School district launches new
academic strategic plan
Jake Spitzack
Staff Writer
South St. Paul Public Schools is launching a new K-12 academic strategic plan designed to increase the number of students meeting grade level standards in core subjects and give students more freedom to choose elective classes. It’s called Pathway to Packer Promise and it’s replacing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years and Primary Years programs, which have served grades K-10 since 2008. Students in grades 11 and 12 still have the option to take IB courses and obtain an IB Diploma, which can earn them college credits.
Each grade will see changes this year under the new model. In elementary, children will have science class as part of their regular schedule. Spanish class has been pushed to sixth grade. Extra before- and after-school activities, such as math masters and art club, are also expected to kick off to help supplement school day programming. In middle school, students will get their first brush with the four career “pathways,” which are computer science and business, transportation and trades, health and human services, and 4-year college/IB Diploma. They will be able to sample classes for a trimester at a time to help determine where their interests and strengths lie.
“The hard thing with the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (MYP) was there were so many restrictions on what we had to do, like how
often we could offer a course, how long we could offer a course, and what courses we could offer,” said South St. Paul Public Schools Communications Manager Lisa Brandecker. “Students didn’t have a whole lot of choice in their classes. By doing away with MYP, and opening up this pathway, students really have a larger voice in their educational experience, which is pretty exciting.”
High school students will meet more often with school counselors and staff to discuss which electives to take and whether they need more support or more challenges in specific subjects, and to make plans for after graduation. Also starting this fall, students will be able to receive high school and college credit by taking college-level courses through Inver Hills Community College. The classes will be taught by high school teachers at the high school.
The district is also working to add a course on agriculture, natural resources and sustainability to its TriDistrict Centers for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program, which gives students opportunities to obtain work experience. The course is still in its planning stages but is expected to begin this school year. Other CAPS courses include healthcare and medicine, transportation business and technologies, business and entrepreneurship, information technology/computer science and urban education.
Also new this year is what the district is calling a “talent development program,” to provide opportunities for more advanced learning for students K-12 who are already doing well in school. In addition, said Brandecker, the district will provide more support for students who are struggling.
Much of the new plan was guided by community feedback received by the district’s advisory committee over the past year. Special School District 6, like many others, is still rebounding from the adverse effects the pandemic had on learning. Last year, statewide graduation rates and math, reading and science scores were all down compared to 2019. In South St. Paul, graduation rates and science scores improved from 2019, but math and reading scores were down from 32% to 26% and 45% to 35%, respectively.
On a separate note, South St. Paul Public Schools is in its first year of working with the I Love You Guys Foundation, which provides staff training for emergency situations such as lock downs and evacuations. In June, more than 90 staff across all positions received training.
The South St. Paul Police Department still has two community service officers in the school to help maintain safety.
For more information about the new academic strategic plan, visit sspps.org/academics/packer-pathway.
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