Vision+Ideas+&+Statement


 * VISION**

Putting Students in Charge of Their Learning

Because Life Has More Than One Answer

3-Tiered Approach to Learning:

1. Ethics (values, attitudes, caring, service, relation of self to others)

2. Attentional balance and stability (mindfulness training, relation of self to material, developing the ability to focus)

3. Developing insight/wisdom (focus is not on memorizing or multiple choice, but on critical thinking and making the learning your own. Developing 21st c. skills (knowing what to do w/ info. to make it useful). Individualized learning based on personal interests and needs.

Look into Sudbury Valley School for student choice.

Harlem Village Academies school culture materials

Create a place where kids will want to stay in, not drop out:



See Inspirational quotes from Seth Godin:


 * //The Vision of the Charter School should be://**
 * **//A long trajectory//**: create an image of the school 20, 30, 50 years into the future.
 * **//Seemingly unattainable//**: setting high expectations for yourself, your program, your students, your community; (a place where ALL students are engaged in high quality learning and demonstrations of their learning: See HSSSE Report.)
 * **//Singular and shared//** by the entire founding team; an agreement of the overarching goals of the school, and where it is going.

Your Team should share a Vision that addresses:

I. Core values and purpose From HSSSE Report: "Engagement can best be understood as a relationship: between the student and school community, the student and school adults, the student and peers, the student and instruction, and the student and curriculum." "Schools that focus on student engagement are seeing both great possibility and real success." "Students want to feel that their words and thoughts are important to adults within the school community."
 * Fostering a safe and supportive learning environment and community
 * Building healthy and appropriate relationships (based on mutual respect, trust, kindness, empathy, and cooperation)
 * Being open to new exploring new ideas and experiences about yourself and the world, reconnecting with a passion for learning
 * Everyone's thinking matters: education as bringing the unique wisdom out of every student, not filling with information (valuing divergent (critical and creative) thinking as well as convergent)
 * Willing to communicate and work as a team
 * Wanting to give back to the community
 * Risk taker (operate out of love and passion for your beliefs instead of being paralyzed by fear)
 * Valuing the individual (unique strengths and talents) and what they bring to the team
 * Providing autonomy and opportunities to develop wise decision-making based on a sense of responsibility, student as an active agent of learning

Edutopia's 6 Core Strategies for Innovation and Reform in Learning:

1. [|Integrated Studies]
To increase engagement and retention, academic subjects are presented in an interdisciplinary fashion that reflects modern knowledge and society. For instance history, literature, and art can be interwoven and taught through text, images, and sound. 

2. [|Project Learning]
Long term and student centered, project learning is a rigorous hands-on approach to learning core subject matter and basic skills with meaningful activities that examine complex, real-world issues. Project learning helps students develop and retain useful, working knowledge of subjects that are often taught in isolation and abstraction. 

3. [|Technology Integration]
Through the intelligent use of technology, combined with new approaches to education, a more personalized style of learning can be realized. 

4. [|Teacher Development]
The human touch is the most valuable element in education. Teachers, administrators, and parents play critical roles in coaching and guiding students through the learning process, nurturing students' interests and confidence as learners. 

5. [|Social and Emotional Learning]
When students work together on project teams, they learn to collaborate, communicate, and resolve conflicts. Cooperative learning and character development supports the social and emotional development of students and prepares them for success in the modern workplace. 

6. [|Comprehensive Assessment]
Effective assessment should measure the full range of student ability -- social, emotional, and academic achievement. Through various measures, including portfolios, presentations, and tests, multiple learning styles are supported.

• The impact on the community

• The needs of the students

• School philosophy and culture

• School academic program

• Target populations

• Geographies served

• School and classroom dynamics Behavior and discipline will be managed by a system of cultivating mindfulness and self-responsibility, considering how our actions affect others School counselor?

Can we do this by having 1/2 staff in am and 1/2 staff in pms, ex: core content ams/arts and enrichment pms?
 * AN EXTENDED SCHOOL DAY**

The desire for structured after school time for teens:

After School Programs and Extended Day Classes

From What Kids and Parents Want from Out-of-School Time: "Poorer families and those from minority backgrounds are far more dissatisfied with the availability and quality of program options beyond the school day and are far likelier to want more academic help for their kids. Majorities believe their kids are getting shortchanged in their out-of-school opportunities."

