Enhancement
Wm. E. Hay
The High School Flexibility Enhancement project will explore various research-based and educationally sound high school redesigns to benefit students’ learning and success in high school.
Wm. E. Hay High School Flexibility Enhancement Outlook The staff of Wm. E. Hay Composite High School is ready to engage in exploring school redesign within the High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project. We envision the benefits of having our students become more engaged in mastery learning and being more accountable for their own learning. We are prepared to be flexible as we consider innovative ways to meet the changing needs of our students. Our energies spent ensuring compliance with the 25
REDESIGN
2009
hour requirement will shift to reaching toward our vision of inspiring satisfied, motivated, and engaged learners. We see many potential and indirect spin-offs such as an increase in distributed leadership opportunities for our staff. The opportunity also promises to support the professionalism of our teachers as they transition with the students and community. Throughout the process of preparing to submit this statement, we have had many professional and student-focused discussions. We are ready to create models of learning,
enhancing the integrity of our greater school community.
Contents Project Background Wm. E. Hay Overview Paradigm Shift Educational Literature Challenges of High School Redesign Benefits of High School Redesign
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Reform must be based on strong foundational principles and supporting strategies gleaned from sound educational literature. Included in this informational package is a wide selection of literature to generate discussion and ideas on structural enhancement at Wm. E. Hay Composite High School.
Educating Individuals for a Collective Future 1
Existing Barriers to Student Learning at Wm. E. Hay:
We are challenged with barriers caused or related to locking learning into 25 hour segments. Some of our current challenges are the following: • Students who are high achievers and finish their work early are bored and frustrated. They must “wait” for the rest of the class to catch up to them. • Students who need extra time are often rushed to finish or are sent to a separate/isolated area to finish on their own. • Rigid schedule does not allow for extended work time on a large project. • Timetables that drive programs instead of program driving the timetable. • Some student are not engaged because of the current structure. • Classroom teachers and technology teachers have difficulty integrating their programs. • Students who encounter difficulties do not have enough time to improve/increase their understanding of specific concepts. • Time requirements and inflexibility of scheduled classes prevents some students from coordinating their school schedules with their life schedules. Their school learning is compromised in some cases because of part-time work. • Our knowledge of multiple intelligences and learning styles is extensive, yet the current use of the “Carnegie” unit limits the extent to which the school structure can capitalize on the individual strengths.
Background: The High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project Taken from the Alberta Education, High School Flexibility Enhancement: A LIterature Review
Alberta Education initiated the High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project in response to expressed interest by education stakeholders to examine the time requirement attached to high school credits. This twostaged, four-year (2009-2013) pilot project involves one school in each of nine school jurisdictions. The purpose of the pilot project is to - determine whether the requirement of students to have access to 25 hours of face-to-face instruction per high school course credit should be maintained; - explore the relationship between hours of face-to-face instruction and student success; and - explore various innovative and educationally sound high school redesigns with the purpose of benefiting students learning and success in high school.
The High School Flexibility Enhancement Project will explore various research-based and educationally sound high school redesigns with the purpose to benefit students’ learning and success in high school.
Wm. E. Hay and The High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project Wm. E. Hay was selected as one of sixteen schools in Alberta that will participate in the Alberta Education High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project. To ensure that education reform at Wm. E. Hay will meet the needs of our students and community, we are engaging in a series of stakeholder forums to engage in an open dialogue about education improvement and redesign. Concrete data will be obtained from the forums and the data will then be used to decide the direction that the Wm. E. Hay pilot project will take.
The Carnegie Unit Established in 1906, the Carnegie Unit is a strictly time-based measurement of educational attainment. It was developed to measure the amount of time student spent studying a subject. Alberta Education adapted the Carnegie Unit such that 25 hours of face-to-face instruction was required per high school credit, with a 5 credit course requiring 125 hours of face-to face instruction. - Alberta Education HSFEPP Literature Review
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Wm. E. Hay’s Pilot Project Phase II Directional Plan will be released on June 15, 2009
Paradigm Shif t
Foundations of High School Design: Taken from Alberta Education High School Flexibility Enhancement Literature Review
1. High Expectations Establish high expectations for all students with respect to their preparedness for post-secondary education and/or careers. 2. Rigorous Standards and Curricula Integrate, to varying degrees, rigorous standards-based core academic curricula with career/ technical curricula.
Shift
Change is Hard You Go First Excerpts from Ian Jukes and Ted McCain 2006
The relative long-term stability in education has lead to a remarkable resistance to change. Many educators have a big comfort zone that comes from what Bill Spady calls our “educentrism” – from the fact that most educators, as a student, student teacher, or teacher, have spent their entire life in the school system. As a result, the way schools are has become our native language. Consequently, many teachers are running on autopilot acting on programmed decisions. But while educators continue to invoke TTWWADI (that’s the way we’ve always done it) the world keeps changing. As this happens, the pressure on education is building. There‘s a growing gap between where things are & where things need to be if schools are to reflect the realities of this changing world - between what learners are leaving our schools with and what they need to cope with this changing world.
