Malden superintendent outlines instructional strategy and early signs of reading and math gains

Superintendent Sippo told the School Committee on Feb. 2 that Malden's district strategy for improvement focuses on instructional leadership, formative coaching, and ensuring that students do the "heavy lifting" in classrooms rather than passively receiving instruction.

"Our instructional priority this year is to see that our students day in and day out in every classroom are doing more of the heavy lifting," Sippo said, summarizing work that includes school‑based cycles of observation, coaching, lesson study, embedded professional‑development (PD) blocks, and regular data reviews using assessments such as DIBELS and i‑Ready.

Sippo described a multi‑tiered structure: building‑based coaches and teacher leaders who meet district‑wide to calibrate practice; instructional leadership teams that meet monthly; PD blocks embedded in the school day (typically a 45‑minute block every other week in many K–8s) that provide non‑evaluative coaching time; and voluntary coaching cycles where teachers observe peers and receive demonstration lessons.

He cited early encouraging indicators at the Salemwood School and districtwide midyear assessment snapshots: "K–5 students have had the highest mid‑year results in the last three years in DIBELS," and grades four through eight showed improvement on i‑Ready compared with midyear last year. The superintendent cautioned it is early to draw firm conclusions but said there are students across the district who have made more than a year's growth in four months.

Committee members pressed for clarity on what the district means by "meaningful growth." Assistant administrators explained that, in the meeting's discussion, greater than a 2% change between fall and winter was being referenced as a threshold for meaningful short‑term growth, though the district will provide more detailed, disaggregated subgroup data (by disability status, English‑learner status and race) at a future meeting.

Administrators also emphasized that the coaching and PD blocks are designed to be non‑evaluative and to be scheduled without reducing teachers' contractual prep periods. The superintendent said the district will continue to bring examples from additional schools and promised more data at upcoming meetings.

The presentation framed the strategy as a system of supports—coaches, principals, assistant principals and teachers working together—to help teachers implement strategies that increase student engagement and higher‑order thinking.