School Reform
"There is a sense of moral purpose to the [Expeditionary
Learning] design that is beyond academic success. There
is a sense of citizenship, something closer to a world
view, a shared sense of our place in the world and the
responsibilities that come with that. That is really powerful,
and it’s something that is largely absent today."
--Tom
Vander Ark, Executive Director, Education, Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation
Expeditionary Learning™ is the
foundation of our secondary schools in New York City, and
is used nationwide to transform existing schools. Students
in Expeditionary
Learning schools engage in rigorous
academic work while helping one another; teachers increase
their passion for teaching; and entire schools develop
a culture of service and community.
We bring the Expeditionary
Learning school design to other public schools, reaching
K-12 teachers through a multi-year professional development
program. Participating teachers receive on-site support,
and may also take part in national Expeditionary Learning
conferences and trainings.
Expeditionary Learning (EL)
schools employ five Core Practices:
Learning Expeditions: These are the primary curriculum
units in EL schools, consisting of challenging, interdisciplinary,
real-world projects and in-depth studies. Learning Expeditions
support literacy and central academic standards of content
while promoting character development and fostering a service
ethic.
Active Pedagogy: In EL schools, teachers
use active pedagogy to help students become active and
collaborative learners: to make connections, to find patterns,
to see events from different perspectives, to experiment,
to go beyond the information given, and to develop empathy
and compassion for events, people, and subjects.
School Culture and Character: EL builds
shared beliefs, traditions, and rituals to create a
school culture characterized by physical and emotional
safety, a sense of adventure, an ethic of service and responsibility,
and a commitment to high quality work.
Leadership and School Improvement:
Leaders of EL schools create a professional community
that regards curriculum and instruction as the primary
vehicles for improving student achievement and school
culture.
School Structures: EL schools use
longer and more flexible schedule blocks, common
planning time and heterogeneous groupings. Scheduling
accommodates project work, fieldwork, service learning
and collaboration across subject areas.
Expeditionary Learning achieves success in these areas
by providing schools with extensive professional development
over a multi-year period, helping them to realize significant
improvement in student learning and character development.
A Few Facts:
Started in 1993, EL is now used in more than 145 urban,
rural, and suburban schools in 29 states, the District
of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
EL has demonstrated its
effectiveness in elementary, middle and high schools.
Schools using EL report
higher student achievement in reading, language arts
and math. Attendance and retention improve significantly,
as does the school culture. Students consider themselves
to be college-bound.
For more information, contact Suzanne Tillman .
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