Merced County Schools report focuses on engaging classrooms, changing approach to learning

Educators from throughout Merced County gathered Monday for the annual county Schools Education Report, which focused on engaging instruction in the classroom.

The report is hosted by the Merced County Office of Education.

During the presentation, MCOE Superintendent Dr. Steve Tietjen showcased the MCOE’s Continuous Improvement program and how it can help promote engaging classroom instruction that reshapes how students learn.

The event took place at the Office of Education Downtown Center and featured video presentations and performances by the Winton Middle School Symphonic Band,

According to MCOE Continuous Improvement Director Laura Andrews, the program is designed to re-frame how classrooms work within the education office.

“Our job embedded coaching model supports the shift in instructional practices that we are seeking in order to truly meet the needs of today’s students,” Andrews said.

Benefits of the model include teachers who are more likely to try new strategies and implement them while instructing students and keeping teachers in the classroom, according to Andrews.

“When we think about the impacts of COVID-19 and the isolation that some of our students faced during that time, what we learned is that students learn best in an in-person environment,” Andrews said.

Andrews went on to talk about the social process of learning and the MCOE’s change in its approach to learning.

“That we have seen huge advances in technology and the speed of communication and information means we need to redesign how our classrooms work in order to better support our students and whole child development,” Andrews said

According to Andrews, this approach prioritizes the full scope of child development including social, emotional, cognitive and academic growth as well as physical and mental well-being.

Other programs highlighted during the event include an Emerging Bi-lingual Collaborative grant, helping to support early learners in development of language and becoming bilingual or multilingual students.

According to Tietjen, the office of education continues to look at other ways to engage students, with visual and performing arts high on MCOE’s list. Although sports are a big draw for some students, not all children go to school for sports, according to Tietjen.

“They need to have an experience with music or art to continue to engage them and cause them to want to come to school all the way through senior in high school,” Tietjen said.

The MCOE is working to bring more programs and more grants to provide money directly to the school sites to support the arts, according to Tietjen.

The county Office of Education serves 59,000 students throughout the county in 107 schools in 20 school districts.