Missouri School Board Visits ISD Model Elementary School

The Missouri School Board visited Three Trails Elementary to look at the exciting changes the school has made to become a model elementary school. The Independence School District chose Three Trails as the first high-tech, high collaboration school in the district with plans to expand this model to other ISD schools.

Missouri School Board members expressed their gratitude for the ISD’s commitment to enhancing student education, incorporating technology and making data driven decisions. This was an exciting opportunity to host Missouri Education Commissioner Margie VanDeven who has been impressed with the academic progress at Three Trails and across the district.

Teachers have created collaborative classrooms to foster critical and creative thinking to engage and inspire students. The teaching team integrates technology and Project Lead The Way (PLTW) into the classroom. Students experience curricular opportunities through PLTW, such as robotics, engineering modeling and coding. Students are one-to-one, meaning a computer for every student to enhance their educational experience. Teachers also loop K-1, 2-3 and 4-5, allowing teachers to stay with students for two years, to be able to provide more personalized learning. Three Trails also has a technology integrationist who collaborates with teachers and helps them plan lessons to effectively implement technology in the classroom.

For this school year, Three Trails also equipped all classrooms with a sound system that projects the teacher and student voices with wireless and hand-held microphones. This technology allows students to hear the teacher and one another effortlessly which supports better student learning. This technology has also been added to other ISD elementary schools.

Three Trails has new student and teacher furniture in every classroom. The tables and desks are all adjustable to meet the needs of the students. We know students learn in different ways and flexible seating better supports student learning. Each classroom is also equipped with six wobble stools for those students that need just a little bit of movement while they are working or listening to the teacher. The building itself at Three Trails also got a facelift with new front signage, epoxy flooring, exterior and interior paint, new windows and new cabinetry.

Three Trails continues to make gains academically and we were very proud to have the opportunity to highlight the great things happening here in the Independence School District with state education leaders.