May 26, 2016
This is the last week of classes for our outstanding senior 
class and I am truly going to miss them. Although there are many events, traditions, and celebrations leading up to graduation, this week will be bittersweet. Early in the year, I had lunch with them in small groups and I enjoyed hearing their reflections on their time at MPA and was inspired by their hopes for the future. A common theme that emerged from those lunches was that MPA not only helped them develop the gifts and talents they already had, it helped them discover gifts and talents they never knew were possible. They also spoke of the influence MPA had in discovering their own uniqueness, as well as inspiring them to embrace the same in others.
It can be challenging to get a pulse on how engaged students are with their school. The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has partnered with Indiana University to measure student engagement through the use of the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE). This survey is taken by hundreds of thousands of students in public, private, and independent schools across the nation. The data are rich and the contrasts significant. For instance, in 2015, 60 percent of the participating students in independent schools indicated that their schools contributed “very much” to their ability to write effectively (versus 31 percent for the public school students) and 59 percent indicated the same for their critical thinking skills (verses 29 percent).
While MPA did not participate in the most recent HSSSE assessment, I did my own informal survey this week of our graduating seniors. They agree with their classmates in other independent schools, and in some cases, exceed them. Overwhelmingly, seniors indicated that MPA has prepared them well for success in college and beyond, as noted in some statistics below:
• Write effectively: 97%
• Think critically: 97%
• Read and understand challenging material: 94%
• Act with respect and integrity: 91%
• Speak effectively: 82%
One of the best illustrations of how these core skills and competencies come to life at MPA is the organic development and growth of our Upper School Election Club. Since the fall, students have been discussing the national presidential election pretty intently, so it seemed logical to offer a more formal outlet for these discussions in the form of a club that meets weekly over lunch. Since its formation, students have discussed everything from the role of super delegates in choosing candidates to gender and politics to the use of statistics in polling. Additionally, they have been lucky to hear from a number of speakers. Kevin Goodno, an MPA parent and former Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services, explained the unique features of the Minnesota caucus system. James Hohmann, a national political correspondent for the Washington Post, spoke to the group in the virtual classroom about journalism and politics. Today, Governor Arne Carlson shared his reflections on today’s political climate and culture.
For Upper School Social Studies teacher Katie Murr, Election Club has reaffirmed for her why she loves teaching at MPA. “It’s a social studies teacher’s dream to have students who choose to engage in complex discussions about politics, history, and culture; and in a world that sometimes feels devoid of deep conversations about the issues, MPA students give me hope for our future.”
We send out our seniors with great hope and high expectations. They have received offers of admission from at least 217 different schools in 28 states, Washington, D.C., and France. Next fall they will head off to 33 different schools in 19 states. Whether it was public speaking, drama, music, or math, our seniors will leave MPA more well-rounded, more “whole.” The same is true in reverse—our graduating seniors will leave us, as a community, more well-rounded, more “whole” because of their contributions.
Critical thinking is a desire to seek, patience to doubt, fondness to meditate,
slowness to assert, readiness to consider, carefulness to dispose and set in order;
and hatred for every kind of imposture.
~ Francis Bacon (1605)
