Knowledge academies 04242014 - nglc breakthrough model

A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR FAMILIES.WWW.KAYOUTH.ORG

The mission of Knowledge Academies is to prepare students to make the best academic and social choices leading to the completion of a college degree. Our alumni will graduate college-ready and remain connected to their community.

http://www.kayouth.org/

1. Dramatically improve college readiness and completion, especially among disadvantaged students;

2. Make a difference to students who most need assistance; and

3. Achieve innovation through collaboration and partnerships.

Knowledge Academies is very pleased to join the Next Generation Learning Challenges community (NGLC) as a K-12 Breakthrough School Model for College Readiness.

DEVELOPMENT OF COLLEGE READY HABITS

Research identifies the following habits as strong predictors of college degree completion. Each individually impacts the probability for success by at least 5 percent (Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, 2011).

KA’s design principles focus on reinforcing these habits, every day.

1.Having a definite reason for choosing college and following through with a college early action / early decision application.

2.Using the internet to research and compare different colleges.3.Visiting a college campus.4.Participating in student clubs / student groups while enrolled in college.5.Strong emotional health (based on self-rating)6.Strong drive to achieve (based on self-rating)7.Consistent follow through on homework (especially during senior year)8.Performing volunteer work (especially as a senior)

4 Years 5 Years 6 Years

42.1

59.764.2

27.4

44.8

50.2

College Degree Attainment % Rates by Family Experience with

College

College Experienced 1st Generation

The table summarizes the disparity in the college completion rate of first generation college students vs. students from families that have experience with college. For each key indicator, first generation college students lag their peers by 14 to 15 percent (Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, 2011).

PROTECTED TIME EACH DAY FOR TEAM BUILDING

Building community& trust

Peer observation &feedback

Examining student workText-based discussions

Tools & Framewo

rks

Daily activities focused on self-discovery, social emotional learning, & team building.1. Learning Combination Inventory2. Critical Friends Protocol (Adaptations)3. KA Design Principles

Blended learning teams (BLTs)

Youth - Adult60 minutes (M-Th), 90 minutes (F)Minimum of 4 hours per week

Developing consistent support structure to develop learning teams (youth – adult) that work collaboratively pursuing MOOCs for accelerated learning and development.

SUPPORTING LEARNER OWNERSHIP THROUGH BLENDED LEARNING TEAMS

Primary Purposes of Blended Learning Teams1. Support peer-to-peer learning and social emotional support.2. Hold all team members accountable for sharing evidence of progress, everyday.3. Hold all team members accountable for teaching or sharing at least one newly mastered skill (every week), within their team.

USING MOOCS FOR TEAM DEVELOPMENT

Internal Professional

Development

External

Student & teacher created mini-modules focused on the school’s core values, routines, expectations.

Method for all students getting used to the format of MOOCs and reinforcement of organization principles.

All KA team members are offered financial incentives for completing MOOCs related to any area of personal or professional interest.- Individual

Modules- Complete

Courses

Team members present their lessons learned and application to their personal goals.

Sharing lessons learned from the application of MOOCs through a formal professional development module or course.

- All MOOCs created by KA are under Creative Commons License

- Provided on a platform that is widely used by many learners.

SCHOOL METRICS

Team Academics FamiliesProactive communication.

Active pursuit of professional growth & development.

On-time & prepared.

Common social emotional strategies and vocabulary.

Team player

Very skilled at diplomacy in challenging situations.

Consistent class routines with, recognizable anchors everyday for every student, focused on learner ownership & school values.

Consistent use of academic vocabulary by students and thoughtful written reflections / analysis of academic progress.

Strong evidence that learner style preferences are considered daily.

Parent access to class review materials and resources, via the web.

Team player & considerate of family situations.

On-time & prepared.

Very skilled at diplomacy in challenging situations.

Traditional Flexible Peer to Peer

75% Traditional 45% Traditional 15% Traditional

20% Projects & Service



5% Online 30% Online 50% Online

Online includes group



work & collaboration



COLLEGE-READY FASTER PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS

A Few Examples of Online Resources

Kahn Academy Flocabulary IXL

StudySync TenMarks BrainChild

University Partnerships

Google Docs Graphite

Canvas Instructure edX Coursera

All Pathways are Focused on College Readiness!

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4

50%

40%35% 35%

30% 30%35%

30%

20%

30% 30%35%

Pathways Based on KA Design Prin-ciples, Levels 1 - 5

Traditional Blended Flexible

COLLEGE-READY FASTER PATHWAYS FOR STUDENTS

All pathways are based on college readiness.

KA’s Learner Ownership Design Principles (An Effort Based Continuum).

Learner Ownership

General Definition for KA Team MembersOverwhelming Majority of Indicators Present.

Indicators (Students –

Professionals)Overwhelming Majority

Present

Additional Strengths (at least 2)

Fluent(Level 5)Adopter

Learners that consistently demonstrate KA’s core values and the ability to generate, complete, and track their learning goals, effectively communicating their understanding to diverse audiences in multiple contexts and in collaboration with peers. Very adept at diplomacy, even in the most difficult of situations and/or areas of collaboration. Proactive pursuit of professional development.

No missing or late work. On time and prepared. Very high grades or demonstrated learning / professional gains. No discipline referrals or patterns of complaints.

CollaboratingEvaluatingAnalyzingApplying

Early(Level 4)Adopter

Learners that demonstrate KA’s core values and the ability to generate, complete, and track their learning goals, with periodic prompting, effectively communicating their ideas and understanding to specific types of audience in collaboration with multiple peers. Adept at diplomacy, minor assistance needed in challenging situations and/or areas of collaboration. Actively supports all team-based decisions.