"More academics does not top the list of things parents are seeking in their child’s out-of-school activities.
 * Other than safety, what’s the best reason for kids in general to be involved in organized activities and programs when they’re not in school? Asked to choose among the following four options, only 15% of parents say the best reason is to improve how well kids do in school; 41% say it’s to develop interests and hobbies; 27% to keep kids busy and out of trouble; 16% to have fun.
 * While more than 1 in 3 parents (34%) say they’d go out of their way to find an after-school program for their own child that provides supervised homework time, another 37% say this would be “nice but not essential,” and 28% say itwould not be important to them.
 * When parents are asked to choose which of these three programs would be the best match for their own child, the results are about evenly split among a program that provides “extra academic preparation and skills” (37%), athletics/sports (32%) or things like art, music or dance (29%)."

"By extremely wide margins, low-income and minority parents are considerably more likely to want activities and programs that emphasize academic learning. Both groups are more likely to say:
 * Their child needs extra help in school [low vs. higher income: 67% vs. 44%; minority vs. white: 61% vs. 45%]
 * They are concerned their child will fall behind on academics during the summer months [low vs. higher income: 60% vs. 32%; minority vs. white 56% vs. 33%]
 * An after-school program that provides supervised homework time is something they would go out of their way to find [low vs. higher income: 52% vs. 28%; minority vs. white 56% vs. 27%]
 * That since schools are putting so much emphasis on standardized tests and higher academic standards, kids are better off in after-school programs that focus on academics rather than on other things [low vs. higher income: 45% vs. 35%; minority vs. white 55% vs. 33%]
 * The best match for their own child would be an activity or program that focused on “providing extra academic preparation and skills” rather than sports or the arts [low vs. higher income: 39% vs. 35%*; minority vs. white 56% vs. 32%]"

"Activities and programs that focus on learning appeal to low-income and minority students as well as parents. These students are more likely to say:
 * They would be interested in a summer program that helped kids keep up with schoolwork or prepare for the next grade [low vs. higher income: 69% vs. 51%; minority vs. white: 79% vs. 49%]
 * They would “very much” like an after-school program that focuses mainly on academic preparation [low vs. higher income: 39% vs. 24%; minority vs. white: 45% vs. 23%]
 * They would “very much” like an after-school program that gives you time to do homework and has an adult around to help if you need it [low vs. higher income: 36% vs. 29%; minority vs. white: 45% vs. 29%]
 * The best reason for kids to be involved in activities after school and on weekends is “to improve how well they do in school” [low vs. high]"

Love of Learning Lives "Even so, a sizable 39% of youngsters reject the “last thing I want is more academics” formulation, and about 3 in 10 indicate they would very much like an after-school program that provides homework help (32%) or that focuses on academics (28%)."


 * Low-income and minority families are considerably more likely to want activities that emphasize academic learning.**

What to Expect from Kids? "It’s one thing to ask parents if they think their child’s out-of school activities should focus on academic skills and learning. But it’s quite another to pose this question to middle and high school students, many of whom seem programmed to bolt at the sound of a bell. Only 9% of students, if given a choice Why is it important to find out what students’ priorities are? Because if youngsters en masse lack enthusiasm for a particular activity or program, they simply won’t participate. And then the policy debate about academic vs. social outcomes becomes moot. Only about 1 in 10 students (12%) say improving how well they do in school is the best reason for a kid to be involved in things after school. They are far more likely to point to having fun (39%), keeping kids busy and out of trouble (29%) or developing interests and hobbies (19%)."

Some Want More

"As reported in Finding 1, more than 6 in 10 students (61%) agree with the statement “When the school day is done, the last thing I want is to go to a place that has more academic work.” Nevertheless, a strong minority of students (39%) disagree, indicating an ample number of youngsters who are interested in taking on more schoolwork. Almost 1 in 3 students (32%) indicate they’d have a lot of interest in an after-school program that promised supervised homework help, and almost 3 in 10 (28%) would very much like one that focused mainly on academics. Well over half the students surveyed also say they would be very (17%) or somewhat (39%) interested in a program that helped kids keep up with schoolwork during the summer.

Out-of-school-time activities that center on learning are especially appealing to low-income and minority students. Compared to their higher-income and white peers, they are more likely to pick improving schoolwork as the best reason for kids to join activities, to like the idea of an after-school program that provides supervised homework help or academic preparation, and to be interested in a summer program that helped them keep up with schoolwork (see chart)."


