Experience EPS Fall 2014

FALL 2014 www.edinaschools.org

Global meaning through melody Students explore culture and history through World of Music class

IN THIS ISSUE 2 Superintendent’s Perspective Student Voice Next Generation Facilities 3 Creating Global Partnerships Vision Edina 4 Bullying Prevention Month Community Education Study

It is often said that music is the universal language, with the ability to span and transcend generations, cultures and oral or written language barriers. Through music there is a real opportunity to learn about the global world, and in Edina Public Schools (EPS), sixth graders receive that chance in the World of Music class that is part of the middle school curriculum.

View Middle School (VVMS) principal Shawn Dudley. “Viewing the world from a single Western lens will not prepare our students for a future in our global world. We need to support our district mission of equity, ‘All for All,’ and the development of globally competent, Next Generation learners.”

EPS students don’t have to travel to Africa to learn how to improvise on the djembe, or hop on a plane to India to analyze the delicate melodies of the classical sitar instrument. Instead, teachers bring the history, culture, musicology and music theory to students, turning the classroom into a music laboratory that reflects the world.

“It is important for students to learn about other cultures through music as our world has become our neighborhood,” says Valley

World of Music became a part of VVMS curriculum when former music teacher Mike Pretasky transformed the general Western music class into one that included music from around the globe. South View Middle School (SVMS) also added the class to its sixth grade curriculum.

We want students to be creators and educated consumers of music.

“The class addresses music as a reflection of society going through change. We studied apartheid through freedom songs, slavery through work music and spirituals, the Kashmir conflict through Pakistani folk, hip-hop, anti-war

movements through folk songs, and so on,” Pretasky says.

Pretasky used music to help students make connections to the world outside of Edina

CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

NEWS IN BRIEF NATIONAL MERIT

All for All

Congratulations to 16 Edina High School (EHS) seniors who are among the 16,000 students chosen nationwide to compete for the prestigious National Merit Scholarship. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, which represents less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state.

The mission of Edina Public Schools, working in partnership with the family and the community, is to educate all individuals to be responsible, lifelong learners who possess the skills, knowledge, creativity, sense of selfworth, and ethical values necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse, global society.

EPS School Board

SchoolBoard@edinaschools.org Randy Meyer, Chair Cathy Cella, Vice Chair Regina Neville, Clerk Leny Wallen-Friedman, Treasurer Sarah Patzloff, Assistant Treasurer David Goldstein, Assistant Clerk Lisa O’Brien, Assistant Clerk The cost to produce Experience EPS is largely offset by a contribution from Partners in Pediatrics. For more information on this publication, contact the Communications Department at communications@edinaschools.org, or call 952-848-3919.

FITNESS CLUB ENHANCES LEARNING 3,000 Random Acts In 2008, Normandale physical education teacher John Hannemann approached of Kindness Edina Community Education Services (CES) with an enrichment course plan On May 16, when 350 seniors walked for a before-school Edina Fitness Club. He knew that if he could find a way into EHS on one of their last days, 3,000 to increase students’ active time beyond the two, 45-minute sessions that are hand-folded paper cranes, scattered required for physical education each week in Edina Public Schools (EPS), then across the school by an anonymous he could potentially increase academic awareness and retention during the senior, gave every student encouraging school day. Today, enrollment varies around 30-45 per course, with an average words such as “You are loved,” and daily attendance of 15-25 per day, Monday through Friday.

“You are special.” It’s a surprise moment that will not be soon forgotten.

EHS MAKES DAILY BEAST'S list of top U.S. high schools The Daily Beast ranked Edina High School 57th on a list of more than 700 of the nation’s best public high schools. The ranking was the highest of any Minnesota public high school.

The Daily Beast rated schools with graduation rates above 85 percent and compared them based on academic rigor, ACT and SAT scores, and college acceptance rates.

NEXT GENERATION Looking beyond Edina District develops relations with global educators in China and Brazil The United States may be an international powerhouse, but if its supremacy were measured by population comparison, the tables might turn. Compared to the 2013 world population, which was gauged at 7.125 billion, the United States accounts for a mere 4.4 percent of the people on Earth. Not to mention that currently, racial and ethnic minorities represent 44 percent of U.S. residents under the age of 15.

