Wave IV Breakthrough School Models for College Readiness
Cycle 1 Planning Grant Winners
GRANTEE
SCHOOL
LOCATION
GRADES
TYPE
Building 21
Building 21
Philadelphia, PA
9-12
District/New School (Partnership)
BattelleEd
Batelle MetroTech
Columbus, OH
6-12
District/New School (Partnership)
Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral
Academy
Boston Day and Evening
Academy
Caliber Schools
Blackstone Valley Prep High School
Cumberland, RI
9-12
Existing CMO/New School
Boston Day and Evening Academy
Boston, MA
9-12
Caliber Schools: K-8 Charter
Richmond, CA
K-8
District Small Autonomous
School/Redesign
New CMO/New School
Center for Teaching Quality
Tacoma, WA
K-8
District/New School (Partnership)
Design Innovation Factory LLC
Tacoma Academy of Arts and
Technology
Brooklyn Laboratory Schools
Brooklyn, NY
6-12
New CMO/New School
Educate Texas at Communities
Foundation of Texas
Education Achievement
Authority of Michigan
Education for Change
Texas Technology, Teaching, and
Innovation Portfolio
Education Achievement Authority
of Michigan
EPIC Charter School
Texas
K-12
District/Redesign (Partnership)
Michigan
9-12
District/Turnaround
Oakland, CA
6-8
Existing CMO/New School
Florida Virtual School
Project TAM (working name)
Florida
9-12
Statewide District/New School
Future is Now Schools
Incubator School
Los Angeles, CA
6-12
District/New School (Partnership)
Idea High School (working name)
Idea High School (working name)
San Mateo, CA
9-12
New CMO/New School
Internationals Network for
Public Schools
Jefferson County School
District 509-J
Lakewood City School District
Pan American International
Community Academy
Warm Springs K-8 School
Queens, NY
9-12
Warm Springs,
OR
Lakewood, OH
K-8
District Small Autonomous
School/New School (Partnership)
District/Redesign
9-12
District/New School
Eugene, OR
9-12
District/New School (Partnership)
Austin, TX
PreK-8
New CMO/New School
Lane County Community
College
Montessori For All
Lakewood High School: The Engine
School
Lane County Early College High
School
Magnolia Montessori For All
New School for Men
New School for Men
Cleveland, OH
9-12
New CMO/New School
New Tech Network
S.A.I.L. Charter Academy
Punta Gorda, FL
9-12
New York City Department of
Education
Out of the Box Learning Studio
iZone Academy
New York, NY
9-12
New CMO/New School
(Partnership)
District/New School
Out of the Box Learning Studio
Seattle, WA
6-12
New CMO/New School
PHILO Finance Corp
PHILO
Texas
6-8
District/Turnaround (Partnership)
Piedmont City School District
Piedmont Middle School
Piedmont, AL
6-8
District/Redesign
The Academy of Innovation
and Leadership
Thrive Public Schools
Memphis Academy of Innovation
and Leadership
Thrive Public Schools
Memphis, TN
6-12
New CMO/New School
California
K-8
New CMO/New School
Utica Community Schools
Sterling Heights,
MI
Nashville, TN
6-12
Complete Redesign
Valor Collegiate Academies
The Campus for Connected
Learning
Valor Collegiate Academy
5-12
New CMO/New School
West Allis-West Milwaukee
School District
World Class Schools
West Allis-West Milwaukee School
District
World Class Schools I
West Allis, WI
K-12
District/Redesign
North Carolina
6-12
New CMO/New School
GRANTEE: BULIDING 21
Customizing learning at scale, transforming the interaction between student, teacher and content
School: Building 21 (B21)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: B21
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 150
Students at Capacity: 600
HALLMARK FEATURE: Scale in a large district
Building 21 (B21)—currently being incubated by the New Venture Fund—has a vision to customize learning at scale
by transforming the interaction between student, teacher and content. The B21 academic model will organize
learning into pathways, studios, and modules that allow learners to choose instructional approaches and the pace
that suit their learning styles and needs. The instructional menu will include online and blended learning;
individual, small and large group instruction; and project-based and real world learning. B21 will tailor when and
how students are exposed to these learning opportunities, creating a network approach to learning.
The mastery-based permeable school model will engage students directly with post-secondary learning
opportunities and authentic learning experiences. The development of critical non-cognitive skills and mindsets
will be intentionally fostered through the integration of the B21 "Anchor Competencies" across the
curriculum. Transparency and building the habits of mind to self-direct learning will be integrated throughout
B21's learning modules and studios. Through partnerships with colleges, universities, and employers, students will
earn college credits and industry certifications, and will also be exposed to career options that interest
them. Staffing configurations will represent a significant reorganization of role, use of time, task and functions
for educators. The training and support of the adults in the B21 model will be as important as the support and
development of the learners.
B21 has entered into an agreement with the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) to open the first B21 district
school in the fall of 2014. Lessons gleaned from the planning process and the initial implementation of the
demonstration school will inform SDP's high school transformation efforts more broadly. B21 schools will be nonselective and focused in particular on underserved students. B21's goal is to reach twenty five percent of the
36,000 high school students in the next five years through the B21 and SDP partnership. B21 also plans to initiate
partnerships with additional districts.
Contact: Laura Shubilla, [email protected]
Website: http://www.b-21.org/
Facebook: Building: 21
GRANTEE: BATTELLE ED
Redefining what it means to be career ready
School: MetroTech
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: Columbus, OH
Type: New School
Operator: BattelleEd
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 250
Students at Capacity: 750
HALLMARK FEATURE: Career/Technical Education
BattelleEd is a non-profit organization in Columbus, Ohio with a successful track record of opening Metro Early
College High School, a STEM school with high rates of academic achievement, high school graduation, and college
completion. With MetroTech, BattelleEd seeks to create a new breakthrough model of a technology-enabled
career/vocational school to redefine what it means to be both career and college ready. Students will hail from
multiple districts and graduate with career credentials as well as college-preparedness. The design team for
MetroTech includes principals from Metro Early College High School and Reynoldsburg City Schools eSTEM
Academy.
MetroTech’s academic model will use an atypical school calendar featuring multiple entry points and opportunities
for students to accelerate and earn as many 10 high school credits per year. Thus, its students will be able to
complete high school requirements early, in as few as two years. The sequence and combination of classes for
students at MetroTech will function as guiding principles—not as mandatory checklists for all students. The school
will implement a mastery-based approach to learning and achievement that uses technology as a tool to
individualize instruction through asynchronous learning. Furthermore, students at MetroTech will participate in
internships allowing them to explore multiple career fields, and subsequently enroll in post-secondary classes and
achieve certifications that are aligned with the career path they wish to pursue. As a result, students will graduate
from MetroTech credentialed for a career, and prepared both academically and socially to pursue higher
education paths.
Contact: Stacia Edwards, [email protected]
Website: http://battelleed.webslam.org
GRANTEE: BLACKSTONE VALLEY PREP MAYORAL ACADEMY
“The education for the best is the best education for all.” –Mortimer J. Adler
School: Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy High School (BVP High)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Cumberland, RI
Type: New School
Operator: Blackstone Valley Prep Mayoral Academy
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Suburban and Urban; Higher Education Partnership
