Introduction

The Teaching and Learning department in Cedar Bluffs Public School is responsible for the teaching, learning, and leadership that supports our nearly 500 students, 45 teachers, and 4 administrators. Teams with these types of responsibilities must ensure that essential components are consistently in place: process, curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning communities, and school growth.

Process

When considering the amount of work that goes into developing an instructional program in a district, it is important to have a clear and consistent process in place. In Cedar Bluffs Public School, collaborative teams of teachers are assembled in each curriculum area and at each level, elementary, middle, and high school. These teams work through a structured “curriculum toolbox” cycle, engaging in tasks such as reviewing state and national trends, writing curriculum, developing collaborative assessments, selecting new materials, and evaluating implemented programs.

Curriculum

A school that has a guaranteed and viable curriculum ensures that the essential learning and skills identified as critical are essential for ALL students, and that the system is structured to make sure this learning occurs for every student. Teachers in Cedar Bluffs Public School work together to create common curriculum documents so that educators across buildings are teaching toward the same standards. Teacher-created curriculum documents are stored and accessible for reference and instructional use.

Instruction

A hallmark of Cedar Bluffs Public School is balancing district standards that guide instruction with teacher autonomy to deliver those standards using their professional expertise and teaching style. Annual professional learning for teachers focuses on strengthening instructional practice, with emphasis on topics such as writing clear learning targets, instructional technology, and classroom formative assessments. Formative assessments are periodic checks throughout the year that help determine whether students are learning what is being taught.

Assessment

Many types of assessments contribute to the learning process in PK–12 classrooms. While statewide and national assessments are often the most publicly discussed, the foundation of any strong assessment system is formative, ongoing assessments. Cedar Bluffs Public School provides guidance and support to teachers to ensure students have regular opportunities to demonstrate learning, reflect on progress, and learn from mistakes. These day-to-day assessments help shape instruction in real time.

Professional Learning Communities

Schools work best when everyone, students and educators, is continually learning. Students learn best when teachers engage in ongoing collaborative dialogue with their colleagues. In Cedar Bluffs Public School, Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) create structured opportunities for teachers to collaborate regularly. During PLC time, teachers examine four essential questions:

What are students expected to learn?
How will we know that they have learned it?
What will we do if students haven’t learned what we taught?
What will we do if students already know it? How will we enrich their learning?

When teams focus on these questions consistently, student learning improves. Teachers in Cedar Bluffs Public School meet weekly at all levels to ensure these conversations guide instruction. PLC groups are typically composed of teachers with similar assignments and shared goals.

School Growth

As part of the PLC process, teams of educators across the district work together toward continual growth. District-level teams collaborate with principals and teachers to analyze and interpret data from state assessments, norm-referenced tests, district assessments, and student perception surveys. Based on this data, teams set goals and develop action plans that are submitted to the district and monitored throughout the school year. This data-driven approach supports meaningful improvement and aligns school efforts with district goals.

Cedar Bluffs Public Schools