Rochester schools highlight student leadership programs, AP gains and early-childhood investments

At the August 7 board meeting, administrators and teachers highlighted district programs and student successes as part of back-to-school reports.

At the junior high, leaders presented the Leader in Me/Student Voice program and showed a short video, saying the initiative increased student ownership, leadership opportunities and teacher empowerment. A teacher-leader was singled out for presenting at a national conference; staff invited board members to visit classrooms and events.

Administrators also described new early-childhood technology purchases funded by grants, including a mobile “active floor,” an interactive sandbox and introductory coding tools ('bee bots') for pre-K rooms. The superintendent called the early-childhood investments “a testament to how hard the district has worked investing in the early childhood.”

High school administrators celebrated student achievements in the arts (a student’s work displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art) and strong Advanced Placement outcomes. The superintendent cited AP pass rates and noted some subjects had pass rates well above state averages.

Finally, the district announced a new quarterly publication, Rocket Review, intended to highlight staff and student accomplishments and to be available to the public and alumni. Administrators said the first issue is in hand and that future issues will be quarterly.

These reports were informational; no policy votes occurred on the program items at this meeting.