MORGANTOWN — University High School has been named a “Model School” by the International Center for Leadership in Education for its teaching innovations in the midst of the pandemic.
UHS is among 16 so-designated schools from across the U.S. presenting at the center’s 2021 conference next week in Nashville, Tenn.
The center, which is headquartered in Rexford, N.Y., is a consulting firm that advises hundreds of school districts across the nation.
“We can’t think of a time when K-12 education so urgently needed the collaboration and collective wisdom of educators to chart a new course for student learning,” organizers said.
The school on Bakers Ridge was tapped for its instructional collaborator program, whereby teachers and administrators branched out with double-duty appointments to improve the school climate for students and their colleagues alike.
However, the UHS program wasn’t pandemic-inspired, Principal Kim Greene said. She and administrators launched it three years ago.
“Our school’s constant focus is on building a positive relationship with every student,” the principal said. “Then we equip them with the tools they need to become productive citizens and achieve their desired outcomes in life.”
That’s everything from professional learning to community engagement initiatives, Greene said.
University High boasts a 95% graduation rate and a 96% attendance rate, according to numbers the school provided to the Model Schools conference.
Greene will present at the conference with her colleagues Kristi Wyant and Melissa Farley.
Wyant teaches health and physical education and serves as wellness coordinator at UHS, along with her instructional collaborator duties.
Farley is the UHS math team leader in addition to her role as an instructional collaborator.
This year’s conference is more profound, in that many districts in the country are still operating in the shadows of COVID-19, said Weston Kieschnick, an associate partner with the center.
“Each of the 2021 model schools has thrived in the most challenging of times through their strength of conviction for rigor, relevance and relationships,” he said.
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