What School Could Be Academy
Academy Overview
The Center for Next Generation Leadership is thrilled to announce our partnership with Ted Dintersmith and What School Could Be, expanding the Academy's reach to school teams worldwide, now in its second year.
The What School Could Be Academy is in search of leaders who recognize that the traditional educational system, originally designed for the Industrial Era, is no longer sufficient for equipping students to thrive in a diverse, global economy.
We collaborate with leaders at all levels to share innovative models and strategies for establishing personalized systems that foster deeper learning. Our objectives include:
- Revolutionizing the teaching and learning experience.
- Harnessing technology for transformative change.
- Assisting in strategic planning efforts for system redesign.
- Coaching and supporting change leaders.
Kentucky leaders who have participated overwhelmingly attribute their progress in creating learner-centered innovations in schools and districts to the Academy experience. This has resulted in increased student and teacher engagement, leading to improved student achievement.
We are excited to partner with Next Gen to help teams develop and implement entry points to school innovation.
We provide the "how" for your mission:
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Networked leaders
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Focus on transformation
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Creating cultural change toward innovation
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Robust background in student-centered, deeper learning models
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Real-life examples and guidance from others doing the work
You choose the path. We support you at each step:
Identify your unique point of entry.
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Will it be your Portrait of a Graduate, student-led conferences, exhibition nights, digital portfolios, project-based learning, defenses of learning, multiage, inquiry-based learning, passion projects, making and doing, school networks, early college models, or something else?
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Design a specific project
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Implement that project with fidelity
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Create a gateway to broad implementation of transformative change
Academy outcomes:
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A better understanding of structural intersections of key elements of deeper learning models
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A better sense of local, student-identified opportunities for growth
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Identify specific levers for change within your schools setting
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Position participants for summer strategy development for implementation the following school year
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Identify specific school models that resonate as potential examples for growth locally
Let's Learn Together!
Meetings: 12 synchronous sessions total across 3 sprints of 2 weeks each with asynchronous, optional supporting work between sessions. Ongoing communication is provided through the What School Could Be Community.
Sprints
Learning Structures for Deeper Learning
Sprint 1
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Why Learning Must Change
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Science of Learning
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Constructivism v. Behaviorism
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Student Agency
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Listening to Margins
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Inquiry Learning
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Project-Based Learning
Assessing Deeper Learning
Sprint 2
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Student-Led Conferences
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Exhibitions of Student Work
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Defenses, Portfolios
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Rubrics
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Inquiry Learning
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Project-Based Learning
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Next Gen Assessment and Accountability
Structures & Systems for Deeper Learning
Sprint 3
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Community Engagement
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Portrait of a Graduate
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Competencies
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Grading/Reporting
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Technology as Support Tool
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Professional Development for Teachers
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Exhibitions of Learning
Feedback from our 2022 WSVCB Academy Participants
"It really forced me to reevaluate my pedagogy and how I think about education and being an educator. I really enjoyed all of the resources and examples, as well as hearing about other schools' journeys."
"The most beneficial part was learning ideas to revamp what our idea of school is, how we can change the experience of learning of students, and, most importantly, how we can engage these students back into learning and allow them to take ownership in their own learning."
"I loved that we started with small pieces that ended up helping us create a bigger picture/project."
"The sharing of resources is absolutely invaluable."
"The guidance to figure out what deeper learning would look like for our school was the most beneficial."
"I appreciated the steering of WSCB and how it made the district follow the guidelines and think outside the box to do upgrades to education."
