Learning Models
Learning Models
In Person, 5 Days
All Edina schools are preparing to welcome students to the return to in-person learning five days a week. This will especially be a transition for many learners who were solely in online learning environments last year. Our first step in welcoming students will consist of building relationships with learners, establishing a positive classroom community of learners, communicating learning expectations for the year and assessing where learners are in their learning journey, specifically in foundational literacies of reading and math.
The EPS Teaching and Learning department continued to develop the online learning model to ensure there was a model of excellence for Edina families who do not want their students to return to the brick and mortar setting.
Online Learning Options
Edina elementary schools and Edina High School have been approved by the Minnesota Department of Education to offer a comprehensive online learning program for the 2021-22 schools year. South View and Valley View Middle Schools are in the final stages of application for the same approval.
Consistency in Learning
No matter what model Edina learners choose to engage in during the 2021-2022 school year, Edina staff are committed to providing consistency in learning. Collaborative teams will meet regularly to review what students need to learn, what that learning will look like, what they need to know about their learners, how they will intervene when students need more time, and how they will extend learning when students need less learning time. Support for these conversations will be provided by the district office partnering with site leadership teams.
Student Support Services
This fall, Special Education teams will review each student’s IEP and progress data to determine if any changes are necessary to ensure that the student has access to a free and appropriate public education. This is a continuation of work that was started in the spring, identifying students who failed to make adequate progress on annual IEP goals. Case Managers will be in contact with families and hold team meetings for each student to review progress and discuss considerations for compensatory education. Teams will be trained on navigating these conversations to ensure that student needs are addressed in an equitable manner.
Defining Excellence
We will begin the school year with various screening and assessment elements that will allow us to garner key information to ensure our students are learning at high levels. All students in grades K-8 will be assessed this fall regarding their development of reading and math skills.
- Fastbridge testing will occur for reading and math in grades K-6 within the first three weeks of school. This data will provide the district with a universal screener for reading, and will provide teachers with an instructional starting point for math and reading.
- This assessment will be followed with a MAP test for reading and math starting in late September. MAP data will help us set normative growth goals for each grade level. Results of these assessments will be reviewed with sites and presented to the school board after these assessment windows close. Monthly meetings with principals will monitor student learning and progress.
In addition, we will continue curriculum refinement which will define excellence in instruction for our students at all levels both in the present and into the future. Although there are several curriculum review projects underway, the most critically related to the 2021-2022 plan for return to school is the implementation of the PreK-5 Comprehensive Literacy Plan. As part of the implementation process, all elementary teachers will engage in training to best prepare teachers on how to know and recognize reading skill progression and appropriate next instruction. In addition, 30 elementary teachers and staff are participating in LETRS Professional Development. LETRS increases participants' knowledge of current research, depth of knowledge, and skills to provide the necessary literacy foundation for all students. The use of data, and application of the training will support our efforts to foster strong reading skill development moving forward.
