The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
School is a public elementary school located
in Cambridge Massachusetts.
Our school is focused on being a nurturing
and challenging learning environment with
high expectations for all students.
Parents, teachers, and community members are
encouraged to stay actively involved in our
students academic and social success.
Our goal is that our students will be active
learners, critical thinkers, and responsible
citizens.
One special feature of the King School is
that our students learn Mandarin Chinese.
We also have a longer school day, supported
by the state's Expanded Learning Time grant.
In Cambridge Public Schools, a strong effort
is being made to help schools use formative
assessments and other kinds of data to inform
decisions about teaching and learning, as
part of our District Plan.
At the King School, teachers are particularly
focused on strengthening our use of formative
assessments.
Meet Ms. Christine Fetter and Ms. Verna Morey,
two of our fourth grade teachers.
They cite the use of data and collaboration
as pivotal in their ability to effectively
teach all students.
We use assessments connected to the curriculum,
along with district assessments to look critically
at gaps in our students' knowledge and abilities.
We use written assessments and informal data
and daily observations to target areas for
students to improve.
We have a diverse student population.
Some students are new to the United States
and many students have been living in Cambridge
all their lives.
We tailor our instructional approach because
we know that students come in at different
levels, and with varying abilities.
Our goal is ensure that all students needs
are being met and that every student is making
progress and meeting learning standards.
Collaboration is a big key.
We meet weekly to look at where students are
and what they need.
The next thing we do is look at our curriculum,
and look at the lessons are already implemented
and what are the lessons we need to create
to ensure that all students are meeting their
goals.
We have a saying our school that teamwork
makes the dreamwork.
Teaching today cannot and should not be in
isolation.
Our team is able to use data effectively,
it to inform instruction, and leverage it
to ensure that students are making effective
progress.
This happens across the entire grade span,
from our youngest students to fifth graders.
We just had a grade 1-2 collaboration meeting.
In that, someone brought a set of assessments
where some of the kids did fine and others
really struggled.
So we had a great discussion about the standard
itself, but also, teachers were able to share
practices around how they help children when
they are struggling.
So, everyone left with more ideas for how
to help kids not only in subtraction, but
when they make errors.
The same is true when I meet with teachers
for ELA collaboration.
We're going to be looking at narrative writing
with Grades 3 - 5 later today, because for
those students who are exceeding [expectations],
teachers can look to the next grade up and
think about where they can push those students
to continue those students building their
practice.
But also for students who are struggling,
we can look at the prerequisite skills from
the grade before, and then teachers can gain
advice from their colleagues about what might
be useful to help those students with that
progression and mastery of grade level standards.
It's so valuable to be doing that work across
the school year.
There are many parts that happen during a
school day.
The curriculum, state learning standards,
our District Mission and our very own students
and their uniqueness.
But the approach is one thing: that we combine
all these parts together into solid instruction
that accelerates student learning.
At the end of all of the effort, it really
comes down to your beliefs.
What do you believe in as a teacher that will
make a difference so all your students will
learn and make progress?
For us, it's the intersection of data and
collaboration, a team approach, and believing
in our students, that enables us to meet the
needs of each child.
Here in Cambridge, we've set out a vision
for rigorous, joyful and culturally responsive
learning.
A key to achieving this is working collaboratively
to meet and know the needs of every students.
Here at the Martin Luther King, Jr.
School the team has embodied this in their
continuous improvement work.