Rest assured this gap won’t continue for long. If what’s happening in the rest of the world is any indicator, we can expect corrections that will be swift & devastating – we can assume that the new directions will extensively use technology – and we can guarantee that the solutions will go outside the public school system. How do you deal with the changing horizon? How do you deal with tomorrow. Futurist James Crupi tells us that there are 3 kinds of people – those people who make things happen – those people who watch things happen – and those who suddenly say “what just happened?” We have no choice but to be people who participate in the change – who deal with the future – because everything else is the past. Author Robert Kriegel has written a marvelous book entitled “Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers.” Sacred cows are those things that are accepted without question in our lives exactly for what they are. What are our sacred cows? Our sacred cows are the programmed decisions we cling to because they make life
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3. Student Supports Provide extensive student supports (e.g. mentors, advisors, peer tutors and academic supports). 4. Learning Communities Reform must be structured around a small learning community. 5. Teacher Professional Growth Support teacher professional growth (e.g. professional development opportunities, common planning times). 6. Relationships Actively promote meaningful and sustained student-adult relationships. 7. Stakeholders Nurture home-school-community alliances (e.g. parents, businesses, community organizations are engaged as learning partners).
The MRDC (2008) identified “structural change and instructional improvement as the twin pillars of effective models” and stated that “sustainable transformation will take place only when multiple levers are activated together.”
easier for us. They’re the things that define our comfort zone – the things we feel can’t be touched because, on a personal level, they define who we are. The problem with sacred cows is that they can bite back. The programmed decisions can hinder our personal & professional growth because they are accepted without much thought. As Kriegel points out, we have to be careful because our sacred cows can prevent us from seeing things from a different perspective, which can lead to paradigm paralysis. Consider for a moment. Are there programmed decisions you hold sacred? Why do you hold them sacred? Is it because of a deeply held conviction...or is it just the continued desire for comfort? Let’s go looking for educational sacred cows! Would they include: chalk & talk instruction; full frontal lecturing; seeing the teacher as the expert; a dependence on content-based written/multiple choice tests; a reliance on textbooks & worksheets; clinging to favorite lessons; seeing it as the teacher’s role to do all evaluation; how we assess students? What about our educational structures? How about the length of school day/year? Attendance policies? Teaching credentials? Working conditions? Major changes to a particular program? The elimination/combination of traditional disciplines or areas of study? Why are we asking this? Why is this important? It’s important to find out our
automatic, unconsciously held and strong views of what should be. It’s important to examine the thinking behind your programmed decisions, because it’s the only way to find out how much comfort lies behind what you do as this will give you clues as to where future stress may originate from and how flexible you will be when, as inevitably will happen, you are asked to change?
The golden rule of the future is that change is the only constant. Whether we like it or not, change makes us feel uncomfortable (in fact the only people who don’t experience stress are dead people) so you have to view discomfort as a friend? If you’re comfortable with where you’re at, you’re just not moving. All of us must learn to accept the looming affront of change. It’s like a wave, we must learn to get up on top of it and ride or run risk of becoming permanently embedded as part of the beach as the wave sweeps over us.
Many people hold on tightly to their habits and stubbornly cling to old ways. This leads to resistance to change & inflexibility which inevitably leads to increased stress with pressure to change. We must all learn to let go before things stick.
To do this, we must persistently work to become continuous learners who welcome failure. In these times of radical change it’s been our experience that we learn more from our failures and mistakes than from our successes. Outside of education this is widely understood. Management guru Tom Peters says that “the essence of innovation is the pursuit of failure” – that failing is good. Success can lead to sacred cows. We must learn to focus on our failures, because failure is strong indication that you are trying something new and different - that you‘re moving – that you understand the principles of productive/useful failure and the poorly rule, which states that anything worth doing is worth doing poorly in the beginning…as long as you learn something in the process.
A deeply, unexamined attachment to something can be extremely dangerous. The reality is that we must all be willing to constantly reconsider, undo & reinvent our thinking. It’s no longer just about doing a good job – in a rapidly changing world, it’s also about doing a relevant job. No one wants to be in the position of doing the wrong thing well because there is no interest or market for obsolete excellence. In this environment, all of us, no matter how much experience we have – how “informed” we are, how “enlightened” we are –we all must be ready to continuously change & learn – to become Teflon or run the risk of becoming irrelevant.
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No matter where you are, never, never stop - when success is reached, take a moment to congratulate yourself, and then start over. Robert Kriegel says it best – “if ain’t broke, …break it!
Linking redesign with research Structural reform must be supported by sound instructional strategies based on educational research and known best practices.
LEARNING IN THE 21st CENTURY
PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
EDUCATIONAL REFORM
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Change in Educational Settings The 21st Century Learner
Strategies for Personalizing Instruction: A Typology for Improving Teaching and Learning
Educational Reform in Alberta: Where do we go from here?
