At Ponagaset High School, students pursue their passions through self-selected learning pathways designed to prepare them for success in college and careers. Pathways include agriculture, animal science, plant science, biomedical science, business, computer science, criminal justice, health and fitness/EMT, construction and manufacturing, music performance/music education, music technology, pre-engineering, and visual arts. Each pathway is supported by a Partnership Team—parents, business leaders, higher education representatives, community members, teachers, and school/district administrators—who advise and support. Students earn post-secondary recognized credits via academic, career, online, self-paced, and independent college classes, competency-testing, and out-of-school learning. School leaders have intentionally built personalization blocks in the school schedule that provide time and flexibility for students to exercise voice and choice.

The Ponaganset High School community is committed to building an inclusive culture that ensures that every voice is heard, valued, and empowered. In the past, the school came to the painful realization that it was not serving all of its students—particularly economically disadvantaged students, male students, and students receiving special education services. Ponaganset staff also realized it was not supporting and elevating the voices of all students, championing inclusivity adequately, or empowering all students to lead their own education. Ponaganset staff took action by dramatically expanding their personalized learning pathways, creating a student advisory committee to capture authentic student voice in school decisions, launching a new diversity task force, and collecting and analyzing data to address equity gaps. At Ponaganset, students and adults are supported through an equitable allocation of resources, comprehensive school counseling, individual learning plans, flexible block scheduling, a personalization period, and connections to parents, community, business, and higher education institutions. They’re building a school where, regardless of a student’s academic achievement level, race or ethnicity, economic status, or gender identity, every student feels safe and empowered to be themselves, find their voice, and work for positive change in the world.

How many school campuses can boast they have a CNC plasma cutter, a live animal care facility, a fully operational greenhouse, and a robotics lab? Students have access to those resources at Ponaganset but even the most engaging and innovative environment isn’t sufficient unless students are supported to succeed. Ponaganset staff provides that support through its Start, Stay, and Finish Strong program that ensures that all students have the benefit of a comprehensive system of academic, career, and social services to help them stay focused on the future, make yearly progress, and successfully complete college and career preparatory classes. Recognizing that the transition to high school is a particularly critical period, Ponaganset educators ensure alignment with students’ middle schools.

Ponaganset educators take pride in preparing students for the future of their choosing. While one student is engaged in an internship at an elementary school, another is completing a financial literacy class at a local college, while another is deeply collaborating with teachers in the construction and manufacturing pathway—all based on their personal passions and interests. The school supports meaningful and engaged learning in and out of school through ​an aligned instructional system that progressively develops foundational knowledge and transferable skills, expressed in Ponaganset’s Vision of a Graduate. Each student assembles a personalized, digital portfolio, where they demonstrate their readiness for an ever-changing world. The portfolio includes a system of digital badges that tracks a student's progress towards several achievements, including the completion of the Vision of a Graduate; external certifications or designations; a showcase of specific skills through evidence and experiences both in and out of school; and personalized pathway badges that allow students to define their own pathway majors beyond the existing formalized CTE pathways. The school prioritizes system enablers, like comprehensive school counseling, individual learning plans, flexible block scheduling, personalization period, and connections to parents, community, business, and higher education.