We are pleased to share some of the wonderful professional learning our educators have experienced this year! Throughout the school year, math teachers in grades 6-8, Algebra 1 teachers, middle school special educators, and middle school instructional assistants came together for a series of collaborative professional development sessions centered on the implementation of Illustrative Mathematics. These meetings took place during early release professional development, horizontal meeting times, and onsite in-classroom coaching.
Under the guidance of our consultant, in coordination with Director Kandice McBrearty, our educators engaged in meaningful learning experiences covering unit unpacking, lesson internalization, research-based instructional practices, and strategies for meeting the needs of diverse learners. Teachers were given dedicated time to apply their learning directly to upcoming lessons, ensuring that students benefit from these improvements in real time.
Throughout the year, feedback has been gathered from educators regarding the implementation. As a mid-year check-in, we more formally surveyed the educators implementing IM, and the students in those grade levels. That information was analyzed to help guide professional learning for the rest of the year and discussions about ways to make the experience for students even better. We have sent out surveys to educators and students, similarly, for the end-of-year feedback, which we will use to help in planning for next year. Additionally, we now have a Thought Exchange Survey for families of students involved in the implementation to take. If you could take 5-10 minutes to fill it out, we would greatly appreciate it. Your voice matters as we forward plan.
We are proud of the dedication and thoughtfulness our staff has brought to this work, and we look forward to seeing it continue into next year as we enter Year 2 of implementation. This ongoing commitment to professional growth is a true reflection of our educators' passion for providing the best possible experience for every student.