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Speak Out Alberta Student Engagement Initiative - Results from Wm. E. Hay
Personalized Schools
Challenges of High School Redesign
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21st Century Learners: An Introduction
Personalized Instruction
Benefits of High School Redesign
Potential improvements with Redesign at Wm. E. Hay: The following items have potential for improvement within this pilot: • Student engagement. • Adequate time to complete courses. • Improved attitude by students and parents towards a subject/grade area. • Community of life-long learners. • Enhanced Knowledge and Employability program. • Rigorous, option-rich curriculum. • Effective Teacher Advisory Program (TAP). • Professional Learning Community and Collaboration among staff. • Effective student assessment. • Learner pathways. • Offering and valuing student voice. • Meet ICT outcomes. • Integrating programs. • Project-based learning. • Student centered approach. • Student choice. • Project based, independent learning in Communications Technology courses, computer programming courses, digital photography and computer repair courses.
• Support online learning. • Increased opportunities to explore and complete CTS courses. • Students learning at their pace. • More individualized learning. • Participation in leadership initiatives within the school (ex. Students Union, Be the Change, Athletic Board, Fine Arts Board). • Allowance to train for elite athletic opportunities. • More challenge for students. • Flexible learning environments. • Opportunities for enrichment projects, cross-curricular learning activities. • Greater flexibility for off-campus education. • Greater feeling of being part of a community. • Specific topic lectures online, as needed. • Flexibility in implementing new curricula. • Student motivation and commitment. • Time and opportunity to work collaboratively. • Integrated projects. • Team teaching. • Self-paced style teaching and structures. • Independent learning. 5
What this means is that we suddenly find ourselves faced with a student body who may or may not have the "natural" ability to master the curriculum on their own, but who must leave having done so--and having mastered the ability to think, learn, and adapt continuously thereafter--to be employable in the Information Age. Consequently, it's no longer enough to provide a dubious education and hand them a diploma once they've put in their "seat time." Instead, we must focus on--and be able to measure--improving their performance as learners, critical thinkers, and problem-solvers.
Change in Educational Settings Why is Educational Change so Important Right Now? Partnership for 21st Century Skills: A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills, Tuscan, Arizona 2004
You've probably heard the term "paradigm shift" bantered about a few times--and perhaps written it off as just so much hype and hot air--but you've got to agree that we are experiencing some fundamental changes. The traditional education system--the one we grew up in--was designed for a very different world from the one we live in today. The Industrial Age required a lot more workers than thinkers, so school was really a sorting system first and a learning system second (Reigeluth, 1994). Those who had enough "natural ability" to learn (sometimes in spite of the system) were passed on to the next level of education, while everyone else was sent out into the workforce.
Today's education systems--often still rooted in the Industrial Age structures and practices of their origins, are finding themselves increasingly unprepared for this task. This is why all of us with a stake in our education systems--that is, all of us--need to understand and become involved in educational change: nothing less than our children's preparation for the future depends upon it!
The 21st Century Learner Distinguishing the 21st Century Learner
This system was inherently norm-referenced, because identifying "the best" who were to fill the limited openings at the next higher level was at least as important as assessing competence at skills and knowledge which would be developed over the course of a career. So what happened?
Partnership for 21st Century Skills: A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills, Tuscan, Arizona 2004
Well, the world got more complex. With the beginnings of information-based society, the ability to think, learn, and adapt became increasingly critical for a larger and larger proportion of the workforce. Suddenly, we're finding that the "Three Rs" just aren't enough anymore. Employers are demanding more and more complex skills, even from high school graduates--and an increasingly global economy means that if one country's schools aren't providing those skills, companies will simply hire graduates from another country...or even relocate their operations to another country. At the same time, increasingly rapid technological and societal change has led to an erosion of the one-job "career." As a result, one of the most important competencies for graduates to leave our schools having mastered is the ability to learn, with little or no formal guidance, for the rest of their lives.
There is little doubt that the 21st century learner is fundamentally different from the learner of yesterday. Some researchers are even suggesting that the neurological wiring of these learners is actually physiologically different from that of their predecessors. Following is an outline of the key phenomena distinguishing the 21st century learner. Unlike other generations, these new learners have strong ties to their parents and families. Even in adulthood, they will tend to maintain close contact with parents and family and are reliant on them for financial assistance and emotional support. Likewise, the new learner’s heroes are generally close and familiar. When asked to name someone they admire, they are more likely to name a family member, teacher, or mentor. 6
21st century learners are increasingly comfortable with globalization and its influence on how we work and socialize. The Millennials are the most likely of any age group to identify that there are benefits and limitations to an ever-changing global and technological environment. They readily admit that the realities of automation, the outsourcing of jobs, increased centralization, immigration, and digital social networks are proving to have both positive and negative implications.
Lastly, the 21st Century learner is learning 21st century skills. The knowledge that students are increasingly expected to demonstrate is transforming. 21st century skills include: information and communication technology (ICT) literacy, the ability to think and problem-solve, interpersonal and self-directional skills, global awareness, and financial, economic, business, and civic literacy. Most importantly, students are learning “how to keep learning continually throughout their lives.”
