Points of Pride

Our educational coaches work hard to provide support for staff, students, and families!

Instructional Coaches

Instructional coaches at Austin Public Schools:

• Contribute to the acceleration of student achievement by building teacher capacity through the development of research-based knowledge and practice.
• Carry forward the professional learning and implementation work of the district in alignment with the strategic priorities.

At APS, our coaches work with teachers to help keep instruction innovative and fresh and with students in high needs areas including reading and math.

Technology Coaches

Our technology coaches work with teachers to help effectively integrate technology into the classroom. In an ever-changing educational landscape, it is imperative that we meet our students where they are, and our tech coaches are a key piece in helping instruction stay relevant and cutting edge.

Success Coaches

Austin employs numerous success coaches to work with non-English speaking families. Students at Austin Public Schools speak more than 40 home languages, and our success coaches help bridge the gap between the classroom and the family.

APS Success Coaches

MacPhail Center for Music is the nation’s largest community music school with 6 locations serving 15,000 students.  We

deliver programming for  students ages 6 weeks to 104 years old, through program areas of Sing Play Learn with MacPhail®, Suzuki Talent Education, School Partnerships, Individual Instruction, Group Instruction, Summer Music Programs, MacPhail Music for Life™, and Music Therapy.  

In early 2014 members of the Hormel Foundation Board of Directors initiated conversations with MacPhail Center for Music senior leadership regarding a presence for MacPhail in the community of Austin. The conversations quickly moved into action as the community reception to the possibility was incredibly positive. A cornerstone partnership throughout has been the relationship with Austin Public Schools. As student enrollment grew to 1500 students for MacPhail Austin, a plan was developed in 2016 for new space to be developed and renovated to support both the Austin High School music programs and space for MacPhail Austin. The result is a state-of-the-art facility shared by both. It is a one-of-a-kind facility, unique in the country, housing both a community music school and a public high school music program.

MacPhail instructors work with APS students throughout all levels, from in-person classroom instruction at the pre-K and Kindergarten levels and residency programs in grades 1-4 to community music opportunities and instructional support for students in grades 5-12. The partnership with MacPhail has resulted in an increased level of awareness and skill for our already revered music programming.

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Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) is a year-long course designed to utilize partnerships that provide an overview of business development and processes.

Our local business community partners with area schools to create project-based experiences for students by providing funding, expertise, meeting space, business tours, and one-on-one mentoring. Students visit area businesses, learn from guest speakers, participate in a class business, write business plans, and start and operate their own businesses. Business concepts learned through the experiential CEO class are critical; the 21st century skills of problem-solving, teamwork, self-motivation, responsibility, higher-order thinking, communication, and inquiry are at the heart of a student’s development throughout the course.

Students in CEO work as a group to develop two class businesses to raise money for grants to develop individual or small-group businesses that are highlighted in an annual end-of-year CEO Trade Show.

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The Hormel Foundation’s grants advance the missions of nonprofit organizations in Austin and Mower County. Those organizations are Austin Area Foundation, Austin Community Charitable Fund, Austin Community Growth Ventures, Austin Community Scholarship Committee, Austin Public Schools, Cedar Valley Services, City of Austin, The Hormel Institute, Mayo Clinic Health Systems - Austin, Parenting Resource Center, Riverland Community College, Salvation Army, United Way of Mower County and the YMCA of Austin.

APS works closely with the Hormel Foundation in a number of areas, from the Austin Assurance Scholarship and the annual GT Symposium, to our 1:1 technology program. The generous support of the foundation allows us to offer a plethora of unique opportunities and amenities you wouldn't normally find in a small town school district.

The Hormel Foundation Austin Assurance Scholarship (THFAAS) is a scholarship for graduates of Austin Public Schools and Pacelli Catholic Schools who live in the Austin school district.

Qualifying students can use the scholarship while earning a college education at Riverland Community College. This scholarship covers your tuition and fees and includes a stipend for needed books and materials. The scholarship amount will vary for each student and will pay for up to 100% of tuition and fees that are not funded by federal grants, state grants, or other scholarship funds. THFAAS will pay for up to 65 college credits towards an approved program of study at Riverland Community College.

