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INSTITUTIONAL PROFILING OPPORTUNITY IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM DESIGN GRANT WRITING & REVIEW

Innovative Instruction for College and Career Preparation In this report, Hanover Research analyzes the trends and best practices among experiential learning approaches in secondary education, focusing on internship programs, mentoring programs, and project-based learning. The report also provides brief case profiles of five peer districts and high schools to illustrate the application of such initiatives and their outcomes.

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HANOVER GRANTS AUGUST 2012

© 2012 Hanover Grants

Executive Summary and Key Findings In this report, Hanover Research examines the state of experiential learning for college and career preparedness in high schools and districts across the country. The first section of this report discusses the trends dominating the field, noting the primary forms of experiential learning, typical modes of application, and documented outcomes. In the second section, we discuss internship programs, mentoring programs, and project-based learning in more depth, noting examples when relevant and examining research-proven efficacy within each. Finally, the third section of the report provides brief profiles of the college and career preparation strategies implemented by five peer districts and high schools through technology integration, mentoring programs, executive internship programs, and other modes. The key findings from our research are presented below. Key Findings Low perceptions of U.S. educational performance in international competition and high

rates of remedial coursework requirements have increased the national focus on college and career readiness at the secondary level. According to the National High School Center, the primary approaches to college and career preparation can be organized into the following three themes: personalized learning supports; rigorous programs of study; and aligned resources, structures, and support.

The popularity of experiential learning has continued to rise over the last decade, with many mentoring, internship-based, and project-based learning programs demonstrating promising outcomes regarding improved retention rates and overall student achievement. While programs vary widely and have a range of different traits, the most successful ones are those which are established with a clear mission, adequate funding, and sufficient resources for adequate assessment, professional development, and expansion.

For internship programs, the existing literature emphasizes the importance of compensating students in some form for their internship work. The case studies reflected this, as well: Aurora Public School students in Colorado, for example, participate in Executive Internship programs alongside a local college, and many of the interns are paid hourly for the work they contribute.

School-based mentoring programs are most common in two different permutations: those that pair adult mentors with student mentees, and those that offer peer mentoring between older and younger students. A 2008 study by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America found that peer mentoring programs were less effective in retaining students and increasing their achievement when compared with those that utilize adult mentors. However, the latter are often more difficult to coordinate and expand, given the frequent dearth of available adult mentors who can meet with mentees during the school day. Qualitative analyses of peer

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mentoring programs found that mentees enjoyed the interactions, mentors found them fulfilling, and that both sets of students found the sessions helpful and instructive.

Project-based learning has been described by experts as an “unusually strong psychological success story” that incorporates rigorous projects into students’ curricula, requiring the fostering of skills such as revision, reflection, the development of a voice, and the use of in-depth inquiry. Students create something new while honing these skills, and numerous studies support the positive impact of project-based learning both on student achievement and the development of positive peer relationships. At Al Kennedy Alternative School in Oregon, for example, project-based learning initiatives include farming tilapia, building kayaks in order to access river water for monitoring its quality, beekeeping, and sustainable housing initiatives.

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Section 1: Trends in Education for College and Career Preparation The current economic recession and employment crisis both in the United States and abroad have renewed national focus on the detrimental impact of a future workforce that is ill-equipped to meet the needs of the U.S. economy and maintain international competitiveness. According to a 2010 report by the National Governors Association, 40 percent of all students who graduate from high school require some kind of remediation when they matriculate into post-secondary educational programs.1 Even worse, skilled-labor expert Edward Gordon estimates that by 2020, there will be 123 million “high-skill, high-pay” jobs open in the United States economy, but only 50 million Americans with the right skills to be able to fill them.2 In response to the disparities between market and economic demands and educational outcomes, many school districts are partnering with colleges, universities, and businesses to “build programs that develop the skills needed for employment within [a particular] industry.” According to The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, “each of these initiatives results in prepared students contributing to a prepared workforce, which contributes to the growth and economic security of their communities.”3 According to the National High School Center, the three primary approaches to college and career preparation can be organized into the following three themes: Personalized learning supports; Rigorous programs of study; and Aligned resources, structures, and supports.4

The Center expands upon each of these aspects by dividing them into several unique components, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions, human capital, rigorous and relevant curriculum and assessment, and fiscal resources.5 This matrix is replicated in Figure 1.1, below. After researching the policies, approaches, and outcomes at over 70 different organizations, the National High School Center accrued “key landmarks that stakeholders may want to consider as they work through college and career readiness outcomes and measures” when applying them to local or specific contexts. These include:

Student pathways and supports must provide students with opportunities to master a common set of skills while still allowing them to tailor individualized learning programs to pathway-specific goals and expectations based on their postsecondary aspirations.

