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Holden R-3 School District Featured at 2023 DCI Summit

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Holden R-3 School District Featured at 2023 DCI Summit

Holden R-3 School District Featured at 2023 DCI Summit

District leaders from Holden R-3 were invited to speak about their journey with District Continuous Improvement (DCI) at the 2023 DCI Summit held in Springfield, Missouri, June 6-8, 2023. The conference was attended by districts across the state who are currently in any of the five stages of the implementation process: Early, Developing, Initial, Full, and Sustaining. Holden R-3, being the featured Initial district, has been implementing the program for five years and has developed a solid background in the foundational practices.

On Wednesday, June 7, 2023, Principals Dr. Joe Parkhurst (high school), Dr. Chris Lake (middle school), Mrs. Sarah Burks (elementary school), and Activities/Athletics Director Spencer Gudde, led aroundtable discussion, “Using Standards to Promote Student Growth”, which was well attended. They spoke to the district’s grading practices with a focus on reteaching. Reteaching is when teachers have the opportunity to differentiate instruction to reach learners who haven’t quite mastered the Essential Learning Outcome (ELO) or provide enrichment activities for those who have.

four people standing and presenting to many people seated around a table

Holden R-3 was one of our districts state-wide that were chosen to be featured in the “DCI in Action” publication. This booklet highlights the different aspects of the framework that have been exceptionally successful for each of the four featured districts. Holden R-3’s article can be found here: https://www.moedu-sail.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/DCI-in-Action-Final-2023.pdf 

stage with four people seated and one person standing with many people at tables in the foreground

As part of the closing session of the conference, Dr. Parkhurst was asked to participate on a panel of school leaders discussing the effectiveness of DCI implementation in their district. He highlighted the district’s commitment to teacher collaboration and the effectiveness of peer coaching.


District Continuous Improvement (DCI) is a project supported by the 5-year State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), with a goal of improving the educational outcomes for all students, especially students with disabilities, through an evidence-based professional development approach. DCI is a continuation and enhancement of a SPDG that began in 2012.