Students at Opening: 80
Students at Capacity: 600
HALLMARK FEATURE: Research-based planning and design work
Blackstone Valley Prep (BVP) Mayoral Academy is a network of tuition-free public schools that currently serves
scholars in grades K-3 and 5-7. BVP High School will take pride in its intentionally diverse community of learners
drawn from two suburban and two urban districts. BVP High School will have everything that its operators want
for their own children—fantastic academics, strong arts, competitive athletics, and a smart use of technology in
a college prep environment. The proposed model is scholar-centered, allowing for self-pacing and scholar
ownership. The model will incorporate a rotational blended learning model into BVP’s existing emphasis on high
expectations for all scholars.
An intensive literacy and math foundational program will provide additional support in 9th and 10th grade to those
who need it. All 9th graders will be required to complete at least two advanced technology courses (e.g., Code
Academy). 11th and 12th grade scholars will take self-paced online courses for credit earned at an individualized
pace. Devoted time called “Whatever I Need” (WIN) Blocks will give scholars individualized learning time daily.
Distance learning opportunities will be made available for low demand/high quality courses (i.e., a language or
economics course) and scholars will have the opportunity to earn college credit online. Participation in a massive
open online course (MOOC) may become a graduation requirement. As one of BVP's cornerstones, arts instruction
will be robust in the high school model.
BVP will partner with Brown University and Rhode Island College to study, implement, and evaluate blended
learning in its breakthrough high school design. This will ensure that this work has both local impact on BVP High
School and broader impact within Brown University’s network of schools. Analysis of outcomes will create a
framework for scalability and sustainability that can be utilized both state- and nation-wide.
Contact: Jeremy Chiappetta, [email protected]
Website: http://www.blackstonevalleyprep.org
Twitter: @BVPrep
GRANTEE: BOSTON DAY AND EVENING ACADEMY
Bringing learning to a new level through physical activity
School: Boston Day and Evening Academy 2.0
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12 (ungraded)
Location: Boston, MA
Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: Boston Day and Evening Academy
Operator Type: Horace Mann Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 480
Students at Capacity: 600
HALLMARK FEATURE: Adventure-based leadership training
Boston Day and Evening Academy (BDEA), a Horace Mann Charter School, is an innovative, year-round high school
with a unique mission: to serve students who are over-age for grade level and who are either at high risk for
dropping out or have already dropped out of high school. The student-centered, competency-based teaching and
assessment practice blends strong academics with wrap-around supports to inspire critical and creative thinking,
independent learning, and active citizenship.
Building on its student centered, high expectations, competency-based (self-paced and mastery-based credit)
model, BDEA intends to redesign itself into BDEA 2.0 by incorporating these additional strategies:
o
o
o
First, BDEA will partner with Project Adventure to incorporate its adventure-based experiential education
approach into the BDEA academic model, promoting healthy social-emotional development and 21st century
skills.
Second, ten to fifteen minute “Brain Breaks” of physical activity will occur before and after core courses. This
physical activity throughout the day (or evening) is designed to optimize the learning experience and improve
motivation, mood, and overall well-being. The physical activity complements a healthy lifestyle curriculum,
including healthy eating.
Third, BDEA will create a blended learning environment by incorporating technology-delivered instruction with
face-to-face and experiential instruction in its five core courses: Humanities, Math, Science, Adventure, and
Technology. The flipped classroom and station rotation blended models will be used to promote a more costeffective and responsive competency-based curriculum.
Small group projects, group-based learning, and development of collaborative interpersonal skills will be integral
to these new model features. During the experiential “Project Month,” students focus deeply on a single topic and
present their project to the school and broader community on Symposium night.
BDEA envisions scale through knowledge and model-sharing with other alternative Boston Public Schools, with
schools in Project Adventure’s network, and through its Responsive Education Alternatives Lab (REAL) summer
institute for educators.
Contact: Andrea Kunst, [email protected]
Website: http://www.bacademy.org
Facebook: bostondayandeveningacademy
GRANTEE: CALIBER SCHOOLS
Integrating a high expectations charter with personalized, blended, and project-based learning
School: Caliber Schools: K-8 Charter
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-8
Location: Richmond, CA
Type: New School
Operator: Caliber Schools
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 270
Students at Capacity: 780
HALLMARK FEATURE: Computer programming, writing, project-based learning
Caliber Schools is a new Bay Area charter management organization planning to operate full K-12 feeder patterns
with six schools opening over five years. The academic model at Caliber will combine the rigor and high
expectations of a “no excuses” charter school with the personalization and data-driven education that a blended
learning environment can offer, and the critical thinking and collaborative skills that can best be taught through
a project-based learning curriculum.
Caliber will have a culture of high expectations, guided by the belief that all children can succeed in competitive
four-year colleges and in meaningful careers. With a mastery-based approach, students will move on once they
show competence in a Common Core-aligned curriculum that also emphasizes deeper learning skills and
character development. Personalized learning plans will track progress towards competency for each individual
student. The school will have an intense focus on writing and all students will learn computer programming.
Learning will be personalized through a blended learning approach that combines a rotational model with the level
of individualization afforded through a flex model. Students will move at their own pace toward competence in
literacy and math through whole group, small group, and online instruction. Project-based learning will be
implemented in science and social studies and to expose students to other subjects.
Caliber’s staffing model will be differentiated and team-oriented with master and associate teachers working
together; the specific team-oriented model will vary by grade level. Caliber will provide clear career progressions
and opportunities for collaboration and mentorship. Caliber will be wed to outcomes but not to a particular school
design, educational program, product or approach. Through pilot programs called “Caliber Labs,” the school will be
testing its more innovative elements and agilely respond to improvements in educational technology.
Contact: Ron Beller, [email protected]
Website: http://caliberschools.org
GRANTEE: CENTER FOR TEACHING QUALITY
Cultivating teacher leadership, supporting teacher-led breakthrough model schools
School: Tacoma Academy of Arts and Technology (TAAT)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-8
Location: Tacoma, WA
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: Center for Teaching Quality
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 120
Students at Capacity: 360
HALLMARK FEATURE: Teacher-led model
The Center for Teaching Quality, a national nonprofit that works with current and aspiring teacher leaders, will
support the launch of TAAT, a teacher-led breakthrough model school. The academic model will be studentcentered, with a self-paced and mastery-based curriculum that optimizes project-based and blended learning. In
