Designing New School Models

Designing New School ModelsA Practical Guide

project:

notes:

date: 2013.03.22 client: SPRING POINT COLORS:

DIMENSIONS: N/A

LOGO : HORIZONTAL

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4 COLORPROCESS

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contents |

Introduction 3 Doing School Differently 5Our Work and Our Partners 6Our Priorities 8 What to Keep in Mind 10

TheSchoolDesignProcess 11About this Guide 12Design Process | Phase1:Understand 14Design Process | Phase2:Design 24Design Process | Phase3:Build 34

LookingAhead 40

2

Introduction

4introduction |

Springpointisanationalnonprofitorganizationthatsupportsthedesignandlaunchofnew,innovativepublichighschools.

Since2013,wehavepartneredwithschooldistricts,schoolnetworks,andchartermanagementorganizationsaroundthecountrytodesignandlaunchtwelvenewhighschoolsinsixcities.Nextyear,wewillsupportteamsinopeningfivemore.Togethertheseschoolswillserveover6,000studentsatcapacity.

Weprovidedesignguidance,implementationsupport,andtechnicalassistancetopartnersastheyreimaginesecondaryschools.Oursupportoftenbeginswithastudent-centeredschooldesignprocess,elementsofwhichwesharehere.

Thisguideisasnapshotofthemostsalientinsightsfromourcurrentwork,togetherwithacuratedselectionoftoolsthatillustratetheimportanceofdiscovery,synthesis,alignment,anditerationthroughouttheschooldesignprocess.Wehopethisresourceisusefultopractitioners,schoolleaders,families,andcommunitiesworkingtoreimaginetheexperienceofschool.

5introduction |

Thereisanurgentandgrowingnationalconversationaboutthelimitationsoftraditionalschoolmodels—particularlyhighschools—inthecontextofnewdemandsforstudentachievement.The21stcenturyispoisedtoshatterouroldparadigmsofbothstudyandwork.“Success”aswehavehistoricallydefineditwilldemandmoreofyoungpeople—academically,socially,andprofessionally—thanourschoolsarecurrentlypreparingthemtodeliver.

Tobesuccessfulinthisnewcontext,youngpeopleneedopportunitiestodevelopcreativity,self-direction,andcriticalthinkingandcollaborationskills,whicharenotoftenembeddedintypicalhighschoollearningexperiences.Theyneedinnovativeguidancefornavigatingnewpathstocollegeandcareersuccess,andpersonalizedsupportthroughoutthejourney.Theyneedintentionallydesignedschoolsthatoffernewmodesandmethodsoflearningandacceleratestudentgrowthandachievement.Mostofall,theyneedhighschoolsthatarereimaginedasadolescentlearningecosystemswhereyoungpeoplecanbeactiveagentsintheirowndevelopment.

Incrementalimprovementstoschoolsarenotenoughtomeetthischallenge.Weneedfundamentallynewdesignsforschoolitself.Putsimply,weneedtodoschooldifferently.

DOING SCHOOL DIFFERENTLY

“Success” as we have historically defined it will demand more

of young people—academically, socially, and professionally—

than our schools are currently preparing them to deliver.

6introduction |

MuchofourworkoverthelastfouryearsgrewoutofourparticipationinCarnegieCorporationofNewYork’sOpportunitybyDesigninitiative:aboldchallengetoreimaginewhat21stcenturysecondaryschoolcanbeanddoforyoungpeople.CarnegieCorporationcatalyzedthisinitiativeandgenerouslyfundedSpringpointandourpartnerstoengageinthechallengingandinspiringworkoflaunchingnewhighschools.

OUR WORK AND OUR PARTNERS

Wehavebeenfortunatetoworkcloselywithadiversecollectionofdistrict,intermediary,charter,andnonprofitpartnersastheyassembleddesignteams,openednewschools,andworkedtoensuretheorganizational,policy,andstructuralsupportsnecessaryfortheirschoolstothrive.Accordingly,oursupportsareflexible,adaptive,andresponsivetoeachpartner’suniquecontext.

...a bold challenge to reimagine what 21st century secondary school

can be and do for young people.

Our partners include:

BrooklynLaboratoryCharterSchool

ClevelandMetropolitanSchoolDistrict

DenverPublicSchools

InternationalsNetworkforPublicSchools,togetherwithPrinceGeorge’sCountyPublicSchoolsandCASAdeMaryland

SchoolDistrictofPhiladelphia

ProvidencePublicSchools

TheUrbanAssembly,togetherwiththeNewYorkCityDepartmentofEducation

7introduction |

Springpoint’s support is not limited to design assistance. We collaborate with leaders to develop a comprehensive school development and planning process that includes

design, launch, implementation, and ongoing iteration.

School Model Design:weleadpartnersthroughastructured,student-centereddesignprocessgroundedintheneedsofyoungpeopleandtheircommunities.

Strategic Planning: weworkwithpartnerstoplanforlaunchingschools,helpingthemsequenceprioritiesandallocatetime,people,andresourcesinawaythatwillbestservetheirorganizationalneeds.

Capacity Building: weprovidetraining,coaching,andimplementationsupporttopartnersandschools.Thisworksupportstheimplementationofnewmodelsanddrivescontinuousimprovement.

Resource Development: wedevelop,collect,curate,andshareresourcesthatareessentialthroughouttheprocessofdesigning,launching,andsupportingnewmodels.

Asweestablishedourapproachtopartnersupport,wedrewinspirationfromtheworkofinnovators,bothwithinandbeyondthefieldofeducation.Weinterviewedpractitionerswhodesignedandlaunchednewschoolsincitiesacrossthecountry;district,charter,andintermediaryleaderswhosupportedthiswork;andexpertswhoservedasadvisorstoboth.Theseconversationsallowedustounderstand

thesupportsthathadbeenmosthelpful,theconstraintsthathadbeenthemostlimiting,andtheprocessesthathadproducedthestrongestideas.Wealsoresearcheddesigntheoryandimprovementsciencemethodologiestoidentifypracticesthatcouldinformandsharpenourwork.Throughout,wedrewonourexpertiseinyouthdevelopmenttheoryandpracticestoensurethatourdesignprocesscenteredonstudents.

Specifically, we focus on:

8introduction |

As we guide our partners through the process of designing and launching new schools, we ground our work in the following core priorities.

Young People.Inorderfornewschooldesignstoefficientlyandeffectivelymeetthestill-evolvingchallengesof21stcenturypost-secondarystudyandwork,youngpeoplemustbethecentralfocusofanydesignprocess.

Ratherthanattemptingtoreplicateestablishedmodelsorapproaches,designteamsshouldgroundtheirworkinanunderstandingoftheyoungpeople,families,andcommunitiestheirschoolswillserve.Theydevelopthisunderstandingbytalkingtoandlearningfromyoungpeoplethemselves—andthentheymustcommittodesigninganewmodelthatisresponsivetostudents’assets,experiences,expectations,andambitions,andalignstotheirneeds.

