Edvisions Coaching Guide

National Coaching Guide
Designing and coaching the first 30 days of a new school
A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING
2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I II III COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS Helping Create and Sustain Great Small Schools ORIENTATION Setting the Stage for Success DAILY CHECK-IN TOOL P.R.A.I.S.E Tool QUESTIONS TOOL R.E.A.L. Questions for Quality Assurance of Projects PROJECT VERBS Sharpening the Dialogue What are you going to DO? THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Facilitating a Smooth Transitions THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP) Backplanning for Success PROJECT BASICS IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS Facilitating Student-Led Projects DEVELOPING PROJECT CAPACITY IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS How Ready is the Student for Project Work? STUDENT VOICE, INTEREST AND CAPACITY More Indicators of a Successful Project TEXT BASED SEMINAR Facilitating Healthy Dialogue and Critical Thinking SCHOOL-WIDE ASSESSMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOL Developing the 3 Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationship GOAL SETTING TOOL Crystallizing Your Intended Results ACTION PLANNING TOOL Activating Your Intended Results CASE STUDY (A1) Self-directed PBL primary focus driven by constructivist pedagogy CASE STUDY (B3) Highly personalized setting: every student treated as an individual No Child Left Unknown GRANT PROPOSAL PROCESS
IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI
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COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS

Helping Create and Sustain Great Small Schools A Time Sensitive Process EdVisions coaching is a time-sensitive process of working with an emerging site to meet the day-to-day implementation needs of the site by strengthening the Design Essentials of the EdVisions model. Coaching a new EdVisions school is an opportunity to assist the advisors, as well as the students, as they make the transition from prior experience in previous traditional pedagogy to the EdVisions pedagogy. The vision of student-led projects in a democratic learning community, facilitated by a collaborative team of adult advisors, is a worthy achievement. However, the first steps are gradual; creating an initial learning community, building emergent quality into significant projects, tackling the thorny issues inherent in democratic practices, and sustaining energy for the long haul. Meeting these steps with practicality is critical as each school faces its early developmental challenges. The EdVisions Coach The intent of an EdVisions coach is to offer a range of pedagogical background, academic resources, and effective tools steeped in practical experience that will make this transition easier. Under the auspices of the EdVisions Leaders Center, each coach supports the full activation of the EdVisions Design Essentials. Keeping it Practical Coaching ought to be practical and should be the same for students in the advisory, for advisors in the Teacher Professional Practice (TPP), and for leaders on the Governance Board. The most vital work an EdVisions coach undertakes is balancing the energies to solve problems (constraint) with the energies to reinvent the learning (possibilities), thereby assuring sustainability. Moving too far in one direction (constraint) begins to limit the creativity and out-of-the-box thinking in an emergent learning community; whereas, moving too far in the other direction (possibilities) creates too much chaos, absent the needed infrastructure and protocols in place to manage these creative energies. An EdVisions coach attends to this balance by being aware of these two questions. What are the constraints that need to be applied to focus efforts? What are the possibilities here to re-invent, re-energize, and re-think for optimal learning?
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COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS The T.R.U.S.T. Factor With these two questions asked on a daily basis, the acronym T.R.U.S.T. carries within it the organizational manager of the remaining categories that will ask for the EdVisions Coach to deliver upon visits to schools. There is biological principle that is useful in developing this organization capacity: transformation through conservation. Conservation of energy, building efficiencies into species, has allowed for species to transform. This biological principle proclaims that a small set of essential features (shape of a birds wings or beak) allows everything else to change. Therefore, in a learning community we must ask ourselves the following questions: What are we conserving? What drives this learning community? What is essential in terms of rigorous academics and learning relationships? The following five processes, reminded to us through the acronym T.R.U.S.T., are the biological efficiencies that you will return to, again and again and again, when coaching an emerging school. Creating the steppingstones that allow for a successful conversion from a traditional pedagogy to the EdVisions model. A transitional steppingstone is short-term capacity building measure designed to bridge learning from one pedagogical construct to another. The Coaching Overview: At A Glance What to do in the first 30 days will have numerous transitionals that work from the first day to the end of the first six weeks.
Transitionals:
Relationship-building: Model the proposal process, both in its content rigor as
well as protocols. Do not hand out a project proposal form and ask the student to fill it in, rather its the end result of an engaged conversation about the students interests, aspirations, and dreams. Use the vast literature on small group work, group process, and building community. The nature of an advisory is akin to the one-room school, multi-age together over time with a common outcome.
school is centered around the value of the project-based infrastructure like daily logs, advisory meetings at the beginning and end-of-day, micro-presentations, circle time, parent communication, engaged community elders; in two words, project rigor.
Unequivocal (obvious, explicit, plain, unambiguous, clear): The daily life of the
Sense
of Place: Projects invent themselves from community, anchor their activity in community, and demonstrate to community a students deeper understanding of place. What are the cultural traditions? How has the community changed? What are the natural ecosystems that frame the various outdoor experiences? How is the community connected to other places around the world?
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2006, EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved
COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS
Timing:
Small schools work because they attune the learning to an appropriate scale of the human condition. Deweys argument for optimal reach isnt just about how well a student can read, but it is simultaneously about how well a student can think, can organize, and can emotionally attend to the project at hand. This is the magic of good advising timing. Knowing when to encourage, assist, cajole, lead, say nothing, follow, brainstorm, edit, and applaud success. Thus, trust is built upon good timing, and that is built from knowing each student well. Developing Sustainability When these five processes of T.R.U.S.T. permeate the schools daily life, then a key dynamic of sustaining the school is activated. We need to facilitate a climate where it is expected to build organizational abandonment into an organization. This assures continuation of a dynamic learning community rather than a short term burst of innovation, quickly calcifying into another inflexible organization. In other words being a disruptive innovator is not a short-term aspiration, but rather defines the kind of project initiatives that EdVisions students will produce year after year. Mid-year Course Corrections When coaching a new school there are often mid-year changes that coaches will recommend to the schools staff. Usually they are meant to re-focus the project-based curriculum. This visual shows the classical redesign model. The larger the gap between the two lines the more student choice and flexibility; the less the gap then the more intentional structure is designed to scaffold the students as they transition from traditional pedagogy to a more student selfdirected project pedagogy.
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
The following are five common areas that often need restructuring or reemphasis to optimize the schools success. Personal Learning Plans: In a personalized small school environment it is critical that the Personal Learning Plan (PLP) be an accurate, in depth, and dynamic heart of the students journey at the school. Too often, these are done superficially. A mid-year recommendation that has worked well is to complete
2006, EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved Page 3
COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS in-depth Personal Learning Plans. See The Personal Learning Plan Backplanning for Success for more detailed guidelines. In time, it is best for the staff to customize a PLP template; this will increase the buy-in and pick up the nuances of your particular students. To complete a PLP usually takes sitting down with the student and parents for an hour or so to discuss the following: What are the students academic aspirations? What are the needs for increasing reading, writing, and oral skills and how will this fit into the students life at the school? In what ways will the student embrace a learning community of continuous improvement? What are the students interests? Both academic and non-academic? What skills do the student desire or currently have that will benefit the school and greater community? Are there post-secondary plans that the student has in mind? Student Voice: Many issues that emerge during the school year can be addressed by facilitating student voice. From climate consistency to project productivity, a common recommendation is to engage in a more vigorous and creative manner the leadership of the students themselves. This will take many different forms depending upon many local factors. Emphasize the strengths keep what is working highly visible: In making midyear changes, it is imperative that what is working be identified, encouraged, and form the core infrastructure. Observing and interacting as a coach quickly provides the coach answers to the following: How are the advisories functioning? Are the advisories supporting or detracting the students from a productive climate? Are the students balanced in the advisories? Is the space and traffic flow working? Are the project protocols clear and simple to implement? Minimize transitions and maximize adult to student contact time: Schedules, like budgets, reveal organizational priorities. The single biggest change that will be undertaken during the school year is to readjust the schedule. Never done lightly, when done correctly this change will reap significant turnaround benefits. Schedules should always be examined through the prism of the students experience. What is it like to move through the day? How many times is the student asked to make a transition? What are those transitions? Does the schedule support a pacing that fits for the student? Some parts of the schedule are more structured than others parts. Be cognizant to use the structure as you build the flow of the day. Keep the adult to student contact time at a premium.
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COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS Teacher-led vs. Student-led: Too much teacher-led activity leads to students correctly perceiving that their voice and choice is limited. Too much student-led activity, too soon before adequate modeling and training of independent learning skills can create its own challenges. A key adjustment is either to increase one or decrease the other depending upon project productivity factors. Teacher-led: Projects linked to PLP or Seminar; often jointly constructed with students and standards driven. Choice within for student ownership and heavily designed. Tight time cycles, reading and writing skills embedded, time management protocols, and daily accountability. Student-led: Interest eclectic, tied to standards, clear design and accountability, other adult mentor, continued work on literacy skills. Complement and supplement student projects with short-term, targeted seminar time.
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ORIENTATION
Setting the Stage for Success The First 3 Days (or so) There are many options in designing an orientation to both the brand new school and the veteran school initiating a brand new year. Essentially, an orientation works well if these five distinctive components are well-thought out and designed. 1. Bring the individual learners into the sense of belonging to something greater than themselves. Team building and projects like community banners work this well. 2. Set the behavior expectations from the very first moment: a place of mutual respect, honest dialogue, and shared goals. Setting these expectations can often be done within the advisory and dove-tailed in an understanding of the entire school community. 3. Expose the students to the diversity and talents of the adults in the school. Often this is done by organizing various choice activities and setting up a rotation of them during this orientation. 4. Create something the first day. 5. Celebrate the excitement of beginnings, nurture the questioning, encourage and reward every student for being a part of a special place. Note: Several schools have found it helpful to separate the orientation from week one by a weekend. If this is not possible then read the Week 1 below as a continuation of the first week and simply shorten the advisory projects. Typical Schedule Activity Advisory Group Projects Break Projects or Seminars: Lunch Reading Projects, Seminars, Field Studies, Presentations, Electives Advisory Group Timeframe (15 to 30 minutes) (60 to 90 minutes) (10 or 15 minutes) (60 to 90 minutes) (30 to 45 minutes) (45 minutes) (varying times) (15 minutes)
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ORIENTATION
Helpful Hints Work the opening advisory diligently. It may take more than 30 minutes that first week. Listen to the students, inspire them, model organization and time-management, and ask for common sense accountability. You may want to schedule some PE/recreation opportunities this week as well as the next couple weeks teamwork and fun while providing some advisors time to work with small groups or individual students. Carve out the time and people who can be free for base line academic assessment like reading, writing, computation, language, etc. Reserve a part of Thursday afternoon or Friday morning for an allschool assembly to celebrate the first week students share first week projects, demonstrate and/or perform. Three tools that will help move this forward: 1. The Daily Check-in/P.R.A.I.S.E. Tool: Be aware of daily movement. Bookend the relationship of advisor and advisee. forward
2. Project Question Tool: Each advisor asks themselves questions to assess project validity and rigor. Identify gaps then bridge them in an opportunistic manner where the student leads the way. 3. Project Verb Tool: Have this present with the conversation and negotiating around projects. It really helps students to sharpen what it is they really plan do. The Design Essentials lay out the fundamental features of the EdVisions model. Return to them again and again, as a means to shape development in the first month. These are the most important considerations during this early stage of development: Student self-directed learning that takes place in a close-knit multi-age advisory. Learning guided by an advisor who is committed to facilitative teaching. Learning pedagogy that demands that the advisor thrive as a subject-area generalist; and, moreover, that the student thrives as a curious, learner and that both alike are committed to personal continuous improvement. Knowledge and Experience and Reflection embedded everywhere.
2006 EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved Page 2
ORIENTATION
Reading, Writing, Thinking, and Problem-solving embedded everywhere. Learning IN a community - FOR a community - BY a community. A Teacher Professional Practice committed to the school as a living example of democratic learning. A student body committed to student voice, choice, capacity, and leadership as a living example of exemplary student and adult partnerships for learning. A place with roots in community traditions, inspiring todays youth, to build tomorrows community. The First 30 Days: At A Glance provides an overview of these components as they move through the first six weeks of school. Experienced considerations are presented and every coach will add to them as they work with varied schools and evidence what works best.
2006 EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved
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DAILY CHECK-IN
P.R.A.I.S.E. Tool Being an advisor in a project learning setting requires a collaborative group of educators to remind themselves to . . . Be patient! Project learning requires the student (and educator) to reexamine and restructure the what, how, and often why of learning. Moving from a more teacher-led learning environment to a more self-reliant and resourceful learning environment is eased when you . . . Establish purpose and genuine interest! Once connected with a project the advisors daily project check-in is four steps over and over again. 1. What is the end result of this effort? 2. What are the steps and sequence to get there? 3. What step(s) did you move through today? 4. Whats next? Use P.R.A.I.S.E. it works wonders!
Provide a label: Reward: Allow for self-labels: Immediately Specifically Enthusiastically