1 Reyna, R. “Complete to Compete: Common College Completion Metrics.” National Governors Association. June 2010. P. 8.

http://www.nga.org/files/live/sites/NGA/files/pdf/1007COMMONCOLLEGEMETRICS.PDF 2 McCann, D. “To the ‘Three R’s’ Add One More: Writhing.” CFO Magazine. March 1, 2011.

http://www.cfo.com/article.cfm/14557286 3 “From High School to Career: A Strategy to Weather Talent’s Perfect Storm.” The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning.

2012, p. 4. http://www.cael.org/pdfs/From-Classroom-to-Career-High-School-STEM 4 Lebow, M., Agus, J., Fabel, P., and Smerdon, B. “Pathways and Supports for College and Career Preparation: What Policies,

Programs, and Structures Will Help High School Graduates Meet Expectations?” National High School Center – American Institutes for Research. May 2012, p. 2. http://www.betterhighschools.org/CCR/documents/NHSC_CCRPathwaysSupports_2012.pdf

5 Ibid.

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Though student pathways will vary greatly based on postsecondary goals, all students must be provided the supports necessary to meet similarly rigorous standards. Pathways must be determined based on student aspirations and capabilities rather than on existing levels of performance.

Pathways and supports must be flexible, allowing students to alter programs of study to

align with changing postsecondary goals.

Student supports must be aligned and based on comprehensive, coherent plans for school improvement and maximizing each student’s attainment. Student supports should not be piecemeal and disjointed programmatic additions designed to address each new policy or priority. A key step in ensuring this alignment is to design student supports that enable each student to meet well-defined college and career readiness goals and expectations.6

Figure 1.1 College and Career Development Organizer: Pathways and Supports Strand

Source: National High School Center7 Experiential Learning for College and Career Readiness Using innovative approaches to engage students in preparation for careers or higher levels of education has gained significant popularity in the last decade, with middle and high schools across the country reporting its use and many consulting groups and other organizations professing to

6 Bulleted points taken verbatim from: Ibid, p. 10. 7 Ibid., p. 2.

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have studied the best practices for doing so. While it is difficult to measure unequivocally the effectiveness of experiential learning, given the breadth of activities to which the term applies and the difficulty in measuring ‘learning’ from one of many approaches used by a teacher or school, preliminary studies nonetheless suggest that experiential learning can not only be effective in improving student learning, but also has been shown to result in positive changes in students’ behavior and “intrapersonal effectiveness.”8 Experiential learning is also a graduation requirement in the state of West Virginia, as Policy 2510 dictates that “all students must participate in an experiential learning experience at some time in grades 9-12. If credit is granted for these experiences, content standards and objectives will be developed and approved at the local level.”9 Pilot programs that utilize various forms of experiential learning across the United States have yielded results that indicate experiential learning, such as project-based curricula, may help retain at-risk students and increase the likelihood that they graduate and enroll in college. A 2012 article from Education Week describes Al Kennedy Alternative School, an alternative public high school outside of Portland, Oregon, where a focus on project-based learning has decreased the dropout rate from 20 percent in 2005 to 12.5 percent as of April 2012.10 The model employs the cohort design, where a group of students remains with one teacher all day. The principal believes this model mixes “elementary school and a master’s cohort,” with projects such as farming tilapia, building kayaks to use on a nearby river to monitor water quality, beekeeping, and sustainable-housing initiatives. The second section of this report divides experiential learning into three primary types: internship programs, mentorship programs, and project-based learning programs. We conclude with profiles of school districts that have utilized various types of experiential learning and have summarized their outcomes.

8 Gosen, J. and Washbush, J. “A review of scholarship on assessing experiential learning effectiveness.” University of Wisconsin,

Whitewater. 2004, p. 282. http://main.aee.org/files/en/user/cms/Gosen%20and%20Washbush_Review%20of%20EE%20effectiveness.pdf

9 “Experiential Learning Guide.” State of West Virginia. 2011-2012, p. 1. http://wvde.state.wv.us/hstw/documents/ExperientialLearningGuide.pdf?1

10 Heitin, L. “Project-Based Learning Helps At-Risk Students.” Education Week. April 24, 2012. http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/04/25/29projbased.h31.html?r=1705178217

