School Design and Innovation Evaluation Chart

8/8/2019 School Design and Innovation Evaluation Chart

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Rock Canyon High School (A traditional highschool)

Component Evidence and RatingWhat is the vision and mission of theschool design or educational innovation?

Is itClear, focused and compellingLikely to produce high quality education

outcomes

What values and/or mental modelabout learning does it reflect?

- Mission: To empower, toexplore, to encourage, and toexcel in education.

- This mission statement couldbe more specific, but I think itadequately represents RCHSscommitment to creatingautonomous students

What are the goals and are they aligned

with the mission?

- There is no information about

goals on the website.

Who does the school serve? What is theircompetitive advantage? Does the missionalign with this population and niche?

- The school serves a middleto upper class white population.

- Their competitive advantageis that they really focus onpreparing their students forcollege, which I would assumea middle- to upper-class

demographic would greatlyappreciate.

How does the school communicate aboutdiversity? Special needs?

- I didnt see muchcommunicated about racial orethnic diversity, but theprincipal did make the followingstatement in her latest letter:Our focus this year will be toclose the achievement gap withstudent sub-groups, examineinstruction related to student

performance and recognize andimplement data collection andanalysis. Focusing on theseideals will enable Rock Canyonto achieve adequate yearlyprogress by all students.

- This shows me that they


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respect diversity in terms of thevaried learning needs ofstudents

What is the educational program and/orphilosophy?

- The educational philosophy isvery traditional: the school has

an explicitly stated program ofpreparing kids for collegeentrance and for makingaverage-yearly-progress on theCSAP

What is evidence of their results? How dothese results relate to mission?

- The school doesnt sharehard-core data, but they doshare---through principal lettersand school bulletins---highlightsof their academicachievements. The following is

a quotation taken from thelatest principal letter:

- This fall, two seniors werehonored by the National MeritScholarship Program based ontheir exceptional PSAT scores.Furthermore, 127 studentswere selected as AdvancedPlacement Scholars based ontheir multiple AP courses and

qualifying scores. Four of thesestudents were named NationalAP Scholars for theiroutstanding scores on eight ormore exams.

- As you can see, data like thissupports the schools missionof college prep and academicgrowth.

How are parents and the community

involved?

- From what I can tell on the

Parent Central page, parentsare given volunteeropportunities to participate inactivities like homecoming,prom, and parent/teacherconference dinner preparation.

- Much of what is shared to


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parents, though, is informationabout bell schedules, codes ofconduct, and Infinite Campus

- I dont see any evidence that

the school would like parents toget involved in some sort ofsubstantial way---like tutoring,for example.

Who controls the organization? - The principal seems to be insole charge of the school

What can you tell about the facility,transportation and other services of theschool?

- I cant tell much about thesespecific items, but their list ofclubs, activities, and societies(which Ill classify under

services) is extensive. Astudent wouldnt have a hardtime finding at least one thinghe or she is interested in.

What constitutes the majority of theinformation (description of program,results, marketing info, etc) provided to theconsumer?

- The majority of theinformation on the website is adescription of the program,from department and facultypages to pages on activities,athletics, and counseling.

- The only venues where theschool markets itself---talkingabout their students academicperformance, their participationin clubs, etc.---is in the principalletter and in the schoolsquarterly newsletter.

How would you describe the aesthetics andorganization of the website? Whatinferences do you make?

- The website is designedreally well. The aesthetics, Iwould say, convey a sense oforderliness, structure, and

business, which, when Iconsider their overallphilosophy---which appears tobe one concerned solely withacademic growth andachievement---is a perfectexpression for the school.


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How would you describe this school design or innovation to someone?

I would say that its a very traditional school that focuses on college prepto the apparent exclusion of other aims, such as vocational education, andcharacter education, to name a couple alternatives to which the school could talk

to, but doesnt


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Big Picture Schools (BPS)

Component Evidence and Rating

What is the vision and mission of theschool design or educational innovation?

Is itClear, focused and compelling

Likely to produce high quality educationoutcomes

What values and/or mental model

about learning does it reflect?

- Mission: Big PictureLearnings mission is to leadvital changes in education, bothin the United States andinternationally, by generatingand sustaining innovative,personalized schools that workin tandem with the real world of

the greater community.

- They also go on to say: Webelieve that in order to sustainsuccessful schools whereauthentic and relevant learningtakes place, we must continuallyinnovate techniques and testlearning tools to make ourschools better and morerigorous.

- This mission statement seemsvery specific, and because BPSseems to be data-driven in agood way, this missionstatement seems likely toproduce good outcomes.

What are the goals and are they alignedwith the mission?

- The following quotation aboutBig Picture Schools 5 LearningGoals is taken directly from theBig Picture Schools Website.

Big Picture Learning believesthat high school graduates mustknow how to reason, problem-solve, and be active members ofthe community. At Big PictureLearning schools, there is no


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canon of information that allstudents must know. In a worldwhere available information isgrowing exponentially, webelieve that the most important

thing a student needs to know ishow to learn. Integral to the BigPicture Learning design are ourfive Learning Goals, aframework for looking atconcepts, skills, and abilitiesand help guide the creation ofpersonalized student curriculum.

The five Learning Goals are:

Empirical Reasoning Quantitative Reasoning Communication Social Reasoning Personal Qualities

- I would say these goals are100% aligned with their mission.

Who does the school serve? What is theircompetitive advantage? Does the missionalign with this population and niche?

- Since this is an educationalinnovation, I cant speak toparticular schools.

- From what I can gather,though, the schools servestudents who dont fit with alockstep, impersonal curriculum.

- Their mission definitely alignswith this niche of students. BigPicture Schools realize that thebest learning happensorganically, emerging naturally

from the students own interestsand passions. For thosestudents who chafe under anexternally-mandated curriculum,this must be a Godsend.

How does the school communicate aboutdiversity? Special needs?

- Big Picture Schoolscommunicates about diversityprimarily by underscoring (again


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and again!---which I myselfparticularly like) the radicallyindividual nature of learning.

- Its the diversity of learning

styles and interests that BigPicture Schools seem to want tocater to the most; catering toracial and ethnic diversity (whichthey definitely do) seem to be ofsecondary importance.

What is the educational program and/orphilosophy?

- The educational philosophy isradical in that it doesnt just paylip service to the idea ofdifferentiated learning. Indeed,from what I can tell, this

philosophy is imbued in everyaspect of the school curriculumand design.

- Also, after pouring over theirwebsite, I would say theirphilosophy is designed to helpeach student achieve a stateknown as Flow. The intro to oneof the Big Picture SchoolsPodcasts states, The

psychologist MihalyCsikszentmihalyi, author ofFlow: The Psychology ofOptimal Experience, describes astate of being as flow, when aperson is wholly engaged in anactivity and a deep focus andconnection with that activity isachieved. These are ultimateexperiences for people experiences like these provide

the best internal motivation tolearn.

What is evidence of their results? How dothese results relate to mission?

- Big Picture Schools talk a lotabout their assessmentmethodology, which they refer toas authentic assessment. Thiskind of assessment seeks not tofoist externally-mandated


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assessment criteria on kids.

- Instead, as their website says,[a]ssessment criteria isindividualized and fit to each

student based on the real worldstandards of the studentsproject (as gauged by thestudents mentor).

- And interestingly, there are nogrades or tests: everyassessment instrument flowsnaturally out of the studentsown interests.


involved?

- The BPS Parent/Family

Engagement: Adult Supportpage states, Big PictureLearning believes thatparent/guardian engagement ina childs learning is essential tostudent success. Big Picturedoes not only enroll students,we enroll families and involvethem in all aspects of studentlearning.

- That about says it all, but to gofurther, the school is intentionalabout inviting parents to theirchilds learning plan meetings,and about inviting them to theirchilds project exhibitions, whichat BPS, are frequent.

- Lastly, at BPS, there isconsiderable communityinvolvement. One of their Top

Ten Distinguishers is Learningin the Real World, of which theysay, The most importantelement of the education at aBig Picture Learning school isthat students learn in the realworld. The main component ofevery students education is the


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LTI (Learning ThroughInternship/Interest). In thisinternship with an expert mentorin the field of the studentsinterest, the student completes

an authentic project that benefitsthe student and the mentor atthe internship site.

- BPS is set up to fostercommunity involvement in thisway because they believe 3major things:

Students Learn How to BeAdults by Being With Adults

The Expertise is Out in theReal World

The Guidance isInvaluable

Who controls the organization? - According to their website, 2essential elements of schoolculture include:

- Democratic governance

- Student leadership

And I probably could havedetermined this from just lookingat the site. You really do get thesense that the school is student,and not adult, run.

What can you tell about the facility,transportation and other services of theschool?

- Since this is a schoolinnovation, I dont know if thisquestion applies.

What constitutes the majority of theinformation (description of program,results, marketing info, etc) provided to theconsumer?

- The majority of the information

on the website is a descriptionof the schools philosophy andprogram and the history fromwhich they both came

- Also, the site providesembedded videos on studentprojects, video and text news


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releases, information on howBPS is influencing educationalpolicy, and information on howBPS is continually innovating.

How would you describe the aestheticsand organization of the website? Whatinferences do you make?

- The website is sleek, hip, andprofessional, and it offers a nicecomplement to their hip (in myopinion) educationalphilosophy.


In a nutshell, I would say that BPS is about radically personalized learningthat grows out of students natural interests, and which connects students to their

local community to help them fully tap into these interests.

Out of all of the sites Ive see, Big Picture Schools is the one Im mostexcited about. I could truly see myself working at one of these sites.


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The Coalition of Essential Schools

Component Evidence and Rating

What is the vision and mission of theschool design or educationalinnovation?

Is itClear, focused and compelling

Likely to produce high qualityeducation outcomes

What values and/or mentalmodel about learning does itreflect?

- The following quotation is from the

schools vision statement on theirwebsite:

- We envision an educational system that

equips all students with the intellectual,

emotional, and social habits and skills tobecome powerful and informed citizens

who contribute actively toward ademocratic and equitable society.

Acknowledging that no two schools are orshould be alike, we envision schools that

necessarily differ from each other in size,scope, and programmatic emphasis while

that sharing common principles, practices,and the hallmarks of powerful learning

communities within and among eachother. Finally, we envision that these

schools positively influence theconditions in which all schools operate,

serving as examples of and advocates foreducation policy that supports meaningful

teaching and learning that allows all

students to use their minds well in schooland throughout their lives.

- To me, the vision is compelling, but it

could be more focused. The first

sentence, for example, seems somewhatgeneric, like it could be found on any

schools website.

- As far as values of learning go, I believe

their vision statement shows a concern

with holistic learning. They dont seemto be content with a purely academicfocus, but pursue emotional and social

intelligence in their students as well

What are the goals and are theyaligned with the mission?

- I couldnt find a statement of their goals,but they do have Common Principles

which probably serve as their goals; these

principles include:


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1. Learning to use ones mind well

2. Less is more; depth over coverage

3. Goals apply to all students

4. Personalization

5. Student-as-worker; teacher-as-coach

6. Demonstration of mastery

7. A tone of decency and trust

8. Commitment to the entire school

9. Resources dedicated to teaching andlearning

10. Democracy and equity

- I think these principles would help CES

achieve their vision, and particularlyprinciple #1 and #5---its hard to imagine,

for example, students who can help

achieve a more democratic and equitable

society if they dont know how to workwith their own minds and without

someone constantly telling them what to

do.

Who does the school serve? What istheir competitive advantage? Doesthe mission align with this populationand niche?

- On their Who We Are page, CES

claims to have schools in rural, suburban,and urban areas, so they dont seem to

target a particular demographic. Like BigPicture Schools---but perhaps not to the

extent that BPS does---CESs competitiveadvantage lies in their espousal real

world education in addition to aneducation that is holistic, and one that is

relevant .

- Their vision seems perfectly aligned to

serve a population that wants a more

relevant, holistic education.

How does the school communicate - Under their Benchmarks page, CES


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about diversity? Special needs? lists Culturally Responsive Pedagogyand Differentiated Instruction as two oftheir classroom practices. This bodes

well for diversity.

- However, I cant find much on theirwebsite about students with special needs.

This would be a concern if I had a special

needs child (which, in fact, I do ).

What is the educational programand/or philosophy?

- Their educational philosophy centers

around creating small learning

communities that grow organically fromtheir local communities, and which focus

on creating holistic, relevant, and real-

world learning opportunities for

students.

What is evidence of their results?How do these results relate tomission?

- The following quotation is taken fromthe CES website:

- Essential schools focus on helping allstudents use their minds well through

standards-aligned interdisciplinarystudies, community-based "real-world"

learning and performance-basedassessment.

- This sounds like the authentic

assessments that Big Picture Schoolsconduct, but CES doesnt seem to take

these assessment to near the extreme thatBPS does.

- And, on the following webpage on their

site(http://www.essentialschools.org/items/3),CES makes the following claim:

- New schools started through the Small

Schools Network perform as well orbetter on state standardized tests

compared to district averages whileserving percentages of students from low

income and under-served populations.

- On this page is additional information to

back up this claim.


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- This evidence would seem to support

their vision of all students using theirminds well.


involved?

- I cant find any information about how

CES aims to get parents involved in theirorganization, and all I can find aboutcommunity involvement stems from what

CES says about their goal to provide realworld experience to their students.

Who controls the organization? - On their website, CES claims the

following: Modeling democratic

practices with a strong commitment to

equity, Essential schools work to create

academic success for every student bysharing decision-making with all thoseaffected by the schools and deliberately

and explicitly confronting all forms ofinequity.

- This is more of a flattened leadership

model and less of a top-down approach.

- This fact, plus the fact that CES believes

no two schools should be the same, makes

me believe that their leadership model istruly decentralized.

What can you tell about the facility,transportation and other services ofthe school?

- Because CES is an educationalmovement, I dont know if this question

applies.

What constitutes the majority of theinformation (description of program,results, marketing info, etc) providedto the consumer?

- The majority of the information on the

site deals with the CES vision andprinciples, how to join CES, information

about the CES Network, and the resultsthat CES claims to get for its students

How would you describe theaesthetics and organization of thewebsite? What inferences do youmake?

- The aesthetic of the school is pretty no-nonsense and very well organized.

- They do show a tech-savviness by

having links on their site to theirFacebook, Twitter, and YouTube pages,

and they do a nice job of sharing links toCES in the news.


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- CES seems to be aware that in the 21st

century, networking is a must.


Honestly, I wouldnt know what to say. The school seems well-rounded in itsvision and the principles are hard to argue with, but in some sense, they all seem a little

generic. Maybe thats because at my school, I feel like were already doing a lot of thethings---like small learning communities, real world learning, etc.---that CES is, and

were not a CES school.

Also, CESs statement that no two school are the same is a little mystifying.

How, for example, can you know that the schools perfectly implement the principles CESespouses? It just seems that you would need more structures in place---and not just

principles---to ensure that the CES movement doesnt just devolve into unrecognizable

factions.

Documents

School Design and Innovation Evaluation Chart