Our jobs reflect this global shift as well.

According to World Savvy, from 1992-2011 Minnesota experienced a 102 percent increase in jobs tied to international trade.

What does this all mean for our students and community? The outcome is that in order for today’s learners to be prepared for and successful in post-secondary life, they need to have global knowledge and perspective.

As one of Edina Public Schools’ (EPS) six Next Generation Educational Competencies, being a global citizen requires developing a sense of self, understanding others, and building relationships and partnerships to share knowledge and experiences. EPS has

dedicated itself to fulfilling the vision that its learners will graduate with those aptitudes.

And this summer, EPS Data Analyst Susan Costello-Tennyson visited and studied in Shanghai, Beijing and Brazil to forge new EPS partnerships and collaborate with international educators and students.

Costello-Tennyson serves many capacities within the EPS team. She collects and analyzes data for the Research and Evaluation Department and collaborates closely with the strategic study implementation teams to develop researchbased action plans, with specific regard to global competence efforts. This is largely due, in part, to the position she held prior to EPS, as the Director of Student Support Services for eight years at the Cairo American College in Cairo, Egypt.

The aim of the trips was to identify potential sister schools to create opportunities for EPS students to engage with youth and receive a glimpse of education in other countries.

Though EPS already has a dedicated CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

EPS students outperform peers on state assessments

According to recent data from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Edina Public Schools (EPS) remains a high academic performer, with students outperforming state peers by 10-20 percentage points. Overall results show 81 percent of EPS students testing proficient on the spring 2014 Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments, compared to about 60 percent proficiency ratings statewide.

Like the state results, some schools showed modest gains over last year, but overall EPS’ results are relatively flat from last year — the achievement gap persists. While individual EPS student groups (i.e., students of color, Free/Reduced Price lunch, English Learner) outperform their state peers, an overall gap between EPS’ highest performing student groups and other student groups continues to range between 20 and 40 percent. “We are committed to continuously improving and finding ways to better personalize learning so that all of our students can thrive and grow,” said our students can thrive and grow,” said Superintendent Ric Dressen.

Read full articles and get more news at edinaschools.org

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SUPERINTENDENT'S PERSPECTIVE

Please check with your school for additional upcoming events.

Preparing all learners for the next stage

DECEMBER 2014

Lifelong learning means continually preparing for what lies ahead

2 Kindergarten Info. Nights 9 Continuous Progress Info. Night 10 Late Start 11 French Immersion Info. Night 12-13 EHS Winter Jubilee, 7 p.m.

15 School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

19 End of First Semester (EHS only) 22-31 Winter Break - No School

JANUARY 2015

1-2 Winter Break 5 No School (EHS only) 12 Kindergarten Preference Forms Due

School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

16 End of First Semester (PreK-9 only) 19 No School, MLK, Jr. Day 20 No School (PreK-9 only) 26 School Board Meeting, 7 p.m.

29 Kindergarten Registration Day 29-31 EHS Winter Play

Locally and nationally, Edina Public Schools (EPS) has been recognized for its tradition of educational excellence, shaped by our focus on being a mission-driven organization. Yet this tradition of excellence and commitment to learning for all students is not something that we take for granted. Our future success as an organization, and as a learning community, is dependent upon continuously improving and adapting how and what we do so that our students are ready for the rapidly changing, global society that awaits them.

I have seen this commitment to continuous improvement in action, even in these first few months of the 2014-15 school year. New strategic initiatives, instructional approaches and educational programs are being implemented across the district, which allows us to advance our strategic efforts and achieve our mission. Here

STAFF SPOTLIGHT Step inside Creek Valley Elementary bus No. 61 and you’ll quickly notice that something is different. Students smile from ear to ear as they engage with the bus driver, Barb Aslesen, who says hello to every child and asks them how their day went as they climb the bus stairs. The walls and ceilings are different on this bus, too. They are covered with pictures, love notes and drawings that students create for Aslesen throughout the year.

