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New Designs for School

A Trip to Cesar Chávez School in Back-of-the-Yards Chicago

I recently visited Chavez with a group of teachers from Washington, D.C. who are part of the CityBridge Foundation’s Teacher Innovation Fellowship.
New Designs for School

Breakthrough Models for College Readiness: An Introduction to Next Generation Blended Schools

This compilation of Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) grantee profiles illustrates the innovative approaches of 41 personalized, blended, competency-based learning school models. The K-12 models were awarded grants under NGLC's third and fourth waves of funding, which focused on "Breakthrough School Models for College Readiness." This publication provides practical details particularly of interest to those designing and planning innovative secondary schools. The introduction describes common attributes across the portfolio, including personalized learning, student-directed approaches, hands-on experiences, flexible learning spaces, and interactive and adaptive learning management systems. Following the brief overview, each individual model is profiled. The individual profiles summarize key features through graphics and at-a-glance facts. They also offer important descriptive information about the instructional and financial models and their unique methods and structures to rethink “school” in affordable, sustainable, and scalable ways, so that they work in particular for underserved populations.
New Designs for School

Profile: Matchbook Learning

Matchbook Learning has been refining a student-centered, blended, turnaround school model. Students are leveled by what they know and can do, not by age or grade level. Each student progresses through a learning cycle of Learn & Practice, Peer & Teacher Conference, Apply, and Assess. Two schools supported by Matchbook Learning are profiled: Merit Prep in Newark, NJ and Michigan Technical Academy in Detroit.
New Designs for School

Profile: Foundations College Prep

At this 6-12 Chicago school that opened in Fall 2014, differentiation is key not just for the students – who access adaptive digital content and participate in diversified classroom rotations – but also for the teachers. Multiple teacher roles include expert teachers, resident teachers (those with limited experience), and instructional leads. The Foundations team hopes that the school, grounded in a rigorous college prep curriculum, creates learners who can perform as well as or better than their higher-income peers.
New Designs for School

The Great Oaks Foundation: Great Oaks Charter School of New York City

In this charter school serving students in grades 6-12, the model combines an intensive tutor corps staffing and instructional model (adapted from Match Education in Boston) with blended learning. The blended learning approach is supported by the model, professional development, and online platform and curriculum of the Kunskapsskolan schools in Sweden. Great Oaks is designed to specifically serve English language learners, and the learning experience is tailored to student needs and goals through teacher-led sessions, sustained tutoring sessions, and customized online content.
Why Schools Need to Change

The Practical Value of a Liberal Education

University of New England Provost James Koelbl argues that skills learned from a broad liberal education are linked to success in any career and in life.
Technology Tools

The LMS of the Future: Exploring the Next Generation Digital Learning Environment

If you could replace your current LMS with any application or platform you could imagine, what would it look like?
Technology Tools

A Breakthrough Game Design for Student Success

Collaborative activities contribute to the social glue that helps students persist through a degree program. One Breakthrough Models Academy team asked: how can an interactive game tie in with helping Hispanic students to get the most out of college, and finish successfully with a degree?
New Designs for School

New Orleans Invests in College Readiness

This year, the city of New Orleans will graduate over 2,500 high school seniors—its largest class since Hurricane Katrina.
Enabling Change

The Perfect Partnership: Match Beyond and College for America

NGLC grantees Match Beyond and College for America are teaming up for a competency-based degree programs with intensive coaching, academic support, and jobs counseling.