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Section 2: Literature Review of Primary Experiential Learning Applications In this section, Hanover outlines the primary trends and best practices within internship programs, mentoring programs, and project-based learning models currently in place in public high schools. Where possible, we include information on how these approaches affect at-risk or special-needs students, focusing on analyses of research-based outcomes. Internship Programs The National Academy Foundation (NAF) describes high school internships as “part of a continuum of work-based learning that includes career awareness, exploration, and preparation activities” in order to equip students with the tools they need to achieve their potential in work after high school or further educational endeavors.11 NAF describes high school internships as “an essential component of workforce preparation,” as they “introduce youth to the habits and value of compensated work, while making connections between academic learning and its real-world applications.”12 While high schools and independent organizations have coordinated various types of internship programs to help expose students to post-graduate opportunities in the workplace, NAF notes that “there are key practices that exist to ensure a high quality internship, while preserving the flexibility that allows the internship to respond to the company’s and student’s needs.”13 These 10 standards, along with several federal, state, local, and school district policies, help to ensure that efforts to organize internships for high school students are efficacious and worth the resources required to fund them. Figure 2.1 provides the 10 “in practice” standards that schools and stakeholders should consider when designing internship programs to assist students with college and career preparation:

Figure 2.1: National Academy Foundation Standards for High School Internships Standard 1: Internships exist within a developmental learning framework as the culmination of this continuum. Standard 2: Youth are compensated for internship experiences that occur through school-based and community/worksite enterprises. Compensation may include a salary, payment for college credit, or other appropriate solutions. Standard 3: High schools aim to achieve excellence (high student achievement) and equity (opportunity and success for each and every student). Youth today need internships as a part of a high quality education that equips them with the knowledge and skills to achieve their full intellectual and social potential. Ensuring that the internship experience is available for all students, and that appropriate supports are built into the experience, allows all students to be successful in this endeavor.

11 “Preparing Youth for Life: The Gold Standards for High School Internships.” National Academy Foundation. 2010, p. 5.

http://naf.org/files/press_release/2010/03/InternshipGoldStandards_final.pdf 12 Ibid, p. 4. 13 Ibid, p. 6.

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Standard 4: Internships and their objectives are stated in youth-centered, written, individual learning plans, differentiated for youth skill levels, and are based on work-based learning research and employer-defined work readiness skills needed for success. The continuum of experiences and learning for youth include interest surveys, mentoring, and career exploration experiences to allow the internship to be aligned to a young person’s interests. Standard 5: Internships complement and support core competencies and academic requirements and are included as part of course curriculum. Standard 6: Interns support the goals and efforts of the host organization. Internships help employers to develop their future workforce while creating long-term, sustainable partnerships that link the education of youth with the bottom line for businesses. Standard 7: The internship includes comprehensive preparation beforehand for youth, schools, and employers to understand its goals, as well as a debrief after the internship has ended to reflect on the experience. Those involved in the learning experience understand the responsibilities and expected outcomes of the internship which are detailed in youth’s written, individual learning plans. Standard 8: Internships are supported by an operational structure with supports that allow participants to work together effectively. Standard 9: Internships are assessed against youth-centered, written, individual learning plans. Performance is evaluated by the employer/supervisor and the teacher/coordinator before, during, and after the internship experience. Assessment data are used to measure changes in motivation, attendance, engagement and achievement in the classroom. Standard 10: Internship experiences are compliant with legal, health, and safety regulations. Participants understand how to work with a diverse workforce.

Source: National Academy Foundation14 Most notably, these standards emphasize the need for compensating students in exchange for their work, mutual benefits to both the student’s academic plan and the host organization’s own goals and efforts, and sufficient structural, operational, and financial backing and subsequent assessment to ensure the programs are adequately supported during their implementation. NAF also discusses several policies at all levels that help sustain the integrity of high-quality internships. Highlights from federal policy recommendations include creating tax incentives for companies that offer student internship opportunities and funding positions at Title 1 high schools to “broker relationships with local businesses and non-profit organizations to extend the classroom to the business community.”15 Local and state policies recommended to increase the presence and efficacy of student internships include developing state-wide consortiums to implement the internship standards across the state’s school districts, write the standards into legislation, and require teachers to incorporate internships into class lesson plans. In order to direct our member’s initiatives, we provide a full list of NAF’s “school district” policy recommendations below:

14 Ibid, pp. 6-7. 15 Ibid, p. 9.

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Establish and engage internship committees of all Small Learning Community Advisory Boards (including NAF Advisory Boards), drawing on the expertise of local businesses, higher education, and non-profit organizations.

Utilize the Internship Gold Standards to drive the creation of internship job descriptions and measurement criteria.

