School District of Lancaster superintendent Dr. Keith Miles talked about the ways he sees the district living up to its six values and areas it can improve in a comprehensive “State of the District” presentation to the school board on Oct. 17.
“Other than a conversation with a teacher I met at a professional event in Philadelphia raving about how well her high school prepared her for college … it’s safe to say I didn’t know what I didn’t know” about the School District of Lancaster, he said. “After 17 weeks, of building relationships, listening and learning, I know a lot more.”
Dr. Miles made a similar presentation to a group of community leaders at the Lancaster Education Foundation’s State of the District Breakfast on Oct. 19. His LEF presentation featured students answering questions about what they’re learning, what expectations they have for themselves and what they hope for this school year.
The district’s shared values are student-centeredness; diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging; quality instruction; high expectations; teamwork and collaboration; and trust and relationships.
“We embrace, equity,” Dr. Miles said. “A focus on meeting the needs of every child.”
But he pointed to academic gaps that exist between students of different races and ethnicities, economic status, and English language development.
At the same time, in the district’s annual student survey, a growing number of middle and high school students say they are experiencing cyberbullying—almost 30% of middle school students say they receive mean or nasty messages from someone once in a while or all the time.
That’s why the district is implementing a social-emotional learning model called RULER across all schools.
“We expect this model to address digital citizenship, social awareness, self-regulation, and responsible decision making,” Dr. Miles said.
The district is also conducting an equity opportunity review to receive an objective analysis of its ability to address all aspects of equity, including student access to AP/IB programming, staff demographics reflecting student demographics, and student access to resources and rigor.
Saying it’s the district’s responsibility to ensure all students master the state’s student learning standards, Dr. Miles shared the district’s results on the PSSA exams from the spring of 2023.
He discussed curriculum and instruction enhancements, family and community partnerships, and shared additional results from student, staff, and family surveys.
“We have a lot of work ahead of us, and we will continue to rely on every member of our school community to do their part,” Miles said. “With a strategic focus, shared values, and a clear plan, I am confident together we can achieve our mission of ensuring that every student receives an excellent education.”