Career Partnership Breakfast Evokes Ideas, Partnerships for SPS Middle School Learning
Core principle of Elevate Learning driving the reimagination of middle school curriculum
SALEM (Sept. 30, 2024) – The possibilities were abundant in the Collins Middle School Chambers Monday, Sept. 23, at the 2024 Career Partnership Breakfast at Salem Public Schools, which was the point of the event.
The purpose of the gathering was to engage community, business and civic leaders with Collins and SPS leadership to discuss the next steps for the District’s reimagined middle school education curriculum.
With all 270-plus Grade 8 scholars taking part in the curriculum effective with the 2024-25 school year (up from the pilot program of 43 scholars in 2022-23 and 84 scholars last year), the theme of community involvement was prevalent.
Among the the drivers mentioned included:
- The need to begin the career and college exploration earlier than high school
- To engage and involve more parents
- To expose and expand Salem’s Career Technical Education (CTE) programming to middle school scholars.
The impact of the pilot program proved to be wildly successful in its first two years through project-based learning and immersion learning trips to the likes of the Ipswich Watershed Association, the Peabody Essex Museum and UMass Lowell’s NERVE center.
The curriculum has sparked curiosity and creativity among scholars, facilitated collaboration and goal-setting, each consistent with the District’s Strategic Plan’s core principles of elevating learning and empowering educators.
As a result, chronic absenteeism – defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days – among SPS middle school students is significantly down from 28 percent in 2021-22 to 9.6 percent last year. Educators and families have also expressed overwhelming support for the continuation of the pilot program.
Over the next few weeks, a steering committee is expected to take shape to guide the next steps.
About Salem Public Schools
Salem Public Schools is an urban public school district in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is a small, diverse city with a proud maritime and immigrant history. Our leaders and our teachers are all passionate about education and understand the urgency of improving student achievement with equity and social-emotional needs as the lens we view all of our work through. We respect and value the racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity of our students and their families, and have a strong commitment to the Salem community. Salem Public Schools staff serve all of our students, regardless of ability or language. Salem Public Schools enrolls approximately 4,000 students across its eleven schools.
