Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD)
Thank you again for your support on the education related warrant articles. All three towns — Stockbridge, West Stockbridge, and Great Barrington — have approved our budget and the authorization to borrow for the feasibility study for a high school project. We will share updates on that project including the creation of building and outreach committees in the coming months.
We graduated 138 students on June 5th at Tanglewood. Congratulations to them and their families. We’re very proud of them.
Several years ago, the District received a grant from Mass IDEAS to support rethinking our approach to learning in the 9th grade. That funding continued with The Barr Foundation this past year to support de-leveling the 9th grade, shifting how we assess students, and creating more opportunities for student voice in decision making. We are seeking support for two additional years.
While the work has been challenging, teachers, students, and administrators have been working hard to reinvent our approaches to learning. Our challenge is to teach a wider range of students while supporting rigor for all. At the same time, we are piloting ways that students can demonstrate their understanding beyond typical tests. One the most positive parts of these efforts is how students are joining the dialogue, raising their voices, and partnering in making their learning more meaningful. We have a 60-member student advisory board that meets regularly with their peers, staff, and a sub-group with school leadership and the school committee. They conduct surveys, focus groups, and shape how we make shifts in our practices. Again, we will be excited to hear the students’ summarized feedback at the June 16th school committee meeting.
We’ll continue to share updates on this exciting work as it expands to include both 9th and 10th grades next year. In 11th and 12th grades students will have expanded options around AP and college classes, pathways, and vocational opportunities.
As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions — Peter.Dillon@bhrsd.org.
Next issue, I’ll share some updates on grants including a new state grant we received to support different ways of assessing student growth. Did you know that last year the District was awarded more than $4 million in competitive grants supporting everything from school safety, to mental health, to curriculum, to teacher growth?