Name the behavior/learning trait i.e. kindness/tenacity Your relationship and recognition is often reward enough What really worked for you in this project? Dont miss the moment, catch them in the act Your kindness helped Jamal believe in himself Be yourself, be energetic
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QUESTIONS TOOL
R.E.A.L. Questions for Quality Assurance of Projects If you can answer 7 out of 8 of the following ten questions, then your student has a strong, viable project. If you cant fully answer at least six or seven of these questions, then engage the student until you feel confident that the gaps are bridged through project redesign. Work the identified gaps, where necessary restructure the project. This attentive step will lead to a quality student effort. After more project time elapses, then re-asking the questions will assure project success.
Relevant:
1. 2.
Having a rich, sensible and valuable connection
Why does your student value this project? (Counterproductive: contrived, tangential, hollow make work) What are the multiple ways this project can be approached? (Counterproductive: unreceptive strategies, narrow comfort zone) How does your student demonstrate that the project is thought provoking? (Counterproductive: uninterested, shallow thinking) What is the evidence that your student is constructing meaning and, if pertinent, achieving a deeper understanding? (Counterproductive: passive intellect, repetitive constructs) How has your student shown that he or she is the worker and decision-maker? (Counterproductive: passive, dependent on others) What relationships are vital to the success of this project? (Counterproductive: solo, limited social view, social isolation) What kinds of new questions has the project raised? (Counterproductive: superficial, trivia, missed opportunities) What sorts of barriers have been overcome? (Counterproductive: easy street, lazy, or lack of identification)
Essential: Of the highest importance for achieving something

3.
4.
Active: Doing something

5.
6. 7. 8.
Laborious: Requiring a great deal of effort

9. What are three tasks that require different learning styles? (Counterproductive: unexciting, monotonous) 10. How has your student demonstrated persistence? (Counterproductive: feeble effort)
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PROJECT VERBS
Sharpening the Dialogue What are you going to DO? Advisors should consistently have a respectful action bias towards a students project. Each advisor will develop a balance of active support and intentional distance depending upon the students needs and the advisor and advisee relationship. Whichever balance one arrives at, it is critical for the advisor to be fully cognizant of the progress of each students project in his or her advisory. These verbs will help the project discussion, negotiation, and facilitation for both the student and advisor alike by sequencing a series of project stages or unifying the project with an organizing inquiry and/or goal.
Evaluate Judge Appraise Synthesize Plan Propose Analyze Compare Contrast Apply Demonstrate Draft Comprehend Organize Explain Know List Recall Define Repeat Record Name Recognize identify Classify Modify Simplify Infer Select Condense Compose Locate Assign Practice Operate Apply Employ Use Dramatize Illustrate Calculate Search Detect Confirm Label Criticize Debate Question Examine Appraise Formulate Investigate Test Inspect Audit Survey Correlate Substantiate Transpose Diagram Design Arrange Construct Create Set-up Organize Manage Prepare Teach Unify Renegotiate Collaborate Assimilate Forge Cook-up Invent Devise Produce Evaluate Revise Value Score Rate Choose Select Vote Distinguish Rank Assess Interpret Review Qualify Critique Commentary Editorialize Study Exposition Discourse Treatise
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EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved
THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE

Facilitating a Smooth Transition CRITICAL COMPONENTS: Advisory
This IS the school. The foundations facilitated in each advisory are fundamental to a good start to the school year. Project Management Students must experience three complete project cycles from inception to completion to understand project management dynamics. Reading Achievement The SSR time and the intensive use of text to move projects forward creates a literate place for students to grow as readers. Writing Achievement A + A + A = Writing Mastery. magic formula. Student Accountability Bias for positive action and academic traction are two phrases that highlight when students become accountable. Short time cycles and daily check-in have worked everywhere. Parent Presence and Understanding Overlooked in the hectic first few weeks, parent presence needs to be honored and their growing understanding part of opening the school. Governance The governance group of the school and/or Teacher Professional Practice (TPP). Community Elders and Experts These are the adjunct faculty of the learning community ensuring a focus on the real-world. Teacher-Advisor Collaborative The group of educators working together. Anywhere + Anytime + real Audiences is the
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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE
WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE
Critical Components Advisory Week #1 Ground rules are established and immediate follow-through is critical. Work the teamwork and shared leadership initiatives. Move into the Workstations as each individuals home base. Establish the advisory as SHARED space with an emerging identity. Complete an advisory project; short but done. This can be teacher-led to take students through the process, and its fine for it to be all advisory or choices within the advisory. Establish sustained silent reading (SSR) as the Highest Priority. This is a cornerstone of the day, and once established becomes a wonderful intellectual oasis in the heart of a busy day. Be careful not to over program this time. Free reading protocols should be the priority. Week #2 Ground rules, teamwork, leadership all revolve around respectfulness. Discuss what works and what isnt working? Establish the Advisory as a place to consult and adjust. Continued workstation development. Students complete an individual project in one or two weeks. Often, teachers create several choices with resources close by, projects designed for successful completion that are intended to build a forward momentum. Stick with SSR at same time, build the habit. Set some realistic standards of what constitutes reading . . . plot, character, and setting. Work with students to create a special collection of reading materials. Week #3 A great time to do some work on active listening, group decisionmaking, and problem-solving. After 15 days, the advisory should be getting settled. If not, reevaluate and redesign.
Project Management
Reading Achievement
Continue the two-week project or begin another one-week project. Either way having some platform for students to share work is important. Make the work being done public; often project ideas and progress are posted for all to know about. Advisors stay reading during SSR. Dont use this as prep time or the effectiveness will be cut in half. Take a genuine interest in what others are reading and share your book as well.
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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components Writing Achievement
Week #1 The first week is a great time to have students complete a piece of reflective writing about the beginning of the year. A letter to self opened later in the year works well. Create immediate and logical accountability to both social behavior as well as responsibility to community. Dont ignore obvious acting out, deal with it in a firm yet compassionate manner. Again, discussion directly with students the kind of habitat they want to create, getting peer expectations on the table helps to inform behavior. Parents host a lunch for the students. This has been done during the orientations days. It is a great opening to a year. Meeting prior to opening week to assure that school communication, accountability, and curriculum plans are in place and agreed to.
Week #2 This is a good week to summarize for others some of the newness to this learning community. Even within the first several days the advisory is a powerful experience. Focus on accountability; take the time to talk about it. Set after school meetings for these conferences since every school needs them. Get the issues identified by the student and get to work on them. Students continually share how their advisor cares through listening.
Student Accountability
Week #3 Look for a polished piece with a real audience. Length can be tailored to the academic skills but completing important thoughts on paper this early in the year is a strong message of being productive. A week to continue the positive momentum from the first two, or if the student is spinning wheels then address the gaps and readjust. If you havent contacted the parents on these accountability issues yet, youre only one week late. Parents want the best for their son or daughter, get them involved. Have some parents share something with students that can be worked as projects; establish them as partners in learning. Governance host a community evening conversation: How project learning can benefit our community as students learn?
Parent Presence and Understanding.
A newsletter goes home this week with upbeat news on the first two weeks. Students host an event for parents. Governance host a breakfast for community elders and experts. An informal time to meet the advisors.
Governance
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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components Community Elders and Experts
Week #1 One good presentation by an elder or expert is a spark for each student to begin the outward looking attitude towards learning.
Meet several times this week, Teacher-Advisor expect some long hours, Collaborative nevertheless debriefing these first days ASAP is very helpful. Emerging patterns are being shaped and adjusting a schedule or adapting a change is best done before the concrete settles.
Week #2 Teacher-led projects should have one elder and/or expert as part of the process. This sends a strong message that there will be other adults significant to the student learning. Having an elder come to school and talk with the student when the project is being proposed ripples through the school as a powerful pedagogical message. Meet as needed. Already, some students who need immediate intervention and/or support have become evident. Dont wait, get the parent involved now. Preventative discussion in the students best interest and much easier than the later student is a problem phone call.
Week #3 Continuation of advisory project and/or two-week project. Remember that easily 30% of worthy project ideas are the result of students being immersed in a setting other than school, or spending time with another significant adult other than the advisor. The elders and experts are invaluable for this to happen. Several daily tasks will probably become evident by this week. Discuss what they are and make sure there is equitable coverage and assignment of duties. Spreading the load means a more sustainable and collaborative effort.
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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components Advisory
Week #4 Give something back to the community. Do a service project as an advisory; provide a service to some group in the community. A great time to reflect on what worked in projects getting done and what did not work. Then do a second all advisory project with the time remaining. Again, building 100% project completion into the advisory dynamics. Some students can sub-contract part of their projects to other students as needed great peer support. Writing can be anywhere, anytime + real audiences. Remember: A + A + A = Energy Anywhere + Anytime + Real Audience Accountability patterns are very clear by now address what needs to be addressed.
Project Management
Week #5 Advisory should be working pretty well by now, imagine what five weeks can do with a cabin group in a summer camp, this is a long time. Advisory habits are getting settled; are they positive and productive? This is project finalization week. Having an older student fishbowl the finalization project with a completed indepth project. If ready, go into a full project proposal this week. If not ready, repeat the structure of week 1, 2, 3. Initiative Reading Circle or other protocol; might be done earlier with higher capacity readers.
Week #6 Celebrate all the work that has been done to make the advisory a special community of learners.
The goal is for each student to complete this week with a full project proposal of a significant merit. Proposal meetings and advisory facilitated project sessions are very important. Early proposals get started while later are developing.
Reading/Writing Achievement
Student Accountability
Selective parent/student/ advisor meetings.
Closure. What are the books we read, the discussions we had, the growth in terms of meaningfulness gained? Get something visible its amazing how many different books can be read in just six weeks. Use your advisory time to discuss the growth and levels of ownership that has taken place in the year to date.
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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components
Week #4 Several parent-led/advisor Parent Presence facilitated community field trips and introducing students to good Understanding learning sites is one good option. Be available to listen as Governance emerging concerns come forward from the daily operations. Getting a project done needs a Community whole range of skills, often Elders and these folks can provide both Experts the authentic audience that focuses these skills as students complete the project to prove to the elder and/or expert. This is a good week for a more Teacher-Advisor sustainable meeting schedule Collaborative to take over. Many TPPs meet twice a week; once for school business, once for students/ curriculum.
Week #5 Intervention meetings should be taking place by now. Bring the parents in before small problems become big ones. If student intervention meetings demand it, then a governance member is helpful. Make sure as projects come to the finalization process that these elders and experts contribute (in writing) to the evaluation process. Before the end of the 30 days it is helpful for a couple advisors to have hosted an evening meeting that models the project process. Let parents learn by experience.
Week #6 A great event is for the parents to host the event mentioned below. Attend the community presentation night. Host a thank you event for these elders and experts. A picture of them working with students on projects is a strong visual reminder that project learning is collaborative. Everyone work on this first community presentation night. It is an important first impression for everyone.
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THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

