June 2024
Data On A Mission
By Michael Buehler
Teacher and Learning Coordinator
(3 Minute Read)
If you ask most seasoned veterans of the Doulos staff, they can easily recite the mission statement: “Educating and equipping servant leaders through Christian discipleship and expeditionary learning to impact the Dominican Republic.” But how do we know we are doing that to the best of our ability? Data!
Gathering data at Doulos involves student, parent, and staff surveys, interviews, analysis of student work and presentations, teacher and student observations, norms-based testing, and more. Our leadership team regularly analyzes this information to identify strengths and areas for growth.
An example is our recent focus on math instruction. Post-COVID testing data revealed inconsistencies in math skill growth across grades, with slower progress compared to similar private schools worldwide.
Creating a Plan - Our academic leadership team examined the issue, identifying causes and developing a plan to address the lag. This involved adopting a new K-11 math curriculum, organizing manipulatives, and providing additional training and coaching.
Preparing Well - The 22-23 school year focused on selecting a viable curriculum, ensuring it addressed our needs, and preparing teacher training for confident implementation.
Implementation - This school year, we rolled out the new math curriculum for K-11. Despite challenges and adaptations, our students and staff showed resilience. Extensive observations and coaching led to excellent results.
All 10 assessed grades demonstrated higher growth rates than previous years. Compared to other Christian schools internationally, our growth was 1.5 times higher than the average.
Celebrating, but not Resting - It’s wonderful to see our plan in action, using data to identify needs, create a solid plan, and achieve excellent results. We continue to dream and work towards equipping our students academically and spiritually.
Our academic team will keep monitoring our math progress to ensure continued above-average growth. We've also identified new areas to focus on for the upcoming year, with plans for school-wide initiatives and individual student growth. At Doulos, we strive to model God’s continuous shaping and molding in our efforts to help our students reach their full potential in Christ.
June's Highlights
Field Day
We finished up the school year with a fun day of games and water fights!
Graduation
We are so deeply proud of our grads. It was such a gift to be part of their lives and to watch them mature into wonderful young adults.
Camp Discovery
It’s hard to find positive activities for kids in the summer. We were so grateful to offer Camp Discovery so students could have fun and grow in their faith.
Sharing Doulos “Back Home”
As many of our missionary staff returned to the US and Canada for the summer, it brought opportunities to share stories about all the beautiful work at Doulos.
How can you impact these numbers?
For $75 a month...
Provide the second half of a "partial sponsorship" for one of the 34 students. OR provide the first half of a "partial sponsorship" for one of the 11 students who have no sponsor at all.
For $150 a month...
Provide a "full sponsorship" for one of the 11 students who have no sponsor at all.
Click here to learn more and see the specific students in need of sponsorship.
Please join us in praying for...
Rest and rejuvenation - That our staff and students can reflect and recharge so they are ready to do it again in August.
Keeping our students covered in prayer - Our students come from a wide variety of home lives. Please be intentional about praying for their protection and well-being this summer.
New staff transition - On July 14th, new staff members will arrive in Jarabacoa. For some, it will be the biggest transition they’ve ever had in their lives.
All Staff workshops - For God to equip and unify our staff as they get ready to start the next school year.