Trotwood-Madison Board of Education Myra Bozeman President Norman Scearce III Vice President Michael Andrews Vanessa Jeter-Freeman Denise Moore Dr. Reva Cosby Superintendent Janice D. AllenTreasurer/CFO Trotwood-MadisonEarly Learning Center4400 North Union Road Trotwood, Ohio 45426 (937) 854-4511 Madison Park Elementary 301 South Broadway Trotwood, Ohio 45426 (937) 854-4456 Westbrooke Village Elementary6500 Westford Road Trotwood, Ohio 45426 (937) 854-3196 Trotwood-Madison Middle School 4420 North Union Road Trotwood, Ohio 45426 (937) 854-0017 Trotwood-Madison High School 4440 North Union Road Trotwood, Ohio 45426 (937) 854-0878 | October 13, 2021
Hello Trotwood Families,
The Ohio State Report Card will be coming out soon for the 2020 school year. As you can imagine, districts are concerned that their scores will be lower than anticipated. We expect that Trotwood-Madison City Schools will also follow this trend and reflect learning gaps, the same as other districts across the country. We know much of this is due to the pandemic, the trauma associated with it, along with students working from home, online. Even though this was the best way to keep the students safe, it has shown not to be as effective as in person learning. Another factor is that unlike other communities, many of our families and staff are still recovering from the residual impacts of the 2019 tornadoes.
As a result, the district has already taken proactive steps toward addressing the learning gaps. District efforts, listed below, are part of an ongoing effort to improve education for the whole child. These efforts will continue over the course of our three-year district improvement plan to focus on staff training, academics, college/career preparation, and student mental well-being with the use of federal grant money and is aligned with Ohio Department of Education's recommendations. Academics and College/Career Preparation: - Summer Rise programs were held in June-July and provided students with hands-on, engaging instruction around core subject areas to help get them back on track. Students also had daily enrichment activities.
- A new virtual academy was launched to meet the needs of students who need to continue online learning.
- New textbooks aligned to state standards were adopted for many subjects and grade levels
- Instructional paraprofessionals have been placed in kindergarten classrooms to provide additional academic support.
- Credit recovery programs have been implemented for students deficient in required courses.
- Extended day programs have been put in place for our neediest students.
- 1 to 1 technology has been rolled out for all students.
- Hundreds of new culturally-relevant books have been purchased for our classrooms and libraries.
- Increased opportunities for STEM, Arts, and career exploration have been offered to all students.
Increased Student and Family Mental Health Support:
- Resources were pushed out for families (and staff) to implement social and emotional learning at home (and school) their children and themselves (Mindfulness, Yoga, & Meditation)
- Student Resiliency Coordinators (SRCs) from Dayton Children’s Hospital are available in each building. SRCs will connect students in need of extended counseling with the right services, and then keep track of whether the student is making progress.
- Mental Health Therapists are available in each building to support students with identified mental health concerns.
- Social Workers are available in each building to support students and families who have areas of vulnerability.
Teacher Training and Development: - Teachers are engaging in long-term professional development in the Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) that provides a course of study in literacy that aligns with the science of reading.
- Building Leadership Team (BLT) Cohorts are holding additional meetings outside of normal BLT meetings to discuss how schools can work toward the academic goals set by the building and district.
- District Leadership Team (DLT) meetings are held once a month and bring together representatives from each BLT to review data for attendance, behavior, and academics across the district. The team then discusses how the district can help buildings take steps toward meeting the goals set for these areas.
- An instructional coaching model has been developed and implemented to support teachers at all buildings that is ongoing and provides site-specific support.
- Saturday morning administrator meetings are held to examine data and effective practices.
- Training on Tiered-Level Supports, assessment literacy, and literacy has been provided district-wide.
- Committees have been convened to examine the social emotional strengths and needs of our students
- We are currently engaged in review and development of district wide systems to ensure district capacity to engage in meaningful change for student achievement.
With these initiatives we believe that we will have an impact on the learning gaps that many students across our district, the state and the country are dealing with. Thank you for your continued support. My team of dedicated educators and support staff will be there for our Trotwood-Madison students as we work to reach our vision of 100% student success. Dr. Reva C. Cosby Superintendent Trotwood-Madison City Schools |