ASCEND

A School Cultivating Excellence, Nurturing Diversity

OUR HISTORYIn 2001, ASCEND was 1 of 5 small autonomous schools born in Oakland.

We were designed by parents, community members and leaders.

We use arts-integrated, Expeditionary Learning to teach students to think, ask questions and find answers.

Over time, budget cuts trimmed down our program and left us with challenging choices to make in order to maintain our model and our work.

In 2012 we focused our energy on deep differentiation. We won the Rogers Family Foundation, Blended Learning Pilot Grant and rolled out a guided reading/ blended learning rotational model in K-5, and have been working to create a greater level of differentiation in our cored middle school.

Today, we are a school shifting toward a model based on student agency, facilitated through personalized instruction. Through the power of expeditionary learning, we ensure that students have rich opportunities to show what they know, to think, ask questions, and find answers.

Why are we doing this?This fall, the ASCEND community is piloting an exciting journey of learning in multi-age classrooms. We believe that our students are worthy of the highest quality of education and deserve the learning environment to develop themselves as individuals and as citizens of the world. In a multi-age classroom, we believe:

● Student-driven learning will maximize engagement, thereby fostering creativity, student agency and respect for all learners.

● With personalized learning and choice, students will take ownership over their individual goals and make progress given their unique needs and strengths.

● Students will deepen their academic growth and increase their socio-emotional skills by engaging in an authentic, natural learning environment that mirrors that real world.

As ASCEND community members we have the shared responsibility to strive to offer the best learning opportunities for our students. The pilot is a model of collaborative learning opportunities between students and teachers; we hope to nurture a community of learners where teachers and students explore, discover and grow from each other.

What we are doing is complex. The pilot is a shift in paradigm of the traditional classroom setting and we are redefining what success can look like and be for our students and teachers. We will make mistakes, struggle, and learn along the way. But our vision is guided by love and the desire for our school to resemble the world we wish to create.

Instructional ModelInnovations

● multi-age classrooms ● people, place, pace, path● student agency through goal-setting, reflection,

and conferencing ● Work plans driven by goals, data and needs● Flexible learning environments, creation time, flex

time, community time= choice and ownership

Most Excited about…● Students are able to speak more to their data, goals,

and learning trajectory● Students are able to articulate their learning needs

and advocate for themselves and their choices● We are cultivating a growth mindset and a culture of

risk-taking

Today’s agendaI. Build your menu and goal set

II. Learning Rotations with teachers, students and families

III.Reflection

IV.Closure and Feedback““We are all teachers. We are

all learners. We can all learn from each other and teach everyone.”

~ 5th grade student

Build your menu and goal setI. Choose 2 out of 3 stations

II. During this session, my goal is to…

III. Share with an accountabilibuddy. What!?

Goal Reflect and check outDid you meet your goal for today? What is your evidence?

Share 1-2 takeaways with your accountabilibuddy

CLOSUREWhat happened behind the scenes?

- Residency Program

- Creative budgeting/ staffing solutions

- Site visits

- CICS West Belden partnership

- EL training/ resources

- Parent Workshops

Where do we go from here?

- Scale our model and successes

- Iterate on design features

- Ensure financial sustainability with model and for stakeholders

“Our vision is guided by love

and the desire for our school to resemble the

world we wish to create.”

- ASCEND Community 2015

Thank You!