The mission of the Teaching and Learning Department is to excel in supporting and facilitating optimal student learning in partnership with teachers and principals.

Through a shared commitment to develop “productive, responsible, civic-minded adults who prosper and serve,” Teaching and Learning strives to ensure that it supports teachers and principals in answering the four questions that should drive educational practices:
 

• What do we want students to know and be able to do?  (curriculum)
• How will we know if they know it?  (assessment)
• What will we do if they don't?  (intervention)
• What will we do if they do?  (enrichment)

Andrea Thiry-Wenz, Director of Teaching & Learning-Secondary Education

In the Howard-Suamico School District, and across the state of Wisconsin, we are working to ensure that our students are ready for further education and careers. Our state assessment has been changing to reflect this priority.

 In the next couple of months, Wisconsin public schools will receive the results of the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Examinations (WKCE) that students in Grades 3 through 8 and 10 took this fall. This year, Wisconsin raised the WKCE scores needed for students to reach the basic, proficient, and advanced performance levels in reading and math. Because of these changes, WKCE results will show a significant decline in the number of students considered to be “proficient” or “advanced.”  This does not reflect a change in the abilities of students, teachers, or schools.  It only reflects the higher standards and aspirations we have for our students and schools.

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Kathleen Hoppe, Director of Teaching & Learning-Elementary Education

The home-school partnership is key for student learning achievement for all students but especially those who struggle in school.  Over the last year and a half several tools have been put into place to assist with closing the gaps in reading and math for struggling students.  During the 2011-2012 school year two additional reading interventions were adopted for K-10 struggling reading students. Previously we used LLI in K-4 – Leveled Literacy Instruction. Now we have intervention programs for targeted students K-10 and selected students at Title Buildings and within our 5-10 grade level systems. 
 

Students who are identified as targeted for the intervention are typically more than a year and a half behind their "typical grade level peers" while selected students are typically between  a year and a year and a half behind their "typical grade level peers".  While we know that all students learn and grow differently, reading is a connected skill that is essential to most other learnings in life.

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"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn... and change." Author: Carl Rogers