In general, the Millennials display a much more relaxed and open attitude regarding the dynamic social mores around them. For instance, the family structure of these new learners is diverse (i.e. single parents, same-sex parents, common-law parents, etc). Furthermore, attitudes towards the use of prescription drugs, underage alcohol consumption, sex, and gambling are relaxing. Overall, amidst the changes, social tolerance has become the norm.
21st CENTURY LEARNERS AT WM. E. HAY
In turn, as much as 21st century learners tend to display increased tolerance and acceptance of others, they also expect in return an equal level of openness, options, and flexibility towards differing perspectives at school and at work. For example, the Millennials are showing that they prefer to be motivated through positive encouragement, coaching, and well-articulated standards and expectations.
WHAT WE HEARD - RESULTS OF THE SPEAK OUT ALBERTA EDUCATION STUDENT ENGAGEMENT INITIATIVE AT WM. E. HAY November 21, 2008
Moreover, the 21st century learner has high expectations regarding the relevance and meaning of their work. They desire a sense of engagement in what they are doing. In other words, as a group, they are not willing to subscribe to the idea of “paying one’s dues” and delaying career progression. In addition, 21st century learners are most likely to have a number of careers over their lifespan, versus one long-term career plan. As a result, most 21st century learners will perceive what they do for a living as only part of their identity – they will not self-identify by their jobs.
Cell phones, blackberries, and iPhones are pretty popular at your school. 80% of you said that you have one. Almost half of the people with cell phones admitted to sending 1 to 49 text messages per day. Slightly more popular with this group are online communities. 82% of you said that you belong to Facebook, Nexopia or MySpace. Not only do you belong to them, but 50% of you proudly state that you have between 100 and 249 friends in your community. And almost all of you (89%) told us that you have an iPod or mp3 player.
The 21st Century learner has an intimate relationship with the Internet. For them, the Internet is the gateway to their world – for communication, entertainment, relationship maintenance, social networking, and information gathering. Consequently, the demand for safe, timely, dependable, and accommodating technology is constant. 7
questions. According to Speak Up, an online research project, which annually surveys K-12 students, teachers, parents, and school administrators, these are some key educational questions educators should be focusing on:
21st Century Learners: An Introduction
1. What are the benefits of emerging technologies such as mobile devices, gaming in education, online learning and open education resources? 2. What would happen if emerging technology were used to get students interested in STEM careers? 3. What are the barriers/challenges to using technology?
Partnership for 21st Century Skills: A Report and Mile Guide for 21st Century Skills, Tuscan, Arizona 2004
21st Century Learners, what do we really know about today’s youth? As educators, do we truly understand how they think, learn, communicate, and socialize? As if you didn’t know by now, they don’t perform any of the aforementioned skills in any manner like the youth of years past. Our students live in a digital world, altered by ever-changing technology. The youth of today can instant message on their laptop, talk on a cell phone, play a video game wirelessly with a friend down the street and chew bubble gum - all at the same time.
The reality is that many schools aren’t ready or willing to address these questions. The traditional educational view of drill and practice and test taking is a difficult concept to abandon or reconsider for many educators. This is where the disconnect begins. Alan November, a recognized leader in the field of educational technology, lists on his website comments from workshop attendees on the future of education. One workshop participant stated, “Hope can overcome fear when barriers are torn down, by allowing students to engage in a forum they are comfortable they take ownership of their learning and the teachers will be willing to change from the role of information giver to facilitator.”
These "Screenagers" are undeniably different. They are authors of blogs, designers of web sites, and developers of ring tones. They have created an entire language of their own using abbreviated terms such as LOL (laugh out loud), BRB (be right back), POS (parent over the shoulder), MIRL (meet in real life) and BTDT (been there, done that). The bottom line is that these students learn and comprehend in a way that is foreign to many of us, and, as a result, they often feel disconnected from traditional teachers and schools of yesteryear.
Now that we know more about the digital generation, is it possible as educators that we need to rethink who we are? We must re-evaluate the practice of teaching and learning and equip our students with the necessary tools to help them advance in this digital age. Acknowledging who these students are and meeting them on their current playing field will bridge the digital gap and connect us all to the 21st Century. John Dewey, a well-known educational reformer, says it best, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.”
