The two-hour focus groups, which will include 25 students per session representing a cross section from throughout the district in grades 7-12, are designed to seek input from students.
“We want to know what they think about their education and what they would change to make it better for the next generation,” said Elliot Grossman, a spokesman for the district.
Superintendent Karen Mantia and Assistant Superintendent Lon Stettler will conduct the sessions, which will include box lunches for the students, he said.
Plans call on the district to conduct four sessions at the secondary level involving a total of about 100 students prior to May 30, said Stettler.
He said the focus groups are “seeking to understand what their (students) perceptions are about instruction and their learning.”
“This is kind of the first stage on our process that’s going to lead to strategic planning. We know that we’re focusing on preparing students for their future and we think that the best place to begin that conversation is to develop our understanding of what students believe they need for their future,” he said.
“With our changing technological world, their learning is changing as well. The focus on technology really focuses a lot on the area of collaboration in terms of learning and also different communication kind of devices, and so on.”
Plans also call for the district to conduct focus groups with its teachers, parents and community members as well, Stettler said.
Board of education member Joan Powell said she thinks it is always a good idea to ask students about their thoughts.
“I think we can gain a lot more information from them about what we’re doing well and what we can improve on,” she said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 483-5219 or dewilson@coxohio.com.
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