Learn Elementary
Gene Cryder
Learning goes way beyond the classroom. With online learning, you can study in your way, on your time.
You can enroll in individual courses (FLVS Flex) year-round or in Full Time Public Schools during open enrollment periods. Enrollment in Full Time is currently closed for the first semester and will reopen November 4 for the second semester. Sign up to be notified.
FLVS senior Breanna B. recently became the first student to successfully complete all three courses within the Principles of Teaching Program of Study, a progression of career and technical education courses.
Make learning accessible with multimodal tools that enable teachers to scaffold instruction with audio, video, visuals and more to meet the diverse needs of their students. Foster culturally-responsive classrooms that drive academic growth and language acquisition. Flexible student groups and digital portfolios allow for easy differentiation and opportunities to support IEP/504 accommodations.
The Missouri Learning Standards define the knowledge and skills students need in each grade level and course for success in college, other post-secondary training and careers. These expectations are aligned to the Show-Me Standards, which define what all Missouri high school graduates should know and be able to do.
In January 1996, Missouri adopted the Show-Me Standards, a demanding set of content and process standards that have proved to be an excellent frame of reference for student performance in Missouri. Grade-level expectations (GLEs) were then developed to provide grade by grade targets for instruction for teachers. Those expectations were revised regularly based on teacher feedback and new research. As End-of-Course (EOC) assessments were developed at the high school level, Course-level expectations (CLEs) were created to provide teachers with course-specific objectives.
The latest iteration of expectations aligned with the Show-Me Standards are called the Missouri Learning Standards. The Missouri Learning Standards help ensure students learn basic and higher-order skills, including problem solving and critical thinking. The standards are relevant to the real world and reflect the knowledge and skills students need to achieve their goals. Learning outcomes improve when students, parents and teachers work together toward shared goals. The Missouri Learning Standards give school administrators, teachers, parents and students a road map for learning expectations in each grade and course.
The MAP Grade-Level and End-of-Course assessments will be based on these standards beginning in the 2017-2018 school year via a Field Test. They will be assessed operationally beginning in the 2018-2019 school year.
Our Second Step Elementary classroom kits offer an evidence-based approach to SEL with age-appropriate lessons that are easy to teach and fun to learn, plus online resources and training for educators.
Both programs build a foundation for a positive, inclusive culture through developing social-emotional competencies, which include perspective-taking, empathy, processing emotions, understanding and resolving conflicts, and building positive relationships.
Education students - both undergraduates and graduates - from St. Thomas are immersed in the Maxfield Elementary community from the first day of school and throughout the year. We are grateful to be learning from and contributing to this strong, existing Saint Paul school.
The School of Education's partnership with Maxfield Elementary improves our ability to prepare future teachers at St. Thomas. Students learn in the field from experienced Saint Paul Public Schools teachers, while a dedicated classroom on-site allows faculty members and students to build skills and immediately apply them to the classroom. We are working to remove the gap between classroom learning and teaching in the field.
St. Thomas enjoys many existing partnerships that give our students a variety of field experiences. But our work with Maxfield students and teachers provides a true immersive experience within our St. Paul community. This two-way partnership gives St. Thomas students the chance to partner with and learn from veteran teachers on everything from classroom set-up to after-school tutoring. Additionally, St. Thomas faculty members and Maxfield teachers and staff regularly participate in common professional development opportunities.
Unique experiences at Maxfield Elementary help St. Thomas students gain critical skills they will need later in the classroom, and the added resources give Maxfield teachers more tools to support Saint Paul students.
St. Thomas students provide literacy tutoring to K-2 students who are reading below grade level. Maxfield learners will increase their reading skills, and teacher candidates will get early training, practice and support in teaching literacy before their student-teaching experiences.
Launched in spring 2023, after-school math enrichment is provided for students using the Rational Number Project. The project is led by School of Education Professor Dr. Debra Monson in collaboration with Maxfield Elementary teachers and math specialists.
In collaboration with Maxfield Elementary teachers, experts from the award-winning Playful Learning Lab will develop and implement education projects that apply the latest advances in teaching literacy, math and social-emotional skills using Playful Learning concepts.
As a Collaborative Learning School, Maxfield Elementary partners with the St. Thomas School of Education to prepare teachers, develop and apply best practices for teaching and learning, and provide professional development to create incredible student-centered learning environments.
Collaborative learning schools are popular in many bigger cities. Educational improvement efforts have often been driven by policy makers, researchers, and other individuals distant from the day-to-day experiences of teachers and students, or centered on the needs of a singular type of student. By entering into this collaboration, St. Thomas and Maxfield Elementary will learn from each other. This brings the expertise of St. Thomas faculty and Maxfield teachers together, to not only implement known best practices, but to jointly observe, learn and co-design new best practices that serve the students at both institutions. These are the leaders of our future community.
This innovative model will enhance our students' abilities to be ready to lead a classroom on day one. The School of Education has enjoyed many other successful partnerships with Saint Paul Public Schools as we both work urgently to recruit and prepare teachers to serve the Saint Paul community.
Both undergraduate and graduate students engage with Maxfield Elementary students and teachers. Thanks to the embedded classroom at Maxfield, St. Thomas faculty members are able to bring classes over to Maxfield for regular instruction. After-school programs and targeted learning opportunities also give Tommies ample ways to learn from Maxfield teachers and apply their new skills in the field. This is on top of placing 6-8 teacher candidates annually at Maxfield for yearlong student-teaching experiences.
Phil and Margie Soran know that strong leaders make all the difference, especially if they have the resources they need to thrive. With their financial support, dedicated staff members will focus on research goals, professional development and classroom learning opportunities for pre-service teachers at Maxfield Elementary.
The Elementary Teacher Education program at Illinois State will prepare you for a professional educator's license to teach grades 1-6. The program is recognized as a model of standards-based and performance-based teacher education.
Throughout your coursework, you will gain the professional knowledge, skills, and experiences needed to become a highly effective elementary classroom teacher and informed decision-maker about elementary curriculum and instruction.
Coursework in elementary education provides individuals with required licensure and also the background to understand the concepts and structure of teaching in elementary schools. The program prepares individuals to teach reading,writing, science, mathematics, life skills, critical thinking skills, and problem solving strategies to elementary school students. This is a competitive major at Illinois State University and is a well respected program.
The Elementary Learning Department is committed to supporting schools in providing rigorous, high-quality instruction to ALL students focused on deliberate and relevant teaching, learning, and student engagement, resulting in high impact teaching and globally competitive students. The Department houses the English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies content areas. We assist teachers with the following:
In order to provide ALL students with high-quality, differentiated instruction that targets their unique needs, the Elementary Learning Department focuses on the following services to support teachers in personalizing their instruction for students:
Parents of Elementary School Students (Grades PK-5) should access the Supporting Young Learners website at You will find guidance and resources related to English Language Arts/Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Social-Emotional Learning to help ensure your child continues to be successful in school.
Broward County Public Schools utilizes STEMscopes as the core instructional resource for Science. This core resource aligns to the Next Generation Sunshine State Standard for Science while also following the 5E model of instruction. It also provides students with classroom experiences that are connected to real-world phenomena and also provides opportunities to engage in authentic science practices. Our elementary students learn science through the 5E model of instruction which is a student-led inquiry-based learning method. By learning through the 5E instructional model, the teacher acts as the facilitator by guiding students through their questions and investigation, thus allowing for the students to arrive at an in-depth understanding of fundamental scientific concepts.
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