“Barb is a great inspiration and really makes a difference in our students’ lives,” says Creek Valley principal Kari Dahlquist. “She starts their day out happy every morning and ends it with care and warm wishes.”

A former Creek Valley parent, Aslesen says she tries to instill the same values of kindness, respect, integrity and laughter that she taught her own children. Now in her sixth year behind the bus wheel, she looks forward to many more years of working alongside Edina Public Schools’ transportation team as they ensure all students remain safe in trips to and from school.

are a few examples of new strategies this year: • All-Day Kindergarten – While over 75 percent of kindergarten families had opted for our previous fee-based all-day program, we now are able to provide this extended learning opportunity to all families at no charge to them.

• Personal Technology – Our successful bringyour-own-device initiative, eLearning2, has been expanded to students in grades 5-12, allowing for increased access to anywhere, anytime learning.

• Teacher Development - A new teacher evaluation program that aligns with new state accountability standards, supports professional development for all of our great educators and supports Next Generation learning.

In addition, we are now entering our third year of our Next Generation of Edina Public Schools Strategic Plan. We are excited to be implementing the recommendations of our strategic program studies, conducted over the last two years, which allow us to better align curriculum and program offerings from birth-grade 12. And, with the launch of the Community Education study this fall (see page 4), we will soon have a comprehensive and coherent lifelong learning program for our entire community.

We are also focused on including a re-evaluation of our resources and structures to better align with the learning needs of our students. One example of this will occur over the next few years as we make the shift to grades 6-8 middle schools and a grade 9-12 high school. This change will require adjustments of program, time, staff and space, but in the end, they will allow us to provide a more comprehensive and appropriate educational experiences for our learners.

In all, we are off to another year of defining excellence in Edina Public Schools. Thanks to all of our partners—students, staff, families, businesses and community members—and our continued commitment to our Next Generation strategic plan, we will continue to be a nationally and internationally recognized school system that truly prepares its learners for whatever comes next.

To read more about the Next Generation of Edina Public Schools Strategic Plan, visit edinaschools.org/NextGen.

Ric Dressen, Superintendent superintendent@edinaschools.org

STUDENT VOICE Motivated students thrive in blended courses

by Julia Tollefson, EHS Zephyrus Blended courses are classes that consist of both traditional face-to-face instruction as well as web-based learning. They allow the student to create a relationship with their teacher but also use 21st century skills in a more independent environment.

In a blended course, a student is typically in the classroom 50 percent of the time, learning with the teacher. The other 50 percent is spent online, using technology to learn independently. Edina High School (EHS) offers several classes in the blended style, including blended mass media, blended U.S. literature and composition, blended core fitness and others.

Edina High School physical education teacher, Mellanie Pusateri, taught blended guided fitness at EHS for eight years before becoming a May term adviser. She found that blended courses give students independence.

“It allows students to have flexibility in their schedules. In guided fitness, students meet during zero hour a few times a week but also see instructors for individual meetings during lunch,” Pusateri says. In a blended course, students aren’t required to commit to as much classroom time but are still able to make a connection with their teacher.

As long as students know what they are getting into and are ready to step up to the challenge of being autonomous learners, I think it can be a really incredible experience.

This freedom isn’t for all students.

“A lot of students struggle, especially at the beginning of the year, with the time management aspect of blended learning. Blended classes take a lot of responsibility and intrinsic motivation – to be successful,” says EHS teacher Sally Larkins, who has taught blended U.S. literature and composition.

Despite that, many students find that it is a good experience. “As long as students know what they are getting into and are ready to step up to the challenge of being autonomous learners, I think it can be a really incredible experience,” Larkins says.