Digital students are goal-oriented and able to pursue multiple outcomes at the same time. This generation of 21st Century learners can absorb a great deal of information at super-charged speed whether it is transmitted via a cell phone, television, the Internet, or MP3 player. Digital students are masters of varying types of technology. These students are always connected with their peers and the world through technology. The digital generation has unknowingly incorporated 21st Century skills into their day-to-day lives by becoming innovators, creative designers, critical thinkers, collaborators, and complex problem-solvers. While these students are having fun, they are also learning. Digital students are determined, focused on success and creators of their own destiny. This knowledge forces us to pause, ponder and then pose a series of additional
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Differentiation that begins with and is shaped by ongoing assessment for learning activities realized benefits in the following category: Effective Pedagogies and Learning Supports Differentiated instruction enhances student self -confidence and engagement. Differentiated instruction helps students become more self -directed and metacognitive as learners. Technology, when used appropriately, enhances teachers’ abilities to differentiate instruction and engage students. Differentiated instructional practices enhance teachers’ abilities to reach all learners. Students who are more at risk or have higher needs receive more benefits from differentiated (targeted) and intensive support. Alberta Education High School Flexibility Enhancement: Literature Review
Personalization in Schools Strategies for Personalizing Instruction: A Typology for Improving Teaching and Learning John M. Jenkins and James W. Keefe
It is often difficult to classify instructional approaches. To best serve the diverse needs of today's students, a personalized instruction approach is suggested. Nine representative strategies for personalizing instruction are discussed in relation to their interaction level and thoughtfulness level. Some educators believe that there is only one way to personalize instruction. For many, it means getting to know students personally, being friends with them, and knowing their names. For others, it means establishing an instructional procedure in which a student progresses at his or her own rate through a predetermined curriculum. In actuality, personalized instruction embraces all of those elements and a good deal more. Interestingly, when one searches the Internet for references to personalized instruction, most sites describe programs for at-risk students. For personalized
Researchers refer to the concept
instruction, the student-teacher ratio is usually maintained at a figure well below what is found in regular classes. The assumption is that small classes enable teachers to offer more personalized instruction to students who have not been successful with traditional schooling. Smaller classes do not necessarily ensure that personalized instruction will follow. Personalized instruction seems more a matter of the quality of interaction and thoughtfulness among the student and the teacher and other instructional resources. It is also contingent on the teacher's understanding of the principles of contemporary cognitive science. Instruction is personalized when it focuses specifically on the needs, talents, learning style, interests, and academic background of each learner, and when it challenges each learner to grow and advance. In our view, personalized instruction encompasses six basic elements: • A dual teacher role of coach and advisor • The diagnosis of relevant student learning characteristics • A school culture of collegiality • An interactive learning environment • Flexible scheduling and pacing • Authentic assessment.
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of PERSONALIZATION using various terms including differentiated instruction, personalized instruction, personalized education, and adaptive pedagogy.
Personalized Instruction The “effort on the part of a school to take into account individual student characteristics and needs, and flexible instructional practices in organizing the student learning environment.” -Keefe and Jenkins (2000)
Personalized Education A “system of teaching and learning that involves all aspects of the school community.” Key to this system were diagnoses of individual learners’ entering behaviors, customization of approaches based on these diagnoses, one-to-one interaction between student and teacher, and encouragement of creativity and self -direction. Other components of a personalized education system include flexibility of time, space, grouping, materials, and staff utilization. -
1. diagnoses the individual learner's entering behavior, 2. suggests appropriate approaches to learning based on the diagnoses, 3. provides for one-to-one interaction between student and teacher, and 4. encourages creativity and self direction.
Personalized Schools Robert E. Lowery, John M. Jenkins, & Scott D. Thompson
Good schools tend to be places where students are helped to see that what they are asked to learn adds quality to their lives. All learning is personal. Regardless of the consistency with which information is presented, each student interprets it in his or her own way. Although students may have common needs, satisfaction of those needs is unique, reflecting the myriad experiences each student has had in the process of growing up. Schools that work identify these experiences and build upon them. According to Torrance (1981), present evidence indicates that people prefer to learn in creative ways, such as by exploring, questioning, experimenting, risking and testing ideas. In contrast, teachers generally have required that students learn by authority. Glasser (1992) identifies the characteristics of a quality school program as one that enables students to satisfy the basic needs of belonging, power, freedom and fun. Of the four needs, he believes that the need for power is at the core of almost all school problems. All students want to feet important in school. Success in academics is an important way for students to gain a feeling of importance. Most schools fail to acknowledge individual differences. They opt for a uniform presentation of content with a resulting variation in achievement. Some students succeed at a high level; some not at all. A very large number learn only enough to pass the tests and get by. The result is hardly one of high quality. Several systems have been designed to personalize education. Among the most consequential are Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Richmond's Microsociety School, Keefe's DPIE Model, and various apprenticeship programs that place students with school and community mentors. While each of these approaches differ, they share a common theme; namely, personalized education is a system of teaching and learning that involves all aspects of the school-community. Primary to these systems is an instructional program that
