Expeditionary Learning At Lawther Academy Leah D’Souza And Vicky Coyle

Lawther Academy Private school serving behaviorally and emotionally challenged students Community and residential students (K-12) Currently serving 125 students

Services Offered Counseling throughout the school day Small class size Support staff Job coaching Collaborative Problem Solving Mandt trained staff Trauma Informed Care Intervention Services

Types of Classrooms Elementary Therapeutic Boys High School Therapeutic Girls High School Therapeutic Autism Elementary School Middle School High School 21st Century Skills

What is Expeditionary Learning? Expeditionary Learning is a model for comprehensive school reform for elementary, middle, and high schools that emphasizes high achievement through active learning, character growth, and teamwork.

Five Core Practices http://www. cityviewcharter Learning Expeditions: These challenging, interdisciplinary, real-world projects and in-depth studies act as the primary curriculum units in Expeditionary Learning schools.  Learning Expeditions support critical literacy and address central academic standards of content, while promoting character development and fostering a service ethic.

Five Core Practices cont. Active Pedagogy:  In Expeditionary Learning schools, teachers use active pedagogy to help students become active and collaborative learners: to make connections, to find patterns, to see events from different perspectives, to experiment, to go beyond the information given, and to develop empathy and compassion for events, people, and subjects.

Five Core Practices cont. School Culture and Character:  Expeditionary Learning builds shared beliefs, traditions, and rituals in order to create a school culture which is characterized by a climate of physical and emotional safety, a sense of adventure, an ethic of service and responsibility, and a commitment to high quality work.

Five Core Practices cont. Leadership and School Improvement: Leaders in Expeditionary Learning schools create a professional community that focuses on curriculum and instruction as the primary vehicles for improving student achievement and school culture.

Five Core Practices cont. School Structures:  Expeditionary Learning schools use longer and more flexible schedule blocks, common planning time, heterogeneous groupings, and/or looping to ensure student success.

Design Principles Diversity and inclusion Success and failure Our differences make us stronger Success and failure Success is sweet but mistakes are good food Collaboration and competition We work together with friends. I compete with myself Service and compassion We do excellent things for others Solitude and reflection I need time to be with myself

Design Principles cont. Empathy and caring I care for others and others care for me The responsibility for learning I am responsible for my learning, and I help others learn The natural world Nature is our teacher The having of wonderful ideas I have wonderful ideas

Leah & Vicky’s Internship Project Administration’s long-term goal of bringing Expeditionary Learning to Lawther Academy

Norms & Responsibilities Our vision for EL at Lawther Academy is… EL will include our entire teaching staff planning the expeditions for the 4th quarter of the 2012-2013 school year. This will be accomplished through our weekly teacher meetings. Evaluations will be completed in May of 2013 by the entire Lawther Academy staff to determine the effectiveness of EL using the 3-I’s. An additional evaluation will be conducted in May of 2013 to gather feedback of the specific expedition that was chosen. This will be completed using the Plus/Delta assessment.

Rationale To meet the learning styles of all students To involve the community in student achievement To increase student motivation To decrease behaviors in the classroom To increase the students’ background knowledge To build character To increase social skills For students to be able to relate expeditions to their own lives To deliver content driven instruction

Theory of Action

SMART Goal By January 2013, a study will be completed to determine if Expeditionary Learning will benefit the students at Lawther Academy. The study will include: A survey of staff knowledge A learning styles inventory of students Completing an observation of an Expeditionary Learning school Research of other EL schools

Differentiation Student choice of research topics or projects Students finish work at their own rate Assistance and additional time provided to those students with special needs Reading materials available at all levels for each project Expeditions will address all learning styles

Action Plan Leah and Vicky will conduct a survey of staff knowledge by Dec. 1st. Leah and Vicky conducted a learning styles inventory of students on Nov. 1st Leah and Vicky completed an observation at Prescott, an Expeditionary Learning school, on Nov. 9th. Leah and Vicky met and will continue meeting with Cindy O., an expert in EL. Leah and Vicky will meet with staff in January to present data results and introduce EL to Lawther Academy. Leah and Vicky will research other EL schools in the U.S. to determine the effectiveness of EL.

Evaluation We will collect data to determine the effectiveness of EL at Lawther Academy. Teachers’ responses Student achievement data (classroom observations and formative assessments) Behavior data (IEP goals) Project presentations