Meeting Student-Centered Standards:

Personalization across the NAF Model

Steve Brown, National Academy FoundationAcademy Development Director

Southeast

Bea Arvie, Academy Director, Scotlandville HSAcademy of Engineering

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Students at the Center : Personalization in Schools

“The personalization movement is intended

as an antidote to the widespread feelings of

anonymity, irrelevance, and disengagement

that students report, especially in large,

urban high schools.”

S. Yonezewa, L. McClure, M. Jones

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This Session’s Objectives: Learn, Reflect, Take-away

By the end of the sessions, we will:• Learn- how/ why personalization is important

to secondary reform, and the NAF model• Reflect - on key strategies , and imagine how

our academies & schools can become more student centered

• Take away – ideas and actions you will take home to become more student centered

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Student Centered Learning

• A set of practices, policies, and supports that matter in building strong, capable, engaged learners.

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Student Centered Learning

• Personalization is the network of highways, channels, streets and pathways that connect individuals engaged in the learning.

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The History (in ten minutes or less)

• Rousseau to Dewey to Sizer • A Nation at Risk (1983) – Ted Sizer and the

Coalition of Essential Schools:o no teacher should have direct responsibility for

more than 80 studentso decisions about course of study, the use of

students' and teachers' time, materials and pedagogies “must be unreservedly placed in the hands of the principal and staff.”

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History (cont.): ring a bell?

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Reforms, Strategies, interventions• Smaller learning communities/ Small schools

• Advisor-advisee programs/ student voice

• Cohort models and increased teacher time

• Careers curriculum / project based learning for

relevance, integration and CREATIVITY

• Extra-curricular during the school day

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Reflections:1. Backward Looking – What have you tried in

the past? How intentional and systematic

was the intervention or strategy?

2. Inward Looking – How do you feel about

the intervention or strategy? What aspect

connected with you the strongest? What

posed the greatest challenge?

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Going Small• Small schools/ SLC’s are particularly

effective for low income, minority youth• MDRC’s study of 80,000 students in NYC

(Bloom, Unterman 2012) found that enrolling in a small school rather than a large, comprehensive high school, markedly improves graduation rates for low SES students of color

• Graduation rates favor going small 67.9 vs. 59.3 %

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Scotlandville AOE Personalization

Schedule cohort team of teachers with common planning time meeting weekly.

Schedule cohort teachers with different planning times meeting 2 times per

month.

Support integrated learning units at all grade levels.

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•Monthly engineering activities/competitive events

•Monthly mentor/mentee activities

•Cohort field trips

•Quarterly success celebrations

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Reflections (cont.):

3. Outward Looking – Does your community

perceive your school/ academy as student

centered? How do you know?

4. Forward Looking – What is one thing you

would modify in how you create a

personalized environment?...one new idea

to become more student centered?

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NAF’s model and Personalization;the Academy Assessment

The NAF model speaks to personalization broadly,

across all four essential elements:

• In twelve standards – not just our

Personalization standard

• Utilizing twenty-two different strategic actions

• We (self) assess for all of these

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NAF’s approach: 12 standards, 22 strategic actions• Academy Development• Standard 1:• 1.1.d Parent and student orientation• Standard 2: Personalization• ALL SA’s, 1.2.a-d• Standard 4:• 1.4.b Uniquely qualified staff• 1.4.d Designated counselor• Standard 5:• 1.5.a Professional development - personalized supports• Advisory Board• Standard 2:• 2.2.b Industry knowledge & expertise to the students• Curriculum & Instruction• Standard 1:• 3.1.b Project based learning

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NAF’s approach (cont.)• C & I (cont.)• Standard 2:• 3.2.a Literacy strategies• Standard 3:• 3.3.a Academic supports (individualized scaffolding)• 3.3.b Identify students at risk• Standard 4:• 3.4.c Students have access to multiple post-secondary

options• Work Based Learning• Standard 1 : WBL Program / ALL SA’s• 4.1.a-c• Standard 2: Internships/ All SA’s• 4.2.a-b• Standard 3: Student Career Goals / ALL SA’s• 4.3.a-b

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NAF Academy Development: Standard 2

2.a Students are scheduled as a group – a

community of learners; their teachers know them

2.b Core courses are linked with technical content-

academics are aligned to the students’ interests

2.c There is a common planning time – teachers

collaborate, and plan for theme and relevance

2.d Students receive career themed guidance – ?

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Reflections (cont.):

3. Outward Looking – Does your community

perceive your school/ academy as student

centered? How do you know?

4. Forward Looking – What is one thing you

would change in a strategy or program

already in place?...one new idea for a more

personalized academy?

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Personalization = Creativity!Placeholder for video:

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Beatrice J. Arvie

Academy of Engineering Director and Lead Magnet Teacher at Scotlandville Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, LA

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Steve Brown

Bio Picture

NAF, Academy Development Director

sbrown@naf.org646-341-1817