No missing or late work. On time and prepared. High grades or demonstrated learning / professional gains. No discipline referrals or patterns of complaints.

CollaboratingCreating Applying

Emerging

(Level 3)Adopter

Learners that demonstrate the ability to complete and track learning goals, requiring ongoing assistance; limited guidance is also needed when communicating ideas to other audiences. Assistance is needed on key aspects of KA’s core values. Needs assistance with reliable and consistent implementation of diplomacy.

Usually on time and prepared. Average to high grades, and/or average demonstrated learning / professional gains.

CollaboratingApplying

UnderstandingRemembering

Developing (Level 2)Adopter

Learners that benefit substantially from sustained and targeted assistance in order to complete and track learning goals, general assistance is needed when communicating ideas and/or levels of understanding. Assistance is needed on key aspects of KA’s core values. Needs ongoing assistance with diplomacy.

Chronically late or unprepared. Average to high grades, and/or average or below average demonstrated learning / professional gains.

CollaboratingUnderstandingRemembering

Specialized

(Level 1)Adopter

Learners that require sustained and targeted assistance to complete and track learning goals, sustained assistance is needed to communicate their ideas and/or levels of understanding. Assistance is needed on key aspects of KA’s core values.

Low to Average Grades. Chronic pattern of discipline referrals or complaints, and/or average to below average learning / professional gains.

CollaboratingRememberin

gFollowing

KA DESIGN PRINCIPLES. LEARNER OWNERSHIPKA Domains for Learner Ownership

KA General Skills Emphasized

1. Social & Emotional (Self)

Sharing and reflecting. Considering others.Improving communication.

2. Academics & College Access (Citizenship)

Creativity - Seeking new ways to look at things.Extension & Consumption – Using prior knowledge, Review & Practice – Focused skill building

3. Cultural & Extra-Curricular (Home)

Home to school connections including college access, adult literacy, athletics, and student clubs.

KA DESIGN PRINCIPLES. LEARNER OWNERSHIPKA Role Definitions KA Descriptor

1. Learner (Students, Families, & Professionals)

Adults - youth involved in Blended Learning Teams (BLTs), college access, adult literacy, and wellness.

2. Learning Mentors (Students, Professionals). Identified through application process. Training ongoing.

Youth and adults that help facilitate blended learning teams. Mentors have office hours, every day, to assist other learners in areas of demonstrated mastery.

3. Teacher Facilitator (Certificated). Annually involved in summer and continuing education.

Classroom educators / facilitators progressing through various stages of KA’s Design Principles (Levels 1 – 5).

4. Learning Coaches (Certificated / Non-Certificated; High Performing). Annually involved in summer and continuing education.

Expert learners (youth – adult) with 2 consecutive years of level 5 learning gains or demonstrated college readiness habits (Levels 1 – 5).

KA’s Adaptation of Learning Preferences(Schoolwide, Youth – Adult)

Adapted from Johnston & Dainton’s Learning Combination Inventory (1996)[1]

• The learner benefits most from step-by-step instructions, completing each step from beginning to end, sharing completed work, as directed.

Next Step(Sequence)

• The learner benefits most from taking detailed notes and asking detailed questions, sharing what has been learned through writing and/or reflection.

More Detail(Precise)

• The learner benefits most from working independently using hands-on experiences, sharing what has been learned through a real-world experience / project.

My Experience(Technical)

• The learner benefits most from exploration and having the freedom to improvise, sharing what has been learned based on the best match for each unique circumstance.

I Create(Confluent)

[1] Johnston, C., and G. Dainton. (1996). The Learning Combination Inventory. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Corwin Press, Sage Publications.

A NEW PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR FAMILIES

1. KA’s primary goal is college ready faster, for more learners.

2. KA will form innovative partnerships that scale to impact 5,000 or more students within the next 4 years, benefiting students, families, and the people that serve them.

BRINGING A TRANSFORMATIVE IDEA TO SCALE

Planning

(1 Year)

Implementatio

n, Phase I (Local Region, Years 1 -

3)

ImplemetationPhase 2

(Beyond Local Region, Years 4 - 6)

Algebra I

Geometry

Physical Science

Spanish I

Advanced U.S. / World History

EARLY HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT AND ADVANCED CLASSES AT KA (GRADES 6 –

8)

KA will offer early high school credit, based on teacher recommendations and/or scoring Advanced or High Proficient in a core content discipline (Grades 6 - 8). All advanced classes will receive high school credit and may have a combination of grade levels, based on demonstrated academic ability.

ABOUT KNOWLEDGE ACADEMIES

• “Most Effective” School rating, TN Department of Education, 2012-2013

• Only 5 percent of schools statewide have a similar demographic. (18% ELL, 10% SPED, 80%+ Poverty)

• Zero financial audit findings for all years of operations (government accounting standards).

• Minimal reliance on additional fundraising.

• 2014 – 2015 of Next Generation Learning Challenge Community (NGLC) – Planning Begins May 2014

• National K-12 Breakthrough Model for College Readiness

• Launching multiple Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) focused on Learner Ownership (youth – adult).

• KA, Nashville (K-12) & Beyond

• Setting the stage for K through Higher Education Opportunities (learners, youth – adult).

Transformative roles, training, & supportLearning Coaches - Learning Mentors

Teacher Facilitator(Youth – Adult)