Equitable School Scheduling

To understand a school’s values and priorities, look at its schedule.

When schedules do not meet the instructional needs of students, the result is a pipeline from PreK through grade 12 that leaks students, an outcome disproportionately experienced by students of color and other marginalized student groups. This practical and thoughtful guide demonstrates how school and district scheduling teams can become "Architects of Equity"—highly effective teams who design schedules that reflect their commitment to student achievement and social-emotional wellbeing. Including strategies to shift collective mindsets around scheduling, organize and support teaching teams, and ensure fiscal responsibility in scheduling, Equitable School Scheduling is a vital resource for secondary school leaders committed to dismantling systemic inequities inherent in school structures.

Readers will learn how to

• Self-assess site and/or district data through a deep examination of the course of study, site schedule(s), transcripts, and graduation cohort outcomes.
• Design and implement an Equitable Core—a guaranteed set of courses that all students experience as a part of a meaningful graduation.
• Prioritize underestimated and historically underserved students in the planning of the schedule.

Equitable School Scheduling helps school and district administrators use scheduling as a tool to transform the leaky pipeline to graduation into a meaningful path to post-secondary success for all students.