Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Farmington highlights 'LevelUp' coaching pilot as district plans year‑two expansion
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Coffin and building leaders described a district‑wide push to scale student‑centered learning through the LevelUp coaching model, lab classroom days and instructional walkthroughs; trustees praised the pilot and asked about time, budget and measures of impact.
Farmington Public Schools on June 2 presented an update on the LevelUp professional learning pilot that the district piloted this year in four buildings and plans to expand to all schools in 2026–27.
Superintendent Dr. Coffin described the initiative as an investment in "collective teacher efficacy," saying research links teacher collaboration and job‑embedded professional learning to improved student outcomes. Curriculum leaders Ronda Henry and Margaret Hendrickson summarized the district’s "positioning blueprint"—a shared lesson‑design language—and a LevelUp model that pairs in‑person executive coaching from Learning Works with classroom walkthroughs and embedded coaching for teachers.
Beach View Elementary Principal Shandra Hurtton and Warner Middle School Principal Corey Porterfield gave concrete examples: staff surveys, lab classroom days, monthly collaborative walkthroughs and cohorts that redesigned lessons to move instruction from teacher‑centered to student‑centered structures (equity sticks, gallery walks, higher cognitive prompts). Both principals reported increased student discourse and small‑group problem solving in classrooms that participated in LevelUp this year.
Trustees asked about practical supports: funding for substitute coverage and release time, scheduling to create common planning periods, and next‑step professional learning (an end‑of‑year conference, Inacon, on June 15–16). Trustees praised the cultural work and emphasized the need to monitor impacts at junior high and high school levels as the program scales.
Implementation notes: District leaders said the LevelUp prototype will expand next year to include every building, with in‑person coaching once a month and virtual follow‑ups. The district will use walkthrough data and school improvement goals to track instructional shifts; specifics on measurable student‑level outcomes were discussed as a follow‑up area for trustees and staff.
Next steps: The board noted continued focus on staffing, budgeting for release time and examining how classroom changes translate into measurable gains on literacy and numeracy metrics.