this model, the teacher serves as a learning architect for students, as students take on more responsibility for
developing their projects and plan for meeting Common Core State Standards as they mature. Both the arts and
technology will be platforms for students to learn key competencies, which include English Language Arts and
mathematics content knowledge, design thinking, collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, problem-solving,
and persistence/tenacity. The learning environment of the school will involve flexible space with up to 60 students
either engaged in small-group activities directly with the teachers or working independently on their project or
self-paced online instructional activities.
In partnership with the Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity, CTQ will prepare at least one TAAT
teacher to be certified as a CCSS assessor, prepared to develop embedded performance assessments tied to the
Common Core and able to support his or her peers in developing the same expertise. In addition, CTQ will utilize
its virtual community of teacher leaders, the CTQ Collaboratory, to codify a curriculum for cultivating teacher
leaders who can launch breakthrough model school designs, and ultimately spread teacher-led breakthrough
model school ideas from community to community.
Contact: Lori Nazareno, [email protected]
Website: http://www.teachingquality.org
Twitter: @teachingquality
GRANTEE: DESIGN INNOVATION FACTORY LLC
Developing a scalable blended learning solution for high-need urban students, English language learners, and
special education students
School: Brooklyn Laboratory Schools (LAB)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Type: New School
Operator: Design Innovation Factory LLC
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 212
Students at Capacity: 1068
HALLMARK FEATURE: Game-based adaptive learning
Brooklyn Laboratory Schools (LAB) will be a network of open-enrollment, college-preparatory, 6-12th grade public
charter schools operating in Brooklyn, NY. LAB will educate high-need urban students, especially English Language
Learners (ELL) and special education students, and provide an exceptional option for students and families. The
academic model is built on five pillars that combine proven practices with innovative implementation strategies:
“No Excuses” school culture, rigorous college-prep curriculum, personalization and game-based adaptive
learning during an extended school day, data-driven decision-making based on real-time formative assessment,
and incubation of courseware to personalize learning. In Learning Labs, students will use game-based and
adaptive courseware. To meet individual needs of all students, teachers will personalize instruction based on the
results of frequent embedded formative assessments. LAB courseware will deliver progressive digital challenges,
continuously tailoring modules to fit students’ needs. Students will use both game-based adaptive learning
courseware and a variety of open education resources (OER) to work at their own pace. LAB will partner with
universities and start-ups to develop and user-test new products while giving students direct, experiential learning
opportunities. LAB will bring together researchers, teachers, and students to create novel solutions to adaptive
learning and operational challenges.
LAB will be self-sustaining from public revenue sources from its first year of operation; as a result, LAB’s model will
become a proof point of what is possible in public education. LAB is a growth enterprise committed to dramatic
scale. And it will disseminate best practices and develop and incubate courseware to further support adoption of
game-based blended learning solutions.
Contact: Eric Tucker, [email protected]
Website: http://designinnovationfactory.com
Twitter: @erinmote
GRANTEE: EDUCATE TEXAS AT COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION OF TEXAS
Accelerating blended learning in Texas
Schools: Texas Technology, Teaching, and Innovation Portfolio
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-12
Locations: Dallas, TX and Houston, TX
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: Coppell Independent School District and Spring Independent School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Suburban
Students at Opening: 4,700
Students at Capacity: 47,000
HALLMARK FEATURE: State-level partnership
In this partnership, two traditional districts will serve as pilots for implementing blended learning. Educate Texas
will provide Coppell and Spring Independent School Districts with strategic guidance and planning support. Since
both utilize project-based learning across most schools, the districts are interested in integrating blended learning
to strengthen teaching and learning:
1.
Teachers will have greater resources to support effective instruction of all students
2.
Students will have increased levels of engagement, positive learning experiences, and postsecondary
readiness
3.
Data will become more available to personalize the teaching and learning experience
Both districts are considering rotational blended learning models at different stages. They will begin with
elementary school learners who will be engaged by teacher, peer, and computer-led instruction. In middle school,
students will have the ability to migrate through blended, virtual, and traditional learning experiences. Once in
high school, students will have access to both blended and virtual offerings and can choose from a verticallyaligned course catalog. For each school, teachers and principals will be provided with a data dashboard that
enables them to monitor students’ progress across each discipline. Professional development will be a critical
element for understanding how to use these data to best support student mastery of content.
Educate Texas believes that these pilots—in the traditional public school settings that serve the majority of our
nation’s students—may offer the proof points needed for blended learning to transform how teaching and
learning occur across more schools and systems. Educate Texas further believes that these pilots and
accompanied evidence-based research must be shared with state agencies and legislators to help inform
regulatory and policy barriers. To expand this work, Educate Texas will leverage its public-private partnership with
the Texas Education Agency, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and state legislators to inform policies
that will encourage greater district adoption.
Contact: George Tang, [email protected]
Website: http://edtx.org
Twitter: @EducateTexas
GRANTEE: EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT AUTHORITY OF MICHIGAN
Creating conditions for success, where students find a deeper sense of purpose
School: New High School (working name)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12 (ungraded)
Location: Detroit, MI
Type: Turnaround
Operator: Education Achievement Authority of Michigan
Operator Type: District
Students at Opening: 800
Students at Capacity: 1,000
HALLMARK FEATURE: Turnaround high school
The Education Achievement Authority of Michigan (EAA) is a local education agency with the authority to reinvent
the state’s Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) schools. The EAA eliminates the “one size fits all” approach to
teaching and learning and instead embraces a student-centered approach where pedagogy, assessments, support
systems, and culture are refocused around mastery instead of age and seat time. Students will have the flexible
structures and programming necessary to build the grit, self-confidence, curiosity and content knowledge they
need to meet 21st century challenges while ensuring college, career, and workforce readiness. Learning at the
New High School will lead students to find and pursue a passion that evolves over time into a deeper sense of
purpose and an ability to innovate.
The New High School model will extend the breakthrough blended, student-centered learning model currently
used in the EAA's K-8 schools. There will be no age-based grade levels, but students will progress based on
mastery. The learning environment will become less structured as students make progress.