Young People Great Practice

Iteration

OUR PRIORITIES

Insupportofthispriority,weemphasizequalitativedatacollectionearlyandthroughoutthedesignprocess—viainterviews,observations,focusgroupdiscussions,visits,anddesigncollaborations—alongsidequantitativedataanalysis.Thisapproachalsohelpsestablishmoreequitableandcollaborativerelationshipsbetweendesignteamsandtheircommunities,andbetweentheadultsandyoungpeopleattheheartofthiswork—allofwhichcanlivewellbeyondthelaunchoftheschool.

8introduction |

9introduction |

Great Practice. Mininggreatschools,industrypartners,andinnovativeorganizationsforthebestpracticesininstruction,operations,anditeration—andthencuratingandorganizingthemtomeettheneedsofspecificyoungpeopleandcommunities—canyieldnewschooldesignsthatacceleratestudentachievement.

Emphasizingdesignprinciplesanddistillinggreatpracticerequiresdesignerstobelessfocusedonwholesalemodelreplication,andmorefocusedonbuildingschoolsthatmeettheneedsofspecificstudents,usingthetools,context,ideas,andknowledgeathandtodevelopideasthatarenewandbold.Wherebestpracticeisnotyetestablished,designteamsworktoinventnewapproachesthatremaincenteredaroundstudentneeds.

Iteration. Schoolsthatarebuiltaroundyoungpeoplebydefinitionmustbelearningorganizations,committedtocontinuedadaptation,iteration,andchange.

Studentsandtheircommunitiesshouldlearnandgrowtogether.Thismeansthataschool’sinitialdesignisjustthat—thefirstversionofanevolvingdesign.Ourteamsembraceanunderstandingoftheirroleinguidingthatevolutionstrategicallyaroundnewchallengesandopportunitiesastheyarise.

Springpoint’ssupportemphasizesthe

positive,essentialvalueofiteration.Itiscriticallyimportanttocommittocontinuedlearning,designing,refining,andimproving.Ingreatschoolsthecultureofiterationpermeates,throughclassroomsandbeyond,andpromotessustainedexcellenceandachievement.

Schools that are built around young people by definition must be learning

organizations, committed to continued adaptation, iteration, and change.

10introduction |

In our work with partners and their design teams, we have gathered insights into what strategies, practices, and approaches can be helpful.

Here are a few things we advise school designers to keep in mind.

Commit to redefining the experience of school. Adeliberateschooldesignprocessencouragesteamstofundamentallyrethinkthepurposeofschool,andexplorebroadpossibilitiesforhowschoolscanmeetstudentneeds.

Believe young people can achieve great things. Designteamsmustbegintheirworkwiththefundamentalconvictionthatyoungpeoplebringuniqueassetsandcapabilities,andthatwiththerightsupportsandopportunities,theycansucceed.

Identify the policy conditions that may enable flexibility.Choiceandflexibility—overstaff,time,resources,accountabilitysystems,andeducationalprograms—presentsrichopportunitiestothinkcreativelyaboutthedesignofaschool.

WHAT TO KEEP IN MIND

Adopt design principles to guide the work. Springpoint’sintegrateddesignprinciplescanprovideastrongstartingpointforthoseinterestedinarticulatingprinciplesthatarespecifictotheirlocalcontextandstudentneeds.However,keepinmindthatschoolsshouldbedesignedforyoungpeople,notideas.

Engage local communities. Fromthestart,teamsshouldcultivateapositivecommunityecosystem,inclusiveofyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies,community-basedorganizations,localleaders,teachers,experts,andotherdiversestakeholders.

Remember that school design is never finished. Atruedesignprocessisongoing—aslongasschoolsservestudents,sotoomusttheybeinaconstantstateofreflection,adaptation,andimprovement.

http://www.springpointschools.org/design-principles/

The School Design Process

12the school design process |

Tosupportourschooldesignpartners,wedevelopedacollectionofexperiences,resources,andexpertisethatwecanrearrange,reassemble,andcustomizetohelpdesignteamsproducegreatnewschooldesignsintheiruniquecontexts.Wecalledthiscollectiona“designprocess,”asthattermisbroadlyunderstoodbythefieldtocontaintheelementswedescribehere.Butwhat

ABOUT THIS GUIDE

wehavedevelopedhasmoreconsistentlyresembledaconceptualErectorset,withperhapsafewnerdyfriendscrammedintothebox.Thedesignprocessweinitiallydevelopedhasevolvedconsiderablysincewestartedthiswork,butitisstillorganizedintoessential“phases”or,moreaccurately,categories:Understand,Design,Build.

Designpriorities, frameworks,

experiences

Buildroadmap, people, process, artifacts

Iteratio

n

Understandstudents, opportunities,

constraints, resources

13

Itisimportanttokeepinmindthatthesecategoriesrepresentroughdistinctionsratherthanconcretesilosforthiswork.Wedevelopedthemtohelpteamsbothunderstandandnavigatethephasesofthework,andtoidentifytheskills,knowledge,andexperiencestheirdesignteamwouldneedinordertocreatearobustschooldesign.However,wewanttoemphasizethatthisworkishighlycyclicalandthateachphaseintheprocessisiterative—teamsshouldreturntotheseactivitiesandprojectsatanygiventimebothduringtheprocessandaftertheschoolopens.TheworkintheUnderstandphasemaybegintheprocess,forexample,butitdoesnotconcludewhenteamsmoveintoDesignorBuild.Itcontinuesthroughthosephases,andwellbeyondthelaunchoftheschool.

Thetoolsaccompanyingthisguideareasamplingofthetoolsweusewithpartners.Theyareintendedtopromotediscovery,synthesis,andreflectionduringthedesignprocess.Developingarobustschooldesigninvolvesmanyadditionalstepsoutsidethesetools,butwehopetheycanserveasillustrativeguideposts.

Springpoint’sprocessembodiesthesamecommitmenttoiterationthatweseektoinstillinourpartners.Ourapproachtoschooldesigncontinuestoevolveaswelearnmorefromourpartnersandtheemergingfield.Asourpracticegrows,wewillcontinuetoaddtothisbodyofknowledge.

The tools accompanying this guide are a

sampling of the tools we use with partners.

the school design process |

TheInstituteofDesignatStanfordsuggests launchingadesignprocesswithempathyastheentrypoint;thedesignfirmIDEO’sprocessusesdiscovery.Weseethemeritsofboth,andhavecalledthisphasedifferentthingssinceourlaunch.But,giventhecomplexityoftheworkschooldesignersundertake,wehavemostconsistentlylandedonUnderstandasthebestdescriptorofourstartingpoint.Itintegrateselementsofbothdiscoveryandempathy,andsobestreflectsouraimduringthisphaseofthework.

DesignProcess|Phase1

15 |

In order for new school designs to efficiently and effectively meet

the still-evolving challenges of 21st century postsecondary

study and work, young people must be the central focus of any

design process.

Whoareyourstudents?

Whatareyouropportunities and your constraints?

Whatresources willyoubeabletoaccessandcultivatetosupportyourwork?

Toanswerthesequestions,wedevelopedasamplesequenceforhowteamsmightnavigatetheirwaythroughthem.Duringthisphaseofthedesigneffort,teamsareoftenworkingtoexpandtheirunderstandingofallthreequestionssimultaneously,butwewilldiscussthemhereinorderofimportanceandimpact.

