An item from a K-12 blended learning organization.

Two North Providence elementary schools receive governor’s citations for improving academic outcomes

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Join the conversation as we partner with communities to design and implement school-based change.

In This Week’s Issue

• Two of our partner schools were recognized this week for improving outcomes
• Meet your Strategic Planning & School Improvement Team Needs
• Research Advisory Committee Member Spotlight: Jaime Del Razo
• Join us for a FREE webinar next week with New England ISTE

Two Highlander Institute partner schools recognized with governor’s citations for improving outcomes despite pandemic challenges

At the 2022 Rhode Island State of Education address on Monday, May 9th, Greystone and Centredale Elementary Schools in North Providence were recognized for improving student achievement despite the many challenges educators have faced since school buildings were closed in March 2020.

“We are incredibly proud of these two school communities and all of the hard work, dedication, and resilience they have demonstrated over the past couple of challenging years. It is a true example of how combining the expertise of our leadership and educators with a talented Highlander Institute facilitator and effective school change model created successful outcomes – especially for our students.” — Louise K. Seitsinger, Assistant Superintendent, North Providence School District

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Meet Your Strategic Planning Needs

“This has been one of the most streamlined, data-driven, and effective strategic planning processes I’ve ever been a part of.” — Current Partner, District Administrator, RI

“Highlander Institute’s process pushed us to authentically bring our stakeholders to the table to support visioning and decision-making.” — Current Partner, School Leader, NY

Rhode Island LEAs: kickstart your strategic planning process and be ready to meet RIDE’s new requirements. Highlander Institute facilitates multi-stakeholder school teams that build consensus around instructional priorities, innovative approaches, measurable goals, and comprehensive planning. Reach out to mcomella@highlanderinstitute.org to learn more.

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Research Advisory Committee Member Spotlight: Jaime Del Razo

Please join us in welcoming Jaime Del Razo, PhD of Vassar College to Highlander Institute’s Research Advisory Committee (RAC). As a member of the RAC, Dr. Del Razo supports the development and refinement of Institute data tools, including our Student Experience Survey as part of our study funded by Assessment for Good.

What do you wish your teachers knew about your experiences as a student? How does this connect to why you believe it’s important for us to better understand student experiences to guide teaching and learning?

I am a first generation student from middle school to the PhD. All of our children are different and we never know the impact we will have long after they leave our classrooms.

What makes you excited to be part of this project?

An opportunity to work with Karina Rodriguez (Highlander Institute’s Director of Research & Analytics) again.

About Jaime: Jaime Liborio Del Razo, is an Assistant Professor of Education at Vassar College. His work examines the continual and ‘accepted’ forms of oppression that marginalized communities endure in overt and subtle forms in the United States. Though this research agenda intersects a variety of topics, his two current lines of inquiry are (1) College Access and Equity for Undocumented Students; and (2) The School-To-Military Pipeline. Jaime holds a PhD in Education from UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies (GSE&IS) and a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric from UC Berkeley. His doctoral dissertation examined the college matriculation of undocumented students using Critical Race Theory as his primary theoretical framework and a mixed methodology using both qualitative and quantitative analyses.

Jaime has been an educational policy researcher, classroom math teacher, a university outreach program provider, and he served in a US Army artillery unit during the Gulf War.

It’s Webinar Time!

Are you a building leader or district administrator? Join Malika Ali, Stephanie Garcia, and Heidi Vazquez for our upcoming webinar, hosted in partnership with the New England chapter of ISTE. Our team will present The Power of Productive Struggle next week on Wednesday, May 18 from 12:00-1:00PM.

Amidst the pandemic, school leaders have consistently reported a drop in student persistence and a rise in student frustration levels when faced with challenges. In this session, you’ll hear how schools striving for instructional equity are overcoming these issues — by upholding high expectations for all learners, increasing student engagement, and building capacity for rigorous work.

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