Provide training tools for teachers and business partners to helpfully implement

Internship Gold Standards into the classroom. Develop a best practice of including the Gold Standards in all high school reform grants

and RFP’s, for both public and private funders. Seek funds to pilot and document what it would cost to fully implement the Gold

Standards in NAF Academies. Include the cost of human and financial resources as well as actual school and business policy changes.

Work with schools to make internships credit-bearing and reflected on high school

transcripts, as has been done through the California Regional Occupational Programs. Work with post-secondary institutions and employers to have the credit recognized during the admission and/or hiring process.16

Well-organized internship programs can help build more comprehensive understandings among students of what will be expected of them after high school. The National High School Center notes that this type of experiential learning in particular is beneficial for post-graduate preparation, because “work-based experiences have the added benefit of accommodating various learning styles and providing a myriad of learning opportunities that have shown to contribute to significantly higher school attendance rates, high school graduation rates, and earnings after graduation.”17 School-Based Mentoring Programs The scope of different mentoring program types varies enormously, but “school-based mentoring” as compared with “community-based mentoring” has more of an academic focus. School-based mentoring generally operates on a school’s campus, establishes mentoring relationships that last for one full school year, and includes youth referred to the program by teachers, guidance counselors, and other school staff.18 An Education Northwest report notes that such mentoring programs are not tutoring programs, nor are they as “unstructured as community based mentoring: most school-based programs reside somewhere in between these two models.” Mentors are encouraged to develop a trusting, “mutually satisfying relationship” with the student with whom they are paired,

16 Bulleted points taken verbatim from: Ibid. 17 “Pathways and Supports…” National High School Center. Op cit, p. 7. 18 “The ABCs of School-Based Mentoring: Effective Strategies for Providing Quality Youth Mentoring in Schools and

Communities.” The Hamilton Fish Institute on School and Community Violence & The National Mentoring Center at Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory. Revised September 2007, p. 3. http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/177

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but activity assignments and restrictions from the campus location result in engagement in classroom- or homework-related activities.19 There are two primary types of school-based mentoring models: those that pair mentees with adults, and those that pair them with students, usually those several years older. The following section covers the trends and findings within both types of mentoring programs. Adult-Child Mentoring Student mentoring programs are a popular mode of integrating innovative practices to help students, often at-risk students or those with special-needs, to stay in school and improve their chances for pursuing successful careers or continuing education after high school graduation. A 2012 study by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, a non-profit organization that supports one-on-one relationships with mentors to improve the futures of participating youth, showed “statistically significant improvements for youth during the first year of enrollment in the organization’s nationwide mentoring program in three targeted outcome areas: educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, such as truancy, and socio-emotional competency.”20 The Evaluation, Management and Training (EMT) Group conducted a study of 50 mentor programs in California to establish best practices within the field as well as compile new innovations and approaches to the ways in which programs are structured and managed. The conclusion of the report presents the following six best practices, which, while not specific necessarily to school-based programs, are useful parameters nonetheless for schools and districts interested in establishing such programs: According to the report, quality mentoring programs:

1. “…Are properly funded and staffed,” where qualified employees are able to focus on mentoring duties and are not “stretched between a number of duties.” Mentor to mentee ratios should be as high as possible, and programs should start out small in order to build from a solid foundation.

2. “…Have passionate, committed persons in leadership positions,” who are familiar with the needs of the youth targeted by the initiative and are passionate about effecting positive change. Professional development activities, such as required reading, workshops, and networking, should be included in the program’s mission and strategic plan.

3. “…Define their mission, goals, and objectives, and they remain focused on them,” including recruitment, program development, and evaluation of various program initiatives. These plans should also include the desired outcomes of each facet of the program.

19 Ibid. 20 “In the News: Youth in Big Brothers Big Sisters Programs Show Improvements in Academic, Behavioral and Socio-Emotional

Outcomes.” Big Brothers Big Sisters. January 24, 2012. http://www.bbbs.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=9iILI3NGKhK6F&b=6470175&ct=11599799&notoc=1

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4. “…Develop community partnerships and networking relationships,” that create support for the program, foster collaboration, and offer opportunities such as sharing resources, new funding opportunities, and other chances for expansion that would not be possible to achieve alone.

5. “…Provide meaningful, ongoing contact, including supervision, with mentors,” which is encouraged by the program’s supervisors and monitored consistently throughout the process. EMT notes that “the most important element” of supervision of mentors is that it is “consistent and hands on.”