Traditional bell schedules will be phased out in order to extend the reach of effective teachers.

Classrooms will be replaced with open space labs.

Students will be able to spend as much time as they need working on various subjects and standards.

A College and Career Readiness Coach will mentor individual students and monitor their progress.

Students who meet certain benchmarks will have the opportunity to earn an associate's degree concurrent
with their high school diploma.

The Buzz online teaching/learning platform will leverage licensed and open source materials and will expand
the individualized learning plan into a personalized success plan.
The model will be scalable because of an efficiency in staffing, a sustainable cost model, a streamlined central
office that pushes 90% of resources to the school level, and efficiency and effectiveness achieved through
technology.
Contact: Mary Esselman, [email protected]
Website: http://www.michigan.gov/eaa
GRANTEE: EDUCATION FOR CHANGE
Students prepared to engineer innovative solutions to real world challenges
School: EPIC Charter School
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-8
Location: Oakland, CA
Type: New School
Operator: Education for Change
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 160
Students at Capacity: 480
HALLMARK FEATURE: STEM, applied design, and gaming
Education for Change (EFC) operates four elementary and two K-8 charter schools within Oakland, CA, with a focus
on turning around failing district public schools and dramatically improving outcomes for the students it serves. In
light of its successes, though, there is a sense of urgency to rethink the current design model of secondary schools,
and so they are planning for the launch of EPIC Charter School.
EPIC Charter School will integrate the best of gaming to develop a compelling and alternative school
narrative. EPIC will challenge its students to become heroes, earn points for their houses, and develop a sense of
Hogwarts-like belonging as they partake in interdisciplinary quests—live-action role plays where students truly
apply their knowledge and understanding to solve engaging challenges.
EPIC will implement a gradual release blended learning model that transitions from a classroom-level rotation to
a more flex/self-blend approach, giving students' greater responsibility for managing their work and learning as
they progress from sixth to eighth grade. By the end of eighth grade, students will be able to articulate their
performance levels, set goals, reflect on their learning, and complete personal work plans with minimal adult
redirection. The school will disregard grade levels and focus on mastery-based learning. The approach will provide
adaptive individualized learning online, enabling teachers to focus on more complex Common Core-aligned
performance tasks, in preparation for the culminating quests. The Engineering and Design components of the
program explicitly build student capacity to use technology to design solutions to real world challenges and
engineer new technology.
Contact: Hae-Sin Thomas, [email protected]
Website: http://www.efcps.org
Twitter: @EFCPS
GRANTEE: FLORIDA VIRTUAL SCHOOL
Where school becomes a platform through which extraordinary education happens
School: Project TAM (working name)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Florida
Type: New School
Operator: Florida Virtual School
Operator Type: District
Students at Opening: 300
Students at Capacity: 518
HALLMARK FEATURE: Online school with in-person learning
Florida Virtual School (FLVS) imagines a learning landscape where each student’s experience is entirely
personalized and student centered. Project TAM combines a rich, robust content management system with a
student profile system where standards-aligned learning objects are delivered to students as and how they need
them. Powered by a recommendation engine that knows the student’s needs and interests, Project TAM will
provide a blended learning environment where students learn through individualized online content and flexible,
personal face-to-face instruction. Project TAM will use the theory of competency-based progressive education that
is designed for each individual student; students can learn how, when, and what they need and want. The high
expectations for competency and progression will be transparent, and student progression through the standards
will be updated in real time and clearly visible by the parent, student and teacher via the Student Dashboard.
Students’ virtual learning will be deepened and strengthened through community-based internships and servicelearning as well as Community Learning Centers. The centers will provide a rich, varied backdrop for student
collaboration, one-on-one teaching and learning, and individual workspace. Teachers will function as learning
guides and help students individually navigate their own educations. Through the blended learning model,
Community Learning Centers will become students' brick-and-mortar schools, yet provide enough flexibility to
truly provide the "any time, any place, any path, any pace" education to which FLVS remains committed.
Contact: Amanda Mann, [email protected]
Website: http://flvs.net
Twitter: @flvs
GRANTEE: FUTURE IS NOW SCHOOLS
Preparing self-starting students to shape the world of the future
School: Incubator School (Inc.)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: Los Angeles Unified School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 120
Students at Capacity: 800
HALLMARK FEATURE: Entrepreneurship
The Incubator School (Inc.) is a 21st century learning, entrepreneurship-themed Los Angeles Unified School District
(LAUSD) pilot school supported by Future is Now Schools. Inc. will foster, network, and launch the entrepreneurial
teams of tomorrow by unlocking students’ self-starting spirit. Students at Inc. will learn how to start a business or
venture, but even more importantly, they will learn how to start their journey into adulthood. Inc.’s academic
model will rely on two principles: flexibility and integration. The Flex and Rotational blended learning academic
model involves self-paced learning, project-based cooperative learning and design thinking, inquiry-based learning,
game-based learning, and shared experiences among students.
“Xprts” from the local community and beyond will be brought into the school to explore and co-create with
students, teachers, and parents within a variety of learning environments including a formal Makerspace. Inc. is
partnering with the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and the Games and Learning Publishing Council to bring their gamebased learning partners as Xprt consultants to support the school's implementation of game-based learning within
its blended learning model.
Assessments will be a mix of portfolio, digital demonstrations, and projects with real world metrics; include all
required state tests; and culminate in a significant team project. Eighth graders will create an operating business
within the school. High school will culminate in students teaming to launch a real-world startup company that
they may or may not continue as they enter college.
Pilot schools were established through agreement between LAUSD and United Teachers Los Angeles to create
models of innovation and serve as research and development sites. Future is Now Schools will collaborate with
both district and union leadership to enhance and scale up a portfolio of pilot schools with Inc. as the first.
Contact: Sujata Bhatt, [email protected]
Website: http://www.incubatorschool.org/
Twitter: @finschools
GRANTEE: IDEA HIGH SCHOOL
Extreme personalization and knowledge in action
School: Idea High School (working name)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: San Mateo, CA
Type: New School
Operator: Idea High School
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban; Higher Education Partnership
Students at Opening: 120
Students at Capacity: 480
HALLMARK FEATURE: Design thinking in problem-solving
Idea High School is founded by a team of school leaders, teachers, and parents. The model for learning, grounded
in a design-thinking approach to solving problems, will be personalized, blended, competency-based, projectbased, and self-paced. In a four-year design advisory, students will learn design thinking, engineering, and
entrepreneurial skills based on the framework conceptualized by the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at
Stanford University (the d.school). They will learn the fundamentals of building and fabrication using cardboard
and foil as well as the high-tech 3-d printers and programming tools found in Stanford’s fabrication lab.
Students will be taught how to make decisions and maintain control over their learning and will have access to a
standards-based online curriculum, teachers, tutors, and both low-tech and high-tech materials to accomplish
their learning goals. Students will be able to move at their own pace to achieve the high standards held for all
students. To demonstrate mastery of concepts, students will need to demonstrate not only that they comprehend
content but also that they are able to apply their knowledge. Teachers will refer to assessment results to create
new schedules for students each week in the school’s flex scheduling. In addition, students and teachers will use
data from assessments to make adjustments to that schedule in real-time.
In addition to the Stanford d.school K12 lab, Idea High Schools’ network of support includes online curriculum
provider CK-12 and the Stanford FabLab. Idea High School will apply to be an educator preparation program and a
graduate school of education, will participate in the research community, and teachers credentialed in its program
will be the key drivers for scale by bringing the school’s instructional practices to the schools and districts where
they work.
Contact: Ken Montgomery, [email protected]
Website: http://www.ideahighschool.org
Twitter: @IdeaHighSchool
GRANTEE: INTERNATIONALS NETWORK FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Meeting the needs of Latino youth disengaged from traditional schools due to economic demands
School: Pan American International Community Academy
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Queens, NY
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: Internationals Network for Public Schools, City University of New York, Make the Road New York
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: District
Focus: Urban; Higher Education Partnership
Students at Opening: 100
Students at Capacity: 400
HALLMARK FEATURE: Flexible credit-earning opportunities
Internationals Network for Public Schools (Internationals) is an experienced school developer with a track record in
opening schools and academies for English language learners in New York City, the California Bay Area, and
Alexandria, VA. Internationals is beginning to plan with partners—the City University of New York (CUNY) and
Make the Road New York (MRNY)—to open a breakthrough school designed to meet the needs of a growing
student population: Latino youth with incomplete high schooling and presently disengaged from schools due to
the economic demands of their families. The academic model of Pan American International Community
Academy will include the following features:

