Give One for Learning

Washington County School District is implementing a blended learning model that focuses on increasing student 21st Century Skills, student responsibility for learning (personalized learning) and cognitive engagement (deeper learning) to ensure high levels of learning for every student.

Our collective commitment is to enhance, extend and deepen learning for all stakeholders through the integration of research-based digital teaching and learning practices. These practices will engage students in the learning process and prepare them to thrive in their future.

Personalized, Deep, and Authentic 21st Century Learning Using Digital Tools

Our purpose is to achieve high levels of learning for every student through focused and proven instructional practices that engage, enhance, and extend learning through appropriate and targeted use of digital strategies, resources, and tools. We can accomplish our plans as we build the capacity of our schools through a phased implementation designed to meet each school where they are and support them through the transformation process. The process and associated learning outcomes are only possible because of grant funding.

Our three-phase system of support is designed for all schools levels to build capacity, commitment, engagement, and self-accountability. Stage 1 schools will engage in LMS use, building initial capacity to provide digitally supported instruction in recuperation for stage progression. Stage II schools will explore the potential of focused digitally supported practices and prototype their effectiveness for learners, then hone those practices. Stage III schools focus on three key areas that are based on Universal Design for Learning. They are:
Personalized Learning (Mastery - Engage)
Future Ready Skill Sets (Autonomy - Enhance)
Deeper Learning (Purpose - Extend)
These three approaches correlate to Utah's Portrait of a Graduate, Universal Design for Learning, Triple-E, and Metiri's Way Forward.

This staged progression aligns to Utah's vision and guiding principles for digital and personalized learning as outlined in Essential Elements. Stage III schools engage stakeholders in the process of transforming learning through a culture where innovation is the norm, future-ready skills are developed and practiced, and deeper levels of personalized learning is the new status quo. Digital resources such as our district LMS and tool such as Chromebooks will support designed content that is personalized. Learners will also utilize these resources and tools to demonstrate conceptual mastery by creating products, developing authentic solutions, and showcasing their learning. This prepares our schools to measure achievement in the broader sense of Utah's Portrait of a Graduate.

This level of trans formation is complex and will take time to change culture so digital is not seen as separate, additional, or magical. Instead digital will be used when and where it will positively impact learning. This guided our rationale for developing, and implementing a staged process of transformation that integrates the core components of our LEA's strategic plan and guiding frameworks. The Digital Learning, Professional Learning, and Educator Effectiveness frameworks support our indicators, visible in the plan's four cornerstones, which support our transition process. The cornerstones are learning, culture, community, and partnerships. In the learning cornerstone, we created the following three indicators:
1. Commitment to ensure high levels of learning.
2. Incorporation of the appropriate Future Ready skills into curriculum.
3. Collaborative effort to ensure targeted, personalized learning experiences.
These learning indicators of our strategic plan directly correlate with our three intermediate outcomes, which in turn point to our primary long-time outcome that by 2025, learners in digital transformation schools will demonstrate deep knowledge and applied learning as demonstrated by a 5% increase in learner competency. This support our LEA purpose of ensuring high levels of learning for every student.

The LEA targeted student population for this grant is:
Stage III:
Bloomington Hills Elementary, (Grades K-5, 557 students)
Diamond Valley Elementary, (K-5, 369 students)
Hurricane Elementary, (K-5, 676 students)
Sunrise Ridge Intermediate, (6-7, 674 students)
Pine View Middle, (8-9, 769 students)
Stage II (focus group of students per individual school mini-grant applications TBD):
Schools have some rotation. Will update with new schools in August.
Stage I Schools:
All LEA Schools
The software used varies by stage and school as follow:
Stage III Schools:
Designated LMS (Canvas/Schoology)
Schoology Assessment Management Platform
Adaptive software per school's STEM Action Center grants, Early Literacy Grants, and purchased software (i.e., ALEKS, Reach for Reading, MyMath, RedBird, Imagine Learning, Lexia, etc.)
Stage II Schools:
Designated LMS (Canvas/Schoology)
Schoology Assessment Management Platform
Software designated in Mini-Grant Applications (TBD upon mini-grant receipt and final approval)
Stage I Schools:
Designated LMS (Canvas/Schoology)
Schoology Assessment Management Platform