6. “…Are remarkable and noticeable,” distinguishing themselves with themes, purposes, incentives, and approaches in order to increase involvement from participants, partners, and funders.21

Other best practices from mentoring programs examined by the EMT group include using quality assurance standards as an operations manual, and clearly delineating the program’s statement, recruiting plan, orientation, monitoring process, closure steps, evaluation, and other aspects. Other findings recommend pairing up mentor pairs to create smaller groups for activities or providing comprehensive online resources on a special website or webpage.22 A study conducted by “The Key” in the United Kingdom identified the aspects of an effective mentoring program, along with common obstacles encountered by the schools profiled. These necessary attributes and common obstacles are outlined in the following figure.

Figure 2.2: Necessary Attributes and Common Obstacles of a Mentoring Program Necessary Attributes of a Successful

Program Common Obstacles

Flexibility of approach to meet individual pupils’ needs

Early setting of ground rules including acknowledgment of confidentiality

Willingness to listen Knowing when to intervene and when to

pull back

Students need to increase accountability and keep appointments with mentees

Mentors and students often found it difficult to find a time to meet

Source: The Key23 Peer Mentoring Peer mentoring programs are another popular variation of mentoring programs, and many schools that receive Department of Education grant funding use “teens as mentors for some or all of their

21 Sherk, J. “Best Practices for Mentoring Programs.” The EMT Group, pp. 2-7. http://www.emt.org/userfiles/BestPractices.pdf 22 Ibid, pp. 11-15. 23 “Mentoring in secondary schools: impact and effective practice.” The Key, http://www.usethekey.org.uk/popular-

articles/mentoring-in-secondary-schools-impact-and-effective-practice

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[student] matches.”24 A 2008 article refers to peer mentoring and its growing popularity, pointing to various factors that contribute to its success: “youth mentors are easier to recruit than adults, and pairs can easily meet during school hours,” making the relationship seem mutually beneficial for all parties involved.25 While a 2008 study for Big Brothers Big Sisters of America conducted by Public/Private Ventures found that peer mentoring is less effective than other, adult-child school-based mentoring programs,26 other studies have found that mentors, mentees, and schools report positive gains as a result of the partnerships. A Formalised Peer Mentoring Pilot project in the United Kingdom conducted a study of pilots in 180 secondary schools, and found that “mentors and mentees have responded overwhelmingly positively to their experience and schools report a number of beneficial outcomes.”27 While qualitative evidence supporting the programs was strong, the participating schools had a harder time of providing quantitative evidence regarding attendance, retention, and behavior of participating students.28 The positive qualitative evidence can be found in the following figure, which demonstrates the response rates from two different survey administrations.

Figure 2.3: Mentee Views of Peer Mentoring Program Mentee Views % Agreement, T1 % Agreement, T2

I am pleased that I am going to have a mentor 86% 78% I think my mentor can be helpful to me 89% 82% I think I have a lot to gain by being mentored 96% 66% I think having a mentor will be good for me 85% 76% I think the mentoring scheme will be very helpful to the pupils being mentored 86% 78%

Source: Canterbury Christ Church University and University of Greenwich While this finding calls for more rigorous assessment measures undertaken by schools that implement peer mentoring initiatives, preliminary findings from these pilot programs suggested that the greatest positive impact on mentees occurred among those who needed the assistance the most.29 Anecdotal evidence from participants and school leaders has been promising within case studies that examine peer mentoring. In Wewahitchka, Florida, a “comprehensive peer mentoring program” spans eight grade levels and pairs students with a mentee that is four grades younger than them. Overall, participants of the program spend four years as mentees and four years as mentors.

24 “Peer Mentoring: New Research and Innovative Practice.” Web Seminar held December 16, 2008, p. 1.

http://educationnorthwest.org/webfm_send/163 25 Fitzpatrick, E. “Peer-to-Peer Pressures.” YouthToday. November 1, 2008.

http://www.sp2.upenn.edu/ostrc/doclibrary/documents/Peer-to-PeerPressures.pdf 26 Ibid. 27 “Formalised Peer Mentoring Pilot Evaluation.” Canterbury Christ Church University and University of Greenwich. Research

Report DCSF-RR033. 2008, p. 1. https://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/DCSF-RR033-R.pdf 28 Ibid. 29 Ibid.

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According to the principal, “the program has helped transform the school culture,” fostering student pride in their community and greater involvement in school-related activities.30 Project-Based Learning Programs Project-based learning (PBL), initially promoted by the Buck Institute for Education (BIE) in the 1990s, offers students education in the form of “rigorous projects [that] are carefully planned, managed, and assessed to help students learn key academic content, practice 21st Century Skills (such as collaboration, communication, and critical thinking), and create high-quality, authentic products and presentations.”31 The primary goals of PBL are to foster the consumption of “significant content” and the development of 21st century skills, as illustrated in Hanover’s reproduction of BIE’s matrix below.

