This is a move school officials say will save time, use resources more efficiently and better support students at the district's 11 high schools.
The Hartford Board of Education approved the deal with Timely during its Dec. 16 meeting.
The total cost of the Timely contract is $181,500, an estimated $16,400 per school. Funding will come in part from a Barr Foundation grant awarded to the district for innovative high schools, with the remainder covered by general funds.
Kondra Rattley, deputy superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, said the tool will handle the technical aspects of master scheduling, leaving more time to focus on students.
"This resource is intended to support schools by maximizing their resources..." Rattley said.
Rattley said high school master scheduling is particularly complex due to the wide range of course offerings, the individualized needs of students and the large student populations in each school.
Schedulers must balance course requests with graduation requirements, Individualized Education Programs, multilingual learner plans and students' post-secondary goals, she said.
According to the proposed contract, budget constraints and reduced staffing have made it increasingly difficult for Hartford schools to create master schedules that optimize personnel while maintaining high-quality learning experiences.
While the tool is designed to assist administrators, staff and students, Rattley said that it will not replace the expertise of school-based counselors, who advise students and families on course selection. Final scheduling decisions will also remain with school administrators.
"It will cut down time spent on solving schedule conflicts and provide additional approaches for leaders to consider when determining what is best for their schools," Rattley said.
Timely claims it has helped districts and schools save between 50 and 100 hours on scheduling, with an average of 97 percent of students receiving their requested courses.
Rattley said that the tool will primarily be used by master schedulers, with counselors continuing to collect course requests and advise students and families. She said administrators will also gain time to focus on budgeting and staffing decisions.
Abby Olinger Quint, senior director of data and accountability at Hartford Public Schools, said the district will require any vendor using student data to sign a data-sharing agreement aligned with federal and state student privacy laws.
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