Other components of these systems include flexibility of time, space, grouping, materials and staff utilization. • DIAGNOSIS is concerned with the assessment of student characteristics. It looks at student developmental characteristics, learning style and learning history. • PRESCRIPTION is concerned with advisement, goal setting, program planning and placement. • INSTRUCTION embraces flexible teaching styles and teaching methodologies, appropriate time use and authentic pedagogy. • EVALUATION looks at learners, staff and programs. Assessment of persons aims to develop competency in self appraisal. Program evaluation examines the impact of curriculum and instruction on individuals and groups of learners (Keefe, 1991). The following conditions must be present if the learning environment is truly to be personalized: * The placement process includes information sharing with the student. * Students are given the opportunity to work independently and in learning teams. * Curriculum materials exist to provide effective placement for all students. * Program planning is based on a student's diagnostic profile and personal career goals. * The curriculum promotes dignity and respect for differing cultures, races and value systems. * The program provides for continuous monitoring of student progress. * Teachers work collaboratively and in instructional teams. * Student strengths are maximized and weaknesses minimized. * Curriculum and instruction are designed to encourage students to assume responsibility toward self direction. * The nature of the learning task determines the allocation of time 10
Personalization and Redesign In his book, Horace's School: Redesigning the American High School, Theodore Sizer (1992) proposes a sample high school schedule designed to tailor school practices to the needs of every group of adolescents. Periods 1, 2, and 6 are 105 minutes each. Periods 3, 4, and 5 share 2 hours for lunch, advisory, and tutorials by the teaching team. Team members decide on group and individual activities. Advisers schedule tutorials for individual students. Period 1 has a 10minute passing period; all others have 5 minutes. Subjects are scheduled on a four-day rotation to provide opportunities for teachers and students to meet at different times of the day. ----------------------------------------------------------------SAMPLE SCHEDULE FROM THE COALITION OF ESSENTIAL SCHOOLS (REPRODUCED FROM SIZER, 1992, P. 226)
Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday 7:00-8:00 Activities (band, chorus, etc.) 8:00-9:45 Period I 9:55-11:45 Period 2 11:45-1:45 Periods 3, 4 and 5: Lunch, Advisory, Tutorials
Personalized Instruction James W. Keefe and John M. Jenkins
Kenneth Sirotnik and John Goodlad caution us to think in terms of school "renewal" rather than "reform." Sirotnik (1999) tells us that reform is usually preoccupied with accountability rather than evaluation. Much of high-stakes reform, for example, is aimed at rewarding or punishing schools and educators. Renewal, on the other hand, urges a new accountability more akin to "responsibility." Goodlad (1999, pp. 574, 575) points out that, "The language of reform carries with it the traditional connotations of things gone wrong that need to be corrected, as with delinquent boys or girls incarcerated in reform schools. This language is not uplifting. It says little or nothing about the nature of education, the self, or the human community .... School renewal is a much different game ....The language and the ethos of renewal have to do with the people in and around schools improving their practice and developing the collaborative mechanisms necessary to better their schools." Renewal is concerned primarily with what Sarason (1989) calls "creating new settings" that reflect critical inquiry about educational practice. Renewal is all about learner growth in knowledge and self-awareness leading to wisdom, personal happiness, and collective responsibility. Only a minority of schools achieve these kinds of reflective and exploratory environments. Most schools are average and are satisfied with maintaining or perhaps fine-tuning traditional school organizational patterns and pedagogy. THE BASIC ELEMENTS OF PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION
Personalization of instruction and learning is the effort on the part of a school to take into account individual student characteristics and needs, and 3:30-4:00 Team Meetings for the Staff flexible instructional practices, in organizing the learning environment. Teachers committed to personalizing instruction help their students develop DUAL TEACHER ROLE personal learning plans, assist in John M. Jenkins and James W. Keefe diagnosing their cognitive strengths The indispensable catalyst in the personalized instructional environment is and weaknesses and other style the teacher, the instructional specialist who is closest to the learning characteristics, help adapt the learning situation and best understands the needs and interests of students as well environment and instruction to learner as the policies of the school and the district. Personalized instruction needs and interests, and mentor demands that the teacher assume the dual roles of subject-matter coach, authentic and reflective learning consultant and facilitator, and teacher-adviser to a select group of experiences for their students. students. As learning coach, the teacher collaborates with other teachers, student peer tutors, and community resource persons to guide student learning. As teacher-adviser, the teacher provides advice, counsel, and guidance to 15 to 20 students on academic and school-adjustment issues. 1:45-3:30 Period 6
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Educational Reform in Alberta: Where do we go from here? B. Spencer and C. Webber (2000)
In light of research, we must ask the following questions: Where do we go from here? What is it that those in leadership roles in places like Alberta should consider? What should we do? As is probably more than obvious to those familiar with current reform literature,this larger trends, the recommendations originally offered a year ago in this study’s summary report were not so much original as they were meant to substantiate what others continue to advocate. They are are as follows: To begin, public education must become a truly public endeavor. We can no longer equate the word ‘education’ with the word ‘school’, and we must open our minds to consider all possibilities and alternatives. This involves three thrusts. First we must not only except schools to uphold and sustain society; we must also except society to uphold and sustain schools. Schools need to be responsive, but they also need to be supported. This means going beyond superficial changes in reforms such as those sometimes associated with shared decision-making and schoolcommunity partnership. It means entering into reciprocal relationships of trust, respect and empathy. It means working together - not at cross purposes and not in competition with one another - to develop some common understandings and goals. It is a messy, contentious, and often uncomfortable and frustrating process. It involves thoughtful and hard work, and it requires that we challenge what we are certain of, and what we take for granted. For example, we must be prepared to revisit the values and ideals that underpin the institutions within which we work. We can no longer assume, for instance, that white, middle-class understandings of the democratic process are always suitable and appropriate in our