Figure 2.4: Project-Based Learning Components and Outcomes

When properly executed, the BIE states that PBL fosters inquiry and the creation of something new, while encouraging students to make decisions and voice their ideas about each part of the creation process and preparing to explain the journey to the audience that will receive and critique their new product.32 Several institutions’ implementations of PBL have resulted in research-supported improvements in retention and performance, and some high schools reported higher

30 “Peer Mentoring Video Shows that Students are their Own Solution.” College for Every Student.

http://www.collegefes.org/news.php?nid=169 31 “What is PBL?” Buck Institute for Education. http://www.bie.org/about/what_is_pbl 32 Ibid.

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percentages of graduating students who went on to enroll in college programs after participating in PBL-based programs.33 According to Johnson and Johnson’s 2009 report on the psychology of social interdependence in the educational realm, “well over a thousand studies support the impacts of collaborative learning on improving student achievement and promoting positive peer relationships across group lines.”34 The report describes PBL, referred to as ‘cooperative learning,’ as an “unusually strong psychological success story” that is “now a standard and widespread teaching procedure.”35 The report also points out that emerging issues in high schools across the country, such as retaining at-risk youth, addressing special-needs students, and dealing with diverse arrays of student groups have shifted the goals of administrations and subsequently the role that PBL plays in affecting higher rates of student achievement:

Issues of school integration, inclusion of students with disabilities, and the increased diversity of immigrants have focused the school on the use of cooperative learning to create positive relationships among diverse students. The emphasis on solving social problems has expanded the dependent variables to the use of positive peer pressure to increase prosocial and decrease antisocial behaviors (e.g., prevention of drug abuse, inculcating academic values in at-risk students, enhancing self-esteem, preventing violence). These and other factors have resulted in the expansion of the theory to include new dependent variables and have fermented considerable new research.36

According to case studies of successful implementations of PBL at the high school level, two primary factors affect the extent to which outcomes of PBL applications are successful: professional development and the integration of new technologies in order to blend online learning and face-to-face instruction to optimize efficacy of both approaches.37 A case study profiling Manor New Technology High School’s PBL program, which has significantly increased student achievement, retention rates, and college enrollment figures, notes that the following initiatives have been implemented to encourage professional development of staff members developing these programs: Weekly professional development meetings that last one to two hours (resulting in a

truncated school day for students), which includes faculty-wide meetings and leadership committees.

33 “Research-Supported PBL Practices.” Edutopia. http://www.edutopia.org/stw-project-based-learning-best-practices-new-tech-

research 34 Ibid. 35 Johnson, D.W. and Johnson, R.T. “An Educational Psychology Success Story: Social Interdependence Theory and Cooperative

Learning.” Educational Researcher, 38.365. July 14, 2009, pp. 374-375. http://www.co-operation.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ER.CL-Success-Story-Pub-Version-09.pdf

36 Ibid, p. 374. 37 A 2010 analysis by the Department of Education found that “blended learning environments are more effective than either

online learning or face-to-face instruction alone.” See “Research-Supported PBL Practices,” cited above and below, for more information.

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Peer-evaluation protocols that “provide a supportive meeting space” for teachers to receive feedback on how to improve or adapt their approaches as students’ projects progress.

The implementation of a “Teaching Advancement Program,” which offers teachers additional time and compensation in exchange for the assumption of new responsibilities regarding mentorship of their peers.

Tutorials on STEM curriculum, teacher training, professional learning communities, and business partnerships to deepen teachers’ familiarity with PBL-based learning.

Summertime professional development opportunities at a summer training institute.

Team-teaching and individual development by senior educators to improve new teachers’ understanding of the theories they will be applying to curriculum with their students.38

38 “Research-Supported PBL Practices.” Edutopia. Op cit.

