Teaching and learning is innovative, engaging and rigorous so that students become self-directed learners and achieve academic and personal success.
Goal: Refine curriculum and instruction to address revised New York state standards, frameworks and regulations.
- Katie Gabriel, the district’s coordinator for art and F-M High School art teacher, has been involved with educators across New York state to develop a new pathway to graduation: the Individual Arts Assessment Pathway (IAAP). The IAAP offers high school students a graduation pathway that prepares them for future professional and educational experiences and opportunities in the arts. Fayetteville-Manlius will serve as a pilot district to be a leader as the state puts this new pathway into action.
- Teachers review and refine curriculum on an ongoing basis. In 2021-22, there was an emphasis on English language arts (ELA) and mathematics to ensure alignment with the state’s Next Generation Learning Standards.
Goal: Maintain district technology infrastructure and advance instructional technology in all areas.
- The district expanded its 1:1 initiative in several ways, including issuing for home and school use iPads to students in kindergarten and grades 1 and 2 and Chromebooks to students in grades 3-12. Chromebooks were made available to second-grade students to use so they would become acquainted with them before making the change in third grade to Chromebooks.
- The district upgraded both its physical and cybersecurity infrastructures, including implementing new cybersecurity protocols that keeps users’ personally identifiable information protected and secured. Several new security cameras, video archivers and standardized access control systems were installed across the district.
- To keep technology support costs low, the district standardized technology devices across all platforms. The global supply chain issues affected everything from copier paper to semiconductors. By standardizing devices and eliminating the need for excess equipment, the district positioned itself to minimize device downtime and reduce the number of issues facing the advanced instructional technology needs of students and staff.
Goal: Support professional development for teachers in an educational environment of accelerated change.
- Elementary-level library media specialists participated in the OCM BOCES Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force (DEI) and shared what they learned with all F-M schools library media specialists. Each elementary library audited its collection with a focus on diversifying their collections when making any new purchases.
- The district offers its own in-house online and in-person professional development opportunities led by district staff. Courses are based on needs expressed to members of the district’s professional development committee. In 2021-22, there were more than 40 course offerings available online or in person after school or on Saturday mornings. Topics included using desktop publishing programs like Canva, video editing programs like WeVideo and strategies for reducing student anxiety in the classroom.
Goal: Expand course offerings, units of study and learning opportunities that promote student engagement and allow for student voice and choice.
- More than 50 Mott Road Elementary School students in grades K-4 participated in the school’s first science fair. Students showcased projects that ranged from dissolving Peeps to exploding volcanoes. The event was held in the evening at the school so that family and friends could attend, and the school plans to hold it again in future years to continue encouraging student inquiry.
- At Wellwood Middle School, teachers are more intentionally and frequently aligning units with their colleagues to allow for students to more easily see the connection between subject areas. For example, sixth grade students complete a roller coaster project in science class and complete the calculations for speed, distance and time in math class. Fifth-grade students worked on an art project based on the Mayan and Aztec cultures, which directly aligns with social studies instruction.