Mehlville School District

Personalized electives: The district’s MyPath program gives all students the opportunity to create personalized electives that may not be currently offered by the district. Students have voice, choice, and place in learning, and they are able to design an experience that allows them to dig deeper in interests, develop strengths and pursue their passions as they explore post-secondary pathways. Students design a project management plan based upon their intended area of focus and are supported by a teacher-mentor who assists in the alignment of curricular standards. Through the development of their own courses, students engage in authentic pathways that are relevant to their own interests and goals.

Community partnerships to expand student learning: The district maintains strong partnerships with the community in order to provide new opportunities and powerful learning experiences for all students. Students enrolled in the CAPS (Center for Advanced Professional Studies) program leave campus to attend classes at locations in the community, and shadow doctors, engineers, and entrepreneurs daily. The district is also heavily involved with ITEF (Innovative Technology Education Fund), a local program that provides grants for professional development and classroom innovation. To date, Mehlville teachers have received more than $200,000 in professional development and innovation grants from ITEF, showing commitment to advance learning and provide new opportunities for their students.

Co-teaching to improve learning: Mehville has established a plan to bring co-teaching to scale across the district. All EL (English Learners) teachers are trained in co-teaching and the district’s SSD partners also provide co-teaching coaching to many of their general education teachers. The district has identified pockets within the district where historically underserved students are outperforming their peers. Furthermore, many of their graduates now qualify for a Seal of Biliteracy from the state of Missouri.