 * MISSION**

**//Address purpose//**: • //Who We Are// – The name of the school and its emphasis • //Who We Serve// – Our target population and grades • //What We Will Do – A//cademic and organizational strategies; • //Our Outcomes – W//hat the students will look like as a result of your program
 * //The Mission of the Charter School “is to”://**
 * //Be brief//**, consisting of one to two well-developed sentences
 * //Be a roadmap//** for achieving the **//Vision//**.
 * //Present a perspective//**: focused on the student, and from the school’s point of view.
 * //Serve as the school’s “handshake”//**: It will be known by all and used in various ways to introduce parents, students, community partners, funders, etc. to the school.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

NOTES Vision/Mission: What is the message you want to put out into the world? //What's your message?// How will you communicate this? //What's your media?// Every student will use self-relection and their learning to formulate a life mission/purpose. They will identify their individual strengths and interests to further this development. How do we teach students that They Matter? by helping find their strengths and passions By giving the students more power and control over their lives, of course we will make mistakes, history is full of bad choices. Not just students who are learning, but us, the staff, teachers, parents, society as well. For every teacher, every class, every student: How will this lesson/class help me become a better communicator? Goal = to educate every child, no matter what the circumstances are they bring to school. To provide every child love, respect, encouragement, and the tools to succeed. To provide a calm, focused environment. Should we be pushing college for all, or should we allow for choice? See diversification in Finnish schools. The importance of aligning learning goals w/ assessment types, from: http://flosse.blogging.fi/2008/06/20/comparing-schools-in-finland-and-in-the-united-states/ The idea behind the Finnish high school exams is simple, and actually based on very classical (American) management “truth”: you get what you measure. If you measure route learning and route memory that’s what teachers will teach in schools. If you’ll stress understanding the big picture, general knowledge and higher-level concepts, that is what the people in the system will try to do. Four foci of the school:
 * Contemplate/Examine: Investigation of Self: Who am I? What am I interested in/most passionate about? How can I find out? psychology (Myers-Briggs), mindfulness, journal writing, yoga
 * Critique/Explore and Evaluate: Investigation of the World: What is going on in my community and the world (past, present, future)? Learning to engage with information with a critical eye, seeking more than just a surface explanation of things, media literacy, critical thinking, current events, etc., content areas (LA, math, sci, HSS)
 * Create and Communicate/Express: How do I formulate and express my awareness of and ideas about the world through a variety of media and find the appropriate audience for my message? arts electives, writing/journalism, technology
 * Serve: How can I be of service in the world? How can I help? service electives

Multimedia Communications for the 21st Century Charter High School


 * //because life has more than one answer//
 * //different is good//
 * //empowering students to find their gifts and strengths for being of benefit in their community and the world//

Japanese houses have no bricks, no walls
 * //where you're not just another brick in the wall//
 * //we make people, not bricks//
 * //no bricks, no walls// <-- how to do this for free? (public instead of private)

Imagine there're no test scores, I wonder if you can Nothing to drill or cram for Imagine all the people learning what they love (loving what they learn) (learning how to think) thinking for themselves
 * //2 Theme songs: The Wall and Imagine//

Inspirational Quote: [|"Finding the right Question is more valuable and rewarding than finding the right Answer." - Leif Ericsson Leo Veness].

"Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly." MLK, Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Vision should be aligned with developmentally appropriate issues: For Seminar Course: Erikson Stages of Development 13-21 years, Identity vs. Role Confusion

Assignment: Reinvent High School

I like the School Culture Statement of Achievement 1st Charter Schools and their Core Values

Goal: 100% seniors college bound and accepted! See Achievement First Signing Day 2011 video

Successful schools, not more prisons: Educational CyberPlayground

Prison spending vs. schools (per-pupil spending)


 * Job Skills/Fields**

Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook, etc.

5 Job Skills in Demand in 2011: 1. Verbal communication skills 2. Strong work ethic 3. Teamwork skills 4. Analytical skills 5. Initiative

10 in-Demand Job Skills

Top 9 IT Skills in Demand for 2012

Six Job Areas in High Demand

US Dept. of Labor High Growth Job Training Initiative

Hot Jobs in High Demand 2011-2016

YouthBuildU.S.A.

