Packer Pathways
Through the Pathway to Packer Promise our goal is to ignite a passion in every learner to inquire, continuously improve, and engage in positively changing our world. We will do this by preparing each and every student for their next step in life through high quality, individualized programs, services, and personalized learning for all ages and stages of a learner's life.
Our dedication to academic excellence remains a top priority. Recognizing the need to enhance our students' academic journey and empower them to shape their educational paths, we are committed to driving meaningful change. Last spring, the district made the strategic decision to sunset the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years and Middle Years programs at the end of the 2023-24 school year for students in grades K-5 and 6-10, respectively. While maintaining the IB Diploma program for grades 11-12, we are excited to introduce additional enriching opportunities for all grades through our Packer Pathway initiative, starting in fall 2024.
Exciting changes are on the horizon for our school district as we embark on a transformative journey towards our new academic model. Our Pathway to Packer Promise, promises to create opportunities for our students to explore, engage, and give them choices in their academic pathway here at SSPPS. It will also help them explore and try new things in a safe and supportive environment. Our visionary leaders have been working tirelessly to create an innovative approach that will focus on a holistic and supported experience for all of our students.
Stakeholder Feedback
We believe in the power of collaboration and value the diverse perspectives within our school community. Our leaders have actively sought and incorporated feedback from students, staff, and families throughout the development of the Packer Pathway. The insights shared by students, staff, and families, have guided the development of strategies to provide personalized guidance and support and more opportunities for our students to explore a variety of academic course offerings. This inclusive approach ensures that the resulting pathways resonate with and provide the support needed to help our students be successful here at SSPPS and beyond.
Students
- Student Interviews
- Student School Board Representative
- Superintendent Advisory Groups
- Principal Advisory Groups
- Affinity Groups/Student Leadership
Families
- Family Surveys
- Parent-Teacher Associations
- School/Program Advisory Groups
- Family Academic Advisory Committee
- Technology Committee
Staff
- Staff Surveys
- Staff Academic Advisory Committee
- Administration Feedback
- BILT Committees
- Pathway Development Team
Experience by Age Group
How Did We Get Here?
In the fall of 2022, South St. Paul Public Schools (SSPPS) launched a new Academic Advisory committee structure as a critical piece of our work in sunsetting the district’s International Baccalaureate Primary and Middle Years Programs (PYP/MYP). It is also an important component for the review and exploration of our entire K-12 academic framework. We started this process in 2022 by engaging with our students, staff, and families to learn their Desired Experience is at SSPPS. As we promised, our committees, comprised of staff, students, and families bring more stakeholder involvement to this work. These committees continue to engage on things like the inventory and assessment of our current academic model. They also provide valuable input and feedback on the design and implementation of our new and future academic programming (click here to learn more about our committees). Here’s a look at the process that began in fall 2022 to sunrise our new academic programming as we sunset the PYP and MYP.
STEP 1: Stakeholder Input
- In 2022-23 we gathered family, staff, and student input about their Desired Daily Experiences
- Surveyed community to learn what they would like to see in our schools
STEP 2: Input and Feedback Groups
- Teacher Advisory Group formed to conduct inventory and provide input and feedback on the design and implementation of our academic programming
- Parent Advisory Group provides feedback on our academic programming ideas
- Student Advisory Group will provide feedback on academic programming ideas
STEP 3: Interviews
- Interviews with students about their experiences and learning
STEP 4: Design & Feedback
- Leaders and Teacher Advisory develop recommendations for new SSPPS academic programming
- School Building Leadership Teams provide feedback on academic design ideas
- Family Advisory provides feedback on academic design ideas
STEP 5: Implement
- Academic design decision is made
- Teacher Advisory provides input & feedback on implementation plan for fall 2024