MPS strategic vision interpreted for families

Student Success!

We can all work together to ensure that our children achieve.

What is the

vision?

Students graduate, ready for college and a career.

Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) has an ambitious plan in place to ensure that all students graduate from a Minneapolis public high school ready for college and a career and prepared to excel in the real world. Our core strategies include raising expectations and rigor, transforming school leadership, strengthening teaching and exploring innovative models to accelerate student achievement.

The school district has also developed a 2011-2014 academic strategic plan that outlines the highest priority strategies and efforts for the Students graduate college and career ready

next three years. The plan provides a road map for ensuring that resources and time are dedicated to the highest priority work.

What kind of preparation is needed to graduate ready for

Students are successful in HS math Students enroll and succeed in advanced HS courses

college and career? We know that students who earned a 24 or higher on the ACT met a number of key benchmarks earlier in their educational paths.

These benchmarks will serve as goals for our students, the

th

Students are prepared for rigorous HS coursework by 8 grade th

Students are advanced in math and science by 5 grade rd

Students are advanced readers by 3 grade

Steps to Student Success.

Students are ready for Kindergarten Students attend school at least 95% of the time

What does that mean? What does t h e v i s i o n l o o k l i k e ?

Learn more inside!

Investing in our students’ education.

It has been said – and I firmly believe – that education is the greatest civil rights issue of our time. I also believe that education is our greatest opportunity to eradicate the inequities that exist in our communities.

The right for every individual in our community to access a high quality public education is a reflection of our values, our foresight and our commitment to our economic future.

My vision is for all students who graduate from the Minneapolis Public Schools to be college and career ready. A child’s education must start the day he or she is born and must continue beyond the day that his or her graduation cap is tossed in the air. We must continue to invest in early childhood education, prepare students to read by third grade, maintain the academic momentum through the middle grades and push students to reach new heights as they prepare for college and career.

MPS is closing the achievement gap for the first time in six years, but there is still much work to do. My top priorities continue to be focused instruction; evaluating teachers, administrators and other staff members; building equity within our organization; and raising standards and rigor for all students, especially those who struggle.

Our students and families deserve no less than to have a strong school in every neighborhood, an effective principal leading their school building and a high quality teach-

er in every classroom.

The charge of educating our youth at high levels extends beyond our school buildings. Families, faith communities, service organizations, businesses and policy makers can all support student achievement. No matter who you are, you can make a difference and promote this civil right for our young people, our communities and our nation.

I encourage the families of our students to ensure that their voices are heard. Parents and guardians are key stakeholders in the education of our students. MPS conducts an annual survey in an effort to measure progress and family perspectives. Creating positive experiences in our schools is critical as we work to best serve our students and their families.

MPS began distributing the survey in February to parents and guardians at school conferences, school events and via postal mail. All responses are anonymous. Please complete and return the survey by dropping it off at your child’s school or by mailing it in the pre-addressed, postage-paid envelope by April 30, 2012.

We want to hear from our families regarding their experiences in our schools. The feedback we receive helps us understand where our families feel we perform well and where there is room for growth. Every response is valuable. The results of this survey will be used to drive ongoing improvement and realize our vision: every child ready for college and a career. Thank you for your continued dedication to our children and the Minneapolis Public Schools.

Bernadeia H. Johnson, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

We all play a role in supporting students.

Engaged Parents

• MPS offers popular magnet programs and community schools so every family has the option to select the school that best meets its needs.

Dedicated Teachers

• Celebrate the successes of the young people in our community, whether it is doing well on a test or feeling good about the day. Our students are the future leaders of the world.

• Ask a young person what he or she learned in school. Encourage students to follow their dreams.

Caring Community

Partners Partners Partners

Community Community Community

Teachers Teachers Teachers

• Teachers provide students with the tools they need to succeed through comprehensive core classes, elective courses in eight languages; STEM and arts programs, advanced courses to accelerate achievement and a wide range of special education services to help students with unique challenges.

• Volunteers serve as mentors to our students each day through volunteer programs like 100 Strong Who Care.

Call 612.668.0018 to get involved.

• AchieveMpls has placed a College and Career Center in every MPS high school to help students realize their future goals. The services are flexible enough to meet a wide range of student needs and schedules.

• Corporate partners; Cargill, General Mills, Medtronic and Target provide books, serve as mentors and pay it forward by donating millions to support AVID, STEM and literacy efforts in our schools.

Partners

• Read with your child for 30 minutes every day.

• Focused instruction engages students and encourages them to strive further in class each day.

• Register for an MPS training session to start tutoring and mentoring students in our schools. Call us at 612.290.8440.

Community

Parents

• Schedule an appointment to prescreen your child for kindergarten as early as age three.

• Teachers help students become advanced readers, skillful mathematicians and proficient scientists.

Teachers

Parents

• Attendance matters.

Make sure that your child is in school on time and ready to learn each day.

Parents

• Prepare your child for rigorous coursework in high school. Help your child manage his or her work with a notebook or planner.

It’s a good habit your child will keep for life.

Parents

S t u d e n t s g r a d uate, ready for college and a career!

Supportive Partners

When we all work together, there is no limit to what we can achieve.

Keep your child on track this summer...

Summer School

Rigorous academics are exciting and fun!

Openings are still available. Enroll today!

We strive to make rigorous academics fun over the summer, enhancing the basic curriculum by incorporating hands-on learning techniques, which may include: • Turning a wildflower garden into a classroom • Enhancing literacy skills through theater techniques • Studying water ecosystems through canoeing and urban camping experiences • Interactive computer lessons woven into curriculum • Building math skills through virtual hikes of Mount Everest • Outdoor activities to think fit and healthy in the summer • Launching rockets and designing parachutes and bridges to focus on engineering • Storytelling and creative problem-solving techniques • Hands-on STEM experiments involving earth materials, electricity, magnetism, sound simple machines & chemistry • Connecting eighth-graders with future high school teachers and classmates through Fast Track Scholars

Classes are Monday - Thursday (No school the week of July 2)

Grades Pre-K - 8: June 18 - August 2

Grades 9 - 12: July 9 - August 2

*Summer school dates are tentative, pending the approval of the 2012-2013 school year calendar.

MPS Summer School is proud to have partnerships with the following organizations: • Eloise Butler Park • The Bakken Museum • Simply Good Eating • The National Park Service • The Science Museum of Minnesota • The University of Minnesota • The Works • Three Rivers Park District • Wilderness Inquiry

Visit www.mpls.k12.mn.us/summerschool or call 612.668.5388 for more information or to enroll. Check the invitation list at your child’s school!

Breakfast and lunch are served daily at no additional charge.

Published by the MPS Office of Communications March 2012 | 612.668.0230 | www.mpls.k12.mn.us