Backplanning for Success The foundation of our self-directed project-based learning model is the Personalized Learning Plan (PLP), based on each students unique academic story. This story unfolds through diagnostic testing of his or her reading and math skills, pre-assessment of life skills, current graduation credits, initial postsecondary plans, student interests, and the Hope Study Survey (self-perception surveys on Autonomy, Belongingness, Goal Orientation, Engagement and Hope). The PLPs drive the learning program for the school and for each student. Backplanning for the success of students is simply the process of determining the definition of success for students at the end any finite period of time: month, semester, year, school experience and then planning every step needed to guarantee that success. Addressing the 3 Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationship In our EdVisions schools, the traditional courses and related bell schedule are replaced with the optimal combination of projects, customized seminars, remediation interventions (one-on-one or small group), enrichment opportunities, and access to on-line learning. Seminars replace arbitrary courses and are designed to meet the specific needs of students based on individual and collective PLPs. This curriculum continuum is designed to provide just the right content and timing for each student and ensures that students have the Rigor needed to meet their individual needs and prepare them for graduation and beyond. Rigor is obviously critical to ensure students successfully graduate and are college ready. We also know that Relevance and Relationships are essential and key to (re)engaging students in the learning process, sustaining their motivation for graduation and heightening their positive expectations for whats possible beyond graduation. Self-directed projects driven by personal interests and their academic and postsecondary goals provide the Relevance that is so often missing for these students, resulting in a lack of engagement, poor performance and for most, a sense of hopelessness. The EdVisions Schools personalized learning program is complemented by a highly supportive advisory system within a democratic learning community. Every student is treated as an individual No Child Left Unknown. Each student has his/her own personal workspace within their advisory. Teacher/advisors are responsible for working with students to develop their PLPs and work with no more than 20 students using a facilitative/coaching style to support them in accomplishing their goals. Conflicts are addressed through a restorative justice approach that respects all students and reinforce positive expectations. This learning environment has proven highly successful in addressing the third and perhaps most important R for this target population Relationship. Without it there is rarely a chance for Rigor or Relevance.
2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved Page 1
Learning Program (Where)
Goals: Data Analysis (Who)

By the end of each students experience at this school he/she will: 1) Demonstrate standards and academic proficiency through authentic assessment, including state-mandated testing 2) Be a self-directed lifelong learner 3) Be prepared for college, careers and global citizenship
Instructional/ Learning Time (When)
Assessment (How Well) (How Often)
Curriculum (What)
Teaching & Learning Strategies (How)
DEVELOPING A PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

DATA ANALYSIS
The Academic Story Every student has a unique academic story, made up of is or her: academic history strengths and challenges areas if interest preferred modality of learning life skills current progress monitoring Personalized Learning The task of any school is to learn that academic story and provide the:
RIGHT LEARNING PROGRAM for the RIGHT STUDENT for the RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME
Gathering the Data In order for this personalized approach to take place, the school must first gather the data of each academic story. A Student Academic Profile (attached) is completed including baseline data as well as ongoing progress monitoring data throughout the year and/or years at the school.
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STUDENT ACADEMIC PROFILE

Student Name: School Year: Male Female RSP Advisor: Grade: SST Referral APE Speech Transition
Scaled Score Standards English/LA Math Science Social Science HS Exit Exam: English/LA HS Exit Exam: Math My strengths are: My challenges are: I am interested in: Preferred Modality of Learning: O Auditory O Visual Scaled Score:
Proficiency Level
Passed:
Scaled Score:
Passed:
O Kinesthetic
My life skills include:
My Hope Study profile is:
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PROGRESS MONITORING
LITERACY Date Score Reading Comprehension Oral Reading Fluency Writing Genres Response to Literature Research Reports Persuasive Essay Business Letter Technical Document Biography Reflective Composition Multimedia Presentation Job Application Result Score Result Score Result Benchmark 1 Beginning/Fall Benchmark 2 Middle/Winter Benchmark 3 End/Spring
MATH Date
Benchmark 1 Beginning/Fall
Benchmark 2 Middle/Winter
Benchmark 3 End/Spring
Score Numeracy Computation Problem Solving Algebra Geometry
Result
Score
Result
Score
Result
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LEARNING PROGRAM & INSTRUCTIONAL/LEARNING TIME

Student_________________________ Grade___________________
First Quarter % of Daily Learning Time Project Learning Prescriptive/Guided Group Self-directed Group Prescriptive/Guided Individual Self-directed Individual Content Seminar English/Language Arts Math Social Science Science Workshops Brainstorming Research Addressing Standards Time Management Presentation Intervention Literacy Math Enrichment Arts PE Travel Internship Second Quarter % of Daily Learning Time Third Quarter % of Daily Learning Time Fourth Quarter % of Daily Learning Time
Learning Program
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THE CURRICULUM CONTINUUM

Standards-based Projects (Why) Project Plan Standards Driving question Strategies and skills Evaluation Reflection
Content Seminars (What) Focused standards taught to mastery Published core programs Interest-based lessons Strategy instruction Direct instruction leading towards quality projects Workshops (How) Brainstorming Research Addressing Standards Time Management Presentation Intervention (How) Basic skills instruction based on diagnostic assessment Enrichment (How) Enrichment classes and activities are experiential in nature Life-long skills are nurtured On-line Learning (How) A means to provide a wide array of courses to meet unique student needs and interests
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TEACHING & LEARNING STRATEGIES

Teaching & Learning Strategies provide students the necessary tools them to be successful in other academic endeavors and in life. They might include the following Process Writing Reading Comprehension - Reciprocal Teaching - Question/Answer Relationship - Text Structure Problem Solving Socratic Method Data Analysis Research Methods Graphic Organizers Scientific Method Cooperative Learning Service Learning
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT
Summative Assessments Standards Test Achievement Tests High School Exit Exam English Language Development Test SAT ACT Formative Assessments Curriculum Embedded Tests Teacher Created Tests Benchmark Standards Tests Diagnostic Assessments Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS) Results! Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) Basic Phonics Skills Test (BPST) Value-added Assessments Life Skills Rubric Hope Study Profiles
PROJECT BASICS IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS

Facilitating Student-led Projects What is a project? A novel task: Projects need to be new situations to the students or projects need to be situations with new elements
Expanded reach: John Dewey used the term reach for an optimal learning extension, close enough to achieve, far enough to exercise the intellect, but not so far the work is overwhelming Requires transfer: The work done in a project creates conditions for significant transfer of knowledge, skills, and understanding assuming critical reflection is built in Contextual learning: Critical to a project is a real-world context with enough hooks to engage students in the learning at hand Practical use of ideas: Purpose and functionality are essential in the project arena How does a project originate as a proposal? Projects are developed as the result of a dialogue between the student and someone else, often an advisor but could be a parent, friend, elder, community expert, etc. The back and forth conversation reveals the underlying questions, the genuine interest, and possible pathways to carry the project out. All project proposals, whatever their unique composition, contain the following seven pieces. 1. A summary of the project in less than a page, often a good paragraph 2. Guiding questions that focus the inquiry 3. Prior knowledge established and clear delineation of knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to carry out the project 4. A plan to gain this needed capacity 5. Defined tools to assess when the capacity is developed 6. Resources needed, especially people like elders and experts 7. Timelines in place, tasks sequenced, protocol for assessment and ways to gather support and guidance as needed Given these seven; a proposal becomes the blueprint for the project. Then the students work the project. What do we mean by work? Time and time again we have seen that evidence of understanding is clear in projects where the student has to adapt, revise, change, and evaluate (work) previously known knowledge and skills in the light of new understandings.
EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved Page 1
How do students utilize advisors to work a project? By sharing a personalization strategy of knowledge management with his or her advisor. The advisor facilitating the advisory then ensures this personalization strategy. The advisory groups are part of a community model reliant on social networking for the design, development, and sharing of project-based learning. This community model is more than cognitive, it also embraces the emotive capacity in the learners. Therefore, how students work a project is by talking, talking, and talking in spontaneous, planned, divergent, and convergent ways with advisors, peers, and other adults. This collaborative conversant manner is very important. Too often its neglected as everyone gets very busy. Being productive in a project necessitates time for talk and time for reflection. Daily advisory time and opportunistic one-to-one moments meet this above need. However, this collaborative nature builds slowly as the trust of the advisory grows. Students involved in projects will seek out help from others only when they come across a problem that cant be solved by utilizing their existing knowledge and expertise. Dont put the cart before the horse, accept the ageold human condition that learning by doing precedes learning from others. Why do projects breakdown? There seems to be two distinctive factors: timing and content. If it is the right timing and right content the project will work. Timing: A student often articulates the optimal timing for the acquisition of knowledge. Learning occurs best in the presence of a perceived need, authentic projects establish that need, whereas, unauthentic projects echo hollow. Is this the right time for this project is often answered in the developing conversation during the project development phase. The project in a word is REAL. This provides the demand side of the equation which results in the student supplying effort. Content: It is essential that the content is within the academic reach of the student so learning can be understood and built upon. There are two kinds of project content. First, has to do with project management from beginning to end; that is, project procedural knowledge. Second addresses what background knowledge is needed as well as what new skills are to be developed; that is, to ensure that the project academic skills are within reach.
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A QUICK PROJECT CHECK-UP Is the project R.E.A.L.?
connections to the real world?
Relevant: Will the project provide opportunities for meaningful Essential: Will the learning be important, necessary and vital? Active: Will the project be engaging and require doing something? Laborious: Will the learning be rigorous, requiring a great deal of effort?
Is the content within reach? Ready and reachable: There is sufficient project procedural knowledge and/or project academic skills are within the students reach Not ready or reachable: There is little procedural knowledge and/or project academic skills are frustratingly beyond the students reach Is the timing right? Right timing: The student connects with the project as R.E.A.L. in their life, resulting in real demand Wrong timing: The student does not connect with the project as R.E.A.L. in their life, resulting in no demand Impact of content and timing on student behavior:
Right Content Right Timing Wrong Content Wrong Timing
Observable Behavior of Student
Student is connected and productive Student is disconnected and unproductive Student is frustrated or anxious Student is bored or disinterested
X X X X X X
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DEVELOPING PROJECT CAPACITY IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS

How Ready is the Student for Project Work? Determining the students productive project capacity
Transitional: Coming from a traditional pedagogy, new to the school Developmental: Less than 3 successful project cycles, initial project management skills Functioning: Over 3 successful projects, stronger project management skills Exemplary: Many successful projects, wide-ranging project management skills See Page 2, A Developmental Approach to Self-directed PBL for a more in-depth look at a students emerging project capacity. Advising the learner to match project capacity with project complexity Modify project complexity to place learners capacity within the parallel lines; design for success Draw out and prepare background knowledge Determine essential questions Prioritize academic standards Arrange subject recipe what is the mix . . . what is the depth? Embed reading and writing development into project tasks Delineate social/leadership/management standards See Page 3, Project Complexity: What is needed to complete a quality project. Next steps Create a project proposal Work the project, modify proposal, and meet the deadlines Recognize all completed projects equally and in a timely manner
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DEVELOPING PROJECT CAPACITY
A DEVELOPMENTAL APPROACH TO SELF-DIRECTED PBL

1 Stage Project TaskMaster Description Students are connecting themselves to the problem-solving process. Here is where they commit to learning the problem by completing specific subject matter tasks. They take responsibility for building their knowledge base for the project. They use the computer effectively to collect and display data. They collaborate with others for accuracy of data/information. They learn to view the teacher as an advisor and not the central source for knowledge and learning. Students analyze the global aspects of the problem. They are able to take the data collected to articulate a sound description of the problem. In addition, they use the Internet and other resources (other than the advisor) to add depth to their analysis. Students are able to use their global awareness of the problem to identify outcomes (needs) of the problem. By connecting these needs to a social institution, they then design a solution that is either a concrete object, and event (or activity), or a process. Although the solution is not carried out at this stage, the design is valid (researched) and applicable (realistic), and ready for implementation Students are acting as true social scientists by taking more initiative in identifying a problem or executing a solution. Here is where students make a personal investment in social change by connecting their time, energy, and experiences out of school with their studies. Others will be able to attribute social progress to the awareness, scholarship, creativity and citizenship of students. Here is where they find and study problems, as well as design and execute solutions. Students are social change agents. The timeline for projects cover months, semesters, and/or an entire school year. In addition, projects consist of an internship where they spend extended time executing solutions or collecting data to define problems and solutions. Deliverables Report of problem (outlined by advisor)
Project Scholar
Report of problem (outlined by advisor) Problem analysis Report of problem (outlined by advisor) Problem analysis Project design
Project Leader
Project Engineer
Report of problem (outlined by advisor) Problem analysis Project design Executed solution (in some cases) Report of problem (outlined by advisor) Problem analysis Project design Executed solution Report of problem Problem analysis Project design Executed solution in the form of social action and a product
Project Manager
Social Change Agent
Content by Angie Dye, PSGL, 2005
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DEVELOPING PROJECT CAPACITY
PROJECT COMPLEXITY:
What is needed to complete a quality project?
Solid, reliable academics Ample background knowledge Reading above age level Integrated subject synthesis
Anxiety student-led, scholarly projects z
Capable academics Some background knowledge Reading at age level Allied subjects complementary
Frustration student-led solid projects y
Developing academics Basic background knowledge Reading at/below age level Allied subjects sequenced Inconsistent basic academics No background knowledge Reading below age level Single Subject overview/focus
short-term, resource developed projects x emerging projects

Transitional/Developmental Functioning Exemplary
Frustration Boredom
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STUDENT VOICE, INTEREST AND CAPACITY

More Indicators of a Successful Project Student voice, student interest, and student capacity anchor project pedagogy and inform assessment as baseline indicators of a successful project driven learning community.
When student VOICE is a full partner, then the widest range of perspectives become integral to the learning dynamics. When student INTEREST drives most of the projects then the widest range of learning outcomes are achieved. When student CAPACITY is unleashed then the vitality of the school is assured. John Dewey was once asked, What is a school? He answered, Two things: a library and a museum. Dewey understood that the dynamic outcomes evident in a vigorous library and a scholarly museum would guarantee that student voice, interest, and capacity had been unleashed. How else might a school create these two entities than by having students engage in experiences (projects) as historians, scientists, inventors, artists, and scholars? With voice, interest, and capacity as a basis for inquiry, a school overview will then use the EdVisions Design Essentials and AHSI Distinguishers to frame an analysis. The essential proof is the students reality of how these Essentials and Distinguishers play out. An EdVisions Design Essential such as regular public presentations of student work, or an AHSI Distinguisher such as just in time seminars contribute to the authentic learning of the student. They comprise the what critical in building an effective project-learning environment. However, the how is vital as well, and informs a schools continuous improvement needs much more than the what. How well the public presentation of student work shaped elements of student voice; for example, and how well the just in time seminar helped develop student capacity are relational aspects of what an effective overview can attend to. Therefore, voice, interest, and capacity offer a developmental view regarding the successful or unsuccessful implementation of the Design Essentials and Distinguishers; thereby, illuminating issues and concerns to be folded into a continuous improvement plan.
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STUDENT VOICE, INTEREST AND CAPACITY
Student Voice The pervasive feeling that a school displays when student voice is alive and well can be witnessed by an assortment of: interactions between members of the learning community, allocation of time through scheduling, prioritization of resources through budgetary processes, communication dynamics among people with varying degrees of power and investment, and project protocols that clearly define project beginnings, middles, and ends. However, the critical questions remain four, with various right answers. Are the students engaged? Are equity and access embedded in the school climate/processes? Do the students actively participate in issues related to the schools well being? Are the adults working with the students to create meaningful partnerships? Student Interest Student interest is the cornerstone of a project pedagogy that is not predetermined by adults but invented daily as each student constructs meaning from projects developed within the setting and leadership in his or her advisory. Skills and capacity will follow the trajectory of student interests; therefore, a few questions remain vital to ascertaining the evidence of student interest. Are the projects intellectually powerful? Does the student share personal meaning through the project? Is work undertaken that moves students passionately forward with continuous improvement in skills and understanding? Can the student express purpose in the community and exert leadership to get things done? Does the student show initiative? Is it welcome? Student Capacity Student capacity is the applied intersection of interest and voice, where the action of the student builds upon itself new capabilities leading to newer understandings and back again to new and renewed action all over again. Several questions attend to this development. How well have the students exerted personal effort in projects? How well have students worked in a collective manner to complete projects? Is the project carrying capacity within reach of the students learning capacity? Are student energy, talent, ambition, and creativity welcome at the school? In effect, are the adults moving aside; being supportive and facilitating or getting in the way?
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TEXT BASED SEMINAR

