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Pathway to Packer Promise

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Pathway to Packer Promise

Last fall we engaged with our students, staff, and families to learn what each group wanted their Desired Daily Experience to be here at SSPPS. While we know we are not there yet in all of the identified areas, we will continue to work hard to make necessary shifts that will better support and meet the needs and interests of our students, families and staff.

Thanks to the generous support of our community in approving both operating levy questions that were on the ballot last fall, we are excited to share the beginning of our Pathway to Packer Promise work that will:

  • Take strides in addressing our achievement concerns
  • Help us deliver the promise of investing additional funds in academic and mental health support
  • Expand programming opportunities for students

While some shifts can be made relatively quickly, there are others that will be developed and implemented over time. Here is a closer look at some of our initial work.

Redesigned Academic Framework

SSPPS leaders know we need to do something different to change the trajectory of our academic outcomes. With only 24-37% of students meeting or exceeding grade level standards in math and reading, district leaders worked to identify what we could do differently to improve academic outcomes.

After reviewing numerous data points, the district has decided to begin phasing out the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP) components of the International Baccalaureate (IB) during the 2023-24 school year. SSP High School will continue to offer the IB Diploma Programme for interested students in grades 11-12.

District leaders are still working through what the sunset of the PYP and MYP will look like in our programming next school year. We are also beginning to explore academic systems that will provide us with a framework and strategies to improve achievement levels, but also:

  • Challenge our students and provide opportunities for extension and enrichment
  • Have intervention and support structures for students that are proactive and align with best practices
  • Have more opportunities for exploration with multiple pathways toward career and college
  • Make SSPPS a place where families want to come and stay

A number of stakeholder involvement opportunities are taking place to explore what programming students, families, and staff want and expect in SSPPS. We will engage in conversations with our students, staff, and families as well as explore programming provided in other schools and districts. We are excited about this opportunity for change and want this to be a collaborative effort with many voices in this work.

In addition, phone surveys were conducted with a representative sample of current SSP families as well as families enrolling out of SSPPS. These surveys inquired about why our families are choosing to stay or leave our district and also inquired about programming opportunities they would like to see SSPPS explore. This information will be helpful to learn and adapt our programming and support services to ensure we are meeting the needs of our SSP learning community.

Academic and Support Team

While the approval of levy question one on the ballot last fall allows us to maintain low class sizes, dollars generated from levy question 2 as well as additional state funding is allowing the district to to invest in the following additional support for our students and staff:

  • Full-time Social Workers at each of our main sites
  • Full-time School Psychologist at each of our main sites
  • 6th and 9th Grade Reading Intervention Teachers
  • Elementary Intervention Teachers and other classroom supports
  • Additional Elementary Student Support Assistants
  • K-12 Instructional Coordinator with Focus on Literacy

The Academic and Student Support Team will work in partnership to create an environment where students, staff, and families receive the support they need to be successful. By broadening the scope of our Academic and Student Support Team with professionals specifically trained to support academic and social-emotional needs that arise, it also implements a proactive approach to reduce barriers and circumstances that affect a student’s ability to learn

Additional Programming Opportunities

While engaging with our students, families, and staff we learned our community would like to see additional programming opportunities for students in all grade levels. We have heard students would like more programming in the arts at the grade school level and more post-secondary opportunities for our high school students. Thanks to the generous support of our community, we have been able to explore this additional programming.

Elementary Music Class

Starting in the 2023-24 school year, we are excited to offer band to all fifth grade students at both Kaposia Education Center and Lincoln Center Elementary as a part of their regular music class experience.

With this exciting announcement of expanding Band into our elementary schools, we are conducting an Instrument Drive in which we invite families to consider donating gently used instruments to the school district. In particular, we are looking for flutes, clarinets, trumpets, and trombones. However, many other instruments would also be useful and appreciated, including saxophones and percussion bell kits.

If you or someone you know has a gently used instrument that you/they would be willing to donate to SSP Public Schools, please consider dropping the instrument off at one of our elementary school offices. When you drop off your instrument, please be sure to include your name and contact information so we can thank you for your donation. Please contact Jody Shannon in the District’s Equity and Learning Office at jshannon@sspps.org or (651) 457-9469 with any questions.

College Exploration

In addition to continuing the IB Diploma Programme for students in grades 11-12, SSP High School is partnering with Inver Hills Community College to offer concurrent enrollment courses.Concurrent enrollment classes are college courses that will be offered at SSP High School, taught by our high school teachers, that will generate both high school and college credit. These credits will be accepted at all public colleges and universities in Minnesota. More to come on what those exact concurrent enrollment courses will be.

Career Exploration

The district is working to expand upon the current TriDistrict CAPS (Centers for Advanced Professional Studies) programming by offering an Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Sustainability Program. This pathway is currently in the planning stages and will begin in the 2024-25 school year. This will be in addition to our current CAPS programming:

  • Healthcare and Medicine
  • Transportation Business and Technologies
  • Business & Entrepreneurship
  • Information Technology/Computer Science
  • Urban Education

The CAPS Program is a partnership between South St. Paul High School, Simley High School, and Two Rivers High School. By combining our resources, we are able to offer our students real-world, hands-on experience in their desired field of study. The TriDistrict CAPS Program has grown the past five years from two pathways and 46 students to five pathways with 93 students.

Introduction to Trades

Students in grades 9 and 10 will have the chance to take the elective course Introduction to Trades. In this class students will be introduced to trades such as:

  • Carpentry
  • Plumbing
  • Electrical

The students interested in trades courses will have additional opportunities in grades 11 and 12 through Intermediate District 917 and Dakota County Technical College. Courses will be offered in the areas of:

  • Heavy Duty Trucks
  • Total Auto Care
  • Medical Careers

Next Steps

Our next step includes continuing to build out our Pathway to Packer Promise which encompasses shifts that will better support and meet the needs and interests of our students, families, and staff. We know our work does not stop here. We are thankful for the support from our community that is helping us move this work forward. We will continue to work hard and collaboratively to create a safe, supportive, and effective learning environment where our students, staff, and families can succeed.