• Category 2

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: pre k - pre k
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 185,877
    Student Enrollment: 207
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 7.1%
    White/Caucasian: 53.8%
    Hispanic: 21.4%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 9%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 8.6%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15.9
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 24.8%
    Founded: 1896
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Christina Guertin
  • CONTACT:
    18 Midland Street
    Worcester, MA 01602
    508-799-3548
    guertinc@worcesterschools.net
Midland Street School
Worcester, MA
The culture at Midland St. School is positive and nurturing."



Describe your philosophy of school change or improvement.
My Leadership philosophy focuses on the development and continued growth of not only my own professional capacity but school-based staff capacity, knowledge, and skills. I believe that the continued improvement of the professional community should align with student/school/community/personal goals, and the advancement of technical resources. The world is continually changing and evolving, which means we as educators also need to continue to grow and change. I feel that being the Instructional Leader of the building and modeling these practices for staff will increase their likelihood to adapt to necessary changes as we grow and improve together as learners. I have created a strong relationship where staff feels they can communicate with me and each other openly and honestly. This has been extremely beneficial since we are a student-centered school and we hold the same values; student-first initiates drive learning opportunities for ALL Staff.
What are your school’s top two goals for the next year?
Ensure the social-emotional health of students is a top priority in every classroom every day.
Continue to monitor and adjust instructional practices to increase student learning outcomes in all subject areas using multiple modalities of teaching and learning through a Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Lense.
Identify the critical professional development activities you use to improve teaching and student learning.
Professional Development Opportunities have been aligned to district needs as well as school-based needs. We have adapted the ALL, Some, and One methodology of increasing teacher/student proficiency. We look at the school as a whole, see where the needs of improvement may lay then present an overall topic-based PD for all staff. We then fine-tune data more to provide us with a deeper understanding of grade-levels that may be struggling with the need/improvement area and dive into deeper learning with a smaller group. Lastly, we then fine-tune the practice a bit more for individual teachers who may need more time with a new initiative or change.
Describe how data is used to improve student achievement and inform decision making.
A standards-based curriculum is at the forefront of the teaching & learning at Midland Street School. Data-informed decisions, through the use of formal (benchmarks, summative, district-based assessments) as well as informal (formative, teacher observations, checks for understanding, completed work, student feedback) assessments are used to transform instructional practices & student-centered learning. Teachers are in tune with student outcomes & needs. Students are provided with learning opportunities/instruction tailored to solidify skills & create opportunities to deepen thinking & learning. Multiple means of student exploration, learning opportunities, demonstration of knowledge; such as Technology-based, student-led collaborative groups/projects, etc. can be seen in all classrooms. Providing ALL students with opportunities to learn & produce outcomes that provide products & allow teachers the opportunity to dissect student learning ensures we meet ALL our student's needs.
Describe your school culture and explain changes you’ve taken to improve it.
The culture at Midland St. School is positive and nurturing. Communication is open, all staff believes they have the ability to be heard, have a sense of shared responsibility, and can achieve their ambitions as instructional leaders of the school community. Staff all have a shared vision of high expectations and student achievement along with a strong school/home/community relationship being a key attribute to student continued successes. Academic Equity is also a big piece of the school culture through the adaptation of a student-first mindset. Throughout the pandemic, we have realized that technology was a struggle for staff and students. Teachers have voiced their desire to want to learn more and be continued learners to improve student learning opportunities through remote learning and technology. The ability of teachers to understand this was an area in need of improvement demonstrates their commitment to the students and the school community as a whole.
Stats
  • Category 2

    Selected in 2020

  • Grades: pre k - pre k
    School Setting: urban
    Town Population: 185,877
    Student Enrollment: 207
    Student Demographics:

    Black/African American: 7.1%
    White/Caucasian: 53.8%
    Hispanic: 21.4%
    Hawaiian/Pacific Islander: 0%
    Asian: 9%
    Native American: 0%
    Other: 8.6%

    Teacher/Student Ratio: 1:15.9
    % Reduced Lunch: 100%
    % ELL Learners: 24.8%
    Founded: 1896
  • PRINCIPAL:
    Christina Guertin
  • CONTACT:
    18 Midland Street
    Worcester, MA 01602
    508-799-3548
    guertinc@worcesterschools.net