Flexible scheduling and innovative programming

Virtual learning integrated with internships and deeper academic learning

Seamless integration between high school, community colleges, and adult education/continuing education

Opportunities for meaningful work experiences combined with opportunities to learn
The academy will allow students to design a program that suits their individual academic needs, economic/social
demands, and college/career desires. It will build off the strengths its students bring, including developing their
bilingualism, entrepreneurial ambitions, and commitment to family and community. The outcomes-based and
self-paced curriculum—experiential and culturally relevant—will provide multiple entry points for students to
access the content and demonstrate mastery. English language learning will be integrated into learning of rigorous
content through well-designed hands-on projects.
Students, often anonymous in a traditional school, work with teams of interdisciplinary teachers (Math, Science,
History, English, IT) responsible for a shared group of students. Each student is paired with a teacher who is their
academic and career advisor who provides support and guidance in developing learning and career goals, and
identifies supplemental support.
Contact: Liliana Vargas, [email protected]
Website: http://www.internationalsnps.org
Twitter: @Internationals9 Facebook: Internationals Network for Public Schools
GRANTEE: JEFFERSON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT 509-J
Unleashing the potential of every child
School: Warm Springs K-8 School
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-8
Location: Warm Springs, OR
Type: New School
Operator: Jefferson County School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: American Indian reservation
Students at Opening: 680
Students at Capacity: 700
HALLMARK FEATURE: Personal mastery for American Indian students
Jefferson County School District 509-J in Central Oregon plans on closing an elementary school serving students of
the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs. The district will use a community-enacted bond measure to open a
brand new K-8 school in September of 2014. Students’ families and other tribal members will collaborate with
JCSD to provide input into the creation of their community school located on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.
The school will adopt a personalized, mastery-based model pioneered by Richard DeLorenzo, former
Superintendent of the Chugach School District in Alaska (another American Indian community that has achieved
successful results). DeLorenzo’s “Personal Mastery System,” a component of the Reinventing Schools model, will
involve the following:

Individualized education plans for all students

Mastery-based approaches (replacing seat time and grade-levels with advancement based on demonstration
of mastery)

