The Envelope Please...And the Winners Are...

internationalnps.org

The Next Generation Learning Challenge announced the Wave IV Cycle 1 winners this week. And there are a number of planning grants that can offer valuable insights into helping vulnerable students graduate and be prepared for careers and college.  Here are a few descriptions of the ones I found most interesting -- some because of the specialized target population, some because advanced models are taking it to the next level. Scroll down to read in depth descriptions of each school.

• Internationals Network for Public Schools is designing for Latino youth with incomplete high schooling and presently disengaged from schools due to the economic demands of their families

• Oregon’s Jefferson County School District 509-J is developing a personal mastery (i.e. competency-based) model for American Indian students. 

• Cleveland’s New School for Men, with a strong career focus, is designed to improve educational outcomes for African-American boys and men by meeting young men where they are and supporting them as they design and attain goals for learning, character, leadership, and life that will enable them to become leaders in their communities and in the workplace

• Building21 will customize learning at scale by transforming the interaction between student, teacher, and content. The B21 academic model will organize learning into pathways, studios, and modules that allow learners to choose instructional approaches and the pace that suit their learning styles and needs.

• Boston Day and Evening Academy is taking their school to the next level by incorporating experiential learning and new insights on mind-body connections with learning.

Internationals Network for Public Schools is opening a new school with its partners,

The City University of New York (CUNY) and Make the Road New York (MRNY), designed to meet the needs of a growing student population. The academic model of Pan American International Community Academy will include the following features:

• Flexible scheduling and innovative programming 
• Virtual learning integrated with internships and deeper academic learning 
• Seamless integration between high school, community colleges, and adult education/continuing education
• Opportunities for meaningful work experiences combined with opportunities to learn

The academy will allow students to design a program that suits their individual academic needs, economic/social demands, and college/career desires. It will build off the strengths its students bring, including developing their bilingualism, entrepreneurial ambitions, and commitment to family and community. The outcomes-based and self-paced curriculum—experiential and culturally relevant—will provide multiple entry points for students to access the content and demonstrate mastery. English language learning will be integrated into learning of rigorous content through well-designed hands-on projects.

Jefferson County School District 509-J is developing a personal mastery (i.e. competency-based) model for American Indian students.  The district, in Central Oregon, plans on closing an elementary school serving students of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. The district will use a community-enacted bond measure to open a brand new K-8 school in September of 2014. Students’ families and other tribal members will collaborate with JCSD to provide input into the creation of their community school located on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.  The school will adopt a personalized, mastery-based model pioneered by Richard DeLorenzo, former Superintendent of the Chugach School District in Alaska (another American Indian community that has achieved successful results) including:

• Individualized education plans for all students 
• Mastery-based approaches (replacing seat time and grade-levels with advancement based on demonstration of mastery) 
• Experiential learning through internships and service-learning project 
• An on-line curricular platform

The New School for Men, with a strong career focus, is designed to improve educational outcomes for African-American boys and men by meeting young men where they are and supporting them as they design and attain goals for learning, character, leadership, and life that will enable them to become leaders in their communities and in the workplace. The school's personalized, blended learning model combines the following: 

• Stable, low-ratio relationships with mentors and peers 
• Proven and efficient on-line academic curricula 
• Explicit character instruction, leadership, and life skills training 
• Career training with clear pathways into the workforce

The school will have high standards and high expectations within a “high touch” environment. The “high touch” model will combine an unprecedented level of social and emotional support with individualized, self-paced online learning and a mastery-based approach to earning credits utilizing Ohio’s Credit Flex program. The school will not have traditional 9-12 class cohorts; the learning team, under the supervision and support of tutors, will be the primary organizing principle of the school. Tutors will be adult males from the community who are tough and caring role models and mentors. Students will work on online curriculum in learning labs under the guidance of master teachers and learning specialists.

The school is designed to offer students clear pathways into mid-skill jobs that require technical training or two year degrees, in addition to college prep. Students’ career and technical training will be provided through internships, online certification programs, and dual enrollment programs at local colleges. A formal Career Success program will monitor students’ performance on-the-job during a probationary job placement. Students that do not perform effectively will return to school for further career preparation before their diplomas are granted.

Building21 will customize learning at scale by transforming the interaction between student, teacher and content. The B21 academic model will organize learning into pathways, studios, and modules that allow learners to choose instructional approaches and the pace that suit their learning styles and needs. The instructional menu will include online and blended learning; individual, small and large group instruction; and project-based and real world learning. B21 will tailor when and how students are exposed to these learning opportunities, creating a network approach to learning. B21 has entered into an agreement with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to open the first B21 district school in the fall of 2014.   

The mastery-based permeable school model will engage students directly with post-secondary learning opportunities and authentic learning experiences. The development of critical non-cognitive skills and mindsets will be intentionally fostered through the integration of the B21 "Anchor Competencies" across the curriculum. Transparency and building the habits of mind to self-direct learning will be integrated throughout B21's learning modules and studios. Through partnerships with colleges, universities, and employers, students will earn college credits and industry certifications, and will also be exposed to career options that interest them. Staffing configurations will represent a significant reorganization of role, use of time, task, and functions for educators. The training and support of the adults in the B21 model will be as important as the support and development of the learners.

Boston Day and Evening Academy is taking their school to the next level.  Their model, serving over-age and undercredited students, offers student-centered, competency-based teaching and assessment practice with wrap-around supports to inspire critical and creative thinking, independent learning, and active citizenship.  With these planning grant funds they intend to incorporate additional strategies:

• BDEA will partner with Project Adventure to incorporate its adventure-based experiential education approach into the BDEA academic model, promoting healthy social-emotional development and 21st century skills.
• Ten to fifteen minute “Brain Breaks” of physical activity will occur before and after core courses. This physical activity throughout the day (or evening) is designed to optimize the learning experience and improve motivation, mood, and overall well-being. The physical activity complements a healthy lifestyle curriculum, including healthy eating.
• BDEA will create a blended learning environment by incorporating technology-delivered instruction with face-to-face and experiential instruction in its five core courses: Humanities, Math, Science, Adventure, and Technology. The flipped classroom and station rotation blended models will be used to promote a more cost-effective and responsive competency-based curriculum.
• Small group projects, group-based learning, and development of collaborative interpersonal skills will be integral to these new model features. During the experiential “Project Month,” students focus deeply on a single topic and present their project to the school and broader community on Symposium night.