| State: Massachusetts | Number of Students: 5,472 |
| School Type: Public School District | Free and Reduced Lunch: 9.8% |
| Grade Level: PK-12 | English Language Learners: 2.0% |
State of Technology
1:1 MacBooks: In 2012, Natick Public School District launched its 1:1 Student Laptop Program for students in grades 8-12. Students are provided with MacBooks for school and home use. The district has plans for continued support and expansion of the program.
Blended Models: Superintendent Sanchioni has led the district with a vision for teaching and learning that celebrates personalized learning through various blended learning models at different grade levels. These blended models are used to support differentiation and to extend learning beyond the hours of the school day. At the elementary school level, the district uses a station rotation model, encouraging students to self-direct and take ownership over their learning. Students have the option to take online courses at the middle school and high school levels through TECCA, a free virtual public school in Massachusetts. There is also an option to use Pearson SuccessNet in a lab with a facilitator for credit recovery. A strong culture of Professional Learning Communities and professional development for teachers around topics such as universal design and assessment for learning are instrumental to supporting teachers to continue to develop their own blended learning models.
Professional Development Varieties: Natick Public Schools prioritizes professional development, particularly around technology. The district offers various resources for professional learning including free Google for Education online training modules, a Moodle Basics course that is available anytime through the teacher’s Moodle account, and a new series called Digital Teaching and Learning After School Ed-Camps that was launched in winter 2015. The Natick Innovation and Learning Summit is another opportunity for the district’s educators to engage in professional learning opportunities. It is a one-day summit with over 80 sessions led by practitioners that are focused on topics that Natick educators have requested. The district also offers teachers the opportunity to become “teacher leaders” or “master teachers” by working on PLC teams. Teachers get stipends for this work.
Tech Needs & Requirements
Technology tools must be cloud-based, have single sign-on integration and all interoperability standards must be in SIF format. The district is currently in need of online science resources.
Initiatives
Moodle Hosting Services: All Natick Public School teachers have a Moodle site. Currently, the district hosts Moodle in-house, but it is moving towards hosting the site externally.
STEM: Science standards are changing in Massachusetts, so teachers at Natick Public Schools are attending professional development sessions and rewriting curriculum, with a focus on project-based learning.