5 High School Redesign Resources
Redesigning high school is tough work. Here are 5 resources to help you out on your journey.
It’s our first “Summer Reading” issue and we’ve collected the top five stories on high school redesign to date to help you dream big about what’s possible next year.
1. ReTHINK: XQ Learner Goals
The next generation must learn to adapt to a changing world. From building the academics needed for college, career, and life to co-creating solutions to our world’s toughest problems, students must be deeply engaged in their own learning and fully prepared for all that the future has to offer. The five XQ learner goals can help students and schools reach these goals.
2. EXPLORE: Portrait of a graduate
Has your school spent time thinking about what you want students to know and be able to do when they graduate? This Portrait of a Graduate process can be a powerful way to plan for the future, according to a recent discussion with KnowledgeWorks and EdLeader21. “It allows a learning community to develop a sense of ‘why’ and a destination,” says Jason Swanson, director of strategic foresight at KnowledgeWorks. According to Valerie Greenhill, president of EdLeader21, “The point of the Portrait process is to stay very closely aligned with each community’s contexts, needs, and values. It encourages discussion and prioritization of student supports that will be needed for each child to be successful in college, career and life — regardless of the challenges surrounding their education.” Check out their gallery featuring the results of this work in districts across the country to get inspired!
3. LEARN: Knowledge Modules
Are you a current or aspiring school leader eager for resources to inspire and inform transformation in your school? Start with our Knowledge Modules. These interactive learning modules offer a mix of cutting-edge academic research and inspiration to help anyone think boldly about both the possibilities and the realities of rethinking high school.
4. WATCH: Big questions
Education Reimagined partnered with 180 Studio and ATTN: to create a video series exploring the “Why” of traditional education. These are big questions. Which one keeps you up at night?
- Why does age determine the how, what, and with whom of learning?
- Why are classrooms the only place learning counts?
- Why does memorization reign supreme in traditional learning?
5. DIVE IN: Redesign reading list
Thinking about high school redesign? Getting Smart assembled a massive reading list to get you started. You’ll find dozens of links in 12 categories, such as formulating a strategy, planning a visit, considering a design focus, spurring district-wide redesign, shifting to competency, becoming an early-college high school, and more.
X-tra from XQ
Want to see XQ schools in action? Now you can follow each school’s journey to rethink high school on this page.