Onthefollowingpagesareafewexamplesofwhatexperiencesanddesignproductsmightlooklikeforadesignteamduringthisphaseofthework.

Webelievegreatschooldesignshouldbegroundedintheneedsofstudents.Thatiswhyweaskdesignteamstofirstdevelopadeep,foundationalunderstandingofthestudentsandfamiliestheywillserve.Wesuggestfocusingonthesethreeessentialquestions.

Whilesomeofthesequestionsareanswerableinafinitetimeperiod,mostrequireongoinginquiry,revision,andexpansion.

Weencourageteamstothinkofthisphaseoftheworkasprimarilyexploratoryandorganizational—withthegoalofgettingthebestfirstanswerstoasmanyquestionsaspossibleinoneplace,andsynthesizingtheinformationtheyhavecollectedintoaframeworkthatcaninformtheprioritiesanddecisionsofthenextphasesofthedesignprocess.

understand

16 |

Practicallyspeaking,werecommendteamsstructurethisphaseoftheworkaroundaseriesofcyclicaldatagatheringefforts,designedtoproduceguidelinesforhowtobuildaschoolmodelthatisuniquelyresponsivetotheyoungpeopleitserves.Weencourageteamstostudybothqualitativeandquantitativedataduringthisphase.Forexample,lookingatbothstudentacademicperformancedata,andtheinformationgatheredfromsurveysandfocusgroupdiscussions.Inordertodevelopcoherent,evidence-basedconclusions,wesuggestthatteamspausebetweeneachcycletosynthesizeinformationandidentifynewquestions.

Ifteamsarenewtoeachother,ortotheirstudentsorcommunities,wesuggestthattheybeginthisworkbymappingtheassumptionstheyaremakingabouttheirstudents,usingcategoriestheycanreturntothroughouteachcycle.Itcanbehelpfulforteamstoidentifyboththegapsintheirknowledgeandtheirassumptionsinadvanceoftheirdatacollectionwork.

Werecommendconcludingeachcyclewithareflection,notingwhereassumptionshavebeenconfirmedorinvalidated,andanynewdiscoveries.Theworkofreconcilingtheseassumptionsattheconclusionofeachcycleofdatagatheringpreparesdesignleadersandteamstogeneratecomposite“portraits”ofprospectivestudentsthatoutlinewhatstudentsneedtoknowanddotobesuccessfulintheschoolmodel.

question 1.

WHO ARE YOUR STUDENTS?

understand

17 |

Throughoutthiscycleseries,werecommendthatteamsuseaconsistenttooltoorganizeandsynthesizetheirfindings—eitheroursortheirownversion—tocapturethelayersofunderstandingtheydevelopthroughtheprocess.Oursampletoolissimple,andasksteamstosortinformationtheygatherabouttheirstudentsintofourkeyquestioncategories:

Whatexperiences—inschoolandout—havestudentshadbeforetheycometoyourschool?

Whathavestudentsalready learned—inschoolandout—toknow,do,orbe?

Whatexpectationsdostudentsbringtoyourschool—foryouandforthemselves?

Whatgoals, ambitions, and dreamsdothestudentscomingtoyourschoolhopefor?

Teamsshouldusethisphaseoftheworktodeeplyunderstandthediversityoftheirstudentpopulation.Theyshouldnotlimittheir“portrait”ofprospectivestudentstoasinglecomposite(e.g.,“anenteringstudent”),butratherdevelopaportfolioofportraitsthatreflectthecompositionoftheirstudentpopulation,andthatwillhelpexploreboththevarietyandnuancesoftheirprospectivestudents’experiences.Dependingonthecontext,thisportfoliocanbeorganizedcategorically,alignedtopatternspresentedbythequantitativedatareview(e.g.,demographics,studentperformancepatterns,etc.),orthematically,clusteredarounddatapointsgatheredinqualitativeresearchefforts.

Wealsosuggestthatteamsaddavisioningexercisetotheirportraitportfoliobycreatingafewcompositeportraitsoffuturegraduatesoftheirnewschool—imaginingwhatgraduatesmightknow,do,andbeafterfouryearsofanextraordinaryhighschoolexperience—thatmirrorthestructureoftheirprospectivestudentportraits.Weencourageteamstocaptureintheirfuturegraduateportraitsboththedreamsandaspirationsstudentshaveforthemselves,andtheexpectationstheworldwillhaveofthemasadults.

Aprintabletoolcanbefoundattheendofthissection.

This composite portraits tool helps design teams organize and synthesize their findings.

understand

understand

What experiences —in school and out—have students had?

What have students learned—in school and out—to know, do, or be?

What expectations do students have—for themselves and for their learning?

What goals, ambitions, and dreams do students cherish?

Composite Portraits Prospective StudentsFuture Graduates

what you’ll need:

All qualitative and quantitative data – inputs, analysis, and summaries

this is a portrait of...

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to create a series of composite portraits of their students, representing both the diversity of their students’ past experiences and capturing a vision of their future achievements.

product:

4-7 composite portraits of prospective students, based on their unique attributes.

4-7 composite portraits of graduates, mirroring the prospective student groupings.

understand

What experiences —in school and out—have students had?

What have students learned—in school and out—to know, do, or be?

What expectations do students have—for themselves and for their learning?

What goals, ambitions, and dreams do students cherish?

Composite Portraits Prospective StudentsFuture Graduates

what you’ll need:

All qualitative and quantitative data – inputs, analysis, and summaries


purpose:

Teams can use this tool to create a series of composite portraits of their students, representing both the diversity of their students’ past experiences and capturing a vision of their future achievements.

product:

4-7 composite portraits of prospective students, based on their unique attributes.

4-7 composite portraits of graduates, mirroring the prospective student groupings.

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Here are a few examples of how teams might define and run some of their data gathering cycles in this phase of the work.

Sample Activity: Gatheryourdesignteamandafewhelpers,includingstudentswheneverpossible.Askeveryonetoworkinpairstohelpcollectmoredatatoaddtowhattheteamknowssofaraboutyourstudents.Sharethelistofquestionsyoustillhaveaboutyourstudentsfromthelastactivity.Usethosequestionstodesignobservationactivitiesthatcanhelpyoufillinthegapsinyourcurrentunderstanding.Herearesomeexamplesofobservationactivities:

Sample Activity:Gatherandreviewallavailabledataaboutstudentexperiencesandperformancefromexistingsystems,includingdemographics,attendance,academicperformancedata,andwhateverelseyoucanfind.Analyzethedatatoidentifytrends,patterns,andfurtherresearchquestions.Useawhiteboardtotakenotesonwhatyounotice.Askyourdesignteamtoreviewthedataandaddtheirobservationstoyours.Askthefolkswhosourceandmanagethedatayouhavecollectedwhatyoumightbemissing.

Synthesis:Sortyournotesintoyoursynthesistoolcategories,starringtheplacesthatfillaknowledgegapandnotingwhereassumptionshavebeenconfirmedorinvalidated.Makealistofthethingsyoustilldonotknowaboutyourfuturestudents,andaskyourdesignteamtolookatyourlistandhelpyouexpandit.

Collectadiversegroupofstudentwritingsamplesfromfeederschools,andassessthemusingarubricalignedtoEnglishLanguageArtsstandards.

