Curriculum

• District Assessment Matrix
• WISEdash Public Portal
• District and School Report Cards

Assessment is a critical part of school improvement and student learning.  The district assessment program allows the district to gather information for a variety of purposes.  Well-designed and appropriately used assessments provide the following benefits:

• Teachers gain information about individual students’ strengths and areas of improvement.
• Teachers can evaluate the effectiveness of their instruction.
• Students are made aware of their skills in a variety of areas.
• Teachers, parents, students, and policy makers make more informed decisions.
• Programs can be evaluated for their impact on learning.
• School buildings and the district as a whole can report on academic progress.

The School District of Arcadia uses a variety of assessments including formative, summative, screening, diagnostic, benchmark and state level assessments.   The primary goal of the assessment program is to monitor and improve student achievement.  The second role of assessment is to provide necessary information to improve curriculum and instructional practices.  On-going assessment data analysis is completed during grade/department level PLC meetings, school level data meetings, and school and district level data retreats.

Educators in the School District of Arcadia are committed to having high functioning professional learning communities.  PLCs focus on the following Big Ideas. 

1. A focus on learning,
2. Building a collaborative culture, and  
3. A Focus on results  

Educators use the following questions during collaboration time on Wednesdays from 3:45-4:45 to guide their work.

1. What do we want students to learn?
2. How will we know they have learned it?
3. What will we do if they have learned it?
4. What will we do if they have not learned it?

If you would like to learn more about the work of PLCs, please contact your child’s teacher or building administrator.  

The role of instructional coaches is to increase opportunities for teacher success and to cultivate student growth and achievement. Coaches encourage teachers to reflect on their practices and to implement high impact instructional strategies to foster positive change in their schools.  Coaching encourages reflective practices and leads to improvements in instructional capacity and it improves the school-based culture.

There are three primary elements driving the development of the Arcadia School District Instructional Coaching Framework: 

1. District mission and district goals 
   • Promote a collaborative PLC culture that supports reflective teaching and learning 
   •  Closing achievement gaps 
2. Effective schools research 
   • Student achievement is more likely to increase when the quality and consistency of classroom instruction improves. (Marzano, 2012) 
   • Collective Teacher Efficacy is the number one influence related to student achievement. (Hattie, 2018) 
   • Collective teacher efficacy is the belief that together teachers can achieve more, especially when they collectively believe students can learn at high levels. 
3. Instructional coaching research 
   • Research shows that instructional coaching has a positive impact on the rate of implementing instructional methods.

What is ESSA?  ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act)  is the newly reauthorized law, formerly ESEA (Elementary and Secondary Education Act).  This law is broken into different titles which provide the district with federal dollars to support the education of all students.  The law contains a number of provisions districts are required to implement for each Title. Title programs in which the Arcadia School District receives funds are: 

• Title I - Improving The Academic Achievement of the Disadvantaged
• Title II - Preparing, Training, and Recruiting high-quality Teachers, Principles, and other School Leaders
• Title III - Language Instruction or English learning and Immigrant Students
• Title IV - Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant and 21st Century Schools

For more detailed information, please watch the Every Student Succeeds Act - Overview Video

Many factors contribute to a student’s academic performance, but research from Marzano suggests that teachers matter more to student achievement than any other aspect of schooling. To help our new staff as they begin their journey as an educator at Arcadia School District , we have a number of supports in place.

The components of this support system are:

• Mentor training
• New staff orientation
• Ongoing mentor/new teacher activities

Program Goals

1.  To improve the learning environment for students.

New teachers create positive classroom environments using the PBIS framework.  As they gain confidence in using the available resources, they become more effective in utilizing advanced teaching techniques.  Effective management benefits students in the learning process.

2. To meet the individual professional needs of new teachers and to assist them in understanding the mechanics of various district functions.

Time and emotional energy can be saved if new teachers can be introduced to the workings of the school district, their assigned school and the rudiments of classroom procedures and practices.  This introduction can lead to a more relaxed beginning and a quicker focus on individual needs and staff development.

3. To provide a vehicle for socialization and camaraderie.

For many new teachers, a new job may mean a new community with unfamiliar surroundings.  Helping teachers find housing, meet school personnel and become familiar with the cultures of the community in a relaxed, informal setting will improve their social and personal well-being.

4. To retain quality teachers in the district and in the profession.

The new teacher orientation program will have a positive influence on new teachers by reducing stress and thereby reducing the attrition rate.