Facilitating Healthy Dialogue and Critical Thinking
In a text-based seminar of 40 minutes to one hour, students examine an issue from an outside point of view by focusing on a specific article or excerpt from a book. This seminar helps build a culture of discourse in a school by creating a safe place for individuals to approach difficult issues. Participants read a short article or excerpt from a book that is related to teaching and learning and engage in a discussion about the text. Purpose The purpose of the discussion is not to persuade other students of a particular point of view but to clarify, build upon, and enhance understanding of the actual text. Text-based seminars give participants an opportunity to extract different meanings and ideas from a text and discuss important issues related to the text. Procedure 1. Select the Text: Choose an article or book excerpt that will have implications for teaching and learning. The article may be selected by the advisor or by a student.
2. Read the Text (10 15 Minutes): If the text is long, the advisor may distribute it before the seminar, or a shorter text may be read for the first time during the seminar. In either case, 10 15 minutes of seminar time are devoted to reading or reviewing the article. While reading, participants may take notes, underline or highlight important ideas, and record questions the text raises for them. 3. Begin the Discourse (5 10 Minutes): Either an advisor or student may facilitate the seminar. There are two effective ways to begin the discourse. Students may take turns reading aloud a sentence or two that has particular significance to them. Or, the facilitator may present a framing question to start the discussion. 4. Discuss the Text (20 30 Minutes): The facilitator leads the discussion. He or she should remind participants to refer to the text to support their comments. Groups may want to follow these guidelines: Listen actively Build on what others say Expose/suspend your assumptions Dont step on others talk. Silences and pauses are OK Emphasize clarification, amplification, and implications of ideas Converse directly with each other, not through the facilitator Let the conversation flow without raising hands, as much as possible Make references to the text and encourage others to do the same Watch your air time for how often you speak and how much you say when you speak 5. Close the Discussion (5 Minutes): The facilitator closes the discussion about the text, highlighting two or three main points of discussion and thanking participants for their perspective. The result is that all participants leave the seminar with a deeper understanding of the text.
SCHOOL-WIDE ASSESSMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOL

Developing the 3 Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationships
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SUPPLEMENTAL TOOLS
Design Essentials Checklist: A one-page checklist of the EdVisions Schools Design Essentials. AHSI Distinguishers Checklist: A checklist for each of the AHSI Distinguishers. The Alternative High School Initiative (AHSI) is a group of organizations the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has funded to help create effective, studentcentered small high schools for youth that need or prefer an alternative learning environment for high school graduation and preparation for postsecondary education. AHSI is characterized by the 3 Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationships; learning that is academically rigorous, relevant to the real world, and supported by meaningful relationships. Youth voice, participation and leadership development drive the learning process. EdVisions is a member of this organization because of the innovative program we offer parents and students. The Design Essentials are functions of a good learning community for all students and further enhance the AHSI Distinguishers. Hope Study Components & Effects on the 3 Rs: A description of each of the 5 Hope Study Components and their effect on Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. After a year and a half of piloting the surveys, correlations and analyzing data, EdVisions has discovered that our Design Essentials and related AHSI Distinguishers result in a positive learning culture for adolescence and create positive dispositions for success in life. Project-based Learning (PBL) Continuum: This tool reflects the full continuum of project-based learning possibilities. The goal in an EdVisions school is to equip students to complete projects that are authentic and selfdirected. Teacher Orientation Checklist: This tool reflects various teacher orientations to learning. The goal in an EdVisions school is Orientation 3.
HOW TO USE THE SCHOOL-WIDE ASSESSMENT & STRATEGIC PLANNING TOOL

The School-wide Assessment & Strategic Planning Tool is designed for use by new and existing schools. The Rubric will assist you in assessing your stage of development Exemplary, Functioning, or Transitional in implementing the EdVisions Design Essentials. The SelfDirected Project-based Learning category cross references the Teacher Orientation that best fits each stage of development. We have provided several supplemental tools to further assist you in your assessment and planning. It may be helpful to review and complete the Checklists as they will help will inform completion of the Rubric. It is recommended that the Rubric be completed by teachers individually and then, collectively to get a sense of your stage of readiness for new schools or progress for existing schools individually and school-wide. Once completed, it is recommended that a Gap Analysis be conducted individually, and then schoolwide. The results will provide valuable insights and inform Professional Development Plans for teachers and school-wide Action Plans for continuous improvement. EdVisions will be available to help you analyze your results and work with you as you move towards becoming an Exemplary and sustainable EdVisions school.
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DEVELOPING THE 3 RS RIGOR, RELEVANCE & RELATIONSHIP THROUGH THE 4 COMPONENTS OF THE EDVISIONS DESIGN ESSENTIALS
Self-Directed Project-Based Learning
Small Learning Community

PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE, CAREERS AND GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP
Authentic Assessment
Teacher Ownership
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DESIGN ESSENTIALS CHECKLIST

Self-directed Project-based Learning Program: Facilitating the work of youth as self-directed producers and learners Self-directed, project-based learning primary focus driven by constructivist pedagogy Personalized work space for each student with Internet access Personal Learning Plan for all students that emphasizes student needs and interests Technology-infused environment; technology used as tool Individual/group projects complemented by multiple learning approaches based on student needs and interests Achievement demonstrated publicly; highest work place standards are the goal All students prepared for post-secondary education, workplace, and global citizenship Students and staff engage in quiet reading every day Small Learning Community: Connecting with young people in a democratic learning community Small schools of 150 students Full-time, multiage advisories; advisors fully responsible for no more than 20 students Highly personalized setting; every student treated as individual No Child Left Unknown Positive, caring relationships; respect and responsibility practiced and modeled Mentoring available for all students Restorative justice/circle processes practiced Parents and community at large actively engage with students to support learning Democratic student government supports active engagement in decision making process Students experience value of citizenship as they contribute to greater community Teacher Ownership: Teachers model ownership and shared leadership Autonomous school management with control over budget and staffing Individual responsibility and accountability for school finance and educational success Teachers model ownership and demonstrate shared leadership and inspire students, parents and community to take ownership and actively engage in decision making Incorporate consensus model Teacher evaluations by peers, students, and parents; performance-based pay, at-will employment (where applicable) Evaluations inform individual Professional Development Plans focusing on self and school improvement Coaching/mentoring plan for incorporation of new staff and continuous improvement Authentic Assessment: How we know we are achieving our intended results Plan for how projects will be assessed by more than one adult, with opportunities to improve products to meet quality standards Demonstrated achievement, with plan for public presentations including community involvement Electronic standards tracking/reporting system and electronic student portfolios Standardized testing; results inform Personal Learning Plans (PLP) and continuous improvement Value-added measures including assessment of life skills and results from Hope Study enhance PLPs and continuous improvement Post-secondary plans for all students beginning at ninth grade Graduation includes standards met as well as project credits, life skills gained, and a senior project 2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved Page 4 of 17
ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL INITIATIVE (AHSI) DISTINGUISHERS CHECKLIST

Distinguisher 1: Authentic Learning, Teaching and Performance Assessment Industry internships, job shadowing, work experience, service learning Portfolios of student work Student exhibitions, presentations, demonstrations Individual and group projects Regular access and exposure to technologies to prepare, revise and present work, and to communicate Just in time seminars to identify and aggressively address learning gaps Distinguisher 2: Personalized School Culture Intentional recruitment of vulnerable youth/students Clear definition of small size at school level Intake assessment of students learning and developmental needs Individual student learning plans developed with student and parent Morning, after-school and evening programs; summer programs Advisory structure Intentional culture building Student-led conferences Celebrations Multiple approaches for addressing variations in student learning styles Performance narratives Distinguisher 3: Shared Leadership and Responsibility Youth caucus/board Scheduled whole school town meetings Advisory board comprised of school, student, family, community, postsecondary and industry partners Liaison to community and industry resources, postsecondary options and opportunities Systems for selection and training of new leaders Ongoing professional development around best practices at all levels Personalized development plans for all staff Transparency in both practice and performance assessment Framework for performance appraisal Scheduled and structured staff feedback
2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved Page 5 of 17
AHSI DISTINGUISHERS CHECKLIST

Distinguisher 4: Supportive Partnerships Open house Community access to school resources Student learning projects that help real-life community issues Advisory board comprised of school, student, family, community, postsecondary and industry partners Liaison to community and postsecondary organizations and institutions Mentors, tutors, guest speakers, internships, job shadowing, employment opportunities, apprenticeships Teacher learning opportunities with community partners Corporate sponsorship and/or endorsement of school In-house coaching and liaisons to network and/or outside consultants to enhance school capacity Framework for school performance appraisal Distinguisher 5: Future Focus Student placement in prep and college-going programs College courses; credits Structured and accountable relationships with postsecondary institutions Student transition plans beginning in the 9th grade and following students though graduation onto postsecondary pathways System for communicating with students beyond high school graduation Post graduation learning plans
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PROJECT-BASED LEARNING (PBL) CONTINUUM

1) Project is curriculum-controlled Project is part of curricular unit, text, etc. All students do the same thing No student choice Graded as part of class unit 2) Project is part of a class and teacher-directed Allows for student inquiry, choice of topic within curriculum Students have to frame their own questions All students have same timeframe Graded as part of class unit 3) Project is interdisciplinary and teacher-directed Project is inquiry-based, looks at big picture, still curriculum-based Project is interdisciplinary and thematic in nature Students may be in cooperative groups; teaming Performance and product assessment is used as well as class grade 4) Project is authentic and created with teacher-student interaction Project is interdisciplinary in nature; inquiry-based; authentic Rubrics assess performances; critical thinking and problem solving Students may be in cooperative groups, in teams or whole class Project includes place-based, service learning, etc. Timeframe is negotiable, but within semester, or units 5) Project is authentic and self-directed Project is teacher-facilitated, with teachers providing the process The whole world is the curriculum, with state standards guiding the work Rubrics assess learning-to-learn skills, personal development, etc. Performance and products assessed; performances to real-world audience May be individual or group projects Could include place-based, service-learning projects Non-graded, timeframe negotiable
TEACHER ORIENTATION CHECKLIST

