SchoolStatus Boost Helps Wahoo Educators Drive Their Own Professional Learning

Just as school districts endeavor to create the best possible learning outcomes for their students, they also must dedicate time and focus on the professional development of educators and support staff. Comprehensive educator development and reporting tools like SchoolStatus Boost can help districts of any size guide teacher performance and growth. 

A District Focused On Learning, For Everyone

Wahoo is a small, rural district in Nebraska that serves over one thousand PreK-12 students. There’s a strong sense of connection to the rich history and heritage of the town and a deep commitment to offering a high-quality education.

“Wahoo is deeply committed to supporting our teachers, and that means providing timely and actionable feedback to support their individual learning and growth goals,” shared the Director of Learning at Wahoo Public Schools, Josh Snyder. “But we didn’t have a system to support our process and objectives. Enter [SchoolStatus Boost].”

“Wahoo is deeply committed to supporting our teachers, and that means providing timely and actionable feedback to support their individual learning and growth goals. But we didn’t have a system to support our process and objectives. Enter [SchoolStatus Boost].”

—Josh Snyder, Director of Learning, Wahoo Public Schools 

The Goal

Provide Educators with Differentiated Feedback and Professional Learning Experiences

Wahoo wanted a growth-focused feedback tool that was proactive and collaborative, not a burden. Their goal was to provide timely feedback to staff and teachers that was constructive, goal-oriented, and responsive. Before SchoolStatus Boost, the district was using a Google form-based system to conduct evaluations aligned with the Marzano Instructional Framework.

In this framework, instructional leaders provide feedback on all 43 elements. The Google form-based system was too static to keep up with the dynamic dialogue needed for high-impact, differentiated professional development.

Wahoo’s use of the Marzano Framework also requires a standards-based system in every classroom, a focus on student results with leading indicators, and quick access to resources to respond to educator needs and scaffold instruction. This proved extremely difficult with Google Forms.

The Challenge

Uneven Tracking and Lack of Coherence at the District Level

Wahoo did not have a central platform for their observation and coaching work. The outputs from informal and formal observations were nearly impossible to track at the district level.

Snyder shared that they, “needed a flexible and customizable tool that would allow every educator in the system to be able to get or give feedback aligned to their instructional model.” Wahoo was committed to helping every educator grow in their role, with each employee receiving a minimum of seven informal observations throughout the year.

Snyder worked with the district team to pilot several tools. The decision to move forward with SchoolStatus Boost was unanimous: it was simple to use and it stored every coaching conversation across the district. The data capabilities allowed instructional leaders to find gaps in informal walkthroughs, analyze data trends, provide timely feedback to educators, and differentiate professional learning supports.

“We are making a huge shift in our thinking and planning for professional learning opportunities,” shared Snyder. “We now think about each educator and what they need, much like we ask teachers to differentiate.”

“We are making a huge shift in our thinking and planning for professional learning opportunities. We now think about each educator and what they need, much like we ask teachers to differentiate.”

—Josh Snyder, Director of Learning, Wahoo Public Schools 

The Outcomes

Moving Towards Differentiated Professional Learning Opportunities for Every Educator

Wahoo now centralizes all aspects of its coaching program and educator development on the SchoolStatus Boost platform, from walkthroughs to summatives. The district uses SchoolStatus Boost to customize the observation, and educator development process based on existing frameworks. Observations are specific, actionable, and educator-driven. Educators take ownership in their professional learning and goal-setting. 

“Whether we are conducting informal walkthroughs or year-end evaluations, every learning and growth touchpoint can be found in one place,” shared Snyder. Wahoo instructional leaders are now able to provide clear action steps, ongoing supportive feedback, and valuable professional development resources in one platform. “[SchoolStatus Boost] has played a huge role in our continuous learning and coaching process, which has led to the observed professional growth of our teachers.”

“[SchoolStatus Boost] has played a huge role in our continuous learning and coaching process, which has led to the observed professional growth of our teachers.”

—Josh Snyder, Director of Learning, Wahoo Public Schools 

Achieving High-Impact Professional Development

Wahoo Public Schools needed a customizable observation tool that worked with its existing frameworks and provided real-time data on progress. Since streamlining observations with SchoolStatus Boost, Wahoo has strengthened its overall program to create growth mindsets and achieve high-impact, differentiated professional development.

To learn more about how SchoolStatus Boost can streamline and strengthen your observation process, contact our team.