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Section 3: District and High School Profiles of Applied Practices Hundreds of districts and high schools around the country have applied experiential learning practices in their classrooms and have documented the outcomes, especially when such endeavors end in quantifiable improvements in college and career preparation. In order to provide a deeper understanding of innovative practices within experiential learning that are being applied by schools today, the following case studies exemplify trends, highlight new or unique practices, and demonstrate the breadth of applications for these types of programs. Where possible, we sought to provide a sampling of “peer” districts: those with similar demographics, location, size, and financial situation. Mooresville Graded School District Mooresville, North Carolina In 2007, Mooresville Graded School District (MGSD) created a new strategic plan to incorporate the acquisition of 21st century skills into the school’s overarching curricula and improve student access to extracurricular and out-of-classroom educational experiences, with an emphasis on improving student access to technologies. MGSD states that the acquisition of these new technologies and the shift of their strategic plan made “research, project-based learning, and inquiry/problem solving activities…second nature to students.”39 Since 2007, the district has seen “an enormous technological revolution,” with 4,500 new laptops distributed to every student in grades 4 through 12. MGSD notes that “in a district where the free and reduced [lunches] rate has risen to 40 percent in 2010, providing technology for every child has been a win-win for the students, school system, and community.”40 MGSD also moved to a “constructivist model” of delivering curricula, where students apply “critical thinking, problem-solving, and higher-order cognition skills” to their studies. This PBL-based approach has been accompanied with an emphasis on professional development for the educators who implement these new educational approaches. Professional development “early release” days and voluntary training have been added to the academic calendar, and to significant success:

…A four-day summer institute was conducted in July 2008 and a three-day institute in July of 2009 to assist teachers with integrating technology within the classroom. Over 85 percent of the teachers participated in this voluntary training. In addition, five professional development early release days were added to the school calendar in 2008-2009, and that number will increase to 10 days in 2010 - 2011, for training for teachers. Ongoing sustained and targeted training regularly occurs in schools through [the] technology facilitators, media specialists, teacher leaders, and outside vendors.41

39 “Digital Conversion Executive Summary.” Mooresville Graded School District.

http://www5.mgsd.k12.nc.us/staffsites/digitalconversion/Digital_Conversion/MGSD_Digital_Conversion.html 40 Ibid. 41 Ibid.

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MGSD has also hired a full-time technology facilitator and a media coordinator for each school, with the district’s high school having two media coordinators. Four help desk managers and seven technology department staff provide support for 4,900 laptops and 1,000 desktops. MGSD notes that their funding for this conversion has come from the local, state, and federal levels, as well as from grants won by the district. Aurora Public Schools Aurora, Colorado The Executive Internship Program conducted in conjunction with Aurora Public Schools (APS) is administered through the nearby Pickins Technical College, where “senior students have the opportunity to work with a professional in their desired profession.” Interns from APS spend from eight to 20 hours per week at their assigned site, where they are involved with “completing work assignments, attending meetings, and developing special projects requested by the sponsor [organization].”42 According to the program, this affords APS students the opportunity to “make contributions to the organization while achieving personal, academic, and career growth.” The program is divided into multiple components, with the first three weeks of the internship semester including relevant classes. Once the student begins the internship, meetings are held each week to allow the students to reflect on the knowledge and skills they are gaining at their placement. Participants are further required to attend frequent seminars on a variety of topics, such as “career development, communication skills, problem solving, leadership, and decision-making skills integrated with technology.”43 Self-assessments and personalized learning plans are also included, and the 100 annual participants must be recommended by a coordinator who conducts screenings and application processes in order to select the year’s set of interns.44 The internship program is available to APS students only. Past internship sites have included Northrup Grumman,45 the sports medicine center at the University of Denver, and a local bakery.46 For example, students participating in the Northrup Grumman internship were expected to work 30 hours per week during the summer and received an hourly wage.47 Durham Public Schools Durham, North Carolina Each of Durham’s comprehensive high schools offers a variety of career pathways for those interested in embarking on particular lines of work after graduating from high school. Depending 42 “Executive Internship.” Pickens Technical College. http://www.aurorak12.org/pickens/newweb/page11/page52/ 43 Ibid. 44 “Students Gain Hands-on Experience.” Aurora Public Schools.

http://communication.aurorak12.org/files/2011/06/APSSntlAd-July8-2011-FINAL.pdf 45 Ibid. 46 “Students Gain Real-World Career Experience with Innovative Program.” Aurora Public Schools.

http://aurorak12.org/2010/10/28/executive-internship-program/ 47 “Students Gain Hands-on Experience.” APS. Op cit.

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on the particular high school a student attends, options may include Animal Science, Allied Health, Masonry, Electronics, Computer Engineering, and Culinary Arts. Many options, such as Marketing and Architectural Drafting, are available at more than one school, while Computer Applications is the only pathway available at all six district high schools. DPS notes that “Students may apply to attend a high school that features a Pathway if the school is outside the student’s assigned attendance zone. If there is space, students generally can enroll in these programs.” Figure 3.1 provides a partial list of the pathways and the schools at which they are available.

