Large Urban Districts Tap Social Impact Software Company to Increase Access to Rigorous, College Level Courses for Underrepresented Students

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Sep 29, 2022, 15:30 ET

Districts including Los Angeles Unified School District, Houston Independent School District, San Francisco Unified School District and Baltimore City Public Schools have introduced Abl's advanced analytics software to help leaders understand how school schedules impact access to rigorous coursework.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- In recent months, Abl, developer of popular student scheduling software, has been selected by large urban districts across the country to simplify complex operational processes and improve access to educational opportunities through the lens of the school schedule.

As school districts continue to recover from the pandemic and seek innovative solutions to reverse unprecedented student learning loss, Abl's EquitABL Opportunity Analysis and VisABL Scheduling tools provide districts a clear, data-driven, view of students' college and career readiness. By analyzing student transcripts across the districts, Abl's software enables districts to identify paths of low academic rigor and distribute resources to improve advanced coursework pathways for underrepresented students.

"Our partnership with Abl will continue to provide increased opportunities for students to access the courses needed to graduate as well as coursework aligned with their personal interests. We look forward to increasing dual enrollment, internships, college readiness, career planning, and other enrichment opportunities for students," said Dr. Geovanny Ponce, Assistant Superintendent High Schools Office at Houston Independent School District. "The impact of our work with Abl will continue to improve student outcomes for years to come".

Abl's tools are used in a myriad of ways to streamline operational complexities and increase access to accelerated and advanced courses that better prepare students for postsecondary options.

In California, Abl's partnership with Los Angeles Unified School District has provided district leaders with data-supported analysis to increase student access to academically rigorous classes, support facilitation of school-level planning, and the professional development necessary to ensure not only graduation for students but college eligibility (A-G), career preparedness, and college readiness.
In San Francisco Unified School District, in partnership with Kelefors Education Partners, a San Francisco-based independent consulting firm and local non-profit Partners in School Innovation, Abl will gather data and create dashboards presenting key data trends and provide strategic assistance to support the school districts' Task Force deliberations. This work will provide community-informed recommendations to improve the portfolio of high schools in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).
Houston Independent School District, the largest school district in Texas, approved Abl to begin work in the district to understand the impact that schedule design has on access to rigorous courses, lead strategic scheduling protocols to create time in the day for high-impact interventions, and to boost graduation rates.
In North Carolina, Abl's partnership with the Public Schools of Robeson Country led to a 25% increase in enrollment in Career and Technical Education courses and an increased enrollment in Advanced Placement (AP) courses. According to the school district, Abl's software allowed the school district to provide students with schedules earlier, match educator expertise with student needs, and prioritize collaboration time for all instructors.
Earlier this year, Abl was awarded a statewide grant in Maryland to begin work in Baltimore City Public Schools. This work will help restructure school schedules to allow for more occurrences of tutoring, mentorship, service learning, career and college exploration, or social-emotional supports for underserved students and students experiencing learning loss.

"As we expand, Abl will continue providing best-in-class data analytics and school design expertise to align resources with district goals while better meeting the needs of students and teachers," Howard Bell, Abl CEO said. "We are excited to continue our support for the millions of students we serve as part of our mission to support more equitable access to high quality pathways, as well as postsecondary and career opportunities."

These new initiatives are in addition to Abl's work with other states and school districts including Washington State OSPI, Portland Public Schools, Washington D.C. Public Schools, Rhode Island Department of Education, San Diego Unified School District, and others.

About Abl
Abl empowers districts to fulfill the promise of education by simplifying complex operational processes. We expose and disrupt ineffective and inequitable pathways through data analysis and intelligent tools so districts can intentionally design flexible and responsive schools that allow students to own their futures. Learn more at ablschools.com.

SOURCE Abl