Observeseveralclassroomsineachfeederschool,takingnotesonthewaysstudentsareengagedinlearning.

Visitlunchandrecessatfeederschools,takingnotesonhowstudentsinteractwithadultsandeachother.

Cycle 1: What do you already know?

Cycle 2: What do you observe?

understand

19 |

Spendafewafternoonsatafter-schoolprogramsorcommunitycentersusedbystudentsatyourfeederschools,takingnotesonwhattypesoflearningexperiencestheyoffer.

Interviewteachers,counselors,andleadersatfeederschoolsandafter-schoolprograms,takingnotesonhowtheydescribethelearningexperiencesandachievementsofthestudentsintheirprograms.

Synthesis:Bringyourteambacktogetherandtosharefindings,returningtoyourwhiteboardtotakenotesonthepatternsyouobserve.Again,sorttheseobservationsintoyoursynthesistoolcategories,starringtheplacesthatfillaknowledgegapandnotingwhereassumptionshavebeenconfirmedorinvalidated.Makealistofthethingsyoustilldonotknowaboutyourfuturestudents,andaskyourdesignteamtolookatyourlistandhelprefineit.

Cycle 3: What do students and their families tell you?

Sample Activity: Organizeyourteamandhelpersagain.Thistime,askthemtohelpyoudevelop,run,andrecordaseriesofinterviewsanddiscussionexperiencesforyourschool’sprospectivestudentsandtheirfamilies.Hereareafewexamplesofwhatyourteamsmaytry.

Invitestudentstouploadvideosoftheiranswerstoyoursynthesistoolquestions.Askyourteamtoreviewthosevideosandcapturetheirresponses.

Invitestudentsandtheirfamiliestoparticipateinfocusgrouproundtables.Buythemdinnerandspendtheeveninglisteningtoparticipantstalkinsmallgroupsabouttheiranswerstoyoursynthesisquestions.

Askyourteam’sstudentandfamilymemberstousethesynthesistoolquestionstointerviewotherstudentsandtheirfamilies,capturingtheirresponsesandaddingthemtoyourcollecteddata.

Synthesis:Bringyourteambacktogetherandshareyourfindings,returningtoyourwhiteboardtotakenotesonthepatternsyouobserve.Again,sorttheseobservationsintoyoursynthesistoolcategories,starringtheplacesthatfillaknowledgegapandnotingwhereassumptionshavebeenconfirmedorinvalidated.

Afterteamshaverunthroughanumberofcycleslikethese,dependingontheircontextandneeds,werecommendtheypause,andreturntoexaminetheoriginalquestionsfromtheirsynthesistool.Teamsoftenrepeattheirfirstsimpleexperienceofansweringthesequestions,butthistimewithricher,morepreciseanswersinformedbytheirdatagatheringcycles.Thisenablesthemtocreatemoreaccurate,nuanced,anddetailedcompositeportraitsthatreflectthediversityandlivedexperienceoftheircommunity.

understand

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Werecommendteamsusewhattheyhavelearnedaboutthestudentstheirschoolswillservetoconstructworkingdraftsoftheschool’smission and vision.

Themissionshouldbedeeplyinformedbythewaystudentsdescribetheirgoals,ambitions,anddreams,andshouldguideeverydesigndecisionthatteamsmakeduringandbeyondthedesignprocess.Thevisionstatementisinformedbystudentandfamilyexpectations.Itshouldconsiderwhatisrequiredtoclosethegapbetweenwhatstudentshavealreadyexperiencedandachieved—synthesizedwithinthecomposite portraits of prospective students—andwhotheywillbecomeasgraduates,whichiscapturedinthecomposite portraits of future graduates.Everyelementofaschool’sdesignshouldbeinserviceofcreatingsystemsthatwillenablestudentstoreachtheirdreamsintheirownways.Westronglyencourageteamstoincludestudentandcommunityvoicesinboththedraftingandrevisionprocesstogivethese“users”anactiveroleinthecreationoftheseessentialelements.

The mission should be deeply informed by

the way students describe their goals, ambitions,

and dreams...

understand

21 |

Whiletheprocessforgatheringinformationinresponsetothisquestionvariesaccordingtoadesignteam’scontext,thereareafewcommonproductsteamsoftencreateduringthisphase.Weadviseteamstomaketheseproducts“roughdraft”workingoutlines,ratherthanpolishednarratives.Theseoutlinesshouldlivewithintheteamasshareablefilesarecontinuallyupdatedasnewinformationemerges.

Asurveyoftheregulatory environmentthenewschoolwillneedtonavigate,includingfederal,state,andlocallawsandpolicies;anyrelevantlaborcontracts;andanyspecialcontextfortheproject,includinganywaivers,grants,specialcontracts,ororganizationalrelationshipsthatmayimpacttheschooldesign.

Ananalysisofthepolitical landscapesurroundingthenewschool,itscommunity,andthecityandstateatlarge,withaneyetoidentifyinganypotentialalliesorconflicts,andunderstandingthedynamicsofdecision-makingwithinthatcontext.

Areferencesheetforthe operational systems (e.g.,hiring,budgeting,enrollment,facilities)theschoolwillneedtonavigatewithaparticularfocusoncollectingessentialtimelinesandbaselinerequirementsforcorefunctions.

Anannotatedlistoftheaccountability measures usedtoassessprogressattheschool,includingstudentperformancemetrics,publicreportingofschooldata,teacherandleaderevaluationsystems,andtimeframes/reportingmechanisms/transparencyforeach.

Asummaryofhowtheteamhasreviewedandinternalizedthe design principlesthatprovidetheframeworkfortheproject,withspecialnotesastohowthecontext,asexaminedinprevioussurveys,willimpactdesignworkforeachprinciple.

Weencourageteamstolookatwhattheylearnduringthisphaseoftheworkthroughthelensofopportunity(i.e.,clearlyarticulatedaccountabilitymeasurescanserveashelpfulexternalmilestonesformeasuringstudentprogress),andtobuildtheirdesignsfromthatpositiveframe.Butsometimesaconstraintisaconstraint,andidentifyingitassuchcanhelpteamsbuildcontingencyplans,oridentifytargetsforadvocacywithinappropriatechannels.Eitherway,teamsneedtohaveasclearanunderstandingaspossibleoftheparametersthatwillshapetheirworkbeforemovingintothedesignphase.

question 2.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPPORTUNITIES

AND CONSTRAINTS?

understand

22 |

Westronglyencourageteamstobeginidentifyingandcultivatingresourcestosupporttheirworkassoonastheydiveintotheproject.Thecategoriesteamsusetosorttheseresourcesvarydependingonthelocalcontext,butwehavefoundthesetobeverycommon:

Financial resources,includingbothorganizationalbudgetsandadditionalfundsfromgrantsordonations.

Potential partners,includingorganizational(e.g.,corporateornonprofit“sponsors”orfoundationalpartners);programmatic(e.g.,collegepreparatory,scholarship,orcareerandtechnicaleducationprograms);andcommunity-basedpartners(e.g.,serviceorotherlocalorganizations).

Potential advisors,includinglocalleadersingovernment,business,oradvocacy;expertpractitionersfromthefield(alignedtoanygoverningdesignprinciples);andadvocatesinpolicyorlocalpolitics.

