Conversation #24 allowed me to catch up with Mario Andrade, Superintendent of Schools for Nashua School District in New Hampshire. I've known Mario since he was a Superintendent in Rhode Island during our Fuse RI Fellowship days. I've always appreciated his emphasis on adult mindsets and beliefs as critical drivers of school and district improvement. 

"Our approach to professional learning is influenced by Heifetz's framework, distinguishing between technical solutions (like new curriculum) and adaptive challenges (like mindset shifts). Improving student outcomes requires more than just new curricula and resources; it requires a shift in adult beliefs and rethinking the systems behind those beliefs. We’re implementing double-loop feedback to examine not only what data we collect, but how our beliefs influence our actions, and how those actions may ultimately influence our data.

We developed a 5-year professional development master plan to improve instructional practices and we’re working to build a matrix to measure student achievement through the lens of whole child development and student growth. However, no systems or beliefs will change without intentional strategies, so we are partnering with Yourway Learning & Dr. Ball from Stanford, to provide our administrators with a tool to analyze walkthrough data and guide reflective conversations with teachers. This tool takes qualitative observation data that leaders gather from multiple classrooms and uses AI to suggest reflection questions principals can bring into their next faculty meeting or professional learning setting automatically.

We are being very thoughtful about how we integrate AI in classrooms. We’re exploring AI tools to support differentiated instruction, particularly for our English language learners, by incorporating some of Digital Promise's work on learner variability and adaptive principles into lesson planning. We've hosted focus groups with students to understand how teachers are currently using AI and we’re providing professional development to enhance teachers' abilities to leverage these tools effectively. We're empowering teachers to design assessments that engage students in critical thinking and problem-solving, and we've established an AI cohort of early adopter educators to lead the charge on effective AI implementation. We’re in our second year of implementing an AI policy focused on ethical use.

Strategic partnerships are vital. Recent initiatives like Reading Week brought community members into our schools, fostering transparency and engagement. We want our community connected to our schools, understanding the value of our schools so they support the work as advocates. We're expanding community connections through real-world learning opportunities, including business literacy and internships. We’re collaborating with United Way of Greater Nashua to celebrate community strengths & stories. Our district tagline is Gateway to Opportunity. Continuing to partner intentionally with our community ensures we can create 10,000 gateways to success for our 10,000 students."