Overview

The Department of Teaching & Learning is responsible for envisioning, planning, and directing the implementation of curriculum and instruction, assessment, and professional learning in the Newton Public Schools. In addition to Curriculum Coordinators, each of whom specializes in a specific content area, our department includes Home Education, English Language Learning Program, Newton METCO, the Creative Arts and Sciences Program, the Calculus Project, Newton School Volunteers, and the New Educator Induction and Mentoring Program. Together, we support educators in our daily efforts to ensure academic excellence, educational equity, and social-emotional wellbeing for all our students.

Vision

Through collective action and reflection, we will develop all students' social, emotional and academic competencies so that race and other forms of identity are not predictors of academic success.

Mission

Every day, NPS educators actively build and sustain culturally responsive learning communities dedicated to nurturing all students' social, emotional and academic competencies so that each develops into an independent and life-long learner.

Four Guiding Principles

1. Collaborate for Academic Achievement
- Every educator collaborates with students, families and other educators to set high academic expectations for all learners using state and/or national standards.
- Every student is an active participant in learning, sets goals for achievement, and is challenged and supported to meet or exceed standards and expectations.
- Every family, is a valued partner in their child’s education; we intentionally seek out the voices of families who may be vulnerable, disadvantaged, or marginalized.
2. Foster Safe and Responsive Learning Communities
- Every educator affirms students and families as valuable members of the learning community, supports those who do not feel they belong, and actively builds and sustains partnerships with families.
- Every student learns in classrooms that promote understanding of diversity and respect for differences in all forms of identity.
- Every family, is a welcomed member of the school community, is actively encouraged to participate, and is engaged in regular, two-way and culturally proficient communications about student learning.
3. Teach, Model and Practice Cultural, Social and Emotional Competencies
- Every educator explicitly teaches, models and practices cultural, social and emotional competencies and engages students in positive teacher-to-student and student-to-student interactions.
- Every student practices Cooperation, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy, and Self-control skills through positive social and academic interactions with adults and peers.
- Every family is informed about cultural, social and emotional class, school, and district practices. is an informed partner in sustaining culturally responsive school and classroom communities.
4. Build Students' Intellective Capacities and Ensure Access to Content
- Every educator intentionally designs, delivers and assesses rigorous standards-based and culturally responsive learning experiences.
  - Educators teach to standards with intention and clarity, differentiate content, process and practice, and provide feedback for growth.
  - Educators use cultural knowledge to connect what students know to new concepts and content and to maximize student engagement.
  - Educators explicitly teach and model cognitive strategies and routines and provide students with structured opportunities to process challenging content.
- Every student develops an academic mindset, perseverance, effective learning strategies, and academic behaviors.
- Every family has opportunities to share goals for their child’s achievement and information about their child’s social, emotional and academic strengths and needs