Potential design collaborators, includingexpertconsultants,strongschoolleadersandteachers,graduatesoflocalhighschoolsandcolleges,colleaguesfromfeederschools,stateandlocalcolleges,andothers.

Design inspirations, includingbestpractices,tools,andresourcessourcedfromabroadvarietyofschoolsandorganizations,taggedtospecificdesignprinciples.

Inthisphaseofthework,teamsmaywanttocreateaninternaltaxonomyforresourcesalignedtotheirdesignprinciples,againusingsimplestructuresandshareabledatasystemssothatallmembersofthedesignteamcancontributeideasandconnections.Theteamshouldalsocontinuouslyupdatetheircollectionastheygrowtheirnetworkofpartners.Weencourageteamstoviewthisquestionasanintroductiontotheongoingworkofresourcecuration,whichwillbeaconstantthroughoutthedesignprocessandbeyond.

question 3.

WHAT RESOURCES WILL YOU BE

ABLE TO ACCESS AND CULTIVATE?

understand

understand

Whatexperiences—inschoolandout—havestudentshad?

Whathavestudentslearned—inschoolandout—toknow,do,orbe?

Whatexpectationsdostudentshave—forthemselvesandfortheirlearning?

Whatgoals, ambitions, and dreamsdostudentscherish?

Composite Portraits ProspectiveStudents

FutureGraduates

what you’ll need:

Allqualitativeandquantitativedata–inputs,analysis,andsummaries


purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltocreateaseriesofcompositeportraitsoftheirstudents,representingboththediversityoftheirstudents’pastexperiencesandcapturingavisionoftheirfutureachievements.

product:

4-7compositeportraitsofprospectivestudents,basedontheiruniqueattributes.

4-7compositeportraitsofgraduates,mirroringtheprospectivestudentgroupings.


ShiftinggearsfromUnderstandintoDesign canbeachallengingtransitionforteams.Oftenthedatageneratedbythefirstphaseseemsoverwhelming,asdothebreadthofdesignoptions.Springpointcollaborateswithdesignteamstocustomizeourtemplatesfortheexperiencesandtoolsteamsneedtonavigatethisshift.Weremindteamsthattheworkofdesign,thoughitbeginswiththisphase,shouldbecodedintheschool’sDNA,andmustcontinuewellbeyondtheschool’slaunchandearlyyears.Aboveall,themissionandvisiontheteamdraftedinthepreviousphaseofthework—withandforyoungpeople—shouldserveasthelodestarinthisphase.

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Alistofcore design prioritiesfortheschool’sdesign,basedontheinformationgleanedfromthe Understandworkandalignedtothemissionandvision

Asetofthreemodel design frameworks tocapturekeydesigndecisionsforfoundationalacademics,collegeandcareerreadiness,andpersonalenrichment

Experience mapsforeachyearoruniquephaseofdevelopmentwithintheschool’ssequence,totestfeasibilityandcalibratethebalanceofdesignelements

Often,becauseofhiringandschoollaunchtimelines,teamsmayhavetodothisworkinintenseburstswithawiderangeofcollaboratorsandlittletime.Wehaverefinedourunderstandingofwhichspecificdesignelementsaremostessentialforteamstodevelopduringthisphase,especiallyincircumstancesthatrequireastreamlinedworkplan.Wegenerallyrecommendteamsprioritizetheseelements,usingeitherourtoolsandtemplates,ortheirownversions.

Althoughteamscan,andoftendo,movethroughtheseelementssequentially,creatingdraftsthattheyreturntowitheachnewdevelopmentcycle,itisimportanttonotethat,dependingonthelocalcontext,constraints,andteamavailability,designleadersmayremixtheseelementsandtheiriterationcycletimeline.Weencourageteamstodevelopaworkplanforthisphasethatbothprotectstheteam’scommitmenttokeepingyoungpeopleatthecenterofthedesign,andmaintainsapracticeofefficientandeffectiveiteration.

Wedetailsomeexamplesofhowteamscancreatetheseelementsbelow,andincludesomeexamplesofthetoolsthemselvesattheendofthissection.

design

26 |

Toidentifyandmapthecoredesignprioritiesforthisphaseofthework,wesuggestthatteamsreturntotheinformationtheygatheredduringtheUnderstandphase,withtheseactivitiesinmind:

Theseinsightswillgenerateabroadrangeofpossibleprogrammaticelements—more,usually,thanacoherentschooldesigncanaccommodate.Wethenaskleaderstoprioritizetheseelementswiththeirteams,usingthreequestions:

CORE DESIGN PRIORITIES

Itemizegraduate“goals”alignedtothemissionandvision,andinformedbyinformationfromstudentsandtheirfamilies.

Mapthosegoalstopotentialmodel design elements.

Describetheexperiencesand outcomesofthosemodeldesignelements,mappedtobothstudents,teachers,andstaffinthecommunity.

Whatisessentialtoachieveourmission?

Whatishelpful,butcanbepartofa futureiteration?

Whatisuseful,butwillneedtobeprovidedbyanexternalpartnerorresource?

Nextweaskteamstoconsiderthesequestionstofurtherrefinetheirpriorities:

Isthiselementalignedtoourmissionandguidingdesignprinciples?

Isit feasible,givenourconstraintsandopportunities?

Canthiselementbeintegratedseamlesslywiththeothersintoourdesign,ordoesitrequireconnectivetissue?

design

27 |

design

Model Design Frameworks Part 2: Decision Maps

Foundational Academics College & Career Readiness Personal Enrichment

Learning Standards, Scope

& Sequence

Assessment & Reflection

Learning Program & Experiences

Measurement & Communication

Learning Milestones

Pre-e

ntry

Fall

Spring

Summ

er

what you’ll need:

Part 1: Ideation Maps

All composite portraits of prospective students and future graduates

Draft mission and vision statements

Core design priorities

A place to take notes on implementation requirements

Year: 1 2 3 4

mission

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to capture their design decisions for each of their model’s key defining elements, organized to show the progression of experiences within each strand over time.

product:

12 completed framework decision maps, organized by strand, year, and category.

design




& Sequence




Learning Milestones

Pre-e

ntry

Fall

Spring

Summ

er

what you’ll need:






Year: 1 2 3 4

mission

purpose:


product:


design

what you’ll need:






Year: 1 2 3 4

Learning Standards, Scope & Sequence

What standards, subjects, and categories will be covered

by curriculum?

Assessment Practices

How will students and adults measure incremental

progress and learning?


What experiences will students have in and outside

of the classroom?


How will individuals communicate with one another

about progress?

mission

Model Design Frameworks Part 1: Ideation Maps

Learning Milestones

How will students know what they have learned?

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to generate a comprehen-sive map of their model’s ideal defining elements, drawing from the insights they gleaned during the Understand phase and the conclusions of their prioritization exercise.

product:

12 completed framework ideation maps, organized by strand, year, and category.

design

what you’ll need:






Year: 1 2 3 4



by curriculum?






of the classroom?



about progress?

mission


Learning Milestones


purpose:


product:


Onceteamshaveidentifiedtheircoredesignpriorities,weaskthemtoworkthroughaseriesofdesignmappingactivities,eachfocusedonacentralelementoftheirschool’smodel,tocreateacomprehensiveframeworkoftheirmodel’skeyelements.

