Our Model
Our systematic approach to ensure student learning is called the Re-Inventing Schools Model (RSM). It features shifting away from time based (grades K, 1, 2 etc) to a performance based student advancement. It has been provided to us by our partner, the Re-Inventing Schools Coalition of Wasilla, Alaska. It was used by the Chugach School District of Alaska when it was one of the first two school districts to win the Malcolm Baldrige Award, the only Presidential award for organizational performance excellence in 2001.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)
This Act was signed into law by George W. Bush in January of 2002. It mandates that 100% of all students in every state be proficient in reading and mathematics by no later than the end of the 2013-2014 school year.
The Re-Inventing Schools Model
The Re-Inventing Schools Model realizes the inherent value of aligned and realistic assessment practices and allows students to progress individually by demonstrating (in a variety of ways and at their own pace) that they have reached high levels of academic performance.
This Re-Inventing Schools Model is effective at getting students to take ownership for their learning. It entails a definite shift away from teacher-directed, to student-centered learning. Students move at their own pace (as fast or as slow as needed) through developmental levels in standards, rather than age-based grade levels. End-of-level assessments demonstrating proficiency will determine a student's advancement into the next standard level. Students become the drivers of their education — not the teacher!
The core of the model is simply . . . . "students must demonstrate competence in specific standards before they can pass from one grade to the next, or one level of schooling to the next." (excerpt from "Delivering The Promise" by Richard Delorenzo).
It is our goal for each and every student to be proficient as to the goal of the afore-mentioned No Child Left Behind Act. We believe that the Re-Inventing School's Model (RSM) of instruction is so powerful as to fulfill this goal for all of our students.
| A LEARNER-CENTERED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT | |
| Learner-centered learning environment / RSM | Traditional learner environment |
| Learners are partners in their own learning. | Classrooms are teacher-directed. |
| Learners learn at their own pace. | All students learn everything all together. |
| Learners track their own progress. | Only the teachers know the students' grades. |
| Learners learn from one another and the teacher. | Students only learn from the teacher. |
| Learners are always looking for ways to improve. | The teacher tells the student how to improve. |
| Learners develop a shared vision and leadership with their teacher. | The teacher makes the rules and tells the students how the classroom will run. |
You can learn more about the Re-Inventing Schools Model and the Malcolm Baldrige Award at the following sites:
