Scheduling Based on Teacher Strengths and Student Needs
Designing Schedules That Put the Right Teacher with the Right Students
In one large, high-need middle school, leaders knew their master schedule could make or break students’ chances of getting the help they needed most. With this in mind, Basis partnered with Battelle for Kids and the school to build a data-informed scheduling process that matched teachers’ strengths and students’ needs. Ultimately, instead of simply filling periods and class sizes, good scheduling prioritized students. Our researchers analyzed student performance data, identified which teachers were most effective with certain subjects and groups of students, and reorganized class assignments and support blocks so struggling learners could get more time with their strongest teachers.
A thoughtful, student-centered master schedule can become a powerful level for equity and learning without adding new staff or resources. By using data to decide who teaches whom and when, the school collaboration and intervention revolutionized scheduling. More importantly, the project can be adapted by other schools looking to get more out of the time and talent they already have.
Key Findings
Basis designed a master schedule that consciously matches teacher strengths to student needs. More importantly, our strategy works without boosting funding. Ultimately, our scheduling
- used performance data to group students and assign teachers ensures the most effective teachers work with struggling students.
- reduced teacher workload in unproductive areas and freed time for collaboration, planning, and intervention.
- offers a replicable model for other schools.