West Irondequoit showcases 4–6 instructional blueprint, cites Panorama data and SEL gains

WEST IRONDEQUOIT, N.Y. — West Irondequoit Central School District leaders and staff used a Jan. 9 study session at Iroquois School to walk board members through classroom examples of the district’s instructional blueprint, explain how the Panorama data tool informs attendance and SEL interventions, and show teacher‑led student reflection practices intended to boost learning ownership.

The session, led by Superintendent Dr. Johnson and instructional staff, featured small‑group classroom visits, video clips and artifacts from teacher planning. "These study sessions are designed to be a way to really check in on those, to celebrate the progress in the buildings, an opportunity for the board to have some face time with our staff and students," Dr. Johnson said.

Why it matters: Teachers and administrators told the board the district is shifting more learning ownership to students through clear learning targets, student‑friendly rubrics and structured lesson closures — practices the district calls part of its instructional model. Officials said those steps, combined with implementation systems such as Panorama, are helping the district track attendance trends and target interventions.

Instructional practice: Presenters described lesson sequences that begin with stated learning targets, move to student collaboration and modeling, and conclude with student reflection and self‑assessment. "What we're really trying to do some enhancement around this year, and that is, putting more and more of the learning in the hands of the students," a presenter said. Teachers demonstrated goal setting practices used in a fourth‑grade class where students set weekly goals and meet with the teacher on Fridays to self‑assess.

Curriculum and cultural responsiveness: The district said fourth‑grade teachers are implementing a new unit studying local Haudenosaunee history and culture and are pairing that content with CKLA and Ready Math lessons. Staff referenced Zaretta Hammond’s work as a framework for making existing curriculum more culturally responsive by adopting classroom moves that build teacher‑student alliances.

Panorama data and absenteeism: District staff described how the Panorama platform allows staff to identify students trending toward chronic absenteeism, choose research‑based interventions, and track outcomes. Presenters said Iroquois set a goal to reduce chronic absenteeism from 15% to 12% and reported meeting that 12% target in the current year; they also reported a drop for English language learners from 42% chronic absence last year to 27% this year. "Panorama not only gives us tools to track data, but also can help us put together intervention plans," a presenter said.

Social‑emotional learning (SEL): Teachers showed components of Caring School Communities and Zones of Regulation used across tiers. The district reported year‑over‑year self‑assessment gains on Panorama: supportive relationships (from 90% to 93%), social awareness (69% to 72%) and emotional regulation (45% to 51%). Presenters said referrals have declined where restorative approaches and targeted check‑ins were used.

Classroom examples: Board members observed student activities that included paired description/drawing exercises, math problem solving with self‑rating, and teacher‑led goal conferences. A fourth‑grader who introduced herself as Zinnia Waszak described setting a goal to “get faster at my fact family” and explained how working on different individual goals in class helped classmates support one another.

Board reaction: Several board members praised the emphasis on student reflection and the district’s use of data to drive interventions. One board member said the consistency of SEL practices across rooms and the ease with which students navigated digital tools were notable.

Next steps: District staff said the work will continue to be monitored through Panorama and classroom artifacts; board members asked staff to keep reporting on attendance, referrals and SEL metrics.

Ending: The study session was followed by routine agenda items including minutes review and public comment.