Superintendents visit Mehlville School District

Superintendents from 15 states visit Mehlville School District
Posted on 09/25/2019
district-aasa-visitSuperintendents and other school leaders visited Mehlville School District on Sept. 24, to see personalized learning in action at three schools.

The visit was organized by the AASA, The School Superintendents Association. Members of the organization’s Personalized Learning Cohort spent the day visiting with educators and students at Mehlville High School, Bernard Middle School and MOSAIC Elementary School.

“Personalized learning is a framework of instructional strategies we use to increase student engagement,” said Dr. Chris Gaines, superintendent of Mehlville School District. “Students who are empowered through their choices demonstrate ownership over their learning.”

Highlights from some of the stops at Mehlville High School include:
  • MyPath students explained how they create their own curriculum to explore topics of interest to them. MyPath gives students the freedom to propose a personalized plan of study based on post-secondary interests and goals.
  • School leaders visited the Personalized Learning Lab where students were working on virtual classes and MyPath programs.
  • Students in the new Geometry in Construction class explained how blending geometry concepts with a construction project made math fun and relevant.
“The intentionality of student voice, choice and autonomy at Mehlville High School was impressive,” tweeted Travis McGuire, superintendent of Hinckley-Big Rock Community Unit School District in Hinckley, Illinois. “Thanks for opening your doors to us this morning.”

At Bernard Middle School, school leaders spent a significant amount of the time in the new Middle School Academy classrooms. The Academy is a learning environment housed within each middle school in Mehlville School District. Academy classes present students with blended learning opportunities, including project-based learning, inquiry-based learning, personalized learning and guided teacher expertise. Students in the Academy are empowered to shape how they learn the curriculum throughout the year. A month into the new Academies, teachers and students shared lessons learned with school leaders during a panel discussion.

After lunch, the AASA cohort visited MOSAIC Elementary, where they learned about the purposeful evolution of the school. MOSAIC opened in 2017 to provide a school focused on student voice, choice, passion and pace. At MOSAIC, students learn at a personalized pace, show mastery of curriculum standards in multiple ways, collaborate, address relevant real-world problems and share their learning with a greater audience.

After exploring the MOSAIC studios, Kristin Humpries, superintendent at East Moline School District 37 in Illinois, tweeted: “MOSAIC is what school CAN be. I am so impressed with the deep work that’s done to personalize learning for elementary students. I want this for ALL children.”
The Mehlville School District strictly prohibits discrimination and harassment against employees, students or others on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or sex including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity and other characteristics protected by law. The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: contact Adam Smith at 314-467-5006 or [email protected].