Rotation Rhythm: Examining the Impact of Middle School Scheduling Models on Student Achievement and Teacher Well-Being in Forsyth County Schools
Location
Preston 2
Session Format
Presentation
Abstract
Forsyth County middle schools use four distinct scheduling models (weekly rotation, quarterly rotation, semester rotation, and fixed order) and vary placement of the flex/WIN block. This natural variation enables a low-burden, ex post facto mixed-methods study of how schedule design relates to student achievement and teacher well-being. Quantitatively, we will link schedule model and flex placement to Georgia Milestones and quarterly grades (2024–2025) using one-way ANCOVA and multilevel models (students nested in schools), controlling for prior achievement and demographics. Qualitatively, we will administer the 8-item Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (≈5 minutes) to all instructional staff (grades 6–8; ~11 schools), and conduct optional, small teacher focus groups to contextualize workload, planning, and climate. Grounded in Carroll’s Model of School Learning and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study asks which rotation frequency and flex placement yield the best balance of academic impact and teacher sustainability. Findings will be returned via an executive brief and interactive dashboard to guide evidence-based scheduling decisions statewide.
Keywords
scheduling models, teacher well-being, student achievement, middle school research
Professional Bio
Samantha Bradley is an Assistant Principal at South Forsyth Middle School in Forsyth County, Georgia and a PhD candidate in Curriculum and Instruction at Mercer University’s Tift College of Education. She has more than fifteen years in education, including ten years as a mathematics teacher. Her work centers on data informed decision making, teacher wellbeing, and scheduling models that elevate student learning. Her current study, Rotation Rhythm, investigates how period rotation frequency and flex placement relate to achievement and staff sustainability.Samantha supports district initiatives focused on new teacher induction, community partnerships, and innovative scheduling practices that enhance student learning and staff development.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Bradley, Samantha A., "Rotation Rhythm: Examining the Impact of Middle School Scheduling Models on Student Achievement and Teacher Well-Being in Forsyth County Schools" (2026). Georgia Educational Research Association Conference. 35.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/gera/2026/2026/35
Rotation Rhythm: Examining the Impact of Middle School Scheduling Models on Student Achievement and Teacher Well-Being in Forsyth County Schools
Preston 2
Forsyth County middle schools use four distinct scheduling models (weekly rotation, quarterly rotation, semester rotation, and fixed order) and vary placement of the flex/WIN block. This natural variation enables a low-burden, ex post facto mixed-methods study of how schedule design relates to student achievement and teacher well-being. Quantitatively, we will link schedule model and flex placement to Georgia Milestones and quarterly grades (2024–2025) using one-way ANCOVA and multilevel models (students nested in schools), controlling for prior achievement and demographics. Qualitatively, we will administer the 8-item Teacher Subjective Wellbeing Questionnaire (≈5 minutes) to all instructional staff (grades 6–8; ~11 schools), and conduct optional, small teacher focus groups to contextualize workload, planning, and climate. Grounded in Carroll’s Model of School Learning and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, the study asks which rotation frequency and flex placement yield the best balance of academic impact and teacher sustainability. Findings will be returned via an executive brief and interactive dashboard to guide evidence-based scheduling decisions statewide.
