POINTS of PRIDE: Marshalltown Community School District

 

Dr.  Pecinovsky and Dr. Wade, top leaders at Marshalltown

The mission of the Marshalltown Community School District is "to nurture students to become personally and intellectually empowered for citizenship in a changing world." Marshalltown Community School District was one of the 39 school districts who successfully received the Teacher Leadership and Compensation Grant during the 2014-15 school year.  Previous to receiving this grant, Marshalltown had coaches in all elementary buildings with a focus on the Comprehensive Literacy Model from UNI (grades K-6). The TLC Grant allows this district to continue in their progress to empower students for citizenship in a changing world.

Demographics
Enrollment - 5100
Free & Reduced Lunch - 67-70%
ELL - 37%
Minority - 60%
6 elementary schools with preschool in each building

The TLC Grant has added to services provided to staff in Marshalltown.  Elementary and secondary schools now have curriculum and professional development leaders, additional instructional coaches in every building, and model classrooms (96 opportunities for this position).  The elementary model classrooms focus on literacy while some have a focus on math.  They place an emphasis on "sheltered instruction" which involves explicit teaching - "beginning each lesson with an introductory activity that assesses the students’ knowledge in a non-threatening and non-graded format that allows the teacher to evaluate the students’ skill set. The teacher designs his/her lessons to clearly define language and content as well as make the activity meaningful through the linkage to past knowledge and present as well as the use of supplemental materials. Some examples of lessons include hands-on and cooperative learning activities, vocabulary, and the use of visual clues. Teachers also place an emphasis on developing the students’ habits of organization and study skills."(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheltered_instruction)  Woodbury is a dual language school as part of the district and benefiting from the framework of sheltered instruction.

Marshalltown has a Strategic Action Plan including five initiatives:

1. Common unit design
2. Using data to inform instruction
3. Sheltered instruction
4. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
5. Implementation of a Language and Literacy framework

To provide an opportunity for staff to successfully implement these initiatives, there is an early out every Wednesday with time designated for program leads to meet.  Other opportunities provided for staff to improve their instructional skills include June curriculum camps, tech academy, and additional full day professional development.

Partnerships are also key in Marshalltown - business partnerships for Project Lead the Way, concurrent enrollment for dual credits, career academies, and an ability to earn Microsoft IT certification.  Arts are not forgotten with art teachers creating their own professional development plans.  PD is differentiated to provide meaningful experiences for staff, and the quality of PD is evaluated via a survey after each PD time.  This feedback drives the future PD sessions and assists with differentiation of this learning time.

Marshalltown has other points of pride to mention with positive moving indicators on graduation rate, attendance, and student achievement.    They have consistently hit or exceeded achievement targets of those in the advanced range.   Technology is found in all buildings with K-2 using iPads, classroom sets of laptops in grades K-4, 1:1 in grades 5-8 (computers stay at school) and next year 1:1 in the high school.  It is emphasized that "instruction drives the learning with technology as the tool."  Teacher leadership is helping Marshalltown move forward in its quest for preparing its students to be citizens in a changing world. 

Marshalltown Community School District Administration Building