Semester
SRMS is a National Schools to Watch. There are only 9 schools in the state of Utah that have achieved this designation and three of the nine are in Jordan District. As a part of that national honor we are required to focus our attention on best-practices that are research-based. We do this through four (4) main areas of focus. With each passing day we focus on being 1. Developmentally responsive, 2. Academically rigorous, 3. Socially equitable, and 4. Enhancing organizational effectiveness.
We are continually working to be better in all that we do. Improvement is an ongoing process and we are Learning by Doing. As a part of that process we are taking great strides to implement Standards (or mastery) - based grading. Standards-based grading focuses on assessment (in all its various forms) that informs both the teacher and the learner of their “proficiency” in a certain standard. This standards-based approach changes the way assignments, homework, and assessments are valued. If a student has not met proficiency on a particular standard they will be able to re-do that assessment until proficiency is achieved. The question we are asking ourselves is: “What evidence do I have that students are learning?”.
Being a part of the Schools to Watch program is hard work - but essential to our continual evolution in providing the highest quality instruction and learning programs possible.