In January of 2020, district leaders began meeting with parents, staff, board members, communities of faith, business and community leaders, policy makers, social service agencies, educators, universities and students to identify the types of skills and competencies in which stakeholders want students to excel. There are numerous 21st Century skills, but our stakeholders prioritized the following competencies for our students: adaptability, communication, critical thinking, learner's mindset, empathy, and integrity. “Now, more than ever, learning experiences must not only provide the acquisition of rigorous academic content, but they must also foster the development of life-long skills that our young people need to thrive in this complex, rapidly changing world,” said Brenda Miller, NWLSD Director of Curriculum.
The district’s team of stakeholders met once per month starting in January, and convened throughout the month of April. The virtual meetings were held on the following dates: January 13, February 11, March 16 and April 14.
Click the links below to see an overview of our meeting minutes:
Our Board of Education formally adopted our Portrait of a Graduate in May of 2021.
Our Department of Curriculum worked with a team of 35 NWLSD teachers during the 2021-22 school year to increase their understanding of deeper learning. The teachers then worked together to design deeper learning expeditions for each grade level from preschool through 12th grade.
Our deeper learning expeditions have the following characteristics:
designed to be 1-4 weeks in length
aligned to Ohio Content Standards
targeted focus on at least 2 Portrait of a Graduate competencies
interdisciplinary content (a minimum of 2 subject areas)
learning experiences that require students to work interdependently
allow for student voice and choice throughout the expedition
strong process and product
must include meaningful interaction with others outside of the school, real-world connections
intentional opportunities for student reflection and self-assessment throughout the learning experience
The following are examples of the types of essential questions that our students will be working to answer as part of our grade level expeditions:
How can we persuade more people to live and work in our community? (Grade 6)
How does a budget help people plan and make personal economic decisions for the present and future and to become more financially responsible? (Grade 3)
How can creativity and geometry be applied to engineering? (Grade 10)
What changes can be made on Earth to keep animals from becoming extinct or endangered? (Grade 2)
How have technological inventions from Ohio helped the United States? (Grade 4)
Utilizing your knowledge of Newton’s first law, how can you improve the design of a helmet, seatbelt, parachute, or other safety mechanism? (Grade 8)
The NWLSD is looking for meaningful opportunities for our students to partner with members of our community and beyond as they work to explore content and answer these essential questions. We are looking to partner in our learning with real estate agents, urban planners, individuals working in our area parks, architects, farmers, gardeners, public health officials, firefighters, politicians, small business owners and many more. We are also seeking opportunities for our students to extend their learning beyond the classroom through field trips and other experiences.
Teachers have begun implementing our deeper learning expeditions this school year with the goal being to scale this work moving forward so that every student has the opportunity to be a part of an expedition each school year moving forward. We look forward to partnering with you to make learning meaningful for our students and to ensure that our graduates are ready to become productive contributors in our community and beyond.