Figure 3.1: Pathway Options in Durham Public School District

Pathway Hillside Jordan Northern Riverside Southern DSA Agricultural Technologies

Animal Science X Agricultural Biotechnology X

Business Technologies Computer Applications X X X X X X Computer Accounting X X X

Marketing X X X X X Sports & Entertainment

Marketing X

Commercial & Artistic Production Technologies Printing Graphics X

Apparel Development X X X X Housing and Interior Design X X

Construction Technologies Construction Technologies X X

Electrical Trades X Architectural Drafting X X

Masonry X Engineering Technologies

Electronics X Computer Engineering X X Pre-Engineering Option X

Engineering Drafting X Source: Durham Public Schools Los Angeles Unified School District: John Marshall High School Los Angeles, California John Marshall High School approaches college and career preparation by acting early in students’ tenures, beginning as early as middle school:

All students in the school district formulate a graduation plan in middle school, and this plan is revisited upon high school entrance so that every youth is very clear about what it will take to not only graduate, but to prepare for post-graduate life and meet his or her career goals. In 10th grade, counselors meet with all students and their parents to do a mid-high school

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assessment and review of their plans to ensure young people are staying on track and meeting their goals, and to adjust the plan to accommodate new goals and interests.48

These early-imposed career preparation initiatives are supported by John Marshall’s participation in a federally-funded GEAR UP program, which allows students to “maintain a relationship with a single counselor from middle school all the way through high school.”49 In addition, freshmen at John Marshall are required to take a “Life Skills” course that provides them with a mentor. Students may stay in touch with their mentors outside the classroom in order to gain role modeling influences and advice as they move toward graduation and the career or education opportunities that follow. Students are “strongly encouraged” to meet the minimum requirements set by California’s public university system before graduating, and John Marshall has students take the PSAT annually for the first three years of high school in order to prepare them mentally and logistically for the SAT and other standardized tests. John Marshall also provides “small learning communities” for those students with specific vocational interests. At present, four of these communities are available to students: Performing Arts School for Advanced Studies School for Environmental Studies Technology & Design50

Teachers who oversee these programs note that participation has helped students to improve verbal communication, writing, and confidence, “[providing] contextual knowledge at a level of sophistication that more traditional learning environments fail to provide.”51 Visitation field trips to local universities are also offered, along with visits from college representatives, access to a FAFSA form advisor, and counseling on writing entrance essays and obtaining transcripts and letters of recommendation. Orangeburg-Wilkinson Senior High School Orangeburg, South Carolina Orangeburg-Wilkinson Senior High School employs innovations such as a Freshman Academy, in-school or after-school tutoring and mentoring programs, SAT/ACT preparation, and Upward Bound academic instruction projects in a wide range of different subjects.52 Personal appearance and the importance of upstanding character traits are enforced by faculty, such as tucking shirts in at school and wearing ID badges. Administrators state that “noticeable results in the achievement

48 “Creating College Readiness: Profiles of 38 Schools That Know How.” Educational Policy Improvement Center. 2009, p. 74.

https://www.epiconline.org/files/pdf/doclibrary/AERA_2010_CRPractices.pdf 49 Ibid. 50 “Small Learning Communities.” John Marshall High School. http://www.johnmarshallhs.org/slc.jsp 51 “Creating College…How.” Op cit, p. 74. 52 “Creating College…How.” Op cit, p. 84.

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levels of students” were garnered from this approach, and one former student stated that social pressure to succeed was a “primary influence” during her time at the high school.53 Peer-editing, note-taking instruction, study habits, listening skills, and problem solving are also emphasized at Orangeburg-Wilkinson, and freshman meet with guidance counselors to discuss career goals, college plans, and to create academic plans for their four years in high school that will “maximize their options” upon graduating. Honors classes are available for high achievers, as are IB courses. Orangeburg-Wilkinson Senior High School’s homepage features information on their International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program; SAT/ACT preparation; guidance counseling; and access to South Carolina’s School Improvement Council. The principal’s annual report for 2011-2012 noted that $6 million had been awarded to graduating seniors. Further, school faculty had expanded to include six National Board Certified teachers and the “Professional Learning Community” program had been successfully implemented at the school.54

53 Ibid. 54 “SIC Annual Report to Parents for 2011-2012.” Orangeburg-Wilkinson Senior High School.

http://owhigh.ocsd5schools.org/download.axd?file=7fbdf66e-370a-4e1b-b12c-41928e3f5772&dnldType=Resource

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