2024 MASA Fall Conference

This session will highlight how the Superintendent and his team have fostered schools and district culture with an emphasis on the importance of collaboration, communication and the implementation of professional learning communities (PLC) under MICIP and the District Strategic Plan. The establishment of this culture has been essential with the successful implementation of a high level of student growth and high graduation rates. The team will walk you through a roadmap from visioning to implementation and monitoring of the process beyond plan compliance. Dearborn District, the third largest district in the state serves approximately 20,000 students including 50% EL and 75% ED. The district has received several independent awards including 5 blue ribbon schools in the past five years. Takeaways: 1. Participants will have an opportunity to learn how to facilitate the continuous improvement process for building teams. Starting from creating a mind shift, developing the process, and building the individual schools' plans in each of our 39 schools. 2. Participants will learn about providing adequate support including professional development with the focus on the four questions and weekly early dismissal to collaborate on student learning. 3. Participants will have access to templates and forms used as the Dearborn MICIP team facilitate this work in the district.

Paraprofessionals are often the forgotten educators that are working with the lowest performing/highest needs students. The ParaCorps program builds a community of ParaCorps educators who are equipped with foundational literacy and math teaching skills, knowledge, and strategies to effectively support students. ParaCorps educators will receive extensive training, coaching support, feedback to improve their practices, and the knowledge to grow students in the area of reading and math. Walk away from this session knowing how to support your paraprofessionals to make an impact on student growth. Takeaways: Three best practice skills that administrators and superintendents can spot during a lesson that can make an impact on students’ foundational literacy skills.
Three ways administrators and superintendents can support their paraprofessionals in their buildings and districts.
Ways the ParaCorps program can support paraprofessionals in their school or district.