Experiential learning through internships and service-learning projects

An on-line curricular platform
Contact: Melinda Boyle, [email protected]
Website: http://jcsd.k12.or.us
GRANTEE: LAKEWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Driving innovation through education in a global community
School: The Engine School
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Lakewood, OH
Type: New School
Operator: Lakewood City School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 100
Students at Capacity: 400
HALLMARK FEATURE: Makerspace design
The purpose of the Engine School is to help students prepare to take the next step in their lives as productive,
competent citizens of the 21st century, capable of succeeding in postsecondary education and careers. At the
Engine School, students will have personalized flexible credit options, blended learning opportunities, and
internships located within the greater northeast Ohio community. The curriculum, physical space, and community
of learners will be centered on the concept of the Makerspace, which will empower students to identify,
articulate, and design solutions to real-world problems. Cross-curricular problem-based activities built on inquiry,
research, collaboration, communication, and reflection will drive students’ learning. A Catalyst program will help
students understand the design process and prepare them to participate in student-centered learning throughout
the curriculum. Students will progress to more advanced learning by “leveling up:” demonstrating standards
achieved and mastery of content and process knowledge and skills. Leveling up will not be time-bound.
The Engine School will make use of the connectivity tools of the digital age to link students to authentic learning
experiences and engage in conversations about their learning with a wide spectrum of community members,
mentors, and fellow learners across the globe. Students will learn that learning is messy and often unpredictable,
and that failure plays a significant role in learning. Students will be active participants in the global conversation
about teaching and learning in the digital age. And the Engine School model will be scalable through its opensource digital connectivity approach.
Contact: Sean Wheeler, [email protected]
Website: http://www.lakewoodcityschools.org
Twitter: @LkwdSchools
GRANTEE: LANE COMMUNITY COLLEGE
Expanding early college education
School: Lane County Early College High School
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Eugene, OR
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: Eugene 4J School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Urban; Higher Education Partnership
Students at Opening: 200
Students at Capacity: 500
HALLMARK FEATURE: Early college high school partnership
The Expanding Early College Education in Lane County (ExCEL) project plans to open a dynamic, innovative school
in the heart of Lane Community College's 300 acre campus, located in the second largest metropolitan area in the
state of Oregon. Initially, the Lane County Early College High School (LCECHS) will serve Eugene 4J students, most
of whom are at high-risk of failure in their traditional high school; future expansion will include regional districts.
The ExCEL project is a unique, strong collaboration between industry, higher education, and school districts,
ensuring a breadth and depth of support not found in any one single entity. The early college partnership is a
complete integration of high school and college, which includes a physical presence on the Lane Community
College’s campus, collaboration between high school and college staff, high school and college courses to meet
graduation requirements, access to the college’s student services, and a focus on at-risk student populations. As
an example of the integration, instructors in Advanced Technology courses will collaborate with high school math
teachers to align learning outcomes and contextualize curriculum.
ExCEL serves 11-12th graders plus fifth year seniors in high school and college coursework. In a blended learning
environment, students will learn through direct instruction from teacher-advisors as well as proficiency-based
online curriculum. ExCEL also plans to develop applied learning opportunities that embed and contextualize core
math and literacy content within career-technical courses. As students near graduation, both teacher-advisors in
the high school and Early College Advisors at the college will help them navigate next steps—whether that is a
continuation at Lane, another community college, or a four-year institution.
The model is scalable to the county level and replicable in other areas of the country due to its sustainable design.
Contact: Deron Fort, [email protected]
Website: http://www2.lanecc.edu/
Twitter: @LaneTitans
GRANTEE: MONTESSORI FOR ALL
Cultivating tomorrow’s leaders
School: Magnolia Montessori For All
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: PK-8
Location: Austin, TX
Type: New School
Operator: Montessori For All
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 300
Students at Capacity: 550
HALLMARK FEATURE: Blended Montessori learning
Montessori For All is a new charter operator that will run schools that blend best practices from "no excuses"
charter schools, an authentic Montessori approach, and technology-enabled learning to create a student-centered
learning experience. Montessori For All’s blended Montessori model is grounded in a philosophy of educating
the whole child, attending to their minds, bodies, and hearts. Through hands-on and self-directed experiences,
the learning environment allows students to authentically develop and practice self-direction, collaboration,
critical thinking, problem-solving, personal- and social-responsibility, and intrinsic motivation.
The Montessori curriculum that will be adopted at Magnolia is an individualized, mastery-based model that
promotes academic and intellectual rigor, leadership, executive functioning skills, and innovation in order to
prepare all students for college and career readiness. Students will be grouped into multi-age classrooms with
three grade levels to promote leadership development and motivation to learn. Teachers and students will track
