The College Community School District is one of only eight school districts across the country recognized as a 2022 Fall “Lighthouse System” by AASA, The School Superintendents Association. College Community was recognized in the area of: Redesign for Early Learning. College Community Schools received special recognition for Strength in Early Learning Partnerships in Service for Highly Diverse Community.
Total enrollment for the District’s Early Childhood Program is 482 students which includes our preschool, school-age and daycare programming. Students in Early Childhood Programming are served at 7 sites on the College Community Campus and 2 off-site community-based locations. Over 60% of incoming kindergarten students have participated in PK with CCSD or other providers.
College Community Schools, along with the other selected designates, is a member of AASA’s Learning 2025 Network, a cadre of more than 120 demonstration districts representing forward-leaning, urban, suburban and rural school systems engaged in learning, networking and working together to help drive education policy and ultimately improve student learning.
The goal of the network is to guide Learning 2025 leaders as they chart their progress toward a “Lighthouse” designation in one or more areas of growth. The commission called for identification of exemplary educational systems to serve as beacons of light in key areas of holistic redesign of American education.
“It was exciting to be accepted as a demonstration system in the AASA Learning 2025 initiative in 2021,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Doug Wheeler. “This experience has allowed our district to connect to a national network committed to reaching the needs of learners. It is a true honor to be recognized as a Lighthouse district in the area of Early Childhood. We know the value of early learning to the long-term success of students in and beyond their k-12 school experience. I am very proud of our ECC Director Kathy Schulte, our PK teachers, support staff, childcare staff and community partners. They work tirelessly on behalf of students and they truly deserve this national recognition.”
In addition to the College Community School District, other new AASA Learning 2025 Lighthouse Systems recognized for achievement in several Learning 2025 focus areas include:
- Collegiate Edu Nation, Roscoe, Texas
- Fox Chapel Area School District, Pittsburgh, PA
- Mehlville School District, Louis, MO
- Mineola Public Schools, Garden City Park, N.Y.
- Northgate School District, Pittsburgh, PA
- San Ramon Valley Unified School District, Danville, California
- Shaler Area School District, Glenshaw, PA.
“The work that our ‘Lighthouse’ systems are doing is an example of providing equity-focused and future-driven change to an educational system to better respond to the needs of the students in their respective areas,” said Daniel A. Domenech, executive director, AASA. “As we emerge from the pandemic, it is critical to invoke positive best practices for the well-being, self-sufficiency and success of our young learners. I congratulate these districts, as well as all of the school districts associated with the Learning 2025 Network.”
Applications were evaluated based on strategies and recommendations developed by the commission. Redesign component indicators included:
- Social, Emotional and Cognitive Growth
- Future-ready Learners
- Cognitive Growth Model
- Learners as Co-authors
- Accelerator A1: Diverse Educator Pipeline
- Accelerator A2: Early Learning
- Accelerator A3: Technology-enhanced Learning
- Accelerator A4: Community Alignment