Reforming American High Schools: See Creating the Vision "Successful schools tend to envision a system focused on the future. The goal is to teach students **how to think** — not simply what to know. In addition, **learning how to learn and how to embrace change** are critical skills that will enable individuals to thrive in our changing society. The schools that have achieved success also understand that they need to teach students to do things not simply by rote, but rather **with a deeper level of understanding**. In effect, they need to help students **apply high levels of cognitive knowledge to real-world unpredictable situations**. That means academic rigor applied in **open-ended ways** that are relevant to the 21st century. On the International Center’s widely used schema, the Rigor/Relevance Framework, that optimal mode of learning is graphed at the upper right. Quadrant D is the highest level intersect of academic rigor and engaging relevance." (= the need for Critical Thinking)

From Reforming Public High Schools: " Since that time, I have continued to search for examples of successful high schools; places where the majority of low-income students of color are achieving at high levels. As a result of my search I have found a small number of schools that meet this criteria -- Far West High School in Oakland, Ca, Snowden High School in Boston, Ma, El Puente Leadership Academy in Brooklyn, NY. (This is by no means an exhaustive list of successful high schools) Interestingly, though each of these schools differs significantly with respect to its organization, curriculum and mission, they share one important characteristic in common: all of them are small.

"With fewer than 200 students enrolled, these schools provide a level of intimacy and support to students that is rare to find in most of our nation’s high schools. Not only do students at these schools out perform their counterparts at larger high schools in the same districts on standardized tests, but they also have a clearer sense of where they are going after they graduate, and their schools help them to get there. Perhaps most striking of all is the fact that students at these schools actually say that they like the schools they attend, and unlike most high schools, these students they also report that they feel they can confide in the adults who work with them."

"Reducing the size of a school is a necessary but not sufficient step toward improving school quality. Beyond size, all schools must have a clear mission that is understood and meaningful to teachers, students and parents (Meier 1995). Teachers must be skilled and knowledgeable in the subjects they teach, and students must be encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning. Basically, unless all of the essential features associated with school effectiveness (Edmonds, 1979; Sizemore, 1988) are present in small schools, they are unlikely to be any better than the big schools we presently have."

"Instead of imposing small learning communities on schools, it is more prudent and effective for educational leaders to work with teachers in conceiving of new schools through a process that is voluntary, creative and organic. When educators are united around a common theme or idea, as has occurred at several charter schools, the sense of ownership and responsibility over the work they do is greatly enhanced. Rather than passively complying (or not) with directives from District-level administrators, educators who are empowered and enabled to create new schools bring a sense of passion to their work that can make extraordinary things happen (Meier 1994; Clinchy 2000). The benefits gained from the opportunity to explore and innovate when creating new schools is precisely what many stagnant systems need to improve."

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular; font-size: small;">To keep charter schools small, each one would have a different focus. See Farrington Academies for ideas.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular; font-size: small;">Career themed academies make learning real-world applicable. See Disposable Youth

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular; font-size: small;">Career/Technical Education in CA, from State Notes: <span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular; font-size: small;">" Although state does not have a technical diploma or endorsement, any student who has successfully completed a career preparatory program must receive a certificate of completion that supplements a high school diploma.

State board of education approved new voluntary curriculum frameworks for middle and high school in January 2007. The career technical education frameworks show school districts and teachers how to link academic standards with career preparation. The frameworks are based around fifteen growing industries.

2007 legislation (A.B. 428, Chapter 527) requires each school district serving students in grades 9-12 to provide parents, prior to class registration, written information on career technical education offerings, as defined by the state department of education. Resulting comprehensive state career technical education plan was approved by the state board of education in March 2008.

One effort in the state to improve career and technical education has been to create and support California Partnership Academies. The academies are three-year programs (grades 10-12) structured as a school-within-a-school, with a career theme. Academies incorporate integrated academic and career technical education business partnerships, mentoring and internships through a team-based approach. The academies' components include rigorous academics with a career focus, a team of teachers where teachers are accountable to each other and active business involvement. The 290 Partnership Academies in the state have better outcomes in every dimension with the largest outcomes for African-American males. "


 * Going Paperless**

Google in Education (on-campus communications done through g-chat? ex: sending a student to the nurse)

Evernote for Schools

Starting a Paperless School

http://goingpaperlessblog.com/ code (2) Maintain written contemporaneous records that document all pupil attendance and make these records available for audit and inspection. code So can we go paperless in the school office or not?

Do we have to have hard copies of textbooks or not? https://www.google.com/search?ix=seb&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=california+textbook+law


 * Personalized Learning**

Ken Robinson on Personalized Learning

Coalition of Essential Schools

See Vision Statement at Grange Primary Schl