In charting a path for the future of Missouri public schools, a common vision of what that future looks like is an essential first step. These schools must be physically and intellectually safe places for students. In these schools we believe all students are capable of learning and are challenged by high expectations. To meet this challenge, students must have a solid foundation of basic knowledge and skills. In addition, they must also be able to apply what they know.

To support the development of such students, teachers actively engage them in exploring, analyzing and understanding the world. Learning is interesting, hands-on and has real applications that are important to students. We recognize that students learn better, remember more, and develop deeper understandings of both knowledge and thinking processes if they have the opportunity to actively explore content and concepts. They view learning as the on-going process of extending and fine tuning their ideas and understanding through application. As a result, they take responsibility for their own learning, see its worth and make connections to the world beyond the classroom.

In addition, teachers and administrators in these communities see themselves as learners. They gain greater insight into their profession from their experiences among their students and in contact with their colleagues. They constantly seek to extend their knowledge and expertise, and frequently engage in professional development activities to deepen their professional skills and understanding.

The schools we envision also involve parents, business leaders and interested citizens in a multitude of educational activities. In turn, these people accept the responsibility for supporting and nurturing the learners within the school and see themselves as an important part of the learning community.

We believe virtually all students are able to learn, even though all students are not succeeding in school. Many of them fall behind and leave school before graduation. These strategies help all students become more engaged in learning:

• Use a multisensory approach to teaching and learning, including auditory, visual and hands-on techniques.
• Present concepts in several ways, linking them to what students already know and checking frequently for understanding.
• Model learning strategies and encourage students to talk about their own thinking and learning processes.
• Teach students how to organize their thoughts using drawings, charts, outlines, thumbnail sketches, and computer generated flowcharts, spread sheets, and databases, etc.
• Encourage students to use technology as a user-friendly tool for learning.
• Use questions and approaches that require inquiry, problem solving and the synthesizing of ideas
• Provide equal opportunities for all students to participate in class activities.
• Adapt materials to accommodate students with special needs.
• Provide real-life and work applications of what students should know and be able to do.
• Develop a classroom assessment program that allows all students to show what they know and can do.