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The annual Hormel Foundation Gifted and Talented Education Symposium provides an opportunity for educators, counselors, administrators and parents to gain greater understanding of the unique needs of gifted and high potential learners. Participants attend in-depth sessions focusing on foundational knowledge, creativity, curriculum strategies, and social/emotional needs of gifted and high potential learners provided by the field's finest regionally, nationally and internationally recognized presenters. The Hormel Foundation sponsors the event and funds scholarships for all Austin staff and community members to attend free of charge.

The Hormel Institute is a world-class research institution based in Austin which has partnered with Austin Public Schools to provide opportunities for our students to see science in action. From facility tours and interactive presentations for our high school students to on-site visits to Ellis, the institute has been a valued partner for many years.

The most recent large-scale initiative is the Young Scientist Program, which gives students the chance to work in research laboratories throughout the institute to learn through hands-on experiences and observation as they explore biomedical research.

Austin High Schools offers college credit opportunities through Post-Secondary Enrollment Opportunity (PSEO) and Concurrent Enrollment (CE) courses. On average, students who take PSEO courses save nearly $5,000 per year off the cost of college and students taking CE courses save just over $2,000. These two programs represent a fantastic opportunity for APS students to earn free college credit while still being enrolled at AHS.

More Information on PSEO and CE

Average College Cost Avoidance Flyer

Austin Aspires is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and supporting "a culture of educational excellence, cradle to career, embraced in every aspect of our community."

Among the many programs Austin Aspires partners with APS on are:

• More Than Pink
  An enrichment program for young women in Austin focused on developing positive self-concept and self-advocacy while training for a 5K.
• Boys of Tomorrow (BOT Club)
  BOT Club is an opportunity for boys in completed grades 3-7 to develop self-confidence, leadership skills, and to learn more about themselves through a fun summer program designed just for them.
• Preschool on Wheels
  A program designed to provide a preschool experience for students while they attend in-home daycare.
• Aspiring Leaders of Tomorrow (A.L.O.T.)
  A program at IJ Holton Intermediate School, Ellis Middle School, and Austin High School that provides Navigators to help students be successful in their education via check-ins with students weekly or as need to:
  • Review grades, attendance, assignments, tutoring
  • Assist with completion of volunteer hours for the Hormel scholarship
  • Assistance with connecting to post-secondary, armed forces and or workforce
  • Opportunities for college visits & job shadowing
  • Assistance with connecting students or families to resources they may need

Austin High School was originally built in 1869. There have been significant additions and upgrades over the years, but the building is still one of the highlights of the Austin community.

AHS features include:

• Knowlton Auditorium
  Knowlton is a full-size auditorium used by the district and community alike for concerts, presentations, and much more. The auditorium was recently renovated and retains its charm while featuring modern enhancements throughout.
• Ove Berven, Packer, and Hastings Gyms
  Both Packer and Ove Berven are used regularly throughout the year for volleyball, basketball, wrestling, and much more.
• Annex
  The recently renovated AHS annex is the home of MacPhail Austin as well as specialized spaces for our Orchestra, Band, and Choir programs. Additionally, the annex houses our CTE programming, including welding, construction, graphics, and more.

IJ Holton Intermediate School is Austin's newest site. Purpose built from the ground up, Holton provides Austin's 5th and 6th grade students with a STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Arts Mathematics) focused curriculum.

The Wescott Athletic Complex is a well-maintained facility that includes Art Hass Stadium, the Paulson Tennis Courts, and the Larry Gilbertson Track. Both athletic fields feature turf surfaces, and in the winter and spring months, the Packer Dome allows the use of Art Hass Stadium field for sports and more.

The Packer Dome is a seasonally inflated dome covering the turf of Art Hass Stadium at the Wescott Sports Complex. Built-in amenities include a walking/running track, batting cages, and an artificial turf field.

