July 5, 2023 - SSD’s Welcoming School Walkthrough (WSW) has been selected by Character.org as a 2023 Promising Practice. WSW allows families, community members, administrators, teachers, and paraprofessionals to provide feedback on the environment and culture of indoor and outdoor spaces of SSD schools and the Learning Center. Character.org selected WSW for aligning with one or more of its 11 Principles framework and for cultivating a culture of character. 

“Our Family and Community Engagement (FACE) team has worked so hard to develop practices to engage and partner with our families based on the research,” said Dr. Mollie Bolton, SSD executive director of teaching, learning, and accountability. “This is a prime example of the quality and dedication of their work. I am thrilled that their work has been recognized.”

SSD is one of 22 schools in the state who received the achievement. WSW is conducted once a year and a new committee is formed each school year to offer a fresh new perspective. The constructive process incorporates committee members using a checklist to evaluate the functionality and aesthetic of spaces, such as hallways, cafeteria, auditorium, landscaping, bulletin board, and library. Visitors rate over 40 sections using a scale of zero to three. zero stands for unable to rate and three means best practice. Over the past five years that the opportunity has been implemented, it has shown to better engage families and community partners. 

“The Welcoming School Walkthrough supports several of Character.org’s 11 Principles. However, Principle 10 - The school engages families and community as partners in the character initiative - aligns most with why our District adopted the walkthroughs,” said Adrienne Eaglin, FACE manager. “Schools belong to the students, families, and communities. To ensure that families can actively support their student's learning, we must do our best to remove barriers in our schools. Our walkthroughs allow our families, community partners, and colleagues to celebrate our success and offer growth opportunities. The walkthrough provides transparency and helps us build trust with our community and create authentic partnerships to improve the lives of our students.”

In the future, Eaglin would love to see the process expand to partner districts. SSD’s Promising Practice will be recognized and celebrated during the 2023 30th Anniversary Internal Form live in Washington D.C in early November.