ORIENTATION 3 Object of Instruction
Students learning-to-learn, acquiring critical thinking and problem solving, integration of subject matter, holistic, real-world outcomes, inquiry-based
ORIENTATION 2
Highly focused on behavioral outcomes, student purpose secondary, acquire scholastic knowledge, understanding of ideas and concepts teacher-led activities Teacher orchestrates and controls activities, 50-55 minute periods, lesson plans, unit plans, some thematic and integrative activities Instructional source books, curriculum guides, state curriculum, planned activities, high structured thematic instruction and exploration Listening and communicating in structured setting, creating community essential, failure to cooperate is disruption, some constructivism allowed May allow problem solving, projects, performance, but structured; teachercontrolled assessment and evaluation, still paper-pencil tests Can implement thematic activities and cooperative learning, hands-on if fits timeframes, emphasis on teacher strategies and instructions, can be creative and move beyond packaged materials
ORIENTATION 1
Acquire surface knowledge, small incremental outcomes, facts, skills, information, memorization, practice, repetition, using taxon memory Artificial imposed times, 50-55 minute periods, deadlines imposed by teacher, lesson plans, unit plans, cannot honor student need of extra time Designated guides, books, what student should know, teacher selected instruction by lecture, texts, demonstrations, designated subjects and topics Teacher governs behavior, controls disruptions, writes rules, reviews punishments; behaviorism and assertive discipline rule
Teacher Use of Time
Presents problems, helps student make sense of their problems, works with individuals and groups establishing student responsibilities, flexible, fluid The world is the curriculum, student-led, parents, experts, realworld situations, own experiences, pure constructivist Low threat, high challenge, relaxed alertness, student intrinsic motivation, project process helps with time management, goals, etc.
Sources of Curriculum & Instruction
Approach to Discipline
Approach to Assessment
Well-developed rubrics for performance, presentations, time management, life skills and independent learning; project process checklists Student-led activities, unstructured time demands open structures, flexibility, fluid, openended, personal work space for each student, advisor-advisee groups, no class structure
Basis of assessment on replication of teacher and source materials, paperpencil tests, quizzes, truefalse, multiple choice, always a right and wrong answer Stand and deliver, teacher part of larger system with expectations, grades a means of control, hours negotiated; system dominates
Educational Setting
Transformational Learning 2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved
Transaction of Knowledge and Skills
Transmission of Knowledge Page 8 of 17
HOPE STUDY COMPONENTS CHECKLIST

AUTONOMY Student choice: Choose what to study and when Personalize goals with flexible timeframes Learn what is relevant to them and why Use creativity and various learning styles Various points of view accepted and encouraged BELONGINGNESS Perceived support of advisors and peers: Advisors have ongoing interaction with students Advisors show care and concern for each student Advisors advocate for students and support their learning Peers accept and demonstrate respect for one another Peers support one another in their learning GOAL ORIENTATION Approach to learning: Intrinsically motivated Willing to risk Positive attitude Choose effective strategies for learning ENGAGEMENT Approach to tasks: Strong work ethic Pay attention and concentrate Sustained effort Use time wisely High level of cognitive engagement in learning tasks HOPE Level of optimism toward ones ability to be successful: Conceptualize challenging goals and pathways to obtain them Develop various strategies to achieve goals Initiate and sustain motivation toward goals Demonstrate resilience in achieving their goals
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THE HOPE STUDY AND THE 3 Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationships

The Hope Study is designed to assist schools in pinpointing their strengths as well as areas for improvement. Results from the Hope Study can help schools create proactive action plans with an eye towards enhancing and enriching the student experience. The Hope Study is a series of surveys designed by Mark Van Ryzin, a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota in Educational Psychology. He asks the basic question: What pedagogical model provides a good learning environment for the healthy psychological development of adolescents? The Hope Study includes self-perception surveys on Autonomy, Belongingness, Goal Orientation, Engagement and Hope. Results provide an indication of how a learning environment affects adolescents and have been shown to correlate positively with success in college, physical health, and selfactualization. Preliminary surveys have shown that the EdVisions Schools model creates a learning environment that provides a much healthier place for adolescents than traditional schools; and that project-based learning and advisory systems have a positive impact on student engagement and their sense of hope. The five Hope Study components Autonomy, Belongingness, Goal Orientation, Engagement and Hope can have a powerful impact on the three Rs Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Results from the Hope Study can provide valuable insights into what the learning community does to provide students with a challenging, interesting and supportive place that enriches learning and engages students in wanting to learn. Simply asking for greater rigor will not ensure long term success. When new school cultures are created, the general assessment practice is to immediately look for academic gains as measured by grades, standardized tests, or criterion referenced academic scores. Even when performance is measured, it is more than likely tied to academic performances rather than life skills. Generally dispositional goals are dismissed as too difficult to discern or as irrelevant. But when only academic gains are measured, there often may be an immediate level of growth, but they soon level off if not accompanied with deeper levels of change in the learning community that promote relevance and relationships. By measuring the relevance and relationships, along with rigor, schools will be able to create learning environments that are more likely to have long term effects on student success. In our School-Wide Assessment & Strategic Planning Tool we link Hope Components to EdVisions Design Essentials. We have done so to provide a sense of which Hope Components are most likely to positively enhance those Design Essentials. However, they may not correlate exactly. Rather, they should be used as an indicator of the possibilities a learning community is offering for student growth. By providing students with more opportunities for Autonomy, Belongingness, Goal Orientation, Engagement and Hope, schools are far more likely to accelerate their success and movement toward being an Exemplary EdVisions school.
Category A: Self-Directed Project-based Learning (PBL)

Facilitating the work of youth as self-directed producers and learners
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A1: Self-directed PBL primary focus driven by constructivist pedagogy (Autonomy, Goal Orientation, Engagement and Teacher Support) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A2: Personalized work space for each student with Internet access (Autonomy, Goal Orientation and Engagement) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A3: Personalized Learning Plans (PLPs) for all students emphasizing student needs and interests (Autonomy, Goal Orientation and Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
(Teacher Orientation 3)
FUNCTIONING
(Teacher Orientation 2 & 3)
TRANSITIONAL
Majority of student projects are selfdirected, authentic, whole world is the curriculum; state standards guide work; high quality projects and presentations to real world audiences; students make decisions and set timeframes.
Majority of student projects are selfdirected and interdisciplinary, some cooperative, place-based, and/or service-learning projects; most timeframes negotiable; standards assessed; performance driven; good quality projects.
Some self-directed projects, majority are teacher-led and course driven; product and standardized assessment used; some presentations by students; variable quality projects; most timeframes set by teachers.
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
Personal space valued and respected; workplace responsibility encouraged; student ownership evident; easy access to technology.
Personal space valued but shared with others; workplace responsibility expected but not reinforced; shared access to technology.
Personal space not valued and shared with others; workplace responsibility not stressed; some access to technology.
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
PLPs for all students; plans emphasize individual needs and interests and drive self-directed PBL and development of a variety of complementary learning opportunities; intrinsic motivation stressed; individual inquiry highly valued; use of electronic tracking /management system.
PLPs for all students; many goals are personalized based on individual needs and interests and drive development of projects and complementary seminars; individual inquiry valued; use of electronic tracking/ management system.
PLPs being developed; many goals are standardized; plans are primarily driven by structured curriculum/ seminars with some consideration for individual needs and interests; individual inquiry is limited.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A4: Technology infused environment; technology used as a tool (Goal Orientation and Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
Individual students are trusted to use technology; easy access to computer applications and other technologies; students naturally integrate technology into projects; students value and respect technology.
Most students are trusted to use technology; most have access to computer applications and other technologies; students encouraged to integrate technology into projects; students treat technology with respect.
Most students are supervised when using technology; some have access to computer applications and technologies and others do not; limited use of technologies in projects; respect for technology is variable.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A5: Individual/group projects complemented with multiple teaching/learning approaches based on student needs and interests (Teacher Support, Engagement and Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
Self-directed PBL is primary focus; individual needs and interests complemented by seminars, workshops, internships, field study, service learning, virtual/online learning, post-secondary options, etc.; student inquiry highly valued.
Self-directed PBL is primary focus for most students; individual needs and interests are also met through seminars, workshops, internships, field study, service learning, etc.; student inquiry is encouraged.
Individual needs and interests are met primarily through core courses and seminars; projects are mostly teacher-led.
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DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A6: Achievement demonstrated publicly; highest workplace standards are the goal (Goal Orientation, Autonomy, Teacher Support and Engagement) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A7: All students prepared for post-secondary education, workplace, and global citizenship (Goal Orientation, Autonomy, Engagement and Hope) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) A8: Students and staff engage in quiet reading every day (Goal Orientation, Autonomy and Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
Public presentations of work using well-developed rubric; highest workplace standards; real world projects reflecting depth and high quality; senior projects expected for graduation.
Public presentations of work; projects are relevant, reflect workplace standards, and show growth in quality over time; senior projects expected for graduation.
Limited public presentations of work; some emphasis on relevant projects that address workplace standards; quality of work is variable; senior projects not well developed.
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
PLPs reflect high expectations and include a wide variety of pre-college activities; real-world projects exhibit rigor and address state standards; life skills rubrics stress responsibility and active citizenship; students on track for graduation.
PLPs reflect high expectations and include some pre-college activities; projects show relevance and address state standards; environment stresses responsibility and citizenship; most students on track for graduation.
PLPs address standards for graduation; limited pre-college activities; projects address standards; teachers stress responsibility and citizenship; majority of students on track for graduation.
EXEMPLARY
FUNCTIONING
TRANSITIONAL
Dedicated time for students and staff to engage in quiet reading every day; students choose high quality books and journals that expand student knowledge and interest areas; reading levels reflect continued growth.
Time for all students and staff to engage in quiet reading every day; students choice of reading materials increases their knowledge, interests and reading levels.
Students engage in quiet reading but not on a regular basis; students choose from a recommended list of varied reading materials to increase knowledge, interests and reading levels.
Category B: Small Learning Community

