The state of Rhode Island is implementing sweeping changes for high school graduation requirements that leaders anticipate will open avenues of opportunity for thousands of students each year, creating college and career ready high school graduates equipped with real-world skills that are ready to take on the rigors of academia and transition into high-demand professions.
Elk Grove Unified School District had an ambitious plan to improve pathways for secondary students and increase underrepresented student participation in advanced courses. However, precise data on enrollment patterns, course offerings, and disparities was lacking, and faster feedback during scheduling was needed.
A school’s schedule and the resulting student academic journey are crucial components in preparing students for postsecondary readiness. Henry County Schools experienced a common challenge in that student opportunities varied widely across schools within the district, which resulted in an overall trend of low advanced course enrollment.
Taunton High School, which includes the district’s eighth grade students, has utilized block scheduling since 1996. But four years ago, faced with the reality of declining accountability ratings and accreditation challenges, school leaders began to evaluate whether the schedule was helping or hurting student performance. They needed data and stakeholder engagement to make the case for change.
Washington State education leaders and policymakers have taken a bold stance on the need for expanded access to academically intense courses for all students. State and district-level leaders know that academic acceleration is a key driver of statewide college readiness and career preparation.
Yet state leaders and school district superintendents recognize a challenge: Access to high academic intensity courses cross the state is uneven and often has low participation, or enrollment disparities do not reflect students’ diversity.
Dr. Hafedh Azaiez took the reins of the Round Rock Independent School District at a time of seismic shift in public education. The sprawling school district located in the northern suburbs of Austin, Texas, has long enjoyed a stellar reputation as a destination district. But when Azaiez was hired as Superintendent in 2021, Round Rock ISD, like districts across the nation, was still reeling from the effects of the pandemic – virtual instruction, declining enrollment, teacher burnout, and, the perineal challenge for public schools, insufficient funding.
Cedar Rapids school district planned to switch to a new Student Information System provider and a block schedule in the 2019-2020 school year. The district wanted an audit of its information systems to ensure efficiency, equity, and data health, specifically looking at class sizes, staff distribution, disparities across schools and student groups, and accuracy of information in the SIS.
Federal Way Public Schools Improving College and Career Readiness for all Students Federal Way is focused on an advancement of a college-going culture and expanding STEM access to all students. An analysis of transcript and scheduling data helped them identify ways to improve college and career readiness for all students in the district. More Success … Read more