In the past two years, Monroe Central HS has been extremely successful in securing grants for programs that would not otherwise be available to students. These grants have provided music, art, and other support, and the largest, from the Ohio Department of Education (ODE), is directed to implementing data-driven instruction.

“A few years ago, when the district was facing tough financial times, we unfortunately had to cut music programs,” explains Principal Joe Semple. “In the past two years, several grants have allowed us to reinstate these programs. We received $5,000 from Gulfport Energy to purchase instruments, and a second grant from Gulfport Energy in the amount of $7,000 to install a piano lab.”

Music students are not the only artists to benefit from grants: the Ohio Arts Council offers grants for high schools to sponsor artists-in-residence. For the past two years, Aaron Anslow, a professional ceramics artist who teaches at West Liberty University, visits Monroe Central’s visual arts classes twice a week to teach ceramics.

Mr. Semple continues, “It’s opportunities like these that get students even more engaged with their classes. They help them understand the larger world, not only to learn a bit about working in this area, but to get a glimpse of what skills are valuable no matter what career you choose.”

The ODE grant for data-driven instruction, that began last year, is by far the largest Monroe Central has received. This 4-year, $400,000 grant is for the school to implement Data Wise, a program developed by Harvard, to help teachers understand how to use testing and other information to help increase student achievement. “We have so much data,” Mr. Semple says, “but it can be hard to understand how to use it in a meaningful way. That’s why Harvard started this program – schools all over the country are struggling with how to ensure test data is valuable. As schools use Data Wise, the program is evolving with best practices that benefit us all.”

As part of the program, Mr. Semple says Monroe Central has a data coach who comes in one day a week to train teachers: “We’re looking at how we can affect and change instruction to help all our students achieve at a higher level.”

Mr. Semple thanks Diane Burkhart, District Grant Writer; the Monroe Central Building Leadership Team; Astrid Arca, Data Coach; and Curtis Wisvari, who coordinates grants at Swiss Hills, for their help in securing these and other grants.