Mehlville School District selected to the League of Innovative Schools
Posted on 10/01/2021
We are proud to announce that Mehlville School District was selected to join the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, a coalition of forward-thinking schools across the country who are providing students with unique learning opportunities.
The Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools was founded by the U.S. Department of Education and White House in 2011. Mehlville School District is now one of just 125 districts nationwide to receive the distinction.
“We were encouraged to apply for the League based on our personalized learning programs,” said Dr. Chris Gaines, Superintendent of Mehlville School District. “We are looking forward to sharing information about our programs with other League schools. We’re even more excited to learn from other schools and other districts, so we can continue to grow and provide relevant opportunities for our students.”
To be accepted into the League of Innovative Schools, districts must submit an application detailing educational leadership, innovative vision for learning, key achievements, evidence of results and demonstrated commitment to equity and excellence. Membership in the League of Innovative Schools provides district leadership and teachers with opportunities to learn about best practices other school districts are using and ways to continue to provide students with new opportunities that prepare them for life after graduation.
Image: Patriot Academy students at Bernard Middle School collaborate on a project to design a tiny home for homeless veterans through a partnership with Veterans Community Project.
Mehlville School District’s application focused on our efforts to create more personalized learning experiences for our students through the creation of our Middle School Academies and MOSAIC Elementary School, as well as through high school programs like MyPath and the Early College Academy. These opportunities allow for student growth through development of Portrait of a Graduate traits and through collaboration and reflection with their peers. These programs give our teachers the opportunity to try new things in their classrooms, leading to more innovative instruction.
Image: Forder Elementary School English Learner teacher Amanda Wyatt talks with a student.
The application also explored the district’s diverse student population and how co-teaching is being used in our schools to better support all students, particularly our English Learner students. We’ve also begun to apply these co-teaching strategies with our academic and social-emotional learning interventionists, who are pushing into classrooms to assist teachers with small-group instruction, instead of pulling students from the classroom.
Learn more about the Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools.