In 2020, however, the pandemic enabled families to see (and often engage in) their children’s school experience. This window into school made transparent the quality, types of learning and community that made up the lived experience of their children. For some, low satisfaction fueled renewed interest in microschooling led by parents, political support and philanthropic dollars.

The last two years of microschool growth (estimated enrollment by the National Microschooling Center at 1-2 million current students), heavily subsidized by the philanthropic sector, demonstrated that the demand exists. Alongside this resurgence, key questions arise: Are microschools sustainable? What outcomes should they measure (if any)? Are they compatible within the public sector? Can they scale? 

Below, we briefly hit upon the first three questions and then dive into the question of scaling.

Sustainability

Most microschools operate in the private sector, sustained by public funds (via Education Savings Account structures) or private tuition. Both of these funding sources supply individual students with far less than can be found in the public sector, making the business models and staffing (1-2 educators and a handful of students without the support of larger operations systems) challenging over time. Organizations like Microschool Revolution (investment model) and Prenda (service and support model) have emerged to address this issue.

Outcomes

In the public sector, there is a heavy focus on narrow slices of accountability which challenges  many families. Although microschools have far fewer accountability expectations outside of the public sector, they do have a responsibility to ensure that every child finds success. As a sector, we remain in the early stages of alternative, efficient, adaptive and flexible forms of measurement addressing both academic and whole child development.

Public Sector

With increasingly diminished enrollment in many districts (3% post-pandemic), the public sector needs to imagine the power of microschools within their existing communities. More specialized approaches, autonomy for teachers and small communities that benefit from larger districts will better serve all students. High school academy models such as CAPS and NAF have scaled around professional pathways to provide more opportunities for high school students.

Scale

Roughly 1-2 million students are enrolled in some form of a microschool, just 2% of all students enrolled in K-12 schools (estimates are difficult as many microschools are not required to report enrollment numbers). If demand is high for microschools – and demonstrated success continues, then scaling support is needed. ASU Prep in Phoenix, Arizona built a Microschool Entrepreneur Fellowship Program program to help facilitate this scaling. Based on the success of their microschool options — powered by ASU Prep Digital and partnered with ASU Prep school or ASU higher education campus — ASU Prep wants to support others in this journey. 

The size of microschools may provide the sense that they are easy to start and run. Yet, anecdotes from the field indicate challenges with sustainability and operations. Partner organizations and programs, like ASU Prep’s Microschool in a Box fill a needed space in the ecosystem to help these programs thrive and scale.

The ASU Prep Microschool Entrepreneur Program provides training and support for microschools. The fellowship spans one year with coaching calls starting for those accepted as early as October. A 3-day in-person Fellowship gathering in February in Tempe, Arizona kicks off the formal programming which leads to an online community of practice designed to build community amongst fellows. They then round out the year with frequent resources and ongoing mentorship and support. The program will support the launch of several new microschools in the Fall of 2024 to serve diverse learners across the country leveraging the assets of ASU Prep. The fellowship covers a range of topics including:

1. Policy and funding. Policy, rules and regulations, and funding models are the lifeblood of the microschool. Adhering to local and state regulations and securing appropriate funding is a key priority that ASU Prep will support.
2. Operations. Hiring, space design, leadership training, and general operations (schedules, transportation, facilities, etc.) can be overwhelming for microschools with 1-2 teachers and no administrators. Using established templates and resources, ASU Prep guides the construction of the operations of the microschool.
3. Pedagogy. While most microschools founders have some ideas of the approach for a school, ASU Prep’s robust resource base from a variety of approaches allows for more rapid development in this area. ASU Prep’s experience with professional learning and growth supports microschool leaders as they maintain relevance in the education landscape.

Funding is often a barrier for entrepreneur support programs like this but the Stand Together Trust has funded this program enabling up to 20 full grants for fellows. Similar programs from the Learning Innovation Fund at Getting Smart Collective and Community Partner Grant Program have also funded microschool models.

Microschools are meeting strong market demand for more personalized, more contextualized and more relevant learning for every student. Programs like ASU Prep’s Microschool in a Box make it possible for more learners to become future-ready with access to affordable, relational microschool learning.

The post Microschool in a Box: Programs Enabling the Microschool Movement appeared first on Getting Smart.

Traditional functions of the industrial model in education are optimized by tightly-coupled structures. Microschools are non-linear. loosely-coupled structures where classrooms are multi-age and multi-dimensional. Classrooms in this model are focused on developing the voice of students where learning is facilitated through a co-authorship facilitation. Agility in the context of an adaptive curriculum elicits a consensus design where communities, families, and students are the core components of making learning meaningful. Below, I have applied the Creative Staircase model to take a look at the conceptual frames of microschools.

Coherence Process #1 (Micro Innovation): To achieve a serial disruptive model within a comprehensive design such as the Jeffersonian Model, there must be a combination of incremental changes that are intentional by design. These micro innovations are the initial shifts for macro-level transformations. In the context of new design or redesign within a traditional learning organization, start with curriculum modifications to root experimentation, agency, and authentic experiences through problem-based activities. An example of Coherence Process #1 of the Creative Staircase can be found at The Met School in Providence, Rhode Island. A variety of micro-innovations are noted at this Microschool. Work place learning coupled with internships and advisory are a part of this conglomerate embedded in the elements of the Microschool design. 

Coherence Process #2 (Architectural Innovation): Because of the systems change through the influences of multiple micro innovations, traditional classroom structures will need to be eliminated to cohere with the flexibility of microschools. With regard to architectural innovations in alignment to the microschool design, environments are studio-based with pathways that are customized for students. The flexibility of microschools elicits lab features and innovation hubs for hands-on discovery. Microschools are innovative learning models where environmental space is flipped for agency, exploration, and personalization. 

A best in class, specifically in alignment with architectural disruption, is NuVu Studio in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Underpinning Coherence Process #2 in the Creative Staircase (i.e., architectural innovation), NuVu’s structure is antithetical to the Jeffersonian model design because  legacy classrooms, linear pedagogy that is content-driven, age cohorts, and letter-based grading systems are absent within the design. Multi-disciplinary projects, open structures, and experiential learning activities in conjunction with competency-based portfolios are rooted structures to elicit teaching that facilitates authentic learning experiences.

Coherence Process #3 (Serial Disruption): For serial disruption purposes in alignment to Delta 2030, microschool elements feature entrepreneurial pathways, adaptive schedules for hybrid opportunities beyond the confines of traditional school, certificate programs based on economic demands, blended experiences with artificial intelligence tools, and pedagogy that is guided by the engineer-design process. Serial disruption is integrated and multi-dimensional which is level-set in microschools. 

One Stone, a non-profit organization that leverages design thinking into their Microschool model, features a studio-based program where learning experiences are personalized by industry experts. To deepen the serial disruptive frame, makerspace labs, electorics labs, and a progressive after-school program with coding experiences are normalized in the academic day. Teachers and students act as co-constructors of the learning experience which is measured through a growth framework and transcript of each student to be future and workforce ready. 

It is known in various research studies that Generation Z and Generation Alpha demands are fundamentally different from any other in the history of humankind. Technology and artificial intelligence are contributing factors, but societal trends have reimagined the urgency for transformation. The ecosystem is experiencing creative tension because of the incongruence with current economic patterns and model articulation in education. Microschools provide innovation and creativity to develop new competencies for 2030 and beyond. Individualized pathways, multi-disciplinary projects, blended programs with flexibility, and studio-driven learning environments can be deemed as the future of schools.

Michael Conner, Ed.D., is the CEO/Founder of Agile Evolutionary Group, Corp., Senior Fellow for Getting Smart, and former Superintendent of Schools. He is the creator of the Disruptive Excellence Framework and author of Intentional, Bold, and Unapologetic: A Guide in Transforming Schools in the AC-Stage of Education.

The post Microschools: From Micro Innovation to Serial Disruption appeared first on Getting Smart.

Literacy challenges have intensified through the pandemic, demonstrated in states like California where 3rd grade English Language results were lower in 2022 than they were in 2019, leading to the following statement regarding our current reality: “The scores may be brutal … but they’re far from shocking. Some experts view this uproar over falling test scores as a distraction from the sobering fact that these challenges persisted long before the pandemic, in terms of teaching kids to read.”

Our legacy approach hasn’t been effective in meeting the needs of all learners. Now is the time for us to rethink the ways in which we organize our efforts to improve the impact for the benefit of learners, communities, and society as a whole.

From Grade Levels Classrooms to Literacy Launchpad

Imagine if we could break away from these rigid one-classroom, one-teacher school structures and instead organize our elementary students into microschools with a dedicated focus on ensuring each and every child is literate by 2nd grade.

As an example, a neighborhood elementary school that currently houses 600 students organized into grade levels could be organized into 4 microschools of 150 students each on the same campus. The microschools could be multi-aged, incorporating looping and team teaching to develop strong relationships, and held accountable to locally-developed outcomes as well as family choice among the microschools.

We also can envision that the aggregation of microschools can help us address one of the most pressing challenges of our time to dramatically improve early literacy rates that we know are foundational for future success. An early-literacy focused microschool with clear competencies could be the initial placement for all students until they demonstrate mastery of those competencies at which point they would matriculate out into one of the other site-based microschools. This early-literacy microschool could be deliberately resourced with extensive expertise, personnel, and programming to ensure that ALL learners have a strong and stable language and literacy base to set the stage for lifelong learning.

Targeted teaching and learning that includes phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary building, fluency practice, comprehension strategies, structured reading time, and culturally-responsive methods would be delivered by teams of educators in a literacy-rich environment who work closely with families to ensure that every learner makes significant progress.

What Sets the Literacy Launchpad Apart?

The Literacy Launchpad represents a departure from traditional primary age classes in several key ways:

●  Focus on Literacy Proficiency: The primary and most significant difference is the explicit focus on literacy proficiency. In a traditional primary classroom, literacy skills are one component of a broader curriculum. In contrast, the Launchpad places literacy at the forefront of its educational mission.

●  Specialized Expertise: The Launchpad is staffed with highly specialized educators who are experts in literacy development. These educators have extensive training in evidence-based literacy strategies and have a deep understanding of how to support students in mastering foundational reading and writing skills.

●  Competency-Based Assessment-Driven Instruction: The Launchpad utilizes frequent and thorough competency-based assessments to identify each student’s literacy strengths and weaknesses. This data guides the development of personalized, assessment-driven learning plans for every learner.

●  Intensive Intervention: For students who require additional support, the Launchpad offers intensive, evidence-based interventions. These embedded interventions are designed to target specific skill deficits and help struggling learners catch up to their peers.

●  Small Learning Communities: The Launchpad is organized into smaller learning communities, creating a more intimate and personalized learning environment. This improved adult-student ratio allows for greater individualized attention and fosters stronger relationships between students and educators.

●  Multi-Age Grouping: Unlike traditional grade-level classrooms, the Launchpad may incorporate multi-age grouping. This approach allows students to learn alongside peers at different developmental levels, promoting collaboration and peer mentoring.

●  Flexibility in Progression: Students progress through the Literacy Launchpad at their own pace, based on their mastery of literacy skills. There is no rigid grade-level progression. Instead, students move forward when they have achieved proficiency in reading and writing.

●  Individualized Learning Plans: Every student has an individualized learning plan that outlines their unique literacy goals and the strategies and resources required to achieve them. These plans are continuously updated based on ongoing assessments.

●  Community Engagement: The Launchpad actively engages parents and the local community in supporting literacy development. It recognizes that literacy proficiency is a shared responsibility and involves all stakeholders in the learning process.

●  Inclusive and Equitable: The Launchpad is committed to inclusive and equitable education. It ensures that all students, regardless of their starting point, have the opportunity to reach literacy proficiency. Special education services are seamlessly integrated for those with diverse learning needs.

Overall, the Literacy Launchpad represents a paradigm shift in primary education, where literacy development is the central pillar of the curriculum, and personalized, evidence-based approaches ensure that every student becomes proficient in reading and writing. This innovative model seeks to address literacy challenges comprehensively and set students on a path to lifelong learning success.

A Bright Future Awaits

The evolution of elementary education from grade levels to literacy-focused microschools is not just a vision; it’s a tangible possibility. The Literacy Launchpad could be a game-changer for our young learners, setting them on a path to success in all subjects and success in and out of school.

As we move forward, let’s embrace our responsibility to co-create a brighter future for teaching and learning. The time is now, and the way forward is together. Let’s configure schools that unlock the full potential of education for all learners by ensuring that every learner has a strong language and literacy foundation for lifelong learning.

The post The Future of Elementary Education: Literacy Launchpads that Ensure Literacy for All appeared first on Getting Smart.

I never intended to start a high school.

It was in the Spring of 2015 while walking with a junior high teacher from the private Montessori school my children attended that I asked a simple question whose answer would fundamentally alter the trajectory of my professional and personal life.

“Has anyone thought about adding a high school to our school?” I asked as we walked together up a path at a local educational farm, kicking muck off our boots as we went. Behind us followed a train of junior high (grade 7-8) Montessori students who had just finished helping a group of Primary (age 3-5) students do an exploratory “swamp walk” through the farm’s marsh to experience first-hand the features of this vital ecosystem. I had joined them as a parent volunteer for the day. The teacher shrugged and said, “It’s been talked about, but it hasn’t really gone anywhere.”

“Huh,” I replied. “Well, if you want to start one, I think I’d be interested in teaching in it.”

Just a few short months later being “interested in teaching” at a Montessori high school morphed into resigning my tenured faculty position at a local university and radically altering my career path to design and launch an urban, community-centered Montessori high school.

Fast forward 5 years to August 13, 2020. On that hot August morning, I found myself standing in a parking lot outside the education wing of a church in downtown South Bend along with my co-founder, Eileen Mariani, taking the temperature of – and handing masks to – the first students to walk through the doors of River Montessori High School (RMHS). In between a couple of arrivals, I looked at her, pulled down my mask, and quietly mouthed the words, “we did it.”

But how? RMHS is an improbable aberration, right? I mean, how did a former professor and elementary teacher go from the notion of starting a school in 2015 to actually opening one in 2020 and standing next to its first graduates in 2023? It’s a question I reflect on quite a bit as I guide others through the process of launching new private schools in my current role as the Director of the Founders Program at the Drexel Fund. Every startup journey is unique, but I’ve noticed three interconnected themes that are a part of each success story.

You ask questions. Lots of them.

Asking questions – and not being afraid of where the answers lead you – is a key part of walking the road to designing and opening a new school. When we see something “not right” in the educational environments around us we can intuitively feel that things need to be different, but we have to interrogate those feelings to get at the core reality that needs to be changed.

Why are students dropping out? What is it about their current environment that seems to be holding them back? What should a graduate be able to do? Who needs this school (i.e., what does my proposed school offer that no one else is doing or not doing well?)

These are important academic model and market demand questions, but there are also a number of vital, non-academic questions to ask, especially if your motivation is to start a school to meet your own child’s needs.

What if the school I start ends up not working for my child? Am I committed to doing this even if things don’t work out for my own family? What if the school’s needs run counter to what my child needs? Am I willing to fail?

While building a school to serve one’s own child is a powerful motivation that can sustain a person through the inevitable challenges of founding a school, it is also a dangerous one. The important takeaway is that when founding a school you need to constantly be asking – and seeking answers to – questions, and not just ones about the academic model. But where do you get your answers or even figure out the questions you need to be asking?

You build a community of supporters…and skeptics.

At a very early stage we invited supporters and skeptics into our visioning and planning process. Hearing answers to our questions from just our “cheerleaders” or our own brains wasn’t enough. We needed to know the questions and concerns of others because honestly, we didn’t know what we didn’t know.

In our case, this first took the form of spending 5 months in early 2016 meeting regularly with a group of individuals who were lovingly skeptical of what was being proposed. That gave us a chance to try out different responses and explore novel ideas. It also forced us to repeatedly narrow our focus and hone in on the core identity of our school. This moved us from general notions of what we wanted the school to look like to very specific principles for how we were going to educate students. It also created a critical mass of individuals who years later would become some of the first board members and parents.

I won’t sugarcoat it though. Hearing people push back against our ideas for innovation was hard, as was making peace with the fact that there would always be people who weren’t going to see the merit in what we were doing. But I’m glad we had so many voices – both supportive and critical – as together they kept us moving forward.

But how does a launch team move from questioning and planning to actually being able to set an opening date and recruit families?

You get your big break(s).

What do I mean by a “big break?” Well, it looks different for every startup journey. It might take the form of someone overhearing you talk about your proposed school and later coming up to you saying, “Hey, I heard you are looking for a school location. I have a place you should look at which has been vacant for the last four years.” Or, maybe a friend of yours is talking with another friend about your school idea at a wedding and as a result of that conversation this “friend of a friend” ends up becoming your school’s first major donor and board president. It could even look like getting an email out of the blue from someone you haven’t talked to in more than a year saying, “Have you heard of the Drexel Fund?”

Turns out, none of the above are hypotheticals: each was one of our “big breaks” (yes, plural). None of these are things we could have scripted or planned, and one might say we were “lucky.” But to quote Seneca, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” By relentlessly asking and answering questions and continually building a community of supporters and skeptics, we positioned ourselves for these moments of opportunity. If you talk to anyone who has successfully launched a school, I’m sure they would tell you similar stories.

So…what now?

If you have a passion for bringing a new private school to your community you might be wondering what some concrete next steps might be.

One option is to attend one of the Drexel Fund’s upcoming information sessions for private school entrepreneurs. At these sessions, you will learn about the pillars of school startup and hear about how The Drexel Fund supports the launch of new private schools. You could also apply for the 2024-25 Drexel Fund Founders Program. Even just completing the application will help you clarify your proposed school model and identify what questions you need to ask during your startup process.

Whether or not you take any of the above next steps, there is one thing I encourage everyone to do who is considering launching a school: talk about it. All the time. Let people know what you are thinking. No one does this alone, and the sooner you get your idea out of your head, build your launch team, and create awareness in your community, the more likely you are to be successful.

Dr. Eric Oglesbee is the director of the Founders Program at the Drexel Fund, a venture philanthropy organization dedicated to increasing access to high-quality private education for low-income families. He is also the co-founder and board president of River Montessori High School (RMHS) in South Bend, Indiana.

The post Talk About It: Why Asking Questions and Sharing Ideas is a Core Part of Starting a School appeared first on Getting Smart.

Artificial Intelligence is taking hold in our society. From Chat GPT to TikTok algorithms to Tesla Autopilot, we are seeing a much more public representation of what these systems are capable of. This is a pretty big deal to a high school student, who was just googling “How can I get my math homework done without having to do any actual math,” for fun when they realized, somebody actually invented it. Finally. It felt like the turning point my younger self had been waiting for, the day all the robots take over and I became the main character of a dystopian franchise. 

But, I was still in high school, and facing an even greater issue. I needed to brainstorm and draft a research project, complete with an annotated bibliography, a literature review, and a methodology analysis. 

My Global Impacts Microschool classmates and I were preparing these projects for when we took a 2-week-long research expedition to Kenya in February of 2023. We were traveling there to visit Lewa Wildlife Reserve and were expected to find a problem based on one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. And then create a solution to that problem. It was overwhelming, I’ll admit it, but it was also the first time I was able to take a new interest I had, AI in conservation, and actually use my class time to research it. And what I found was that AI in Conservation could open up new pathways for Lewa – but, it was leading to a data trap globally that could push countries like Kenya further and further behind. How could AI in conservation be used to increase biodiversity in Lewa Wildlife Reserve in Kenya?

Many wildlife conservation reserves, such as Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, monitor animals through manual data collection and analysis. This requires individuals to go out, collect data, analyze it, and synthesize results in order to serve as a valuable conservation tool. Artificial intelligence (AI) provides a sharper edge to the conservation data collection and analysis tool.  Using AI sorting systems to analyze data from camera traps, audio recordings, and satellite images can decrease conservationists’ workload by a large amount. 

We visited the Rhino Monitoring and OPS rooms on Lewa, as well as a nearby research station called Natural State. These visits helped us familiarize ourselves with the systems Lewa uses to track its animals, such as satellite imaging, audio monitoring, and camera traps.

It soon became evident that these systems lacked an automatic sorting system or even an efficient way to move the images and audio clips from the actual cameras to the rooms where the research analysis took place. 

Lewa specialist Eunice Kamau noted that the problems stopping them from implementing these new systems were a lack of IT support and a reliable internet connection, as well as a community fear of job loss. Those at Natural State had begun to use and train AI sorting systems, but their issues stemmed more from the lack of a renewable energy source for their camera traps and audio mods, as they used battery-powered devices. All of these issues are taken into place when considering whether AI would be a good tool for Lewa to implement. 

My proposed solution for the AI in conservation question is a mock EarthRanger system, EarthRanger Jr., that is angled towards children 6+ in Lewa’s Digital Literacy Program. This would provide these children with the context they need to understand how large and bountiful the Lewa landscape is. It would also be a good way to encourage and measure interest in the conservation and computer science fields. 

This would be an open-world map game, have a downloadable format, and would be compatible with Android IOS. The game could have a variety of entities, especially the animals that live on Lewa. The game could also have a mock AI sorting system, where the students could begin to get a grasp on the AI world in conservation.

If the proposal went through to Lewa, they could bring it up to the EarthRanger and AI2’s teams when they meet with them, to see if this is a program they would be interested in. I have designed a proposal document, and that is the finalized product created from this research. This research answered many questions about the development of AI on Lewa, and it is exciting to be pushing for updates as the world of AI conservation blooms worldwide.

It was incredible to experience the challenges and opportunities given by the Global Impacts Microschool. Personally, I hadn’t felt this engaged during a lesson since I was young, getting to feel, build, and imagine things was transformative. I had never been out of the country before this trip, and the fact that my teachers were so dedicated to making this happen for us makes me extremely grateful. 

Writing the research paper made me feel like I was actually creating something meaningful for the first time in high school. It honestly, added some pressure to my school day, which was something I realized I NEEDED by the time I was done with this course. 

This course didn’t just affect my interest and excitement about school in one area, my grades in all my classes improved a ton. I needed a challenge during school, because of the way I learn, if I’m not being challenged or interested I immediately lose all my drive. This course gave me a push in many aspects of my life and allowed me to feel satisfied after completing work that actually mattered. This lets me see my own place in the world – which is an experience that all young people should be able to feel. I could check back in a few years and let y’all know, but, I guarantee it will continue to be life-changing for me. 

To learn more about microschool impact and opportunities, visit the Learning Innovation Fund.

Mary Margaret Perkins is a student at Notre Dame de Sion High School and served as a 2023 Getting Smart Summer Intern.

The post AI in Conservation: How Would this Change Our Interactions with Wildlife? appeared first on Getting Smart.

Recognizing the important foundational role of schedules, a new administrator asked for examples of schedules that allow for flexibility and innovation yet support teacher time. Following are five sets of examples of innovative high school schedules that expand student opportunities while providing more collaborative time for teachers. 

1. Double blocks. Schools in the New Tech Network organize the day into team-taught project-based double blocks with some math courses being taught separately at times. Teachers assess agency, collaboration, and oral and written communication with each project. Double blocks increase team planning time and provide rich cross-curricular projects for students.

2. Varied blocks. Summit Learning campuses use three big project blocks with two smaller blocks for advisory and support (see Summit Atlas for example). The Summit Learning platform allows for a high degree of self-directed learning. They also have 2-week expeditions between quarters (8 weeks/year). 

Building 21 is a network of competency-based high schools. Their central unit of design is a studio–a 6-12 week learning experience designed around a set of competencies. Each studio starts with a problem frame and ends with a culminating performance-based assessment. (See Aurora blog).   

Microschools often use a studio model of scheduling with goal-setting at the start and reflection at the end for accountability. Examples include One Stone and NuVu. 

Instructional learning blocks allow for more flexibility with the schedule and increase personalized student schedules.

3. Individualized schedules. The three campuses of Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indiana develop individualized schedules. Students work with their advisory coach to create a schedule that can vary from week to week depending on their individual educational needs. The course of study combines individual personalized learning with client projects. The new PPHS microschool offers even more flexibility. Founder Scott Bess said smaller units facilitate schedule flexibility.  

In the last three years of the Jeffco Open School, each student demonstrated readiness to function as an adult by completing six passages. Students work with their advisors to sequence, plan, and conduct passages.  

4. Half-time structures. The 100 affiliates of the CAPS Network offer professions-based learning in half-time opportunities for juniors and seniors that retain course transferability but frequently offer more block flexibility for community-connected projects. Iowa BIG in Cedar Rapids is another example of a half-day program for juniors and seniors.  

5. Small alternative schools with big blocks. Many small alternative schools use big blocks to facilitate project-based learning. Liberty Academy, north of Kansas City, organizes learning in six-week bursts of interest-based learning often connected to one of 100 community partners. Students set goals in about four success skills during each burst. Teachers in this competency-based school help students to document their growth weekly.

Students in Big Picture Learning schools typically spend two days a week in internships.  

Other Resources: 

• Apps: abl is a scheduling app that may be useful 
• Books: Personalized Learning in a PLC at Work: Student Agency Through the Four Critical Questions 
• Podcast: Tom Rooney and Scott Rowe: Buildings are Closed, Learning Goes On! (featuring Huntley’s hybrid flex schedule)
• CAP Report
• Blogs
  • Rethinking the Master Schedule in Competency-Based Schools (Building21)
  • Building 21’s Studio Model: Designing Learning Experiences for Engagement and Impact
  • Timetable Absurdity (Featuring examples from England and Australia)
  • Altus Schools: Personalized Learning, Flexible Schedules, Beautiful Spaces, Repeatable Quality

The post Innovative High School Schedules  appeared first on Getting Smart.

As we look toward the horizon of innovation and the subsequent rise in diverse school models, we are excited to announce the Learning Innovation Fund and our first grant program A Big Push for Small Schools, an initiative that taps into the rich legacy of microschools and reimagines them as the pillars of modern-day learning. These small school communities are redefining the way students learn.

The Vision Behind the Fund

At the heart of the Learning Innovation Fund lies a shared vision – to unlock the true potential of education by creating a place for all learners. This initiative envisions a future where every learner’s unique journey is nurtured, and where innovative, impactful education is accessible to all. The fund’s mission is to amplify the impact of innovative models, that are diverse and sustainable and empower learners for life.

With a rich history of leading educational advocacy strategy and fostering innovation, our team at Getting Smart stands uniquely prepared to spearhead this transformative initiative. Our wide range of experience and deep understanding of education dynamics, combined with a network of thought leaders and visionaries, allows us to curate an environment where innovation flourishes. We’ve witnessed the power and success of many different microschool models and believe in their potential to revolutionize education. Over the next few years, the Learning Innovation Fund will feature many more grantmaking partnerships all focused on creating new equitable opportunities for all learners. 

A Collaborative Endeavor

The Learning Innovation Fund is not just an initiative; it’s a testament to the power of collaboration. The funding for this first grant program is led by the Walton Family Foundation. As we continue to expand our impact, we enthusiastically welcome and are actively seeking additional funding partners who share our vision and want to join us in propelling education into a brighter future. We are also seeking evaluation partners, technical assistance providers and leaders interested in joining a small-school community of practice. 

Grant Opportunity

Imagine the potential when vision meets resources. The Learning Innovation Fund presents a golden opportunity for educators, innovators, and administrators of small schools to bring their innovative dreams to life. With up to 20 grants ranging from $75,000 to $250,000, this initiative aims to accelerate the impact and scalability of microschool models, igniting a ripple effect of positive change. 

Grantees will benefit from a comprehensive ecosystem of support. Collaborate with evaluators, work alongside technical assistance and coaching providers, and join a grantee network that nurtures innovation. This fund isn’t just about financial support; it’s about cultivating a community of change-makers. Beyond grants, this initiative will also include a platform for storytelling, case studies, and community conversations. By amplifying awareness of small school potential, we’re not just shaping education; we’re changing perceptions and inspiring new paths of learning.

Who Should Apply

We welcome innovative small-school leaders with transformative ideas, poised to make waves. 

We’re looking for diverse national models across the K-12 spectrum that utilize various funding methods, be it private, public, or ESA-funded models. Our selection criteria emphasize geographic diversity, ensuring that urban, suburban, and rural areas are all represented. We are interested in high-engagement learning models ready to scale or replicate. Above all, our priority is to support models that cater to historically underserved communities. If this aligns with your expertise or that of someone you know, find more details and the application process here.

A Call to Action

Join us in this transformative journey of education. If you know passionate small school leaders who could benefit from this grant, we urge you to share this exciting opportunity with them. Let’s collectively amplify the reach and impact of small schools, ensuring that every learner gets the education they truly deserve. Sometimes, the smallest shifts lead to the most significant transformations. Let’s make a big push, together!

The post Big Push for Small Schools Grants appeared first on Getting Smart.

Ellis began thinking about a new kind of high school that would reengage learners through musicology and “put them on a positive tangent.” He created a pilot program for 15 learners in 1996. After being blown away by their genius and with the support of community groups, Minnesota’s early charter school policy, and a grant from Edvisions, Ellis and colleagues opened the High School for Recording Arts in 1998. 

For Ellis, it was spiritual and for the students, HSRA became a haven. HSRA now serves about 320 students with personalized project-based learning through an asset-based approach. Through the lens of Family, Respect, Community and Education, most students engage in courses that teach music production and the business of music. HSRA provides state-of-the-art music production facilities including two recording studios, practice rooms and a live performance room. 

HSRA students also hone their business acumen through the first student-run record level. Another Level Records is a student-operated music record label that empowers firsthand experience in developing media content, negotiating contracts, and publishing music by HSRA students and other artists (See Four Seasons MacPhail Project).

HSRA understands that the work doesn’t happen without deliberate patience, authentic relationship building and bringing in adults that value deep diversity. Modeling the change agents that HSRA wants learners to become, a strong focus is placed on community partners serving as advisors to allow teachers to focus on teaching. HRSA has a staff of (non-teaching) advisors each with dedicated space (Delta and Beta1 advisory shown above). Advisors check in with students in the morning and host an advisory period for an hour after lunch. The advisory space is open all day as an alternative to class for students that need extra support. Advisors support at least 4 college visits and help all learners fill out FAFSA forms. Two social workers provide additional youth and family support. 

The need to develop a building that catered to the HSRA model led to a partnership with Fielding International. Through multiple renovations, Fielding International worked with HSRA to adapt a commercial building into a unique learning environment that’s divided into advisories around a central learning commons. 

The design process began with sharing personal stories about the creative process between students and architects, finding common ground. Fielding listened to their music and developed an understanding of the student’s desire to express themselves through performance. The architect also developed an understanding of their need for a safe space, and secure enough to be their best selves.

The centerpiece of the school is the Learning Commons, also known as “The Black Top,” equipped with a large Live Studio, smaller collaborative suites for engineers and performers, and a pre-production commons, that provide students with the necessary tools to produce high-quality work. The gym’s fold-down stage further enables them to showcase their talents in all-school and community performances.

There is no shortage of talent that contributes to the success of HSRA. In 2011, sam seidel published Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education, the story of the first decade of HSRA. In 2021, seidel, the Director of the K12 Lab at the Stanford d.school, released the 10-year anniversary edition Hip-Hop Genius 2.0: Remixing High School Education with forewords from Gloria Ladson-Billings and D Smoke, and contributions from David “TC” Ellis, Tony Simmons, and Michael Lipset who reflected on leading HSRA through its second decade.  

Tony Simmons joined Ellis at Studio 4 in 2001 and became Executive Director of HSRA in 2013. With 60% of learners’ justice-involved, Simmons thinks of HSRA as a re-engagement school that is asset-based with full wrap-around services. 

Tony Simmons and Michael Lipset are sharing the successful elements of HSRA through 4 Learning. The sister organization to HSRA helps schools reengage young people through the application of the recording arts and other creative endeavors. They share creative programming and studio design strategies with educators creating career pathways and microschools.

4Learning Sites

Timothy David Jones, Founder of Techniques4Learning and Chief Visionary Officer for HipHopEd, Inc. is HSRA’s Director of Innovation & Hip Hop Pedagogy (see podcast). Jones uses his skills and frameworks to promote the intersections of hip-hop, youth development and education. He facilitated an activity with us by having us read and listen to a song by Dave East entitled “On My Way 2 School.” The song depicts what happens as two brothers navigate their neighborhood on the way to school. The song ends with an interaction between Dave East and a teacher who talks down to him with no recognition of the realities that surround the school where he teaches and shapes the students that enter the building. After a spirited conversation about what can be done within our schools to be more connected to realities that students face on the way to school, we entered the studio where some students had listened and discussed the same song and were recording verses of their own. The impromptu song wasn’t complete until there were contributions made by Timothy and TC Ellis. (On My Way 2 School HSRA Remix).

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Red Bridge School is a novel educational institution nestled in the vibrant city of San Francisco. Renowned for its innovative and student-centered approach to learning, Red Bridge School is prototyping new models of engagement and student advocacy. From its holistic teaching philosophy to its commitment to fostering responsible global citizens, the school offers a transformative educational experience that nurtures the minds, hearts, and spirits of its students. 

This school prioritizes developing agency in all of its learners and embeds choice into every aspect of the learning environment. Students are given the space to explore and learn in spaces that mimic a modern office setting. Whether preparing for an outside learning experience, developing prompts for ChatGPT to co-create poetry or drafting individual learning goals, open spaces and personalized learning allow students to choose where and what they learn. We’ve highlighted a few of the key features that make Red Bridge a unique place to learn. 

Autonomy Levels

Students are encouraged to self-advocate for themselves at bi-annual promotion periods throughout the year. These autonomy levels are largely separate from academic achievement and are a demonstration of mastery of work habits. The work habit domains that students are instructed in and evaluated on are Communication, Time Management, Goal Management, Resource Management, Focus, Initiative, Self-Knowledge and Collaboration.

Self-Directed Demonstrations of Learning

Rather than strict assessment timelines driving the learning, students are able to sign up when they are ready to demonstrate what they have learned. Students keep up with how they’re progressing toward academic and work habit goals through a badge/learning credit system. Each student has a binder that documents the badges/learning credits for the competencies that they have earned. This puts more agency and power in the hands of the young people to co-author their learning. 

Learning Guides and Content Specialists

Rather than have teachers serve all roles, instead, Red Bridge has split the role into learning guides and content specialists. This two-pronged approach echoes the two tracks of autonomy and academics and allows the Red Bridge team to lean into their strengths while supporting the learners. 

Nimble curriculum (chatGPT example)

While visiting, we saw a recent exercise that was crafted in response to the launch of ChatGPT. This was a one week sprint that kicked-off by questioning the differences between human and AI. Then, each student prompted ChatGPT to write a poem. After reading the generated poem, the student then edited the poem to “make it better” and had DALL-E generate a supplemental image. 

Red Bridge also places emphasis on social and environmental responsibility. Students are encouraged to think beyond themselves and become active participants in shaping a more compassionate and sustainable world. Engaging in community service projects, environmental initiatives, and social justice discussions, students develop a deep understanding of the global issues facing humanity and cultivate a sense of empathy and responsibility towards others.

Microschools and Lab Schools

Small models enable us to pilot new ideas and new ways of being. The flexibility to move beyond traditional rules and regulations allow for enhanced innovation. Each model is unique and provides ways to see demonstrations of student agency, the benefits of personalization and the importance of community. When students are safe, supported and motivated, their social skills and emotional intelligence are strengthened. 

For more information on microschools, including how to get started, check out our series page. 

The post Bridging the Gap Between School and the Real World Starts With Agency appeared first on Getting Smart.

A number of school networks believe the model is durable and are leaning into options. ASU Prep, a network of public charter schools in Arizona authorized by Arizona State University, is a network of public charter schools – including ASU Prep Digital, a virtual K-12 school. Over the last few years, ASU Prep launched a set of microschools in an effort to provide more quality innovative options to more students. Other microschools also emerged during this time. Prenda grew exponentially as a community-based model for small groups of ten or fewer K-8 students meeting at home or in community centers. Prenda is funded through charter school partnerships (such as with EdKey’s Sequoia in Arizona) or private pay tuition models. Great Hearts Academy, a network of classical public charter schools, powers Great Hearts microschools in Texas and Arizona through its Great Hearts Online learning program. As microschools proliferate, scale may depend on access to or integration into publicly funded institutions.

University and Early College Connections

Opportunities for microschools have often relied on existing district locations or family homes for locations. Universities and/or colleges provide a unique niche for rich early-college experiences. Outside of the elementary school learning pods, ASU Prep launched a set of innovative microschools to better serve students state-wide (and globally). These microschools complement the existing bricks/mortar and virtual schools within the network.

ASU Prep Local and ASU Prep Experience emerged as a solution for ASU Prep Digital students who wanted to spend time on one of the ASU campuses for part of the week. ASU Prep Local students spend two days a week at either the Mesa MIX Center or West ASU campuses. The students complete courses with a project-based learning approach with local Learning Facilitators and university faculty and build leadership experience all while completing courses through the ASU Prep Digital Platform. ASU Prep Experience students spend one day on the ASU Polytechnic campus and interact with the same learning model as ASU Prep Local. These microschool models are free for Arizona students and provide unique opportunities for college-bound students.

A 10th-grade student at the ASU Prep Local @ Mesa MIX program reports that the program has a “strong commitment to collaboration [which] makes this opportunity perfect for students who prefer a hybrid structure; it allows for independent focus during live lessons and assignment working while also creating time for bonding and team building.”

On-site hybrid models

While the ASU Prep Local and ASU Prep Experience microschools are located directly within a university setting, other microschool models at ASU provide opportunities directly within the high school buildings. ASU Prep Poly and ASU Prep Phoenix launched a hybrid microschool model during the pandemic (and now is a permanent option) as a “school within a school” model – rather than locations on the university campus. These students take some courses directly with on-site teachers using project-based and personalized learning approaches. An on-site Personalized Learning Advisor mentors students and supports academic growth and goal-setting. Other coursework is completed using the ASU Prep Digital platform supported by a Learning Success coach. The hybrid microschool model combines flexibility around where to learn, innovation around what to learn, and all the while getting the benefits of a comprehensive high school model.

Fully online models

While micro-school models tend to be on-site, ASU Prep’s partnership with Khan Academy to form the new Khan World School launched this fall combines the flexibility of the online learning model with the relationship-building microschool elements. Khan World School is powered by both Khan Academy and ASU Prep Digital for some core content and currently serves high school students (with plans to expand to middle school). However, students also gather virtually to tackle some of the world’s biggest questions (such as “Is the world getting better?” and “Should Congress have term limits?”) during a Socratic seminar. The virtual microschool is mastery-based and is tuition-free for Arizona students and fee-based for students outside of the state.

Learning pods

The concept of “learning pods” scaled during the pandemic. ASU Prep Digital launched ASU Prep Digital Learning Pods to meet the growing demand for in-person social interaction among online elementary school students. In these pods, groups of geographically close students spend time together socially and/or academically. The pods operate independently from the ASU Prep Digital core program. Research from the Center for Reinventing Public Education indicated that pods provided more family control and increased educator freedom and recommended a focus on sustainability, access and funding to support scalable models.

What’s next?

New learning models are emerging in response to family demand and student need. Whether private or public, hosted within an existing district or a student’s home, or virtual or on-site, it is clear that educational ecosystem diversity is increasing rapidly. As growth continues, it is critical that leaders pay attention to a set of important factors to ensure maximum impact on learners.

1. Access. Microschools need to be accessible to all students. Bringing diverse perspectives together in a microschool format supports more engaging and more divergent thinking and learning. While tuition-driven private models may be easier to launch, scale will depend on public models built adjacent to or within existing public districts and/or charter organizations.

2. Accountability. Microschools, whether or not they are legally accountable (such as in the public sector), must hold themselves to high standards. Public data on outcomes, feedback surveys, and other metrics will help improve the entire experience for students.

3. Responsiveness. Builders of microschools should be responding to a clear need from a community as opposed to launching just as a business-model proposition.

This post is part of our New Pathways campaign sponsored by ASA, Stand Together and the Walton Family Foundation.

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