Giving students a solid educational foundation so that they are prepared for post-high school educational opportunities and equipped to take on the challenges of a competitive and changing job market is our number one goal.

What we know about our changing and competitive job market and our schools:

1. The top 5 companies in the United States in 2017 were Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Facebook versus Exxon Mobil, General Electric, Microsoft, Citigroup and Bank of America in 2007.
2. The rate of change in society and the job market is changing faster than the rate of change in our schools nationwide.
3. The demands of a new and dynamic job market require schools to review and adapt its programming and offerings for students.
4. Simply learning content is not good enough anymore. Students must be able to apply content to new and open-ended problems.
5. More jobs are being automated each year forcing future employees to be adaptable and equipped with 21st century skills such as strong problem solving and creativity skills.

As a school district, we are constantly asking...

• What challenges will MWHS graduates face after high school?
• What are the changing needs in today’s workforce?
• What skills do MWHS graduates need to be well-prepared and competitive in the future job market?
• How should our student learning and instructional practices at Grandview and MWHS evolve to meet the needs of our students in the future?
• What skills and educational experiences do an MWHS graduate need in order to be successful after high school?

Westonka’s very successful secondary schools focus on delivering academic excellence:

• Collaborative staff learning and focus on student academic progress.
• The use of learning targets and descriptive feedback.
• Intervention and academic support programming built into the school day.
• Incorporation of Personalized Learning instructional practices embedded into classroom instruction and student learning.
• Incorporation of 21st century skills into student learning.
• A new grading framework that focus on student learning versus the attainment of grades.

Vision: To prepare Grandview Middle School and Mound Westonka High School students with the skills and foundation to flourish and lead in a changing and competitive job market.

The implementation of the Rigor & Relevance Framework across our middle school and high school will improve student learning and achievement by providing systematic rigorous and relevant instruction. The use of the Rigor & Relevance Framework will engage students in their learning and equip them with the tools and educational background needed to be successful and competitive in their future education and career opportunities.

Year 1 Goals (June 2018-May 2019)

• Analyze instructional practices data to determine current levels of performance in the areas of rigor, relevance, and learner engagement.
• Develop and implement an action plan to incorporate specific strategies to increase capacity of instructional staff in rigor, relevance, and learner engagement.

Year 2 Goals (June 2019-May 2020)

• Analyze instructional practices data to determine current levels of performance in the areas of rigor, relevance, and learner engagement.
• Define a clear vision for rigorous learning for all students
• Provide staff professional development focused on best practice instruction that yields consistent high rigor, high relevancy experiences for students.
• Transform school culture through effective and innovative leadership practices that enhance the importance of rigor, relevance, and learner engagement in the culture of the school.

Year 3 Goals (June 2020-May 2021)

• Evaluate progress the current three-year implementation.
• Review and assess the current action plan and create a future planning document to support ongoing collaboration and success for middle school and high school reform.
• Develop a model to offer ongoing internal support for instruction to ensure strong instructional fidelity and learner outcomes around rigor and relevance.

Implementation Plan

Grandview Middle School and Mound Westonka High School plan to partner with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). This organization is dedicated to working with schools with a specific focus on increasing rigor and relevance in teacher instruction and student learning.