dynamic and heterogenius communities. We must work towards a democratization that embraces the difficult process of genuine involvement and consensus-building. This means that we must carefully consider our notions of plurality and diversity. Even our conception of the ‘stakeholder’, a label we often use, becomes problematic. It forces us to see individuals as merely members of a larger group. It categorizes us according to a fixed role, and leaves little room for the personal or the unique. Because of this, alternative understandings of democratic processes must be considered. Second, we can no longer see schools in a traditional sense. We must be prepared to eliminate barriers and see boundaries as permeable...we take for granted the structures of schooling as they exist from classrooms, to schedules and time allocations, to power relationships, to teaching practices as fixed and consistent ‘givens’. We consider ourselves open and amenable to change, yet, in many ways, we are merely paying lip service to the prospect. When it comes right down to it, we assume and, indeed, we expect that change will happen in our terms and on our turf. Beyond this, we seem unable to imagine the possibilities. On one level, we recognize the need to think ‘outside the box’. On another level, even the language we use to talk about change reveals how difficult it is for us to conceive of what might be beyond that which is familiar and safe and - even in the cases of difficult and rapidly implemented reforms - that which is, ironically, somehow predictable. In order for education to be responsive, relevant, and forward moving, we must be willing to challenge our assumptions, question our own preconceptions, and begin to envision schooling as radically transformed. In this way, the potential exists to affect deep and positive change, for example, by interrupting the reproduction of problematic values and negative conditions which can be found in existing school structures: inequality, inflexibility, hierarchy, power relationships, and claim over authority and expertise. Moreover, 12
by breaking away for the constraints imposed by the ‘walls’ of the school building, we recognize that learning does not only happen within the confines of the traditional classroom or its off-site equivalent, and that teaching is not the sole domain, nor is it the sole responsibility, of the professional educator. In order for education to be truly responsive and truly public, in addition to our present understandings of partnerships and shared responsibility as the ‘community in the school’, we must also start envisioning the ‘school in the community’. Perhaps this will require us to think of education in more abstract terms - as an institution or entity of society - rather than in terms of the school in its concrete or physical form. As such, we may be better able to move beyond merely inviting others ‘in’ and merely making connections to the ‘outside’. Third, consistent with the above conception of education beyond the school, is the understanding of education in a holistic sense - as integrated and implicitly connected to a larger community. Our present notions of schools as primarily separate form the rest of society renders education disconnect and disassociated from the ‘real’ world of our children. Furthermore, schools, as isolated institutions, prevent students from developing the significant connections they need in order to understand themselves as holding important membership within an interdependent whole. As en essential component of a wider ecosystem, schools must be integrated and incorporated with all other societal institutions and organizations. This conception sees education institutions as learning organizations within a larger learning collective, where the focus is on active inquiry, critical thinking, constructed knowledge, generative curriculum, and lifelong learning for the benefit of not only the individual but, moreover, the entire society. Further, the interconnections and ties between the school and the community forge relationships necessary in nurturing values of mutuality, reciprocity, and interdependence - values which are
essential if education is to indeed be public. The ideals presented are just that - ideals. Embracing these concepts as possibilities for reform requires that we radically ‘rethink’ public education. Then, beyond thinking, we must act. Change of this type does not happen overnight, nor does it begin on a large scale. It starts at a ‘grassroots’ or school level, with small groups of individuals who are most closely or directly connected to children, and it moves slowly and incrementally. It is motivated by what is in the best interests of students, and it focuses on teaching and learning. In this light, Hargreaves (1999) talks about deep, meaningful, and lasting reform. He argues that parents, together with teachers, form a powerful alliance. By starting out small, and continually and consistently advocating on behalf of children, this alliance can secure the support and force required to launch a full-fledged social movement. This movement, hear argues, stands to carry with it impact and consequences of the magnitude advanced by the environmental movement of the 60s and 70s which resulted in fundamental changes in the way we do things and in the way we see our world and ourselves within that world. Hargreaves suggests that it is only through this type of movement, and its initial grassroots activism, that we can hope to change the way our schools are viewed so that education will be seen by all as critically important and essentially public.
Results from the 2008 Alberta Student Engagement Initiative - SPEAK OUT What’s holding you back
5%12% 17%
from your learning?
28%
18% 20%
Unmotivated and Disruptive Students Class/Teacher Problems Academic Obstacles Lack of Physical Well Being Subject Irrelevance Negative Stuff on Social Life
Describe your surroundings and activities when you are at your best
17%2% 24% 2% 15%
Good Student Work Ethic Good Learning Atmosphere 40% Learning Styles Being Met Changing it Up (keeping it fresh and interesting) Teachers are Prepared and Understand Us Courses and Assignments Relevant to Real Life
In order for public education to be truly responsive to the needs of today’s children or to even survive as a relevant public institution, we must be willing to push the limits of our own preconceptions and to envision schooling as different from its present forms. Opportunities that allow us to break away from the immediate challenges and difficulties we face in our own school community - even if only for brief interludes - to go beyond thinking and talking about change on a local level to thinking and talking about change on a global level, encourage relevant and original ideas - conceptions crucial for transforming education in the 21st Century. From - Education Reform in Alberta - Where Do We Go From Here?
