Free World Learning Center: Expeditionary Learning

1. Free World Learning Center:Expeditionary Learning Demetria S. Taylor Marcus A. Davis May 23, 2008 TMA 21

2. Research • www.elob.org • Great American Schools: The power of Culture and Passion by L. Wilson • Expeditionary Learning by G. Gonzalez • The Lessons of Learning Expeditions by L. Rugen & R.Hartl • From the inside out by Udell, Rugen, Leah & Denis

3. What is Expeditionary Learning ? • Expeditionary Learning is a design and program for school improvement that builds on the educational ideas and insights of Kurt Hahn, Outward Bound's founder, Outward Bound's 60-year history and craft wisdom, and the ideas and examples of other educational thinkers and leaders from John Dewey to Paul Ylvisaker, Harold Howe, Ted Sizer, Eleanor Duckworth, Howard Gardner, Debbie Meier and Tom James. • Expeditionary Learning is applying values and vision and pedagogy from these sources to the business creating and developing good schools and breathing life into curriculum and instruction. It partners with individual schools and their districts--and with charter schools--primarily in cites and rural communities where good schools are most needed and where good schools have not been the norm. • To fuel improvement and help its partner schools realize the principles and core practices of its design, Expeditionary learning provides a coherent and pertinent program of professional development and technical assistance that is tailored to the situation of each school.

4. The Design 10 Principles • 1. THE PRIMACY OF SELF-DISCOVERYLearning happens best with emotion, challenge and the requisite support. People discover their abilities, values, passions, and responsibilities in situations that offer adventure and the unexpected. • 2. THE HAVING OF WONDERFUL IDEASTeaching in Expeditionary Learning schools fosters curiosity about the world by creating learning situations that provide something important to think about, time to experiment, and time to make sense of what is observed. • 3. THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNINGLearning is both a personal process of discovery and a social activity. Everyone learns both individually and as part of a group. • 4. EMPATHY AND CARINGLearning is fostered best in communities where students' and teachers' ideas are respected and where there is mutual trust. • 5. SUCCESS AND FAILUREAll students need to be successful if they are to build the confidence and capacity to take risks and meet increasingly difficult challenges. But it is also important for students to learn from their failures, to persevere when things are hard, and to learn to turn disabilities into opportunities.

5. Continuation of the 10 Principles • 6. COLLABORATION AND COMPETITIONIndividual development and group development are integrated so that the value of friendship, trust, and group action is clear. • 7. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIONBoth diversity and inclusion increase the richness of ideas, creative power, problem-solving ability, and respect for others. • 8. THE NATURAL WORLDA direct and respectful relationship with the natural world refreshes the human spirit and teaches the important ideas of recurring cycles and cause and effect. • 9. SOLITUDE AND REFLECTIONStudents and teachers need time alone to explore their own thoughts, make their own connections, and create their own ideas. • 10. SERVICE AND COMPASSIONWe are crew, not passengers. Students and teachers are strengthened by acts of consequential service to others.

6. Our Core Practices and Benchmarks The Core Practice and Benchmarks serve several purposes. They provide a comprehensive overview of the Expeditionary Learning practices, a planning guide for school leaders and teachers, a framework for designing professional development, and a tool for evaluating implementation.

7. I. LEARNING EXPEDITIONS II. ACTIVE PEDAGOGY IV. LEADERSHIP ANDSCHOOL IMPROVEMENT III. CULTURE AND CHARACTER

8. V. STRUCTURES Each of the five core practices is comprised of a series of benchmarks. Each benchmark describes a particular area of practice and is organized by lettered components and numbered descriptors.

9. Our Approach • Expeditionary Learning's program of professional development emphasizes active teaching and learning, student and faculty engagement, and a demanding and supportive school culture. Literacy is central and reading and writing are integrated throughout the curriculum. Character development and teamwork are not just emphasized, but embedded in school structures, practices and rituals and integrated into the academic program. • In Expeditionary Learning schools, much of the academic work is done in learning expeditions -- long-term investigations of important questions and subjects that include individual and group projects, field studies, and performances and presentations of student work. Active pedagogy, the type of instruction in an EL classroom, is meant to be the norm whether or not there is a learning expedition underway.

