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Student Engagement at San Pasqual Union School District
To cite this article: Young, D. Student Engagement at San Pasqual Union School District San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. www.KaganOnline.com
San Pasqual Union School District is a TK-8th grade school in Escondido California. The school is affectionately called, the “Little School in the Valley.” The school is lead by Mark Burroughs, Superintendent and Principal, and Nicole Zdunich, Assistant Principal. The school has approximately 527 students and 24 classroom teachers.
Following the school’s initial training on Kagan Cooperative Learning, the school hosted a Kagan Engagement Support Session and Kagan Coaching. Debbie Young, a Kagan Trainer and Coach, worked with the school’s leadership and teachers on their next steps of implementing Kagan. Debbie was so impressed with their implementation of Kagan Cooperative Learning, she made a brief summary of her visit in a video to share with the Kagan staff at a team meeting.
With the permission of the school, we are sharing the video here for those who would like to see what Kagan looks like in action.
About Engagement Support Sessions
Kagan Engagement Support Sessions are a series of small group meetings between a Kagan Coach and teachers. The teacher groups are selected by leadership. Usually, the groups are comprised of teachers of approximately the same grades or teachers of the same subjects. The goal of the sessions is to support teachers in their implementation of Kagan. The sessions can take different forms depending on the unique needs of the teachers. Sometimes the focus is how to replace Call On One with structures to engage every student. Some sessions focus on planning how to incorporate Kagan Structures into lesson plans. Some sessions prepare teachers for coaching. Sessions typically last between 45 minutes and an hour and half for each group. They are a great opportunity for teachers to ask questions, practice structures, plan, and get expert advice. Engagement Support Sessions are a great way to help support teachers in their implementation of Kagan. For more about Kagan Engagement Support Sessions, click here.
About Kagan Coaching
For Kagan Coaching, teachers sign up to get coached by an expert Kagan Coach. The coach observes teachers implementing a structure. The coach offers supportive feedback in the moment so teachers can make changes and see how small changes can make large improvements for student engagement. Typically a Kagan Coach visits between 16 to 20 teachers per day. Kagan Coaching is a great way to ensure fidelity of implementation and to maximize student benefits. For more about Kagan Coaching, click here.
In the Video
In the video, Debbie gives us a glimpse into classrooms to see what Kagan Structures look like in action. We see students from TK to 8th grade using Kagan Structures to interact with each other and their curriculum. Structures we see include:
- Placemat Consensus
- RallyCoach
- Numbered Heads Together
- RoundRobin Consensus
- Quiz-Quiz-Trade
- Showdown
Teachers Comments on Kagan
In the video, Debbie shares some teacher comments on Kagan. Here are a few…
Kagan structures enable us to have students practice importune foundational skills in a developmentally appropriate way. It gives them an opportunity to to be social and use language, while working on academic tasks.
– Kymbee McKay
Kagan allows bus student to feel responsible for their own learning. It helps them to feel empowered to help their peers, and gives them the social skills to be a better friend.
– Cari Carter
Since incorporating Kagan structures into our classroom, I’ve witnessed my students transform into confident learners and communicators. They are using more academic linage while coaching their peers, and their enthusiasm and engagement in learning have significantly increased.
– Kristy Clark
Kagan Partnership Team • 800.451.8495 • partnerships@KaganOnline.com
