2017 is underway, and here at Aspire we continue to reflect thoughtfully on our successes, and reimagine our work in ways that push our progress and support our scholars towards college readiness.
This school year we have been sharing regional practices from around the organization. In each of our four regions, we are providing clearer guidance to teachers on the "what" in addition to the "how" of effective instructional practice. To that end, we've done some deep dives into instructional practices and content areas that increase our students' college readiness and success.
Two of these instructional practices include (1) a focus on literacy led by Bay Area Superintendent Kimi Kean; and (2) practicing and mastering content before teaching led by Memphis Area Superintendent Alli Leslie.
The Bay Area team is ensuring our scholars have the reading skills they need to perform at grade level across all subject areas, and to cultivate what we hope is a life-long love of reading. I invite you to watch this
video, highlighting Aspire Lionel Wilson Prep's reimagined literacy block.
The second regional practice highlights our work in Memphis around practicing and mastering content before teaching, a focus that has already improved student academic outcomes. Check out this
video to see how our Memphis teammates have moved from using their prep time to author lesson plans to using their prep time to study and practice already developed high quality lesson plans. Six months into the shift in practice, we are excited to share our Memphis teammates' reflections, including their ability to better anticipate misconceptions with students, their increased comfort with the material itself, and their strengthened support and collaboration with colleagues through practicing together.
