Madison Partnership for Advanced Learning
Madison Partnership for Advanced Learning (MPAL) is a network of parents, educators and community members from across the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) who are part of the important work of improving public education.
Meeting the learning needs of any student requires knowing where that student is achieving in relation to grade level standards. Students who are beyond grade level proficiency require instruction that consistently goes beyond what is expected at grade level. This is important to keep students engaged in school and growing in their learning. This can be done at the same time as the critical work of instructing students who are striving to reach proficiency levels.
The Madison Metropolitan School district has many students who are achieving above grade level or who have the potential to do so. Yet, little consistent advanced academic instruction exists during the school day before students reach high school. This creates an equity issue.
Disparities currently exist in the numbers of students from different demographic backgrounds who achieve at advanced academic levels. These disparities can be seen nationally, in the state of Wisconsin and locally in the Madison school district. Students historically underrepresented in Advanced Learning include low-income students, English Language Learners, Latino students and African American students. Twice exceptional refers to students who have both Special Education and Advanced Learning needs.
When specific strategies are not put into place to address these disparities and provide advanced instruction during the school day for all students who could benefit, gaps in both opportunities and outcomes at the highest levels of education will continue to persist.
What we do
* We work at both the school district policy level and the school instructional level to ensure Advanced Learning is part of the district's vision, strategic framework and decision-making processes. This includes advocating for concrete and visible strategies to include more students from diverse backgrounds.
* We aim to give a collective voice to student and family experiences as they move through the K-12 education system. This provides both historical context and valuable feedback to district leaders making decisions and school staff working with students.
* We monitor school district data and reporting that measures the progress of students including advanced learners. This includes an Office of Civil Rights resolution on racial disparities in access to and preparation for advanced coursework signed by MMSD in 2016.
* We routinely seek and review national best practices in Advanced Learning and Gifted Education to stay up-to-date on the current research in these fields.
* We help families and students build their own background knowledge and skills to more effectively discuss the needs of advanced learners and how these needs fit in with the overall district vision for all students.
* We work to establish connections between MMSD school communities at each of the school levels (elementary, middle and high school) to create a stronger advocacy voice around Advanced Learning issues.
Meeting the learning needs of any student requires knowing where that student is achieving in relation to grade level standards. Students who are beyond grade level proficiency require instruction that consistently goes beyond what is expected at grade level. This is important to keep students engaged in school and growing in their learning. This can be done at the same time as the critical work of instructing students who are striving to reach proficiency levels.
The Madison Metropolitan School district has many students who are achieving above grade level or who have the potential to do so. Yet, little consistent advanced academic instruction exists during the school day before students reach high school. This creates an equity issue.
Disparities currently exist in the numbers of students from different demographic backgrounds who achieve at advanced academic levels. These disparities can be seen nationally, in the state of Wisconsin and locally in the Madison school district. Students historically underrepresented in Advanced Learning include low-income students, English Language Learners, Latino students and African American students. Twice exceptional refers to students who have both Special Education and Advanced Learning needs.
When specific strategies are not put into place to address these disparities and provide advanced instruction during the school day for all students who could benefit, gaps in both opportunities and outcomes at the highest levels of education will continue to persist.
What we do
* We work at both the school district policy level and the school instructional level to ensure Advanced Learning is part of the district's vision, strategic framework and decision-making processes. This includes advocating for concrete and visible strategies to include more students from diverse backgrounds.
* We aim to give a collective voice to student and family experiences as they move through the K-12 education system. This provides both historical context and valuable feedback to district leaders making decisions and school staff working with students.
* We monitor school district data and reporting that measures the progress of students including advanced learners. This includes an Office of Civil Rights resolution on racial disparities in access to and preparation for advanced coursework signed by MMSD in 2016.
* We routinely seek and review national best practices in Advanced Learning and Gifted Education to stay up-to-date on the current research in these fields.
* We help families and students build their own background knowledge and skills to more effectively discuss the needs of advanced learners and how these needs fit in with the overall district vision for all students.
* We work to establish connections between MMSD school communities at each of the school levels (elementary, middle and high school) to create a stronger advocacy voice around Advanced Learning issues.