School Administrators of Iowa (SAI) named Marshalltown CSD Director of Instruction Dr. Lisa Stevenson as a finalist for the 2021 Iowa Central Office Administrator of the Year award this week.
During her five years in Marshalltown, Dr. Stevenson has collaborated with numerous community organizations, the Department of Education, the AEA, administrators, and teachers to launch projects designed to support the District’s mission and vision for all PK-12 learners.
- At the preschool level, through the “Young Bobcats Moving Forward” plan, the program went from zero to four community partners that joined the local program and preschool participation has increased from around 60-65% per site to around 75-80% per site.
- In collaboration with the at-risk committee and secondary staff, the number of dropouts has decreased from 114 in 2016 to 65 in 2020 due to intentional work with MTSS, credit recovery, and professional learning communities. The graduation rate rose from 83.97% to over 90% in 2020.
- All 427 certified staff members are active participants every 5-6 days within their specific professional learning community (PLC) where they plan, review, and reflect about their teaching and student learning outcomes.
- The dual language Spanish/English program was expanded to now include offerings at K-12 and the Seal of Biliteracy program began. Over the last two years, due to combined efforts by teachers and administrators, the number of Seal of Biliteracy participants rose from 16 to 54 students.
- In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Stevenson coordinated a Return to Learn team of over 72 stakeholders to review and plan for mitigation, staffing, and support for over 1,400 virtual learners. This work has led to the creation of a new PK-12 school for 2021-22 – the Marshalltown Virtual Academy.
Dr. Stevenson has been the Director of Instruction at MCSD since 2016. Before coming to the District, she was an elementary principal and preschool director in Bettendorf Community School District for six years. She also served as the administrator for the West Liberty Early Learning Center and curriculum director for West Liberty Community School District for five years.
SAI, a statewide organization founded in 1987, represents more than 1,800 Iowa educational administrators. SAI’s mission is to enhance PreK-12 education through effective leadership by school administrators.
