Academic Acceleration
The pandemic has increased the academic need of Missouri students. Student performance outcomes on the MO MAP grade level and End-of-Course Assessments in the 2020–21 school year illustrate the impact of the pandemic.
The key to rapidly and effectively addressing student academic needs are principals’ abilities to strengthen and improve instructional practice.
Research consistently demonstrates that high-quality leaders can and do improve student learning outcomes (Gates et al., 2019; Branch et al., 2013; Marzano et al., 2005). Principals are essential catalysts for effective school improvement (Leithwood et al., 2004). IMPACT responds to student academic needs. It equips principals with the instructional leadership knowledge and skills to close student learning gaps exacerbated by the pandemic.
IMPACT provides enhanced content that gives principals intentional, focused strategies to lead their teaching staff in accelerating the learning of all students.
Through MLDS, principals learn to guide teachers in probing student achievement data to determine students’ current progress toward achieving grade-level standards. Principals also learn to guide teachers in using the student data to personalize and make responsive adjustments to instructional strategies. Principals ensure teachers implement instructional strategies which create equitable and supportive learning opportunities for all students. In addition, MLDS builds principals capacities to observe classrooms and coach teachers on scaffolding instruction. In so doing, principals become the instructional leaders needed to improve teacher practices and student academic outcomes even as the effects of the pandemic linger.
What is Academic Acceleration?
Academic acceleration is an instructional process that moves students through an educational program at a more rapid rate than their peers. The goal of acceleration is to tailor the level and complexity of the standards and curriculum to the ability and academic readiness of individual children.
What is Academic Acceleration in MLDS?
Learning acceleration is an ongoing instructional process by which educators engage in formative practices to improve students' access to and mastery of grade-level standards.
How?
“The key to accelerating rather than remediating is determining the critical skills and concepts that students are missing and providing scaffolds that will bridge gaps while teaching the missing skills with surgical precision and efficiency,” Meg Bowman, (Learning Science International, 2020).
Teachers can be taught how to strategically identify the critical skills and concepts students need to fully understand grade-level content and they can teach these skills and concepts without repeating entire units or years’ worth of instruction (Rollins, 2014).
Academic Acceleration
- Acceleration can best be understood as an increase in opportunities for students to learn grade-level content.
- Teachers who provide high quality of instruction communicate and align high expectations for all students while providing appropriate instruction and scaffolding as needed.
- Recognize the difference between grade-level scaffolding and lowering expectations.
- Recognize grade-level content and instruction in classroom walk-throughs.
- Understanding use of effect size and best research practices in acceleration.
- Seeking student engagement focusing on key attributes.
- Affective, Behavioral, and Cognitive Engagement
Are you a Principal, Assistant Principal, or Superintendent?
Enroll in MLDS
Complete the form below and an MLDS representative from your region will follow up with you to complete enrollment in the MLDS program or provide you the value of MLDS. There is no cost to you or your district.
You may also leave a message at 617-423-1444 (CTAC) or 573-751-7986 (DESE) and one of our team members will contact you soon.