10. Budget:150 Students2.2 Million Fiscal Year 08-09 t PROPOSED 2007-2008 COST PER STUDENT = $7,595.04 School-Based Expenses Item Cost Per % of Student Budget Classroom Teachers $ 2,988.29 39.34% Special Education 733.84 9.66% Transportation1 406.82 5.36% Custodians 334.34 4.40% Principals/Asst. Prin. 315.21 4.15% Building Upkeep2 267.15 3.52% Electricity 212.39 2.80% Guidance Staff 198.95 2.62% ELL Staff 175.97 2.32% Technology Services 172.02 2.26% School Secretaries 165.11 2.17% Librarians 147.99 1.95% Instructional Support3 136.78 1.80% Natural Gas/Water/Phones 123.46 1.63% Vocational Education 101.42 1.34% Substitute Teachers 95.85 1.26% Reading Specialists 64.09 0.84% Textbooks 60.18 0.79% Kindergarten Staff 58.79 0.77% Campus Supervisors 54.01 0.71% School Psychologists 50.18 0.66% Alternative/Non-traditional 44.84 0.59% Nursing Services 38.57 0.51% Instructional Supplies 32.88 0.43% Security Services 26.85 0.36% In-School Suspension 25.53 0.34% Social Workers 25.07 0.33% Attendance Services 10.24 0.13% Faculty and Students travel expenses 101,000 102.35 Total 93.17% District Expenses Retiree Benefits 240.96 3.17% Central Office/Legal 56.35 0.74% Charter School Funding 54.06 0.71% Human Resources 44.46 0.59% Business Services/Mail 39.42 0.52% Staff Development 28.83 0.38% Property Tax Refunds 28.06 0.37% Building Insurance 15.08 0.20% Student Evaluation 11.24 0.15% Total 6.83%

11. Long- Term Goals • To Raise Mathematic and Reading Scores by 40 % each year a child is in the program. • 40% percent increase of parental involvement • Test satisfactory or better on state issued testing. • Building a child physically, mentally, and emotionally.

12. WHAT ARE OUR IMMEDIATE NEEDS • A SCHOOL IS ONLY AS GOOD AS ITS ADMINISTRATIONS AND FACULTY

13. For Starters • We want to make sure to start our reform school the way other model schools that have had a great deal of success. • One of our model schools is King Middle School. • Although it is middle school, it is a great model for our elementary school because… • Many expeditionary elementary, middle, and high schools have aligned curriculum

14. What they did • Became New American School • Every member of the faculty was invited to go on an Outward Bound course in the summer • The trip helped to build team morale • Team Morale is important, and the trip had many other rewards • Our faculty should get these rewards out of our Outward Bound trips

15. Trip Rewards • Expeditionary learning emphasizes teamwork and practical problem solving. • These faculty summer trips have many rewards…….

16. Trip Rewards • Faculty should begin to see how experimental learning works…. • And think about how it would look in a classroom • Trip should have a cultural effect on the faculty • Teachers and other faculty may learn to take risks and make changes

17. Community resources • WE NEED COOPERATION FROM MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY • OUR STUDENTS WILL BE TAKING MANY EXPEDITIONS TO DIFFERENT SITES IN OUR COMMUNITY • REAL WORLD EXPEDTIONS

18. Community involvement • Police officers • Nurses • Park Rangers • Politicians • Parents • Grandparents • Etc……

19. COOPERATION FROM • Grocery stores • Parks • Nursing homes • Aquariums • Different Museums • Etc…..

20. School resources • School buses • Extra chaperones

21. Curriculum Plan • We will have all of the core subjects • Language arts/writing • Reading • Math • Social Studies • Science • Music/art /computer

22. Curriculum continued… • Foreign Language (not required) • There are no P. E. classes because all classes go on expeditions • Two expeditions a month are required for all students, but students may have more • Each faculty team will decide what to do

23. Curriculum continued • There are no bells so (there is not 3 minutes of chaos every 45 minutes) • Teachers can decide to go on a field experience ( event must be approved already) • Go to the park • Or have math the whole day

24. Curriculum Continued • Teachers define their time • Can change can change it daily • Still must follow a basic curriculum for respective grade • Expeditionary schools may seem loosely structured, but the planning and structures of the school almost have to be more well-defined than those of traditional schools

25. Teacher Needs • All of our teachers will have to be certified or be eligible to get her/his certification • Teachers will have their own budget (this is built in to our over all budget) • Teachers will have to plan their budget in the summer and set aside (in their budget plan) extra monies for pop trips

26. Teacher needs continued…. • Access to all community resources and discounts • Teachers will present their primary budget but have access to necessary school supplies at all times • All teachers need Laptop, Cell phone so the school and parents can keep up with the kids

27. A bit of information • The RAND Corporation prepared this study for New American Schools (NAS) assessing the ability of each of the design teams to implement its design from 1995 to 1997. The report, based on case studies of 33 schools in seven different districts, found that Expeditionary Learning was one of two designs that "show significantly higher levels of implementation than the other teams." Expeditionary Learning was successfully implemented in five out of six schools, the second highest rate of successful implementation among the seven designs studied, and Expeditionary Learning was one of only two designs with schools that had reached an exemplary level of implementation.

28. Questions and Answers • THANK YOU