THE BOTTOM LINE by the numbers

857

NUMBER OF StuDENts SERVED BY STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

0-21

AGE THAT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE SUPPORT

30%

Percent of EPS Deaf and hard of hearing students who outperformed their peers on state READING tests

26

Number of grades 7-12 students who participated in adapted athletics in 2013-14

1

NUMBER OF SOCIAL WORKERS At each EDINA school site

Next Generation facility plans take shape Community input helps develop recommendations for potential 2015 bond referendum Edina Public Schools (EPS) has been engaged in a comprehensive facilities review that has included years of study, discussion and planning. Earlier this fall, the district’s Next Generation Facilities Advisory Task Force (FATF), comprised of students, parents, staff, alumni and key community stakeholders, met over the course of six weeks to further analyze data, evaluate options and develop facility improvement recommendations. Since then, district administration and the School Board have been using the information collected to develop a comprehensive facilities plan aligned with the district’s strategic work to meet the needs of Next Generation learners.

After serving on the FATF, EPS parent and alumna Lynn Franz says that she better understands the connection between facilities and student learning. “Serving on the task force helped me comprehend the district’s educational vision and how space can impact that learning,” says Franz.

“We need to make sure we have different kinds of spaces so we really personalize learning for each student.”

Fellow FATF member and Edina High School student Dennis Bao adds that

given the average age of schools in EPS is 40 years, with the newest, Edina High School, built in 1972, the district’s schools were just not built for today’s learning. “The classrooms were built in a way that education is not taught today,” Bao says. “The traditional spaces do not fit with new learning and teaching styles, such as flipped or blended learning.”

Superintendent Ric Dressen notes that EPS schools and facilities need to foster an innovative environment, both for teachers and students, so that learning can truly be customized. “Certainly a student’s experience in school is influenced by the adults and peers around them, but it is also influenced by the physical environment,” Dressen says.

“If all of our spaces are constructed in the

same way, how can we expect learning to be personalized? We need to provide a variety of flexible learning environments that allow for individual, small group and large group instruction and collaboration.”

While small pockets of innovative spaces exist in EPS, the district is looking to create more system-wide transformations that will advance Next Generation Learning. A bond referendum will likely be on the ballot in May 2015, seeking voter approval of facility improvements at all sites, including more flexible learning spaces as well as core investments in school infrastructure, such as security improvements and general maintenance.

“We do not take for granted the tax impact such a proposal will have on our community,” says Dressen. “But we believe that we need to continue to look for ways to ensure our educational program is adaptable and flexible for the future. By staying focused on the needs of Next Generation learners, we can create learning environments that enhance the educational experience for all students and better prepare them for the changing world that awaits them.”

NEXT GENERATION CONT.

global music CONT. and have conversations about the politics of oppression, power and poverty. All the while, students worked on individual music performance and learned about theory and notation.

When Pretasky left VVMS for Edina High School (EHS), where he now serves as assistant principal, fellow VVMS teacher Ingrid Bakke happily took over the program.

For Bakke, who previously taught at the Woodstock International School in Mussoorie, India, the job is a dream come true. Over the course of the school year, Bakke takes students through a timeline of music all over the world.

“We begin with early music in Ancient Greece and then move on to the music of Africa, India, Indonesia, Asia, and the Middle East. We also learn how music developed in Europe along the way,” Bakke says.

Chinese language learning Confucius Institute classroom, which is supported by the University of Minnesota and China’s Capital Normal University, it does not have direct ties to international middle and high schools. EPS administration is actively seeking ways to fill that void and seek multicultural interactions for its staff and students.

their entire journey there,” Costello-Tennyson says. “That is something that we hope to implement as part of the Next Generation Strategic Plan, wherein every Edina student would have a personal advisor to guide them through their learning journey here.”

Partnerships in Brazil on the other hand, might serve a different purpose for EPS. While the schools visited in China were incredibly competitive and structured, many Brazil school’s are working toward a school environment that resembles the “All for All” mission of EPS.

“School visits and conversation with educational experts were insightful, intellectually stimulating and offered me great hope that, as educators working together, we can prepare our collective youth to actively engage in global interaction and enhance global citizenship efforts to benefit all of humanity,” Costello-Tennyson When you realize what says.

