Crowder’s Creek staff tell board inquiry labs foster student voice, data tracking and teacher collaboration

Joanne Piazza, one of Crowder’s media specialists, and members of the Crowder’s Creek Impact Team presented a summary of an inquiry lab the school hosted and described how the work supports the district’s personalized learning initiative.

Piazza said resilience is an instructional focus this year and described check-in signs and student self-evaluation questions teachers are using: “What did you feel confident about today? What did you not feel confident about today? And how can you improve next time you’re here?” she said. Piazza described giving students choice through activities like choice boards and encouraging leadership by having students explain their learning to visitors.

Members of the Impact Team said they invited district teachers, including middle and high school staff, into Crowder’s classrooms during inquiry labs so visitors could observe practices across grade levels. The team grew from five volunteers to 12 and hosted a range of grade-level examples showing student data tracking, goal setting, voice and choice, and flexible learning environments.

“We truly feel that these inquiry labs have changed the way that we teach for the better and are formatted in a way so that teachers can easily take back the wealth of expertise that is right here in Clover School District,” a presenter said. The team noted they followed up the inquiry lab with school-based professional development sessions so teachers could implement observed strategies immediately.

Presenters thanked district administrators, the CCE admin team, and the innovation coach Natalie Randolph for support and noted that several district staff members later featured their work on a South Carolina Department of Education podcast.

No board action was required; the presentation served as an update on instructional practice and teacher-led professional learning.