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Challenges of High School Redesign Overview:
Localizing High School Redesign to the School/Community: Individual schools, even within a single school district, have unique needs, strengths, and aspirations. In order to properly address these unique characteristics, redesign models must be localized or tailored to suit the individual school. In a review of school reform and governmental policy, McNeil (2003) described how redesign models cannot be properly implemented or supported if the needs, strengths and visions of a school are not taken into account. Century and Levy (2002) identify three aspects of a localized context that, if not accounted for, could challenge the effectiveness of high school redesign efforts: 1. school (or district) culture; 2. decision making structures; and 3. equity issues.
Although research indicates that high school redesign efforts are showing promise, Quint et al (2008) Darling-Hammond (2002), Pecheone (2006), McNeil (2003), Century and Levy (2002) and Brand (2004) identify challenges that must be overcome in order for localized high school redesign efforts to succeed. Some of the key challenges that have been identified include the following: Estimating Time and Resource Commitment: In order for redesign efforts to succeed, adequate time and resources must be made available and sustained. Many schools and stakeholders underestimate what is required or attempt to alter the amounts committed part way through the process. In an article on redesign for the School Redesign Network, Darling-Hammond (2002) states that the first and most important challenge for bringing about high school redesign is securing and maintaining adequate resources.
Implementing and Sustaining a Redesign Model: Theoretical or historical effectiveness of a particular high school redesign model does not guarantee success. Serious challenges to the success of redesign efforts arise if schools or school districts are unable to provide strong leadership, a clear vision, openness to community input, and effective communication. Century and Levy (2002) stated that to sustain high school redesigns, leaders must be responsive to varying program needs, shifting district conditions, and the viewpoints of stakeholders. “The important finding then, is that the strategic decisions leaders make must be sensitive to the district’s circumstances and culture if they are to contribute to the program’s sustainability.”
Engaging Stakeholders in the High School Redesign Process: To ensure the immediate and continuing success of high school redesign efforts, leaders must foster and sustain the interest and input of all stakeholders. Redesign leaders must develop avenues for input, create methods for updating and communicating progress, and provide impetus and a rallying point for involved commitment from students, staff, parents, and the community.
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Benefits of High School Redesign the Alberta Education High School Flexibility Enhancement Pilot Project Literature Review
Other Benefits: Research has suggested additional benefits arising from high school redesign efforts. These benefits include, but are not limited to the following:
Overview: Lachat (2001) and other authorities in the educational reform literature provide evidence that sustained efforts to transform high schools can help prepare students for the demands of a “technological and global society characterized by rapid change and unprecedented diversity” as well as a work environment that demands individuals who can “understand multidimensional problems, design solutions, plan their own tasks, evaluate results, and work cooperatively with others.” These authors concur that by focusing on teaching and learning to close the achievement gap, by enhancing the capacity of teachers to alter and personalize class time and instruction, and by empowering school boards and other stakeholders to reorganize and redesign the structure of their schools and classes, meaningful changes can be made to better prepare all students for engagement in college and careers in the 21st century.
Safer and More Caring and Orderly Schools: Initial research seems to suggest that smaller, more personalized learning communities result in a safer and more caring and orderly learning environment for students. Schools as Professional Learning Communities: High school redesign models, particularly those that attempt to create smaller, more personalized learning environments, increase the sense that the school is a professional learning community. In these schools, teachers actively work on collaborating to create compatible curriculum and consistent assessment procedures as well as work at developing personalized student -teacher relationships and differentiated instruction that meets the diverse and individual needs of students.
In particular, the literature agrees that the following benefits can be realized by enhancing flexibility in high schools:
“…we have evidence that small schools are indeed better for our children: All else equal, they produce higher achievement, lower dropout rates, greater attachment, and more participation in the curricular and extracurricular activities that prepare students for productive lives. There is real potential for the current small schools movement to transform the educational landscape … for the better.”
Higher Student Achievement Levels Higher Retention, Promotion, and Graduation Rates Improved Student Engagement/ Participation Success for Disadvantaged Youth Smoother Transitions to Post-secondary Education and Careers
Darling-Hammond; School Redesign Network, Stanford University; 10 Features of Good Small Schools: Redesigning High Schools, What Matters and What Works (2002)
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Wm. E. Hay Enhancement 2009-2013 Start by standing back. It’s time to step back from our traditional thinking about learning and rethink schools,
Educating Individuals for a Collective Future
classrooms, curriculum, evaluation, the roles of teachers and learners and particularly, what it means and what it will mean to be learned in the light of the modern changing world. Ian Jukes - Education at the Crossroads
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT
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NORBERT BAHARALLY PRINCIPAL WM. E. HAY HIGH SCHOOL STETTLER, AB T0C 2L1 403-742-3466
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