Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education School Performance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Manchester School highlights progress in attendance, math and student Market Day
Summary
Manchester Elementary reported gains in attendance and math that led to removal from the Department of Education's Tier 3 action plan; staff described layered social-emotional supports, new multilingual hires and a fifth-grade Market Day project that integrated economics and project-based learning.
Manchester Elementary presented its annual "State of the School" update to the RSU 14 board on Dec. 18, with school representatives describing progress on attendance, math proficiency and social-emotional learning.
Danielle, the Manchester School lead who presented the update, said the school's comprehensive-needs assessment drives ongoing improvement. She highlighted two school goals: providing a "safe, inclusive and engaging learning environment" and aligning professional practice with the RSU 14 instructional framework. Danielle said the school was recently exited from a Department of Education Tier 3 action plan in math and attendance that began in 2019, crediting sustained coaching, strategic fund use and data-driven collaborative work.
"We went all through the pandemic...we really did benefit from the coaching we received," Danielle said, describing the school's use of professional learning communities and targeted interventions.
Fifth-grade teacher Julie Young described Market Day, a project-based culmination of an economics unit in which students create products, prepare marketing and sales materials, and run a market. Several fifth-grade students spoke to the board about what they learned: Eily described scarcity, needs and wants; Gia and other students discussed supply and demand; and Carly said the experience taught her about entrepreneurship and teamwork.
The presentation also noted new district-level multilingual hires and the district's use of the RSU 14 instructional framework (grounded in Fisher and Frey) to build teacher practice. Staff described multiple layers of social-skills instruction that include classroom guidance, restorative circles, small-group interventions and targeted instruction delivered by social workers and counselors.
Board members asked for examples of enrichment for students who do not need interventions; presenters described "win time" and "PLT (personal learning time)" that can be used for enrichment, small-group work and clubs. Danielle and staff said the school has expanded team teaching among fifth-grade teachers to focus instruction and improve planning.
The board thanked the students and staff for the presentation; there was brief follow-up about school scheduling and the district's attendance protocol, which staff said the school will continue to monitor.
The board moved on after the school's presentation to the auditor's report later in the agenda.