“The idea of ‘All for All,’ where all members of a learning community work for the benefit else is happening in the world of all learners, really seemed and how it connects to your story The experiential learning to resonate with Brazilian Costello-Tennyson acquired educators and highlighted the and experience, you can begin to aboard lays the foundation understand the links between your challenging inequities present for next steps within the EPS in our respective organizations,” life and the lives of others. secondary program to build Costello-Tennyson says. “It capacity for cultural learning validates what we are striving for across curriculum, expand the here in Edina, because they, too, Chinese language-learning program, and, ultimately, want their students to know another language, be globally develop meaningful partnerships with one or more schools competent, understand other cultures, and be college and in China or Brazil to support short- and or long- term career ready.” student/teacher exchanges. Additional representatives The type of partnership EPS may adopt with these from Forest Lake, Hopkins and South Washington County school districts also joined EPS on the China trip, which was international schools has yet to be determined, but CostelloTennyson and fellow administration will continue to work funded by Capital Normal. toward next steps to put ideas into action.“We will continue “Learning about a culture from within the culture is, in my to explore training opportunities around global competence opinion, a most meaningful experience in that the emotional for teachers and expand partnerships with schools from response [makes] it memorable and personally relevant,” other countries,” says Director of Teaching and Learning Costello-Tennyson says. “When you realize what else is Randy Smasal. happening in the world and how it connects to your story A portion of this partnership building involves working and experience, you can begin to understand the links with organization like World Savvy, who can facilitate between your life and the lives of others.” connections, build programming and provide professional Of the many schools she visited, Costello-Tennyson says learning. Aside from staff training, the other piece is to the most viable for partnership was a school in Shanghai create programming that connects Edina students with called, No. 2 Middle School Attached to Tongji University. students from other countries through problem solving, service-learning and civic engagement.

“Each student at the No. 2 Middle School had a personal advocate or teacher who stands alongside them throughout

By Lauryn Grimes, City of Edina Communications Intern

In September, the City held two “think tank” community workshops to discuss what Edina might look like in 10 or 20 years. The consultant leading the project, Future iQ Partners, compiled the feedback from the workshops into four plausible scenarios for Edina’s future. The four scenarios developed by the participants were labeled as “Reinventing Tradition,” “Nodes & Modes,” “Edina Today – Extended” and “Complete and Connected.”

In early October, Future iQ Partners CEO David Beurle visited Edina Public Schools (EPS) to see what students had to say about the future of their community. He challenged students to think about why having a vision for the City is important and asked them how they would like to see Edina evolve.

2" x 10.5” ad 6-4-14.pdf 1 6/4/14 11:04 AM “I hadn’tEdina thought about the future of Edina before,” says Edina High School student Anne Amen. “Now, I’m thinking about what

According to SVMS music teacher, Janet Jans, the global knowledge of music provides a solid foundation for students to think creatively about music composition.

“We want students to be creators of music, as well as educated consumers of music,” Jans says.

TECH BYTE This fall ,the district’s eLearning2 instructional technology initiative took an important leap forward, increasing the number of devices in classrooms by 50 percent adn expandingthe program to grades 5-12. Since July, EPS families have purchased more than 1,100 devices through the district’s partnership with Best Buy. And to ensure that every student has equal access to technology, the district also provides individual Chromebooks for students in grade 6-12 to use for the year if they were not able to purchase a device. In total, EPS has added more than 2,200 digital devices district-wide, including:

60 iPads 82 Laptops 180 Desktops 1,900 Chromebooks

CITY BEAT

Vision Edina: For the Schools, Too Edina’s youngest residents are encouraged to participate in the future visioning project “Vision Edina.”

Currently, students are working on a heritage project, in which they research a country from their family tree or a country they are interested in, and describe the culture as well as a musical tradition, instrument or composer of that country.

While they learn about various musical traditions, they also compose music to match and build on what they are learning.

it could be like to live here when I am an adult.”

Students and school administrators found the classroom visits to be beneficial. “These kids should have a voice. They are going to be making decisions that impact you and [me] in 20 years,” says EPS service-learning coordinator Julie Rogers Bascom.

Those who live or work in Edina are encouraged to provide feedback by participating in one of three public workshops in November, or by hosting a workshop. Parents of Edina students and students who were not part of Beurle’s classroom visions are particularly encouraged to get involved.

