Stronger States, Stronger Outcomes

Co-Creating Multigrade Thematic Units for Rural Atoll Schools
Multigrade instruction requires materials and professional learning designed for the realities of rural and remote classrooms. The Republic of the Marshall Islands Public School System will share how it is using federal technical assistance to build local curriculum-development capacity for rural atoll schools. Through a series of collaborative “write shops,” curriculum staff, bilingual educators, and Comprehensive Center Region 12 partners are co-creating pilot thematic units rooted in Marshallese language, knowledge, values, and practices. The process also uses a training-of-trainers model to strengthen local expertise and support future unit development. Participants will learn how co-creation, place-based design, and targeted technical assistance can help small and geographically dispersed systems develop practical, scalable supports for multigrade teaching.