MODEL DESIGN FRAMEWORKS

ModelDesignFrameworksPart1:IdeationMaps

ModelDesignFrameworksPart2:DecisionMaps

Design teams can create comprehensive frameworks of their model’s key elements using these tools.

design

what you’ll need:






Year: 1 2 3 4



by curriculum?






of the classroom?



about progress?

mission


Learning Milestones


purpose:


product:


design




& Sequence




Learning Milestones

Pre-e

ntry

Fall

Spring

Summ

er

what you’ll need:






Year: 1 2 3 4

mission

purpose:


product:


Weclusterthesemappingactivitiesintothreebroadcategories,eachwithitsownassociatedframeworkdocument:

foundational academics college and career readiness personal enrichment

design


28 |

Withineachframeworkcategory,weaskteamstoconsiderthefollowingprogrammaticelementsusingtheiridentifiedcorepriorities:

Learning milestones:Howwillstudentsknowwhattheyhavelearned?Howwilltheypresentandcommemoratetheirgrowth?

Learning standards, scope, and sequence: Whatstandards,subjects,andcategorieswillbecoveredbycurriculum?Inwhatorderandcontextwillstudentsabsorbnewcontentandskills?

Assessment practices: Howwillstudentsandadultsmeasureincrementalprogressandlearning?Howwillthismaptoidentifiedconstraints?

Learning program and experiences:Whatexperienceswillstudentshaveinclassrooms?Inschool,butoutsideofclass?Outsideorafterschool?Howwilltheseexperiencesinteractwithoneanother?Howwillwecalendar,schedule,andprogramtheseexperiencesefficiently?

Measurement and communications:Howwillindividualscommunicatewithoneanotheraboutprogress,includingteachers,students,families,andcommunity?

Foreachelement,teamsoutlinekeydesigndecisions,mapprogressionsbroadlyagainsttime,andkeeparunningtallyofthesystems,staffing,andresourcerequirementspresentedbytheirmodel.Thedecisionsmadewithineachcategoryinformdecisionsinthefollowingcategory.Teamsoftenworkonallthreeframeworkssimultaneously,withideassparkedinoneinspiringdecisionsinanother.

design

29 |

design

Experience Maps Part 2: By Year

Students StaffPartners Families

what you’ll need:

All experience maps



All model design frameworks

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to assemble their experience maps by user and time, in order to assess the feasibility of their designs across users and over time, and refine their frameworks and experience maps as needed.

product:

Master experience map, capturing the experiences of multiple users across multiple years.

Time

Implementation

People

Year 1

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 3

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 2

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 4

Year 4mission

design

Experience Maps Part 1: By “Users”


what you’ll need:




Year: 1 2 3 4

Timeschedules, program, calendar

Implementation design artifacts, operational systems, resources

Peoplestaff, parents,

other rolesfoundational academics

Experiences

Learning Milestones

mission

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to map the experiences a user (a student, family, staff member, or partner) will have during each of their years at the school; assess those experiences for efficiency and alignment (to each other and to the mission and vision); and identify resources needed to create and sustain those experiences over time.

product:

10-15 individual experience maps, capturing the experiences of individual users across individual years.

college & career readiness

p

ersonal e

nric

hmen

t

Learning Milestones

Learn

ing

Mile

ston

es

Experiences

Exp

erie

nces

design



what you’ll need:




Year: 1 2 3 4





Experiences

Learning Milestones

mission

purpose:


product:



p

ersonal e

nric

hmen

t

Learning Milestones

Learn

ing

Mile

ston

es

Experiences

Exp

erie

nces

design



what you’ll need:

All experience maps




purpose:


product:


Time

Implementation

People

Year 1

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 3

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 2

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 4

Year 4mission

design



what you’ll need:




Year: 1 2 3 4





Experiences

Learning Milestones

mission

purpose:


product:



p

ersonal e

nric

hmen

t

Learning Milestones

Learn

ing

Mile

ston

es

Experiences

Exp

erie

nces

design



what you’ll need:

All experience maps




purpose:


product:


Time

Implementation

People

Year 1

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 3

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 2

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 4

Year 4mission

Onechallengeschooldesignersfaceisthatitcanbedifficulttotestprototypesofdesigncomponentsinareal-worldsetting.Wecollaboratewithteamstosolvecreativelyforthisconstraint—withlimitedpilots,focusgroups,simulationactivities,etc.—butthoseoptionstendtovarydependingonlocalopportunitiesandrelationships.Foreveryone,werecommendbeginningtheprototypingworkwithapressuretestoftheirmodeldesignsthroughthelensoftheirvarioususerexperiences.

EXPERIENCE MAPS

Wehavecreatedaseriesoftoolsteamscanusetomapthebreadthofexperiencesa“user”—astudent,ateacher,afamilymember,aleader,orapartner—mighthaveinthespaceofayearacrossallthreeframeworkcategories.Thisexercisehelpsteamstestforalignment,bothbetweentheframeworkcategories,andtothebroadermission.Italsohelpsteamsrefinetheirunder-standingoftimeandresourceallocation,staffsupportanddevelopment,operationalsystems,andpracticeguidelinesrequiredtoimplementthisvision.Finally,itcanhelpgeneratethecriticalparametersforimplementationplanning,particularlyforcalendars,schedules,programs,andorganizationalstructures.

With these experience maps, design teams map the breadth of experiences a “user” (students, staff, partners, families) will have throughout their time with the school.

ExperienceMapsPart1:By“User”

ExperienceMapsPart2:ByYear

design


design



what you’ll need:




Year: 1 2 3 4





Experiences

Learning Milestones

mission

purpose:


product:



p

ersonal e

nric

hmen

t

Learning Milestones

Learn

ing

Mile

ston

es

Experiences

Exp

erie

nces

design



what you’ll need:

All experience maps




purpose:


product:


Time

Implementation

People

Year 1

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 3

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 2

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 4

Year 4mission

29 |

design

what you’ll need:

Allcompositeportraitsofprospectivestudentsandfuturegraduates

Draftmissionandvisionstatements

Coredesignpriorities

Aplacetotakenotesonimplementationrequirements

FoundationalAcademics

College&CareerReadiness

PersonalEnrichment

Year: 1 2 3 4

LearningStandards,Scope&Sequence

Whatstandards,subjects,andcategorieswillbecovered

bycurriculum?

AssessmentPractices

Howwillstudentsandadultsmeasureincremental

progressandlearning?

LearningProgram&Experiences

Whatexperienceswillstudentshaveinandoutside

oftheclassroom?

Measurement&Communication

Howwillindividualscommunicatewithoneanother

aboutprogress?

mission

Model Design Frameworks Part1:IdeationMaps

LearningMilestones

Howwillstudentsknowwhattheyhavelearned?

