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Webster Groves highlights summer professional development, program evaluations and expanded summer learning
Summary
At its opening-of-schools briefing, district leaders described extensive summer work: more than 100 educators took part in professional development, program evaluations launched for music and literacy, I-Ready will replace NWEA benchmarks, and summer programs grew enrollment at several sites.
In an opening-of-schools update to the Webster Groves School District Board of Education, Superintendent Doctor Parker and district staff reported a range of summer professional development, program-evaluation work and expanded student opportunities that the district said will shape the coming school year.
Doctor Parker recounted classroom visits and student conversations she said illustrated positive learning experiences; she told the board of a fourth grader, Carly, who said school was "great" after getting more time to work on a classroom presentation. Derek and other district leaders outlined summer offerings that included an experiential learning teacher academy entering its second year, a new I-Ready benchmark replacing NWEA, inquiry-based science training led in part by visiting expert Paul Anderson, and the launch of program evaluations for K-12 music and K-12 literacy.
District staff said more than 100 educators participated in summer professional learning or curriculum and leadership development, and that the Chelsea Center provided opportunities through which 63 students received credit for travel experiences, internships and other pathway activities. The elementary summer program doubled its sites this year, staff said, and Hixson's summer program saw large enrollment growth.
The board and staff also recognized facilities and operations employees for summer work including building maintenance, power washing and tuckpointing that prepared aging facilities for the school year. The district rebranded its employee-recognition program to align with the "1 Webster" initiative and distributed a new lapel pin at the meeting.
Staff reported ongoing work tied to the district's strategic plan: character-based discipline (Character Plus) is active in three elementary schools, restorative-practices work continues, and program-evaluation findings and curriculum revisions will return to the board with updates in the spring. No formal policy votes on curriculum or program changes were recorded at this meeting.
District leaders said the summer activities intend to improve student pathways and curriculum alignment and that the board will receive additional evaluation results and recommendations later in the school year.