Residents should be interested [in this work] as this is an opportunity to have input into the overarching vision, which will shape the City’s Comprehensive Plan and [work] plans,” says Beurle.

VISION

EDINA

think this community should look like 20 years from now,” notes Assistant City Manager Karen Kurt.

For more information on how to get involved with Vision Edina, call 952-826-0415, email kkurt@EdinaMN.gov, or visit www.EdinaMN.gov/VisionEdina. *Hannah Watkins contributed to this story.

“We know Edina residents value their community and have a deep attachment to it. This is an opportunity to discuss what we

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An abbreviated version of the 2013-14 Annual Report can be found online at edinaschools.org/ annualreport. The report provides an opportunity to reflect on the successes of the 2013-14 school year, and to highlight the work of an engaged and inspired collaborative district-community team. This printed version includes only a snapshot of our achievements. For details and additional information, visit edinaschools.org/annualreport.

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Edina Public Schools recently released the first, free issue of a new online magazine devoted to sharing stories about the strategic work of the district.

What does the Next Generation of Edina Public Schools Strategic Plan mean for you, your student, family and the community?

Download the magazine at edinaschools.org/nextgen.

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NEXT GEN MAGAZINE ONLINE

SNAPSHOT EPS Celebrating Bullying Prevention Month | Students around the district celebrated Bullying Prevention Month in October. At Highlands Elementary took their bullying prevention commitment to the streets —­well, the sidewalks anyway. To show their dedication to a safe and supportive school environment, students decorated the walkways around their school with positive, supportive words and anti-bullying sentiments as a reminder to everyone that Highlands students want their school to be an accepting and happy place for all.

COMMUNITY EDUCATION Next Generation Strategic Study expands to Community Ed Lifelong learning remains a key component of strategic plan The third and final program study that is part of the district’s strategic plan begins this month with an environmental scan of the current Edina Community Education Services (CES) programming. This marks the midpoint of Edina Public Schools (EPS) Next Generation Strategic Plan, a multi-year effort that will set the course for the district’s future.

“Community Education has been long been aligned with the district’s mission, but it has been seen as a ‘part of’ but somehow separate from district programming,” says Valerie Burke, CES director.

The strategic plan’s strategies of personalized learning, coherent and comprehensive programming and effective partnerships, has brought a new way of looking at CES. And when viewed through the lens of anytime, anywhere learning that EPS is working toward, CES is a natural complement.

“The Next Generation plan is about leveraging resources and extending learning beyond the school day,” Burke says. “Community Education has an important part to play in all of that.”

The goal is to create an integrated education system where CES, general K-12 education, special education, and activities operate seamlessly, and where adult enrichment opportunities create a lifelong learning environment throughout the district.

Resources will be leveraged for maximum efficiency across all learner groups, birth through adult.

The mutual benefits of partnering with other areas

of the district’s K-12 programming can already be seen. This spring, all Edina High School (EHS) students will participate in May Term, one of the secondary pilot studies that will allow students to self-select, and in some cases self-direct, learning in an area of special interest. CES is partnering with EHS on this project by providing registration technology and programming for some of the May Term options available to students.

“We each have resources and expertise that can help meet the needs of our students,” Burke says. “This kind of partnering is just the beginning of our possibilities.”

Studies of EPS’ Secondary and Birth to Grade 5 programming are now in various stages of planning and implementation, including several pilot studies. Burke says she is excited to get started on a similar plan for CES. “We are a piece of the puzzle that is the Next Generation plan,” she says. “We are looking forward to enhancing our place in the district’s big picture.”

For a timeline of the CES study, visit edinaschools.org/CES-study.

BE A LIFELONG LEARNER! Edina Community Education Services offers learning opportunities for everyone, starting at birth and continuing through every age and stage of adulthood. Classes are available on many topics and interests and on a varied schedule. Learning is for everyone!

Visit edinacommunityed.org to view online catalogs and learn more. edina.thatscommunityed.com comedu@edinaschools.org 952-848-3952