progress through the individualized curriculum and engage in a continuous process of goal-setting and selfreflection. Learning will extend beyond the classroom to include a wide array of enrichment activities, such as
gardening, robotics, theater, forensics and debate, and small- and whole-group field trips. This blended, wellrounded model will seek to cultivate tomorrow's leaders academically, intellectually, socially, emotionally,
creatively, and physically.
Montessori For All will expand the model to a San Antonio campus in 2016, and both schools will serve as
demonstration sites that schools can and should provide individualized learning for all students, including those in
economically disadvantaged communities. Starting in 2018, Montessori For All will replicate the model to cities in
diverse communities across the nation.
Contact: Sara Cotner, [email protected]
Website: http://montessoriforall.org
Twitter: @pinktowerforall
GRANTEE: THE NEW SCHOOL FOR MEN
Preparing young men of the inner city as leaders of character for the workplace and community
School: The New School for Men
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Cleveland, OH
Type: New School
Operator: The New School for Men
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 96
Students at Capacity: 336
HALLMARK FEATURE: Career focus
Nationally, African American males have significantly lower educational achievement, higher unemployment,
lower wages, and dramatically higher incarceration rates than Whites. The New School for Men is designed to
defy these odds by meeting young men where they are and supporting them as they design and attain goals for
learning, character, leadership and life that will enable them to become leaders in their communities and in the
workplace. The school's personalized, blended learning model combines the following:
1.
Stable, low-ratio relationships with mentors and peers
2.
Proven and efficient on-line academic curricula
3.
Explicit character instruction, leadership, and life skills training
4.
Career training with clear pathways into the workforce
The school will have high standards and high expectations within a “high touch” environment. The “high touch”
model will combine an unprecedented level of social and emotional support with individualized, self-paced
online learning and a mastery-based approach to earning credits utilizing Ohio’s Credit Flex program. The school
will not have traditional 9-12 class cohorts; the learning team, under the supervision and support of tutors, will be
the primary organizing principle of the school. Tutors will be adult males from the community who are tough and
caring role models and mentors. Students will work on online curriculum in learning labs under the guidance of
master teachers and learning specialists.
The school is designed to offer students clear pathways into mid-skill jobs that require technical training or two
year degrees, in addition to college prep. Students’ career and technical training will be provided through
internships, online certification programs, and dual enrollment programs at local colleges. A formal Career Success
program will monitor students’ performance on-the-job during a probationary job placement. Students that do not
perform effectively will return to school for further career preparation before their diplomas are granted.
Contact: Perry White, [email protected]
GRANTEE: NEW TECH NETWORK
Superior adventures in personalized mastery learning in a blended project-based learning school
School: S.A.I.L. Charter Academy
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: Punta Gorda, FL
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership
Operator: New Tech Network
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: Charter
Focus: Suburban
Students at Opening: 100
Students at Capacity: 400
HALLMARK FEATURE: Mastery-based deeper learning
New Tech Network is a non-profit school development organization that collaborates with district leaders,
administrators and teachers who share a common purpose: to help students acquire the knowledge and skills vital
to postsecondary college and career success. New Tech's design principles center on project-based learning (PBL),
a collaborative culture that empowers students and teachers, and the integrated use of technology in the
classroom. Working with partners at the S.A.I.L. (Superior Adventures in Learning) Charter Academy, New Tech
Network will co-design a new innovative blended-learning, competency-based model that stays true to the New
Tech deeper learning design principles. The blueprint for the new model, “New Tech B,” is designed around four
key concepts: personalization, relevancy, flexibility, and outcomes.
S.A.I.L. Charter Academy will serve a mix of low-income and middle-class students across Charlotte County, FL,
mirroring the demographics of the local public schools. In this "adaptive blend" school, learners will work through
a personalized modular curriculum earning mastery-based credit after completing multiple learning tasks. The
learning tasks blend self-paced, online instruction with team and individual interdisciplinary projects supported by
content workshops. By embracing the depth of PBL and merging it with a wide range of online instructional tools,
students will have the scaffolding they need before applying that knowledge through interdisciplinary
projects. Each teacher at S.A.I.L. will have a specialized role to support students in their learning activities. New
roles include “Learning Analysts,” “Project Guides,” and “Academic Coaches.”
Contact: Paul Curtis, [email protected]
Website: http://www.newtechnetwork.org
Twitter: @newtechnetwork
GRANTEE: NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Personalized learning with the potential to disrupt systemic structures of school as we know it
School: iZone Academy
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 9-12
Location: New York, NY
Type: New School
Operator: New York City Department of Education
Operator Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 100
Students at Capacity: 400
HALLMARK FEATURE: Sharing space with small business startups
The New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) Office of Innovation (iZone) will design a new school model,
based on the most promising models and practices incubated in the iZone to date. The proposed model will:

