Hamilton Southeastern Schools Brooks School Elementary
13485 Cumberland Rd. / Fishers, IN 46038
Phone: (317) 594-4100 / Fax: (317) 594-4109
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About HSE Schools
Dr Smith, Superintendent of HSE Schools

A Message from Dr. Brian Smith, Superintendent

For HSE Schools to continue its traditionally high student performance and even improve, we must change the way that we teach. The skills and experiences students need to be successful are evolving and so must their preparation. Several current HSE initiatives will provide opportunities for administration, staff and students to incorporate new approaches to learning that should help meet these new challenges.

  • Senior academies attached to our existing high schools are in the design-planning stages and will help meet a growing high school enrollment. However, through partnerships with three state universities, academies will expand our college-level course offerings and include community college opportunities. Academies will be transitional facilities to help students move smoothly to an independent work or university setting. Students will take more responsibility for their learning with flexible spaces for collaboration and less restrictive study areas. Seniors will continue to participate fully in high school life, extracurriculars and electives while underclassmen can easily access advanced courses too.
  • A 1:1 computing initiative is in the pilot and planning stages. Eventually, all staff and students will be equipped with tablet computing devices. Our first priority is training teachers how best to integrate new technologies into classrooms through interdisciplinary approaches, real-world instruction and project-based learning. The district expects to phase in device purchases over a three- to four-year period.
  • High ability identification and programming has expanded into first and second grades, offering accelerated instruction to meet individual needs in a variety of ways.
  • Special education students who previously received instruction through an area cooperative are now served by our own employees, and that includes bringing some back to our classrooms from other districts. This gives HSE more control in developing programming for and delivery of services to our students with greater educational needs.
  • HSE’s has modified its teacher evaluation process to meet new state requirements that include more frequent observations and evaluation, student performance growth and closer scrutiny of instructional practices to ensure rigor and effectiveness.

The speed of change in our lives has become mind boggling. However, our students’ future lives will transform even quicker. The traditional education experienced by most adults will not prepare our students to thrive in this “whirlwind” world. While doing so carefully, with input from the school community as well as education experts, HSE is embracing changes through programs that provide students with firm yet flexible foundations. Only if we’re willing to adjust what we do can we expect more. Only then are we truly Reaching for Extraordinary.