Instructional Minute

As the final bell is set to ring on Friday and we close the chapter on the 2024–2025 school year, we want to take a moment to say thank you — for your dedication, your flexibility, and your unwavering commitment to student growth and learning.

From exciting instructional shifts to deepened community connections, it’s been a year full of progress and purpose. Now, it’s time to take a deep breath, reflect on the successes, and look forward to some well-earned rest. Come August, we’ll be ready to launch into a new year with fresh energy, clear focus, and a continued commitment to increase student outcomes!

This year, we:

• 🧠 Prioritized student-centered learning through the Workshop Model and intentional instructional outcomes.

• 📚 Adopted new ELA curricular tools to ensure all students have access to high-quality, standards-aligned literacy instruction that fosters engagement and growth.

• 📖 Approved a districtwide literacy intervention program, providing targeted support for students who need it most and strengthening our commitment to early reading success.

• 🧪 Piloted new math curricula to identify high-quality, aligned resources that support deeper mathematical thinking and engagement. Thank you to the educators who participated and gave invaluable feedback!

• 🧰 Streamlined resources, from digital tools like Clever to classroom materials and curriculum crosswalks.

• 📊 Utilized data tools like NWEA to better understand and support student progress.

• 🎉 Rolled out Super Saturdays to offer additional learning opportunities — and bring more smiles to our students on the weekend.

• 💡 Encouraged innovation, offering grant opportunities and celebrating teacher-driven initiatives.

Summer is a time to recharge, reflect, and maybe even rediscover a little piece of yourself outside the classroom. So whether your break is filled with travel, family time, a stack of novels, or just a quiet moment with coffee on the porch — enjoy it.

We'll be back before you know it, refreshed and ready to make 2025–2026 even more impactful. Until then...

As we move towards adopting a new math curricular tool, we’ll be offering summer training to support a strong start in the fall. Please keep an eye on your email and district communications for updates regarding training dates, locations, and registration. We’re excited about the possibilities ahead and appreciate your continued engagement!

We have also received a few inquires as to when digital access to the new math curricular tool will come available. Full digital access to the new tool may not be available immediately. This is due to the need for our district systems, including Synergy—which programs our Clever integration—to roll over from the 2024–2025 to the 2025–2026 school year. That transition typically impacts when we can begin syncing rosters and enabling full access to digital platforms.

Both vendors offer demo accounts (without student data) that can be used to preview the materials, and information about access will be shared after the adoption is finalized.

Note: these are entirely optional professional development opportunities offered by various sources. Additional hours will not be paid to staff that register.

Whether you’re new to Amplify or a seasoned user, this is a great opportunity to see what updates to expect and learn how to get the most out of your program(s).

Can't attend live? No problem! Once you’re registered, you’ll receive the recording and all the session materials after the event.

Register now

Jack Miller Center is a civic education nonprofit organization focused on promoting the teaching of America’s founding principles and history on campuses and in classrooms across the country.

The Jack Miller Center will be holding a primary source-focused professional development program for K-12 social studies educators in East Lansing with our partners at Michigan State’s James Madison College on July 9 – 11. This is a great opportunity for teachers to dive into content and gain summer PD hours.

The theme for the program will be “Great Debates in American Politics” and it will cover key political debates from the Founding Era, the Antebellum and Civil War Eras, and the twentieth century. The program will include primary source discussions led by MSU faculty as well as an application session led by, Emilee McHorney, on strategies for teaching the primary sources discussed to K-12 students.

There is no fee to attend and teachers will receive a $300 stipend for completion of the program.

The link to register can be found here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeBaPtOAjWBKvGWWrrk_n6tOBX6zmJ_GkYRnQqZdvrxdZBdMw/viewform

As the end of the year is quickly approaching, we would love your feedback! Please take a moment to fill out this survey on our Instructional Minutes for this school year.

24-25 Instructional Minute Survey

Click on the above title to view the evaluation documents for staff!

Below you can find the new, updated required instructional minutes by grade level and content area. Each grade level also includes a sample schedule.

Teachers are encouraged to monitor student progress regularly using formative assessments and adjust pacing as needed based on classroom data. However, teachers should aim to stay within two weeks of the pacing outlined in the guides to maintain alignment with district-wide goals. While we do not adjust pacing for snow days, the pacing is a guide and the expectation is to stay within the established two-week time frame.

The documents attached outline K-8 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

The document attached outlines 9-12 curricular resources, standards and pacing. This can also be found by clicking here on the LSD website.

A resource to use as you see fit.