Connecting with young people in a democratic learning community?
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B1: Small learning communities of 150 students (Teacher Support; Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
Small learning community of 150, with advisories of less than 20 students; staff meet at least weekly to keep common focus and is highly collaborative; students are valued; depth and quality of interpersonal relationships are apparent.
FUNCTIONING
Small learning community of 100, including 9 & 10th grade, with advisories of less than 20 students; staff meets weekly to make plans and is cohesive; students are valued; positive interpersonal relationships.
TRANSITIONAL
Small learning community of less than 100,including 9th grade, with advisories of less than 20 students; staff meets periodically to make plans but is not always cohesive; interpersonal relationships are variable.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B2: Full-time, multiage advisories; advisors responsible for no more than 20 students (Autonomy, Teacher Support, Peer Support)
EXEMPLARY
Full-time advisories of less than 20 students across all grade levels; meaningful advisory meetings include high level of reflection and build a positive learning culture; advisors meet often with each student to review progress and provide support.
FUNCTIONING
Full-time advisories include students across middle school and/or high school; less than 20 students per advisor; advisory meetings include time for reflection; advisors meet periodically with students to review progress.
TRANSITIONAL
Advisories are multiage but may include limited grade levels; less than 20 students per advisor; advisories meet but have limited time for reflection; individual access to advisors and tracking of progress is limited.
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DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B3: Highly personalized setting; every student treated as an individual No Child Left Unknown (Teacher Support; Peer Support; Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
Advisors create high challenge, low threat learning environment that is responsive to each students needs, interests and goals; students exercise personal responsibility; advisors are easily accessible to students and seek to identify and nurture each students unique contribution to the learning community.
FUNCTIONING
Advisors create a positive learning culture that encourages their continued development and respects students needs, interests and goals; advisors encourage students to take personal responsibility; advisors meet regularly with their students.
TRANSITIONAL
Advisors establish rules for students as a whole, sometimes at the expense of individual students needs, interests and goals; student behavior shows some evidence of personal responsibility; student access to advisors is limited.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B4: Positive, caring relationships, respect and responsibility practiced and modeled (Teacher Support; Peer Support; Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
Advisors are very knowledgeable about and responsive to individual needs, interests and goals; advisors demonstrate care and concern for each student; advisors teach and model respect and responsibility; advisors emphasize the value of life skills and assess and track student progress; students know their voice counts.
FUNCTIONING
Advisors are aware of individual needs, interests and goals and show they care about students; advisors teach and model respect and responsibility; advisors teach life skills and assess student progress; students have some voice in the life of the school.
TRANSITIONAL
Advisors show they care about students; advisors teach respect, responsibility and some life skills; students have a voice in some aspects of the school.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B5: Mentoring available to all students (Teacher Support; Peer Support; Autonomy; Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
Advisor links students with community experts to support learning goals, enhance interests and understanding of real world standards; parents encouraged to participate in learning community; advisors link peers for mentoring purposes, encourage students to support one another; advisors teach and model authentic life skills and use a well-developed rubric to assess/ track progress.
FUNCTIONING
Advisors sometimes link students with community experts, parents, and other students to support learning goals, interests and understanding of real world standards; advisors teach and model life skills and assess progress.
TRANSITIONAL
There are some attempts to link students with community experts, parents, and other students to support learning goals, interests and understanding of real world standards; advisors teach life skills.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B6: Restorative justice practiced (Teacher Support; Peer Support)
EXEMPLARY
Restorative justice process is used in a low threat, high challenge setting; circle process is used in all cases where the community is threatened; consistent efforts by all to continually develop a positive learning culture and effective interpersonal skills; advisors and students see themselves as part of a larger community and act accordingly; students know their voice is honored.
FUNCTIONING
Restorative justice process and circle process are understood and valued but are not always utilized; advisors model and teach effective interpersonal skills; advisors and students view themselves as part of a larger community and act accordingly more and more of the time; students have an active voice.
TRANSITIONAL
Restorative justice process and circle process are understood but used sporadically; advisors teach interpersonal skills; advisors and students are beginning to see themselves as part of a larger community; students dont believe they have an equal voice.
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DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B7: Parents and community at large actively engage with students to support learning (Autonomy, Teacher Support, Engagement) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B8: Democratic student government supports active engagement in the decision making process (Autonomy, Peer Support, Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
Advisors value and access variety of community resources, actively engage parents and community members throughout the project process, as experts, and to judge public presentations.
FUNCTIONING
Advisors access some community resources and encourage parents and community members to participate in the project process, sometimes as experts, and to judge public presentations.
TRANSITIONAL
Access to community resources is limited; parents are encouraged to be involved in project process, but not very often as community experts and/or judges during public presentations.
EXEMPLARY
There is an active student body government in place, established and run by the students;; students are active decision makers in the life of the school; students have a voice in hiring of staff and other staff committees; students take a leadership role in the circle process and peer mediation.
FUNCTIONING
There is an active student body government in place, established and run by the students; students have a voice in some school-wide decisions; students are engaged in the circle process.
TRANSITIONAL
There is a student body government in place, but it is not very active; students have some voice, but many school-wide decisions are made by adults; the circle process is used sporadically and students are not always engaged.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) B9: Students experience the value of citizenship as they contribute to the larger community (Peer Support; Teacher Support; Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
Students are actively engaged in place-based projects and servicelearning, contributing to the community at large; active citizenship skills are modeled and taught by advisors and are assessed and tracked.
FUNCTIONING
Many students do projects that contribute to the community; citizenship skills are modeled and taught by advisors and are assessed.
TRANSITIONAL
Some students do projects that contribute to the community; citizenship skills are taught by advisors and assessed.
Category C: Authentic Assessment

How we know we are achieving our intended results
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C1: Plan for how projects will be assessed by more than one adult, with opportunities for students to improve products to meet quality standards (Teacher Support; Autonomy, Goal Orientation; Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
Project products are assessed by more than one adult; rubrics include basic skills, standards met, performance on life skills, process skills, and independent learning skills; process is well-monitored by advisor and committee; ample opportunity to improve the product to meet standards of quality.
FUNCTIONING
Project products are assessed by more than one adult using multiple assessments and life skills are assessed as part of the project; advisor monitors the project process; time is given for students to improve products to meet quality standards.
TRANSITIONAL
Projects are assessed primarily by the advisor; life skills are sometimes assessed as part of the project; advisor monitors project process; timeframes may not always allow students to improve project to meet quality standards.
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DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C2: Demonstrated achievement with plan for public presentations including community involvement (Autonomy, Teacher Support, Goal Orientation, Engagement) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C3: Electronic standards tracking/reporting system and electronic student portfolios (Engagement; Teacher support) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C4: Standardized testing; results inform Personal Learning Plans (PLPs) and continuous improvement (Autonomy, Engagement, Teacher Support) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C5: Value-added measures including assessment of life skills and results from Hope Study inform and enhance PLPs and continuous improvement (All Hope Components) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C6: Post-secondary plans for all students beginning in 9th grade (Teacher Support; Goal Orientation; Autonomy)
EXEMPLARY
Projects are required to be presented to the public; well-developed presentation rubrics are used; community members participate as judges; students effectively use technologies and presentation methods appropriate for their projects.
FUNCTIONING
Projects are required to be presented to the public; community members participate as judges and provide feedback on the products; students use technology in their presentations.
TRANSITIONAL
Some students present projects to the public; community members are sometimes invited to give feedback on the products; the use of technology is limited and sporadic.
EXEMPLARY
Electronic system used to create and track the project process and assess projects; standards and life skills are tracked, show individual growth and aggregated school-wide; students compile electronic portfolios.
FUNCTIONING
Electronic system is used to create and track the project process and assess projects; standards and life skills are tracked to show individual growth but not aggregated school-wide; limited electronic portfolios.
TRANSITIONAL
The project process is tracked via paper; standards and life skills are tracked individually but not aggregated school-wide; portfolios are not electronic.
EXEMPLARY
Standardized test results are systematically gathered, tracked, and used to inform the PLPs of each student; individual and school-wide results inform learning program decisions and continuous improvement priorities.
FUNCTIONING
Standardized test results are used to inform PLPs and learning program decisions; sometimes used to inform continuous improvement priorities.
TRANSITIONAL
Standardized test results do not always inform PLPs; sometimes used to inform learning program decisions; rarely used to inform continuous improvement priorities.
EXEMPLARY
Advisors use a wide array of valueadded measures and well-developed rubrics; results used to track student growth over time; assessment of life skills and results from Hope Study inform and enhance PLPs and continuous improvement priorities. All 9th-12th graders have PLPs that include post-secondary goals that inform projects and appropriate precollege activities; advisors regularly review and discuss progress; test results, standards, remediation, project credits, life skills, and Hope Study levels are all considered when advising students and creating student portfolios.
FUNCTIONING
Advisors use some value-added measures and rubrics; assessment of life skills and results from Hope Study inform and enhance PLPs and continuous improvement priorities.
TRANSITIONAL
Advisors assess life skills and review results from Hope Study; however, results are not always tracked and seldom inform PLPs or continuous improvement priorities.
EXEMPLARY
All 9th-12th graders have PLPs that include post-secondary goals; advisors review periodically; test results, standards, remediation, project credits, life skills, and Hope Study levels are considered when advising students and considered in creating student portfolios.
FUNCTIONING
All 9th-12 students are asked to list post-secondary goals; advisors do not review progress on a regular basis; if students create portfolios, they may be informed by test results, standards, remediation, project credits and sometimes life skills and Hope Study levels.
TRANSITIONAL
Page 15 of 17
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) C7: Graduation includes standards met as well as project credits, life skills gained, and a senior project (Autonomy, Goal Orientation; Engagement)
EXEMPLARY
State standards are addressed, demonstrated, assessed and tracked; project credits rather than course credits govern graduation; students must meet high expectations and are assessed using well-developed rubrics to evaluate standards met, project credits, life skills gained and the quality of the senior project.
FUNCTIONING
State standards are addressed, assessed and tracked; project credits rather than course credits govern graduation; students are assessed using well-developed rubrics to evaluate standards met, project credits, life skills gain and the quality of the senior project.
TRANSITIONAL
State standards are addressed and assessed; a combination of project and course credits govern graduation; life skills are not always considered for graduation purposes; senior presentations are expected but not highly developed.
Category D: Teacher-Ownership
Teachers model ownership and shared leadership
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) D1: Autonomous school management with control over budget and staffing; individual responsibility and accountability for school finance and educational success (Autonomy, Goal Orientation) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) D2: Teachers model ownership and demonstrate shared leadership; inspire students, parents and community to take ownership and actively engage in decision making; incorporate consensus model (Autonomy, Peer Support, Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
Clear plan for autonomous school management, distributed leadership and dispute resolution; any outsourcing is driven by teachers and teachers maintain key decision making authority; teachers individually and collectively take responsibility and accountability for school finance, staffing, and educational success.
FUNCTIONING
Teachers are actively involved in decision making in the areas of school finance, staffing, and the learning program; a majority of teachers are taking responsibility and accountability for student achievement and the schools overall success.
TRANSITIONAL
Most teachers are involved in some decisions affecting school finance, staffing, and the learning program; teachers are looking at how they impact student achievement and the schools overall success.
EXEMPLARY
Teachers shape and implement a shared educational vision and positive school culture; staff are organized into a Teacher Professional Practice (TPP); staff meet regularly and collaborate effectively; key decisions are made using consensus; teachers model ownership and contribute to democratic leadership and inspire students, parents and the community to do the same; all staff are involved in action research and results inform continuous improvement.
FUNCTIONING
Teachers are organized into a Teacher Professional Practice (TPP); staff meet regularly, work collaboratively and share a common focus; key decisions are made by consensus; the majority of teachers model what it means to take ownership and contribute to democratic leadership; many students and parents are doing the same; many staff are involved in action research and results inform continuous improvement.
TRANSITIONAL
Staff meet regularly, work collaboratively and share a common focus; staff have a voice in the most critical decisions; some teachers model what it means to take ownership and contribute to democratic leadership; a few students do the same; some staff are involved in action research.
Page 16 of 17
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) D3: Teacher evaluations by peers, students, and parents; performance-based pay, atwill employment (where applicable) (Autonomy; Peer Support; Goal Orientation)
EXEMPLARY
A well-developed evaluation plan with timelines, clear expectations and a dispute resolution process is in place; the evaluation process includes peers, students and parents; a personnel committee facilitates the process; strong culture of mutual respect and high expectations; teacher pay is based on teacher and student performance and school success.
FUNCTIONING
A clear evaluation process is in place and includes peers, students and parents; a personnel committee is in place to facilitate the process; teachers show mutual respect; teacher pay is partially based on teacher and student performance.
TRANSITIONAL
An evaluation process and performance-based pay is in place, peers only make recommendations; student performance is not usually considered; an administrator makes final decisions; most teachers expect mutual respect.
DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) D4: Evaluations inform individual Professional Development Plans (PDPs); focus on self and school improvement (Engagement; Goal Orientation) DESIGN ESSENTIAL (Hope Components) D5: Coaching/ mentoring plan for incorporation of new staff and continuous improvement (Autonomy; Goal Orientation; Peer Support)
EXEMPLARY
Teacher evaluations, student outcomes using multiple measures, assessment of life skills, and results of the Hope Study inform development of PDPs; reflection using action research drives ongoing professional development, goals and priorities for individual and school-wide improvement.
FUNCTIONING
Teacher evaluations are used to develop PDPs; reflection on action research and student results are used by staff, but do not always inform individual PDPs and continuous improvement plans.
TRANSITIONAL
Teacher evaluations are seldom used in developing PDPs; staff discussions about student results inform some decisions, but dont usually affect PDPs or continuous improvement plans.
EXEMPLARY
The TPP has a well-defined coaching plan to incorporate new members into the TPP and facilitate their short and long term success; peers monitor each others activities and provide helpful feedback; there is a strong culture of mutual respect, collaboration and creative problem solving that drives group decisions and action plans.
FUNCTIONING
The Teacher Professional Practice (TPP) assigns a coach to a new member; peers monitor each others activities and provide helpful feedback most of the time; there is a culture of mutual respect, collaboration and problem solving that informs group action.
TRANSITIONAL
New teachers are monitored by their peers; informal meetings are used to provide feedback and support; most teachers collaborate and expect mutual respect; new teachers need to earn their acceptance into the group.
Page 17 of 17
GOAL SETTING TOOL
Crystallizing Your Intended Results ISSUE What is the issue that currently challenges the capability of the learning community to achieve the Design Essentials? QUESTIONS What question(s) focus this discussion? BARRIERS What are the barriers that inform this issue? GOALS What goal(s) will activate the Action Plan to address this issue?
Page 1
ACTION PLANNING TOOL
Activating Your Intended Results Goal(s) Intended Result What goal(s) will activate this Action Plan? Measurable Actions Are the goals achievable and realistic next steps? Evaluate Actual Results Determine a time to examine the actual results; and, if necessary review the premises, strategies, and action plan
Who Who will be the point person for each action?
When Establish shortterm benchmarks and final deadlines for each action
Resources What resources will be needed to complete each action?
Page 1
Case Study (A1)

Design Essential: Self-directed project-based driven by constructivist pedagogy (A1) learning primary focus
Scenario: Nine advisors/staff at a first year school of 116 marked the following in a September visit on the School Assessment Tool for the B1 design essential.
Exemplary: 0 advisors/staff Majority of student projects are self-directed, authentic, whole world is the curriculum; state standards guide work; high quality projects and presentations to real world audiences; students make decisions and set timeframes. Functioning: 2 advisors/staff Majority of student projects are self-directed and interdisciplinary, some cooperative, place-based, and/or service-learning projects; most timeframes negotiable; standards assessed; performance driven; good quality projects. Transitional: 7 advisors/staff Some self-directed projects, majority are teacher-led and course driven; product and standardized assessment used; some presentations by students; variable quality projects; most timeframes set by teachers. Observations: You believe the two that marked functioning are being gracious, many students wander wherever they want to during project time; you have asked for, but not received, one project proposal of significance (beyond 5 hrs), as you observe various workstations you see very little evidence of academic work, and finally the seminars that the advisors are teaching part of the day seem to be basic skills classes, and the students complain that most of their project time is spent completing the homework from these seminars. On the other hand, the relationship climate between adults and students seems to be very positive; there are few discipline issues, and the students really like the school. For many they have increased their attendance from the previous year. The teachers asked you to come for a day and observe, and then lead them in a one-day workshop the following day to get more traction on projects.
Page 1
CASE STUDY (A1)
Discussion: 1. What else do you need to know before you can design this workshop with the outcome of getting more traction?
2. Given this understanding, how would you design this one-day experience? What would you do, when and why?
Page 2
CASE STUDY (B3)

Design Essential: Highly personalized setting: every student treated as an individual No Child Left Unknown (B3) Scenario: 12 advisors/staff at a first year school of 150 completed the Schoolwide Assessment & Strategic Planning Tool. They rated themselves as follows on Design Essential B3:
Exemplary: 2 advisors/staff Advisors create high challenge, low threat learning environment that is responsive to each students needs, interests and goals; students exercise personal responsibility; advisors are easily accessible to students and seek to identify and nurture each students unique contribution to the learning community. Functioning: 4 advisors/staff Advisors create a positive learning culture that encourages their continued development and respects students needs, interests and goals; advisors encourage students to take personal responsibility; advisors meet regularly with their students; Transitional: 6 advisor/staff Advisors establish rules for students as a whole, sometimes at the expense of individual students needs, interests and goals; student behavior shows little evidence of personal responsibility; student access to advisors is limited. Observations: In working with the students and being in several different advisories during the day you pick up a noticeable climate difference between advisories. Other indicators that you notice is how one advisory seems totally separate from the rest of the school, in its own room, away from the flow of students, another advisory never seems to have an advisor present, in fact, you have worked with more students in the advisory on their projects than the particular advisor that day; moreover, you are unclear if this condition was because you were there to cover or this was business as usual. Additionally, you have noticed adults giving several small putdowns on student behavior, that given your teaching instincts, seem inappropriate; and you have seen a dozen great efforts of encouragement and connection being made by four or five teachers. You decide the best thing to do is to share the variance on the B3 Design Essential, and share in a balanced way some of your observations. You will do this with all of the staff in a conversation at the end of the day. You have 40 minutes from beginning to when teachers need to leave.
CASE STUDY (B3) Discussion: 1. What are several organizational issues that might be happening at this school?
2. What kinds of questions would you ask to get at what these issues might be?
3. How will you work with the advisory (in the 40 minute timeframe) to set a constructive tone around these issues?
4. What examples from other schools might you offer to address these issues?
5. What tools from other schools might you share to address these issues?
Page 2

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Edvisions Coaching Guide

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National Coaching Guide

Designing and coaching the first 30 days of a new school

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI

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COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

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Relationship-building: Model the proposal process, both in its content rigor as

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COACHING IN EDVISIONS SCHOOLS

2006, EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved

2006, EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved

2006 EdVisions School, All Rights Reserved

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

Provide a label: Reward: Allow for self-labels: Immediately Specifically Enthusiastically

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

Having a rich, sensible and valuable connection

Essential: Of the highest importance for achieving something

Active: Doing something

Laborious: Requiring a great deal of effort

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A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE

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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components Writing Achievement

Parent Presence and Understanding.

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2006, EdVisions Schools, All Rights Reserved

THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components Advisory

Selective parent/student/ advisor meetings.

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THE FIRST 30 DAYS: AT A GLANCE Critical Components

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THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

A NEW BLUEPRINT FOR 21st CENTURY LEARNING

THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

Learning Program (Where)

Goals: Data Analysis (Who)

Instructional/ Learning Time (When)

Assessment (How Well) (How Often)

Teaching & Learning Strategies (How)

DEVELOPING A PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

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THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

STUDENT ACADEMIC PROFILE

My life skills include:

My Hope Study profile is:

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THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

Score Numeracy Computation Problem Solving Algebra Geometry

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THE PERSONAL LEARNING PLAN (PLP)

LEARNING PROGRAM & INSTRUCTIONAL/LEARNING TIME

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