What happens when a student is a no-show at school? Student attendance has been a major concern in schools across the U.S. the past few years, after chronic absenteeism spiked during the pandemic years. Helping students and families achieve regular attendance is a key focus of Bend-La Pine Schools, and that centers on academic engagement and success; ensuring all students experience a sense of belonging and safety in school; and addressing family circumstances that make it challenging for students to attend. We’re seeing success with our strategies. Bend-La Pine Schools is tracking big improvement with a large number of students who had been missing too many days last school year, and who are showing up regularly this fall. In this episode of the Supe’s On! podcast, Superintendent Steven Cook sits down with Eric Powell, Director of Student Services, to talk why some students miss a lot of school and how the district approaches chronic absenteeism.

A new grading model is expanding across secondary schools this year as Bend-La Pine Schools continues its implementation of Standards-Based Grading. Some middle and high schools previously adopted it, more are implementing it this year, and all secondary schools will have it fully in place by this time next year. It’s a monumental shift in how our teachers evaluate how well students are learning and the process by which grades are assigned.

Katie Legace, the Executive Director of High Schools, and Stephen DuVal, the Executive Director of Middle Schools, join Dr. Cook to discuss how this approach is better for students.

Some families may wonder how the new grading model will translate to a student’s transcript and evaluation of college admission applications. DuVal offered assurances that universities and colleges are accustomed to working with schools that use standards-based grading.

"This is not going to disadvantage our students from reaching or achieving some of those high level colleges that our students want to get into," he said. "We're doing a better job of preparing them because we're being crystal clear on what the bar is and how to reach it so that they're prepared when they get there. Colleges are ready for this; they've already been doing this. This isn’t new to them.”

Learn more: https://www.bend.k12.or.us/district/academics/middle-school-instruction/grading-practices/grading-practices-faq

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The emergence of artificial intelligence in public education has raised loads of questions for educators, administrators, students and families. We’re confronting these questions head on in Bend-La Pine Schools, as you’ll hear in our latest Supe’s On! Podcast with Superintendent Steven Cook. Dr. Cook visits with Dr. Karen Rush, one of our two Executive Directors overseeing elementary education, as well as the District’s Director of Educational Technology. Karen shares how tech tools can help engage learners and develop their skills; what we mean by “good” and “bad” screen time; digital literacy and responsibility; how the District is managing the rapidly evolving AI landscape in our schools; and how our AI policy promotes appropriate use of artificial intelligence. If you have a student attending school in our District, or simply are curious about the state of educational technology in public education, this one is for you!

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What's all the commotion this summer at Sky View Middle School, Buckingham Elementary, and Bend Senior High School? It's our school bond program in full swing! Bend-La Pine Schools continues to invest in our school campuses from the voter-approved bond measure in 2002. Much of the work is centered on safety updates in all our schools, as well as roof replacements and school expansions. The main attraction is the 4-year modernization of Bend High, which is scheduled for completion in 2028. To walk us through everything going on, Angus Eastwood, our Assistant Director of Facilities, joins Dr. Cook for today's podcast.

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No one denies the teen years can be tough on many levels. A program in our secondary schools called Sources of Strength is helping students lean on support systems to help them through struggles big and small. Sources debuted in Bend-La Pine Schools four years ago at Bend Tech Academy, and in this episode Dr. Cook sits down with two BTA seniors who have been instrumental in growing this unique program. Phoebe Karpstein and Linzie Harris are our guests for The Supe's On! podcast.

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For students contemplating high school and beyond, two big events are right around the corner! CTE and Elective Exploration Fly-Up Day for all 8th grade students is March 3. And on March 12 we present the second annual  Life & Career Readiness Night at Caldera High School, which caters to middle and high school students and their families. This episode is a two-parter: Dr. Cook first visits with Lisa Keown, CTE Coordinator at Bend Senior High School, to learn about Fly-Up Day and exploration of Career Technical Education programs in our high schools. Then he sits down with two students at Caldera, Chloe Grissen and Jack Strycharz, who are instrumental in planning this year's Life & Career Readiness Night, which will bring regional employers, trade schools and colleges together to help our students explore the possibilities after graduation.

Mountain View High School has rolled out a digital hall pass this year that helps students maximize the time they’re in classrooms and engaged in learning, and reduces problems that arise when students take longer than necessary with a hall pass. Dr. Cook sits down for a conversation with Assistant Principal Becky Aylor and Allie McIntosh, a senior at Mountain View, to discover why the school thought this change was needed and how it's going so far.

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What’s cooking in the department that offers breakfast and lunch to 17,000 students in Bend, Sunriver and La Pine? In our latest superintendent’s podcast, Garra Schluter, Director of Nutrition Services for Bend-La Pine Schools, sits down with Dr. Cook for a chat about current trends and challenges in feeding students in our 33 schools.

 Their conversation covers the huge move this school year to extend free meals to all students, how many more meals we’re serving now as a result, and the staffing needs in kitchens across the district. (Guess what: We’re hiring!) Garra also describes the extensive “made from scratch” meal prep that happens in our district and reveals the dishes students love the most. Tune in for this fun episode of the Supe’s On! Podcast.

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This school year Bend-La Pine Schools rolled out a new Student Code of Conduct, which is available on the District website – GO HERE to read or download it. The Code of Conduct outlines how our schools respond when we have student behavioral issues that may lead to discipline, and how we are making sure those responses are consistent and fair from one school to the next. Eric Powell, a Director of Student Services for the District, is Dr. Cook’s guest for this episode. Eric played an instrumental role in developing this new resource and talks about what it is, how it works, and why it’s an important tool for ensuring students are able to succeed and thrive in their school communities.

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In Bend-La Pine Schools, we're in our third year of managing restrictions on students' personal technology during the school day. For middle school students, their phones are off and away throughout each school day, allowing them to focus fully on learning. Superintendent Steven Cook speaks with Gabe Pagano, Principal of Cascade Middle School, on how this rule is working this year, and what the reaction is from students and their families.

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