Because they know how other districts across the country are scheduling, the realm of possibilities was much broader than if we just considered what was happening in other parts of Iowa. Their expertise expanded our tool box as we considered how to provide the best, and most equitable, education for all students in our district.

We have been able to efficiently work through scheduling conflicts so students can complete their core classes while also taking advantage of other enriching, future-shaping opportunities. With a better schedule, we’ve been able to increase enrollment in important career and technical education courses by 25 percent this year.

Abl allows me to dig into the number of conflicts and who the kids are. I have more knowledge and information when I’m building the schedule rather than waiting for the end to have some conversations.

Abl knows us better than we know ourselves, but shared it in a way that was informative, enlightening and sparked critical thinking without any shame.

It’s time to embrace not only the potential but the essential role of operations in furthering the pursuit of educational equity. When overlooked or underestimated, school-level processes can inhibit access to rigorous, high-quality teaching and learning. But when harnessed correctly with equity at the core, school operations have the power to improve every student’s experience—and to catalyze all other efforts to enhance pedagogy, rigor, and engagement.