Superintendent Presents at the Digital Promise, League of Innovative Schools Conference
Superintendent of Schools Charles Sampson was invited to present at the recent Digital Promise, League of Innovative Schools Conference in Washington, D.C. Dr. Sampson presented on the Freehold Regional’s work on equity and providing open access for students in the district by deleveling.
Upon studying course-taking patterns, Freehold Regional administrators found that students receiving special education supports and Black and Latinx students often moved from higher-level courses in 9th grade to lower-level courses in 10th and 11th grades. An equity goal was then established with the aim to reduce deceleration rates amongst this cohort of students. The ultimate goal was to address and remove barriers, to eliminate opportunity gaps, particularly for historically underserved populations, such that social determinants would no longer reliably predict student outcomes.
Sampson explained in his presentation that when a district considers every student’s aspirations, strengths, and weaknesses through a programmatic approach, they will be equipped to realize college and career success on paths leading to the fulfillment of their passions.
One area of restructuring that helped Freehold Regional reach its goal included eliminating lower-level courses while establishing “workshop” courses. As an example, a 9th-grade student would take both a regular math course plus a math workshop course. These students received a “double dose” of math by taking both math classes at the same time. To ensure the changes were effective, administrators reviewed students’ progress in these new courses and offered after-school tutoring for those needing assistance. Freehold Regional also created additional math-related courses in areas like computer science to encourage students to keep progressing into higher-level courses.
According to its website, Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools, launched in late 2011, connects and rallies the most forward-thinking leaders of the nation’s school districts. By working together on shared priorities – and partnering with leading entrepreneurs, researchers, and education leaders – League districts pioneer innovative learning and leadership practices that lead to improved outcomes for students and that help prepare them for learning for life. The League of Innovative Schools accepts new members through an application process once per year. The Freehold Regional was accepted as a member of the League of Innovative Schools in 2015. As Superintendent, Dr. Sampson was selected as one of 100 Future-Ready Superintendents by the Department of Educational Technology in 2014 and had the opportunity to represent the district at the White House.