Charter oversight visit praised school performance; instructional rounds focus shifted to student ownership
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Summary
Board members described a positive charter oversight visit and classroom observations; instructional rounds teams identified patterns of critical thinking and are planning follow‑up work to increase student ownership of learning.
Board members and administrators reported a positive charter oversight visit and discussed findings from recent instructional rounds in which visiting teams observed classroom practices and student engagement.
Board members said the charter oversight team highlighted Birmingham’s strong dashboard indicators — including mathematics, English and college‑career readiness measures — and acknowledged classroom evidence of student engagement. "They started listing Birmingham's accomplishments," a board member said, describing the tone of the oversight visit.
Staff described instructional rounds as a teacher‑led observation process. Teams visited classes, collected evidence and identified patterns: structured student interaction and teacher questioning correlated with higher levels of critical thinking and problem solving; small group work (2–6 students) was common; and several classes showed students making claims supported by evidence. Presenters said the next round of work will aim to collect evidence specifically about student ownership of learning and increase opportunities for students to work autonomously.
Why it matters: the charter oversight rating affects charter renewal and public reporting, and instructional rounds are part of the school’s professional learning structure aimed at improving instruction across subjects.
Details: staff listed teachers who hosted visits and said the charter team will issue final ratings in mid to late June; last year the school received top marks in most categories and a lower rating in student achievement. The instructional rounds group proposed focusing subsequent observations on autonomy and student ownership, and staff are considering bringing a facilitator from an external provider to broaden training.
Ending: School leaders said they will use the oversight feedback and instructional rounds evidence to guide professional development and to support charter renewal planning due in 2027.