Pursuing Academic Excellence
Pursuing Academic Excellence: Professional Learning & Growth at Potomac
By Sarah Beck, Assistant Head of School for Academics
What drew me to The Potomac School was its unwavering commitment to excellence. This doesn't mean perfectionism or unattainable standards. Rather, it refers to a joy of learning: trying new things, developing skills, learning from failures, and persistently striving to improve. This growth-focused excellence is embedded in Potomac's mission and drives our academic programming.
As educators, we model this process for students by continuously reflecting on and enhancing our practice. We pursue professional development in various ways:
- On-campus professional development days to explore best teaching practices, technology integration, and skills like intentional listening
- Opportunities for faculty to attend conferences, courses, and association memberships tailored to our areas of expertise and/or growth
- Regular curriculum reviews for each academic department on a 5-7 year cycle
- Annual goal-setting, observation, and feedback processes with coaches and administrators
As an example, as part of our regular review cycle, we are reviewing our math curriculum this school year. Our process began this fall, as I spent time in math classes appreciating firsthand the critical instruction happening across all divisions. Partnering with department chair Matt Lijoi and former Potomac teacher and department chair Tina Starling, our review committee of faculty representing divisions and departments across Potomac is diving deep into four fundamental questions:
- How can we evaluate our instructional practices to preserve what is most effective while investigating continuous improvement opportunities?
- Does our curriculum logically build year-to-year and course-to-course?
- How should we name and place students in math courses?
- Are our assessments properly gauging learning?
We're examining these questions through multiple lenses: researching best practices by reviewing academic literature and post-secondary practices; surveying peer schools regarding what content they teach, how they teach it, what challenges they are facing, and what responses they have found effective; and analyzing internal Potomac data on grades, test scores, course enrollment and drops, surveys, and focus groups. As we learn, we're already reflecting and iterating on changes that will further enhance our program.
By the review's conclusion, we'll summarize our findings and outline changes for the years ahead to the administrative team and K-12 faculty. This thoughtful inquiry exemplifies Potomac's exceptional commitment to academic improvement through excellence defined by growth.
I look forward to sharing more about our pursuit of academic excellence at the February 7 Winter PA Spotlight, including additional examples and an opportunity for Q&A. Potomac's dedication to transparent, research-driven enhancement truly sets us apart. I hope you'll join us to learn more about how we relentlessly pursue quality learning for our students.
Assistant Head of School for Academics Sarah Beck, is an experienced educator with a deep commitment to student success. Prior to Potomac, she was the assistant head of school for programs at The Langley School in McLean, where she served as chief of staff to the head of school and oversaw all academic and related programming.