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Board reviews new advisory curriculum and online‑class mentor model
Summary
District staff described adopting the Wayfinder advisory curriculum and the SchoolLinks college‑and‑career platform, and defended an online‑class mentor model that staff say raised completion rates from under 50% to near 100%.
District staff presented updates on advisory curriculum and online learning at the November board meeting, describing steps the district has taken to standardize advisory lessons and support students pursuing online courses.
Sean, a member of district staff, said the district adopted Wayfinder for advisory this year because staff wanted a research‑based curriculum that teaches six core skills—“self‑awareness, adaptability, empathy, collaboration, agency and purpose”—across all high‑school grade levels. He said staff plan teacher and student surveys to evaluate early implementation and may adjust lessons after the first year.
The board also heard about SchoolLinks, a platform the district is using for college‑and‑career planning and to host local scholarship information. “SchoolLinks is ... a One Stop Shop for those kids to go,” Sean said, describing career exploration tools, the Common App integration and local scholarship management.
Board members and staff spent substantial time on the district’s online‑class model. Staff described a shift to a supervised, in‑school mentor model—placing students taking different online courses together in a classroom with an adult mentor—to raise course‑completion rates. A staff presenter said earlier, unsupervised online offerings produced completion rates under 50%, but switching to the mentor model produced near‑100% completion. The district also described monthly online‑class expenditures (an example month’s bill: about $10,000) and per‑class costs that vary by provider (many around $200–$250 per credit).
Board members asked how online offerings will be balanced against in‑person experiences and how those courses will align with students’ individual career or academic plans. Staff said if an in‑person equivalent exists, students cannot take it online; online options will primarily expand offerings the district cannot staff directly.
Board members asked staff to continue collecting implementation data and to present survey results to the board later in the school year.