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltogenerateacomprehen-sivemapoftheirmodel’sidealdefiningelements,drawingfromtheinsightstheygleanedduringtheUnderstandphaseandtheconclusionsoftheirprioritizationexercise.

product:

12completedframeworkideationmaps,organizedbystrand,year,andcategory.

design

Model Design Frameworks Part2:DecisionMaps

FoundationalAcademics

College&CareerReadiness

PersonalEnrichment

LearningStandards,Scope

&Sequence

Assessment&Reflection

LearningProgram&Experiences

Measurement&Communication

LearningMilestones

Pre-e

ntry

Fall

SpringSum

mer

what you’ll need:

Part1:IdeationMaps

Allcompositeportraitsofprospective studentsandfuturegraduates

Draftmissionandvisionstatements


Aplacetotakenotesonimplementationrequirements

Year: 1 2 3 4

mission

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltocapturetheirdesigndecisionsforeachoftheirmodel’skeydefiningelements,organizedtoshowtheprogressionofexperienceswithineachstrandovertime.

product:

12completedframeworkdecisionmaps,organizedbystrand,year,andcategory.

design

Experience Maps Part1:By“Users”

Students Staff

Partners Families

what you’ll need:



Allmodeldesignframeworks

Year: 1 2 3 4


Implementationdesign artifacts, operational systems, resources



Experiences

LearningMilestones

mission

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltomaptheexperiencesauser(astudent,family,staffmember,orpartner)willhaveduringeachoftheiryearsattheschool;assessthoseexperiencesforefficiencyandalignment(toeachotherandtothemissionandvision);andidentifyresourcesneededtocreateandsustainthoseexperiencesovertime.

product:

10-15individualexperiencemaps,capturingtheexperiencesofindividualusersacrossindividualyears.


perso

nal en

rich

men

t

LearningMilestones

Learn

ing

Mile

ston

es

Experiences

Exp

erie

nces

design

Experience Maps Part2:ByYear

Students Staff

Partners Families

what you’ll need:

Allexperiencemaps



Allmodeldesignframeworks

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltoassembletheirexperiencemapsbyuserandtime,inordertoassessthefeasibilityoftheirdesignsacrossusersandovertime,andrefinetheirframeworksandexperiencemapsasneeded.

product:

Masterexperiencemap,capturingtheexperiencesofmultipleusersacrossmultipleyears.

Time

Implementation

People

Year 1

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 3

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 2

Year 4mission

Time

Implementation

People

Year 4

Year 4mission

Itisimportantinthisphasetomaintainaclearfocusontheschool’sguidingmissionandonits

commitmenttoiteration.Dependingonwhendesignteamscanbegintheirdesignwork,theymayhaveshorterorlongerrunwaystoschoollaunch,intermsofeithertimeorresources.Aswitheachpreviousphaseofthework,wecollaboratewithdesignteamstomapasupportplan,andcreateactivitiesandtoolsthatmeettheiruniqueneeds.Onthefollowingpagesareexamplesofafewcommonelementsteamsincludeinthisphaseofthework.


35 |

build

what you’ll need:

Collected notes for implementation requirements


Model design frameworks

Experience maps

Model Design Artifacts

Operational Systems

Resources

Implementation Requirements Prioritization Exercise

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

Actions Required

Priority/ Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to collect, categorize, and prioritize the implementation requirements of their model designs; check these requirements against current constraints; and capture any necessary actions or tasks attached to each requirement.

product:

A comprehensive implementation requirements list for each launch work plan category.


associatedconstraints(e.g.,contracts,regulations)andatimeline-basedpriorityranking(e.g.,must-havesforfall).

Wehavelearnedthattheresourceplanningcategoriesbelowwilltakeupamajorityofadesignteam’sfocusastheyapproachlaunch.Werecommendlookingatconstraintsandmust-havesintandemtoisolatethehigh-needareasthatrequireresolutionduringthepre-launchphase.

Onceteamshavebuiltoutthefirstdraftoftheirdesign,testedasmanyelementsastheyareableto,andrefinedtheirvisionintoaworkablemodel,werecommendthattheyreturntotheirongoinglistsofimplementationrequirementstorevise,expand,andrefinethem.Weaskteamstoconsidertheimplementationrequirementsinthesethreecorecategories,andencouragethemtoaddadditionalcategoriesrequiredbytheiruniquecontext:

Model design artifacts:Theuniqueaspectsofpracticethatdefinethemodel’sfoundationalacademics,collegeandcareerreadiness,andpersonalenrichmentdesignstrands.

Operational systems: Thesystemsandstructurestheschoolwillneedtodeveloptosupporteachofthethreedesignstrands.

Resources:Theresourcestheschoolwillneedtoacquire,develop,orcultivateinordertofullyimplementthevisionofthethreedesignstrands.

Becausenewschoolmodeldesignsoftenincludecomplexnewstructuresorpracticesthattaketimetodevelop,teamsneedtoplananimplementationroadmapextendingwellbeyondtheschool’slaunch.Sothatleaderscanprioritizetheirtimeandfocusinthiscriticalphaseofthework,weadvisethatteamstagimplementationrequirementswithboth

step 1.

UNDERSTAND AND PRIORITIZE

IMPLEMENTATION REQUIREMENTS.

This tool can help teams synthesize the collected tally of implementation requirements into one comprehensive list and prioritize and plan around them.

build

36 |

Design teams can use a launch work plan tool to synthesize all the design decisions and implementation planning into a coherent plan that takes them to and through launch.

Thespringandsummermonthsbeforeanewschoolopenscanpresentanoverwhelmingarrayofpracticaldilemmas—toomanytasks,notenoughhandsortime,andapersistentfogofuncertaintypervadingeveryquestionordecision.Oftenteamsfocusontheimmediatepaththeyhavetonavigatetoensurethattheirschoolsopenontime.Thechallengeisthatoncetheteam’sideasmeetitsstudents,somethinginevitablybreaksdown.Eitherdesigncomponentsneedtweaking,orsystemsarenotproperlycalibrated,orbetterpracticeguidesneedtobedeveloped.Becausethistransitioncanfeelabrupt,andcanbedifficultforbothleadersandtheirteamstonavigate,weencourageteamstocreatelaunchplansthatincorporateboththerunwaytolaunchandtheintenseandrapiditerationworkthathastohappenintheschool’sfirstyear.Alaunchworkplanideallyincludes—atminimum—thefollowingelements:

Spring pre-launch: implementationplanning

Summer pre-launch:designroll-out

Fall post-launch: designroll-outanditerationplanning

Spring post-launch:iterationplanningandnewdesignwork

Summer post-launch:designroll-outanditerationplanning

step 2.

CREATE A DETAILED LAUNCH WORK PLAN

FOR THE SCHOOL’S FIRST FULL YEAR.

build

Launch Work PlanPreparation Exercise

what you’ll need:



Model design frameworks

Experience maps

Implementation requirements and priorities list

pre-

laun

chpo

st-l

aun

ch

Model Design Frameworks

Operational Systems

Resources

purpose:

Teams can use this tool to synthesize their design decisions and implementation planning notes into a prep outline for a coherent launch work plan, including milestones for pre- and post-launch.

product:

A prep outline of a robust launch work plan, organized to capture essential pre-launch milestones and post-launch priorities.


build

37 |

Eachofthemodel design frameworks categories—foundationalacademics,collegeandcareerreadiness,andpersonalenrichment—outlineskeydecisionsdesignteamsmaketocreatetheirmodels.Thesedocumentsserve,ineffect,asthebestsummaryrepresentations—theblueprints—ofthestructureandpracticethatwillcomprisethenewschool.Tobringthesedesignstolife,teamsneedtofleshouttheirdecisionswithartifactsthatguidethedevelopmentofeachcomponentoftheschool.Weworkwithteamstodevelopthislistofartifacts,dependingontherequirementsoftheirdesignandcontext,butgenerally,theartifactsfallintothesecorecategories:

Instructional planning guides and resources, includingtheschoolcoursescopeandsequence;templateswithinstructions,models,andguidelinesforcourse,unit,andprojectplanning;samplecurriculummaterials;andothermaterialsasrequiredbythemodel.

