Over the last two years, Heritage Elementary School has been able to create a laser-like focus that enables student achievement while protecting teacher autonomy in the classroom. In a time when high-stakes testing and accountability overwhelm new and veteran teachers alike, we want to empower teachers to feel confident in their abilities.
Even with the shift to Common Core standards, we have been able to increase student growth and proficiency by providing teacher training and programs that allow them to answer DuFour’s 4 Essential Questions:
- What do we want each student to learn?
- How will we know when each student has learned it?
- How will we respond when a student experiences difficulty in learning?
- How will we respond when a student demonstrates proficiency?
We firmly believe our success of increasing School Performance (i.e. State Letter Grade from a D to a B) is the result of implementing programs and partnerships that answer the questions of “What do we want each student to learn?” and “How will we know when each student has learned it?” prior to the teacher stepping into the classroom. … Read More