The MVWSD Way is our shared commitment to high-leverage practices that drive student engagement, deepen learning, and help every student succeed.

Closing achievement gaps while simultaneously enriching learning opportunities for students requires sustained commitment, collaboration, and leadership from district staff over time. We recognize the tremendous effort teachers and staff already invest every day on behalf of students.

The Way is about refining and strengthening the instructional practices that happen in classrooms every day. It is about clarity, consistency, alignment, and collective efficacy. Most importantly, it is about ensuring that every student experiences the high-quality learning they deserve.

Our teachers are working together on MVWSD Way initiatives to strengthen instruction and ensure every student receives rigorous, high-quality first instruction.

2026-27 is a “build” year

Our goal is growth for every student, with a clear and consistent foundation for proficiency and opportunities to achieve beyond it.

We will achieve this by developing a consistent set of agreed-upon grade level minimum expectations, supported by standards-aligned instruction, and assessment at the rigor of state standards.

* In August, teachers met to develop grade-level standards matrices. 

* In October, they will use the matrices from the August session to develop assessments that are closely aligned with state standards and student learning expectations.

* In January and March, teachers will practice using these tools, learn what works, and identify what needs to be refined.

* In addition, we are shifting away from broad reliance on i-Ready Diagnostics for instructional decision-making (with the exception of math placement in grades 5–8 and reclassification requirements) and moving toward teacher-created common assessments that are more closely connected to classroom instruction and student learning goals.

* We are also beginning work to improve schools’ master schedules. We know interrupted instructional time can create significant barriers to student learning, and we want to better protect uninterrupted core instructional blocks for all students. 

There is no limit to what students can achieve 

Teachers will decide what the collective strong foundation is for every student. The minimum expectation is that every student gets rigorous, high-quality first instruction. From there, students continue to grow guided by our clear, aligned standards and enrichment.

The MVWSD Way is not “extra;” it’s essential

The Way is concentrating and accelerating the work we are already doing. We will know we’re successful  at the end of 2026-27 if we have 1.) collectively and clearly defined what it means to be "grade level"; 2.) have co-created, district-wide common assessments aligned to the rigor of SBAC that we begin administering in 2027-28; 3.) In the meantime, we will also begin updating our school schedules to prioritize uninterrupted blocks of instructional time.

Once we have our shared definition of what it means to be "grade level" and our district-wide common assessments, we can then align the rest of our system to accelerate student learning. This means adjusting our instruction, interventions, and programming to create the conditions that ensure every student learns at high levels.

All students benefit when teachers have the time and resources to deepen their practices and improve instructional systems. We can’t wait to see how the MVWSD Way powered by our teachers improves outcomes for all students.