Quality Design Principle #1: Purpose-Driven
“Our community told us they wanted their children to be lifelong learners. We had to ask ourselves, what are we doing in our classrooms to help them be lifelong learners?…
Category: Understanding Competency Education
Quality Design Principle #2: Commit to Equity
“We aren’t just trying to close the achievement gap. That’s using a deficit model. When we started designing the school, we wanted to have a place where students discover the…
Quality Design Principle #3: Nurture a Culture of Learning and Inclusivity
“Kids don’t say, ‘I’m so stoked to make this standard today.’ They come to school because people care, there is meaningful and relevant curriculum and clear learning targets. We need…
Quality Design Principle #4: Foster the Development of a Growth Mindset
“It starts with a growth mindset that values all of us as works in progress. It’s the joy of learning that motivates all of us to do our best. We…
Quality Design Principle #5: Cultivate Empowering and Distributed Leadership
“I’m asking teachers to allow students to drive their learning. That means I need to allow teachers to drive the policy, the culture, and the decision-making.” – Juan Carlos Ocón,…
Quality Design Principle #6: Base School Design and Pedagogy on Learning Sciences
“One of the biggest changes is from assuming that the stand and deliver approach to learning in which teachers deliver curriculum and students are expected to just give it back on…
Quality Design Principle #7: Activate Student Agency and Ownership
“In the beginning it was hard. There were projects rather than textbooks. But then I realized I was learning a lot of things. I learned to manage my time and resources.…
Quality Design Principle #8: Design for the Development of Rigorous Higher-Level Skills
“What is honors? We realized that it wasn’t more work, or faster. It was deeper learning, something all students should have access to.” – Jennifer Gay, Personalized Learning Project Manager,…
Quality Design Principle #9: Ensure Responsiveness
“We don’t blink if you are at the second grade level when you are in the fourth grade. If teachers really understand the standards and the progressions that are needed…
Quality Design Principle #10: Seek Intentionality and Alignment
“One of the biggest benefits of mastery-based learning is the clarity for teachers. We have had so many good conversations with teachers about what they are teaching, what they want students…