Student Achievement

Our schools are built upon a vision of what it means to be a high-achieving student. We define high achievement as including but not limited to doing well on standardized tests and other traditional measures. High-achieving students also demonstrate 21st-century skills such as the ability to think critically, to analyze and synthesize complex information, to communicate effectively across mediums, and to engage in the world around them by working actively and compassionately for what they perceive to be good and just. High achievement is more than just academic achievement: it also includes the quality of each student’s character and the community they help to create.

Academics
Our school model, Expeditionary Learning, promotes student engagement and achievement through active and interdisciplinary learning. It emphasizes student inquiry, critical thinking and the craftsmanship required to create high-quality products. Students do original research, often guided by experts from the field, and present their results to both peers and the public. Learning expeditions—deep case studies of rich academic topics—are the chief means of organizing and delivering curriculum in an Expeditionary Learning school, often cutting across disciplines, including the arts and physical education. Expeditionary Learning leads to a deep understanding of content and prepares students for college success with a toolkit of 21st century skills.

Community
Our schools are small, averaging approximately 100 students per grade. The Expeditionary Learning model builds a strong, caring school community where students feel emotionally and physically safe, and where students and adults all know each other well. Each student belongs to a crew of 12-15 peers who typically remain together until graduation, and meet at least weekly with their faculty advisor to work on college preparation, literacy skills, leadership development and personal challenges. All incoming students also participate in a backpacking orientation with their crews, building a strong and lasting foundation for growth. Students and adults at our schools look out for one another, learn from each other, and support one another to always do their best work.

Character
The Expeditionary Learning model cultivates high standards of character in all members of the school community. We give targeted attention to the development of character-oriented qualities like self-discipline, compassion, self-reflection, and tenacity through a variety of approaches. These include service projects, team-building adventures, and public demonstrations of learning – such as student-led conferences – which teach students to take responsibility for the quality of their work and for the habits of mind and behavior that created the work. Many schools also give students “character grades” alongside their academic grades.