Measurement tools and resources,includingstandardrubricsand/orlearningprogressions;templateswithinstructions,models,andguidelinesforformativeandsummativeassessmentpractices;systemstocapture,analyze,andsharemeasurementdata;toolstosupportstaffevaluationandleadershipdevelopment;andothermaterialsasrequiredbythemodel.

step 3.

ASSEMBLE AND BUILD ESSENTIAL

MODEL DESIGN ARTIFACTS.

Practice guides and resources,includingguidesforstructuredpeerandteamcollaboration;guidesfordeliveryofinstructionandstudentsupport;guidesforessentialoperationalprocedures;andothermaterialsasrequiredbythemodel.

Communication tools and templates,includingstyleguidesandtemplateswithinstructionsforpublications,letters,socialmedia,andallformsofwrittenandverbalcommunication,asrequiredbythemodel.

Calendars, schedules, and programs,includingmastercalendarsforfoundationalacademics,collegeandcareerreadiness,andpersonalenrichment;daily,weekly,monthly,andmarkingperiodschedules(asneeded);andindividualizedstudentprograms,asrequiredbythemodel.

build

build

what you’ll need:

Collectednotesforimplementationrequirements


Modeldesignframeworks

Experiencemaps

ModelDesignArtifacts

OperationalSystems

Resources

Implementation Requirements PrioritizationExercise

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

ActionsRequired

Priority/Timeframe

Constraints

task

s

Requirement

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltocollect,categorize,andprioritizetheimplementationrequirementsoftheirmodeldesigns;checktheserequirementsagainstcurrentconstraints;andcaptureanynecessaryactionsortasksattachedtoeachrequirement.

product:

Acomprehensiveimplementationrequirementslistforeachlaunchworkplancategory.

build

Launch Work PlanPreparationExercise

what you’ll need:



Modeldesignframeworks

Experiencemaps

Implementationrequirementsand prioritieslist

pre-

lau

nch

post

-la

un

ch

ModelDesignFrameworks

OperationalSystems

Resources

purpose:

Teamscanusethistooltosynthesizetheirdesigndecisionsandimplementationplanningnotesintoaprepoutlineforacoherentlaunchworkplan,includingmilestonesforpre-andpost-launch.

product:

Aprepoutlineofarobustlaunchworkplan,organizedtocaptureessentialpre-launchmilestonesandpost-launchpriorities.

Looking Ahead

41 |

Theworkofdesigningnewschoolsandbringingthemtolifeischallenging,inspiring,sometimesseeminglyimpossible,butaboveallelse,essential.

Itisarareandluckyprivilegeforourteamtosupportandcollaboratewithsomanyextraordinaryleadersengagedinthiseffort—andtolearnsomuchintheprocess.

Wehopethisfirstcollectionofinsightsandresourcesfromourdesignworkhasbeenhelpful,butmustnotethatitonlyrepresentsafractionoftheinvestmentrequiredtolaunchandgrowanewmodelandanewschool.

looking ahead |

42 |

As we developed the school design process outlined in this guide, we drew from research on the history and outcomes of new small school development efforts nationwide, together with the tools, practice guidelines, and resources from the fields of design thinking and youth development theory. We are grateful to leaders and practitioners around the country who shared their insights, advice, and best practices for engaging in this work. Explore our resource library for more on the research and inspiration that informs our work.

In developing the design process outlined in this guide, we were particularly indebted to the thought partnership of Michele Cahill, Amanda Crowell, Leah Hamilton, Tracy Fray-Oliver, Doug Knecht, Leonard Medlock, Michael Rothman, Antonia Rudenstine, LaVerne Evans Srinivasan, Saskia Levy Thompson, and Springpoint’s invaluable team of expert consultants and collaborators, including Mitra Grant, Elana Karopkin, Michele Phillips, Joseph Pinto, and Carolyn Yaffe. We are especially grateful to the dedicated school designers and leaders in Cleveland, Denver, New York, Philadelphia, Prince George’s County, and Providence, who inspire us with their tireless commitment to reimagining schools for young people.

special thanks and acknowledgements

SpringpointisfundedbyCarnegieCorporationofNewYork,whosegeneroussupportallowedustodeveloptheschooldesignprocessoutlinedinthisguide.ThestatementsmadeandviewsexpressedherearesolelytheresponsibilityofSpringpoint.

Inevitably,asmodeldesigns“meet”theyoungpeopletheyarebuilttoserve,schoolleadersandtheirteamsdiscoverahostofnewwrinklestheyhaveyettoplanorfullydesignfor.Overtime,studentsgrowandchange—andnewstudentswithnewdreamsandnewneedscontinuetoarrive.Tobecomeastrong,vibrant,effectiveschool,itisessen-tialforleadersandtheirteamstocontinueinthefoundationalpracticeofiterationtheyestablishedintheirdesignwork:keepingaconstantwatchontheschool’sfidelitytoitsmissionandvisionforstudentachievement;preservingtimetolistenandcontinuetolearninordertodeepenunderstanding;andcommittingtobuildingandrefiningnewsolutionsastheyareneeded.

Inthispublication’scompanion(comingspring2017),wehavecollectedsomeofthesystems,practices,andresourcesthathelpinnovativenewschoolsthriveintheirearlyyears.Aswecontinuesupportinginnovativeschoolmodeldesignsthatcancreategreatoutcomesforyoungpeople,weareexcitedtoaddourvoicestothegrowingconversation.

looking ahead & acknowledgements |

http://www.springpointschools.org/resources/

43 |

Springpointisanationalorganizationthatsupportsthedesignandlaunchofnew,innovativesecondaryschoolmodelsthatconnectyoungpeopletopostsecondarysuccess.Ourmissionistoenableallstudents,regardlessofenvironmentorbackground,tosucceedinhighschool,college,andbeyond.Springpointprovidescustomizedtraining,support,andresourcestoschooldesigners,systemleaders,andotherpartnersastheydevelop,launch,andgrownewschools.Since2013,wehaveworkedwithdistrict,charter,andintermediarypartnerstodesign,open,andsustaintwelvenewhighschools,withfivemoreopeningnextyear.Atcapacity,theseschoolswillserve6,000studentsacrossthecountry.

Springpointalsoseekstoadvanceabroaderunderstandingofhowintentionalschooldesignandimplementationcanresultintransformativesuccessforstudentsandtheircommunities.

Thisguideis apartofthatongoingeffort.

Formore,pleasevisitourwebsite:www.springpointschools.org

about us

www.springpointschools.org

Documents

Designing New School Models