Austin's Sheila Berger was named the recipient of the 2023 Elbert K. Fretwell Outstanding Educator Award. The award is given "to those who improve students' lives by proactively modeling and teaching scouting values." Berger was nominated for her work as principal at Sumner Elementary School.

Austin Public Schools was named a recipient of the 2023 School Finance Award by the Minnesota Department of Education. The award is given "annually by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Division of School Finance, to recognize schools for meeting statutory deadlines for submission of audited fiscal financial data and reporting criteria."

This recognition helps highlight Austin's Strategic Priority #4: Excellence in resource management, and is a testament to our staff's hard work and dedication to being good stewards of the resources entrusted to us by the Austin community.

Austin Public Schools has been recognized by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) with multiple Digital Media Excellence Awards. NSPRA’s Publications and Digital Media Excellence Awards “recognize outstanding education publications and marketing/informational materials, video/TV/radio programs, social media, and websites.”

NSPRA’s Digital Media Excellence Awards are given out at three levels (Excellence, Merit, and Honorable Mention), and all three of Austin’s awards are at the Excellence level, a huge achievement for the district.

Austin received the following awards:

• an E-Newsletter Award of Excellence recognizing the Austin Packer Bulletin, a weekly superintendent newsletter for the community of Austin (https://www.smore.com/xeyc9),
• an Internet Website Award of Excellence for Accelerate Austin, the district’s referendum information site (https://accelerateaustin.org),
• and a Video Award of Excellence for What is the Packer Profile, an informational video describing the district’s upcoming Packer Profile initiative (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5G_K9z_Qns)

“Our objective with strong school communications is to serve the public by keeping everyone informed and emphasizing the significant work of the Austin Public Schools,” says Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page. “It's an honor to be acknowledged by NSPRA and award-winning communication professionals.”

According to Communications Coordinator Ryan Mayers, “there are a lot of innovative and successful programs at Austin Public Schools. Seeing them recognized means a lot to everyone in the district and is a real credit to the community.”

Austin Public Schools has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education by The NAMM Foundation for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 24th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. Austin is one of only seven districts in Minnesota to earn the honor.

Austin Superintendent Dr. Joey Page shared, “We are thrilled to be recognized nationally for our music program. Here in Austin, our music department excels not just in teaching students the fundamentals, such as how to read music, play an instrument, or sing, but also in imparting a deep appreciation for the powerful ways in which music impacts us. Not only is music a doorway to lifelong learning, but it is also an instrument for cultural appreciation and understanding.”

Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music: After two years of music education, researchers found that participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school but also to attend college as well. In addition, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to: perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention, and keep sounds in memory. Later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound: young adults and even older adults who have not played an instrument for up to 50 years show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention, social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills, and how to give and receive constructive criticism.

According to Christoph Dundas, Austin High School band director, “Music connects students, both within themselves and with others around them. Performing music enables students to simultaneously use both the artistic and technical sides of their brains to create something both technically precise and beautiful. It teaches critical thinking, problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity and perseverance. But most importantly, music education teaches students to connect with each other and the world around them. It is a universal language shared by students around the world.”

A huge congratulations to IJ Holton Intermediate School and Woodson Kindergarten Center on being named 2022-2023 PBIS Sustaining Exemplar schools, two of only 87 schools in the state!

According to a press release, "the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) recognize[d] 87 schools ... for their successful work during the 2022-23 school year engaging in sustained PBIS implementation, an evidence-based framework for preventing problem behavior, providing instruction and support for positive and prosocial behaviors, and supporting social, emotional and behavioral needs for all students."

Way to go, all!

A huge congratulations to IJ Holton Intermediate School on being named a Special Olympics Minnesota Unified Champion School!

The Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools program is aimed at promoting social inclusion through intentionally planned and implemented activities affecting systems-wide change. With sports as the foundation, the three component model offers a unique combination of effective activities that equip young people with tools and training to create sports, classroom and school climates of acceptance. These are school climates where students with disabilities feel welcome and are routinely included in, and feel a part of, all activities, opportunities and functions.