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Seymour Middle School highlights AI pilot and sets SEL, academic goals in improvement plan
Summary
Seymour Middle School presented a three‑goal improvement plan emphasizing social‑emotional learning, academic growth and family engagement and showcased an AI pilot the district says is giving students new learning tools while teaching ethics and responsible use.
Seymour Middle School leaders on Tuesday outlined a three‑goal improvement plan that pairs social‑emotional learning with targeted academic gains and increased family engagement, and showcased the district’s participation in a statewide artificial‑intelligence pilot.
The plan, presented to the Seymour School District Board of Education, centers on RULER training and restorative practices to strengthen school climate; measurable academic targets for math and science; and structured family partnership events. Principal of Seymour Middle School said the school is in “phase 1” of RULER staff training and described an early ethics lesson that frames AI as “just a robot” and teaches students responsible use.
Why it matters: The district framed the AI work as part of a broader push to improve student outcomes during transitional grades. Administrators said Seymour Middle School is one of six schools in the state participating in the controlled AI pilot, and that early classroom experiments — tutor bots, character chatbots and writing‑feedback tools — were tied to higher skills‑assessment scores in the presenter’s recent experience.
Key details and targets presented included a goal that 90% of certified staff complete RULER training and an 80% student target for reporting they feel respected by peers and adults. Academic targets included a 10% cohort increase in math achievement for seventh and eighth grades and a higher, 22% year‑over‑year RIT growth target set for eighth‑grade math. The school also set a goal to reduce chronic absenteeism by 2.3 percentage points from a reported 13.8% baseline.
On AI, the principal said teachers developed chatbots to “spark creativity, productivity, and support learning,” and emphasized teacher programming and conferencing as central oversight: “You are the ones that are programming the tools that the students are using,” the principal said during the presentation.
Board members asked for clarity on transition years and vertical alignment between elementary and middle grades; presenters described plans to deepen instructional alignment from fifth through eighth grade and to reallocate SRBI (student support) resources to increase targeted intervention. The district also described plans for parent conferences, family events and regular communications to boost stakeholder engagement.
What’s next: The presentation will inform the district’s school improvement work for the year; board members asked administrators to provide ongoing growth metrics and trend data so progress can be tracked in future meetings.
