October 17, 2022
Formalized Essential Learning at Roxbury Village School
By: Beth Kellogg
Formalized Essential Learning is our second pillar under our Theory of Growth – “A guaranteed and viable curriculum allows for our educators to focus on the learning that has staying power. We will ensure that every child has access to grade level priorities that have leverage for future learning.” At Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools we have a coordinated curriculum to ensure that all of our students are provided educational opportunities that are equal in quality. We have clearly identified “priority standards” that are the foundation of our guaranteed and viable curriculum. These priority standards were identified through a process that evaluated each standard’s level of readiness, endurance, and leverage. MRPS priority standards were then vertically aligned across grade levels to ensure students are equipped with the prerequisite skills needed for mastery. Our priority standards are the backbone of the teaching and learning that takes place within our schools.
Through our Professional Learning Community, we ask “What do we want students to learn?”. Having an understanding of the priority standards at each grade level as well as knowing each student we serve directs us in our response to that question. Beyond that, it provides the opportunity to begin with the end in mind. For example, in kindergarten, there is a priority standard for all students to “count forward beginning from a given number within the known sequence”. To do that, students must first know what numbers are and that they have a sequential order. Therefore, at the beginning of the year students learn numbers up to 5 as they work on rote counting, counting objects, identifying numbers, and number writing. These skills are necessary for them to learn first so they can then meet the priority standard before the end of the year. We also communicate what success looks like to students by sharing the learning targets with them so they are aware of what they are working on and why it matters. Understanding that each student may be at a different point in their learning, we look at learning student by student and standard by standard so all students learn at high levels.
At Roxbury Village School, we believe all means ALL! Every single student who walks through the doors has the opportunity, instruction, and support to achieve our priority standards and show measurable growth throughout the school year – every year. We have a relentless focus on student learning as the primary mission of our school. Our pillar for “Formalized Essential Learning” supports this. Our guaranteed and viable curriculum (priority standards) ensures that what is taught and learned by all students is the same throughout our school and district. This means that 4th grade students in Roxbury are working on the same priority standards as 4th grade students in Montpelier. All students have an equal opportunity to learn. To that end, we hold instructional minutes sacred to ensure enough time is provided for teachers to teach the content and for students to learn the content. We know higher levels of learning has the potential to transform student lives by creating opportunities our students may never have imagined as they leave Roxbury Village School, transition to Main Street Middle School, then Montpelier High School where they will graduate and head into their future. Their high school diploma must represent a quality standard of readiness for college, career, military, or whatever the future may hold for any one of our graduates.
