Spalding principal highlights standards‑based grading, student‑led conferences and teacher 'instructional rounds'

Spalding Elementary Principal Ashley Andrews told the board the school has focused this year on five pillars tied to the district’s portrait of a graduate, including academics, social responsibility and out‑of‑classroom learning. She described instructional rounds as "a temperature check" in which teacher teams collect qualitative data about classroom practice to identify strengths and needs and to plan targeted professional development.

"Rounds is really focused on the problem of practice to support our school moving forward," Andrews said, describing the process as teacher‑led and rooted in collaboration. Kelsey Ryback, who has facilitated instructional rounds for multiple years, said the practice builds trust among staff and makes teacher‑led professional development more effective because colleagues share classroom strategies grounded in daily practice.

The presenters outlined the district’s move away from letter grades to a one‑to‑four standards‑based grading scale. Andrews said a "three" indicates consistent, independent mastery and a "four" denotes mastery at or above grade level, and that the change is intended to give clearer feedback to families and students on specific skills.

"Feedback focuses on growth and progress toward those standards," Andrews said, adding that standards‑based grading creates multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery and reduces anxiety tied to single summative marks.

Staff also described student‑led conferences in which students prepare a short presentation on their "glow and grow" items, review their data and discuss goals with family members. A group of fifth‑grade students who appeared in a recorded segment told the board the conferences helped them feel more prepared and confident. One student said, "I feel prepared. I feel proud. I feel confident." Teachers reported that 53% of staff already noticed increased student accountability from the conferences after the first year.

Administrators tied the instructional and grading shifts to positive culture changes and shared several PBIS‑style recognitions (Warrior Awards, weekly traits and principal 'positive passes') intended to celebrate holistic student growth. The presentation closed with examples of field trips and in‑school experiences intended to deepen student engagement.

The board asked whether parent attendance at conferences had improved; presenters said October conferences are already well attended while February participation has room to grow and that district staff will continue monitoring family engagement and middle‑school transition needs.

The district will continue piloting and evaluating the practices and report back as they gather longitudinal evidence of student outcomes.