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Lincoln Elementary staff outline curriculum mapping, active learning and tiered social supports
Summary
Lincoln Elementary teachers and staff described curriculum mapping, active-learning strategies and a three-tiered social-emotional support system they say have helped raise MCA scores and reduce behavioral incidents.
Lincoln Elementary leaders presented a set of classroom and support strategies at the Bemidji Public School District board meeting on Jan. 27, describing curriculum mapping, active-learning structures and a three-tiered social-emotional tiered model used across grades.
School Principal Jason Laksick said Lincoln was identified for “best practices in reading and math” and introduced teachers and support staff who described the practices in detail. "Mapping curriculum and aligning instruction and assessments to benchmarks ensure that teaching is focused and intentional," said Melissa Anderson, a kindergarten teacher, explaining the school’s curriculum maps and how they link monthly plans to district proficiency scales.
The presentation stressed why those practices matter: curriculum maps keep grade-level teams working toward the same benchmarks and make instruction coherent across multiple sections, Anderson said. Second- and third-grade classroom strategies were described as complementary: third-grade teacher Kim Bolte described “thinking classrooms” or active learning techniques that ask students to solve problems collaboratively, using low-floor, high-ceiling tasks and digital or paper-based “escape room” activities to increase engagement.
The board also heard about Lincoln’s tiered social-emotional approach. Angie Lauterbaugh, Lincoln’s school social worker, described Tier 1 whole-school supports such as morning meetings and the Second Step curriculum; Tier 2 small-group lessons and targeted supports; and Tier 3 individualized therapy provided through North Homes (the district’s contracted therapy provider). Lauterbaugh said she has worked with about 90 students this year in small-group or one-on-one sessions covering self-regulation, grief and anxiety. "I think the most important part of my day is to be listening to kids and to be approachable," she said.
Board chair Wall and other board members thanked the Lincoln team for the presentation and encouraged community members and board members to observe classrooms. Student outcomes and behavior metrics were referenced as improving: presenters said reading and math MCA scores were factors in selecting Lincoln for the best-practices presentation and that behavioral referrals were trending down, though no specific MCA scores were offered during the presentation.
The presenters invited board members and community members to visit Lincoln classrooms to see the approaches in action. The presentation concluded with questions from the board about sustaining the work; staff said they plan to continue the current processes that they reported have produced positive outcomes in recent years.
