23,000 students | 49 schools | 87% graduation rate
Executive summary
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.
The challenge: Inconsistent standards limiting opportunity and resources
When Federal Way Public Schools (FWPS) implemented a new high school schedule (2014), every school in the district had its own set of graduation requirements. There was no agreed-upon set of common metrics for college and career readiness.
FWPS sought to align improvement and accountability measures across the district, and understand the impact of master scheduling practices on student access to rigorous coursework, instructional time, and resource efficiencies.
The solution: Data-driven analysis of schedules, academic opportunity, and resource allocation
FWPS engaged the team at Abl, now BetterLesson, to conduct an analysis focused on college and career readiness metrics, instructional time, student enrollment, and equity in the district.
College and career readiness: Are student schedules structured to ensure academic preparedness?
Use of Time: How many hours of instructional time are students participating in per course credit?
Course Enrollment: How many students are enrolled in partial versus full academic schedules, and how is this impacting resource allocations through the state funding formula?
Academic Opportunity: Do levels of academic rigor for students’ coursework differ across student groups?
“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.”
Tammy Campbell, Superintendent, Federal Way Public Schools
The impact: Measurable gains in academic opportunity, instructional time, and student postsecondary outcomes
The Abl data analysis identified trends that help Federal Way leadership pursue the following goals:
Boosting college and career readiness metrics and expanding access
A college and career readiness audit identified significant discrepancies in student course-taking patterns – and disparities – between schools and student subgroups.
Based on the results of this audit, FWPS implemented a variety of college and career readiness initiatives, including intentional improvements in student schedules to maximize rigorous coursework. The district measured impact using a variety of metrics, including data on student enrollment in two- and four-year programs directly after high school graduation, as well as persistence in those programs; senior exit surveys and student perception data; and college-bound scholarship data.
Increasing instructional time per course
An audit of the district’s base schedule focused on instruction time. The audit found that students in Federal Way were with an instructor 43 hours less (approximately 8 weeks less of instructional time) per course credit than school districts on a six-period day.
Federal Way launched a task force to study the findings from this audit and provide tailored and strategic recommendations for adjustments that improve the students’ learning time.
Improving student enrollment and maximizing resources
Abl’s audit also found that, by their third and fourth year, many students who had completed the required number of courses were enrolling in partial schedules: starting the day late, leaving early, or engaging in non-course activities (e.g., Teaching Assistant positions). In addition to limiting time for college and career preparatory activities, this practice also decreased the amount of state funding allocated to the district.
Federal Way instituted a new policy to prevent students from being assigned to non-courses activities or having open periods in their schedules. The percent of students with open periods in their schedule decreased. This has elevated students’ ability to access different courses that will set them up for success after graduation while simultaneously improving state funding.
Conclusion: Key lessons for K-12 districts
Federal Way’s experience demonstrates that master scheduling is not just an operational decision—it’s a strategic lever for improved access to academic rigor, student outcomes, and resource optimization.
Many districts face similar challenges: graduation requirements that vary by school, scheduling practices that inadvertently limit access to rigorous coursework, and missed opportunities to maximize both student learning time and state funding.
The data-driven approach Federal Way took with Abl, now BetterLesson, revealed patterns that weren’t visible from any single vantage point: disparities in course access across student groups, significant losses in instructional time compared to peer districts, and the financial impact of enrollment practices that seemed minor in isolation but added up to substantial funding gaps.
If you’re ready to strengthen the connection between your master schedule and your district’s goals for teaching and learning, consider these action steps:
- Perform an audit of school schedules to analyze instructional time per course, identify disparities impacting student and educator experiences, and inform decisions about how to reallocate resources to better meet your goals.
- Establish (and monitor) clear metrics and goals to track college and career readiness as part of the district strategic plan and yearly goal setting.
- Prioritize structured supports and buy-in for school leaders, creating shared accountability for strengthening the connection between the master schedule and your district’s goals for teaching and learning.
Like Federal Way, your district can use scheduling and enrollment data to open doors for every student while making the most of your resources. The question isn’t whether these patterns exist in your schools—it’s whether you have the visibility to identify and address them strategically.
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