incorporate user-centered design to build ground-up personalized learning environments;

reimagine the notion of a school building and school space;

utilize online and blended learning to enable mastery-based asynchronous learning environments; and

build community partnerships with startups and small businesses to support a new co-working and learning
environment.
The proposed new school model will incorporate user-centered design to build the school around student needs,
and will put real-world experiences at the heart of the college- and career-ready curriculum in a seamlessly
integrated co-working space. The model will reimagine curriculum and pacing; space and time; and staff and
student roles. A mastery-based learning approach will include a personalized learning plan for students. NYCDOE
will create a community-bridged learning experience where small businesses and startups share space, resources,
and projects with students in a common co-working space. This model also will incorporate asynchronous and
blended learning to enable varied educational experiences, tailored to the needs of individual students. The iZone
seeks to create a scalable school models that can be replicated within New York City and modeled across the
nation. The proposed iZone personalized school model has the potential to disrupt the systemic structures of agebased cohorts, scheduling, space, grading policies, and more.
Contact: Andrea Coleman, [email protected]
Website: http://schools.nyc.gov/community/innovation/izone/default.htm
Twitter: @NYCSchools
GRANTEE: OUT OF THE BOX LEARNING STUDIO
Find learning everywhere
School: Out of the Box Learning Studio
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: Seattle, WA
Type: New School
Operator: New CMO
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 40
Students at Capacity: 160
HALLMARK FEATURE: Student-directed, self-paced media arts-based learning cycles
The model for Out of The Box Learning Studio reimagines almost everything about “school:” the role of the
teacher, what and where a classroom is, what constitutes curriculum, the purpose of technology and its role in
learning, and how proficiency is conceived, demonstrated, and accounted for. In this student self-directed model,
each student’s Individual Learning Plan will serve as the roadmap for their learning, anchored by that student’s
passions and wonderings. Standards will become the skills to master, refine, surpass, and then redefine through
problem-solving and deep inquiry. The “Home Base” extended learning team of one teacher and 15-20 students
will stay together throughout their time at Out of the Box Learning Studio.
Through “Home Base,” students will engage in two-week learning cycles of activities designed, proposed, and
facilitated by both teachers and students that are adapted and extended as their inquiry unfolds. These
interdisciplinary experiences will be grounded in the media arts. Utilizing a blended-learning approach, students
will work individually with online content to develop and practice math and literacy skills that are related to their
learning activities while the teacher works one-on-one or with small groups of students. Learning can happen
anytime, anyplace; community resources will help make learning relevant for students and students can help
impact meaningful change in their community.
The learning is documented in and reflected upon through a digital portfolio, a knowledge map, digital badges, a
personal blog, and other media arts projects. The studio also takes a self-paced competency-based learning
approach, and after each learning cycle, a “Next Move Team” works with students individually to figure out what
they will do next.
Part of the school’s broader mission, augmented through the Puget Sound Consortium for Secondary Innovation, is
to serve as a laboratory for teachers and school leaders interested in transitioning to a student-centered blended
learning model.
Contact: Hannah Williams, [email protected]
Website: http://www.outoftheboxlearningstudio.org/
Twitter: @findlearning
GRANTEE: PHILO FINANCE CORP.
A charter-district partnership integrating college readiness and blended learning
School: School is not yet identified
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-8
Location: Southeastern TX
Type: Breakthrough School Developer Partnership; Turnaround
Operator: PHILO
Operator Type: Nonprofit
School Type: District
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 500
Students at Capacity: 500
HALLMARK FEATURE: Turnaround partnership
Created by KIPP Co-Founder Mike Feinberg, PHILO brings the best of KIPP and other high-performing charter
schools to partner with school districts to turnaround failing schools. PHILO seeks to dramatically improve public
middle and high schools across the nation to prepare students in these schools to graduate high school ready for
college and career. For this planning grant, PHILO will partner with an underperforming school district in the
southeast Texas region to turnaround a middle school by integrating the successful KIPP model of charter
schools with the innovative power of student-centered, personalized blended learning.
PHILO’s turnaround approach will focus on strong leadership, effective teacher teams that possess the power to
lead, a college preparatory environment, and a blended learning approach for core classes. The blended learning
model will integrate differentiated learning via station rotation and a strong teacher who will provide direct,
concentrated instruction with small clusters of students. Real-time data from online learning will help teachers
assess each student’s individual growth on a daily basis. PHILO believes that the combination of online learning
and strong teachers will provide effective Response to Intervention (RtI) learning opportunities to the at-risk
students served by the school.
PHILO will recruit high-potential school leaders, cultivate a strong pool of effective teachers, and invest in retaining
and developing great teachers. As it grows, PHILO will explore talent pipeline approaches such as residencies and
differentiated roles.
PHILO strives to be the partner of choice for districts across the nation that believe all students can graduate from
high school college-ready without the need for remediation and have the conviction to try bold efforts to turn
around their lowest performing schools. PHILO seeks to emulate the success of the KIPP network: 45% of KIPP
alumni have earned a degree despite 90% coming from underserved backgrounds, a rate that is five times greater
than the national average for the lowest-income students.
Contact: Justine Welch, [email protected]
Website: http://kipphouston.org
Twitter: @KIPPHouston
GRANTEE: PIEDMONT CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Changing outcomes, instilling hope, and changing the future
School: Piedmont Middle School
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-8
Location: Piedmont, AL
Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: Piedmont City School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Rural
Students at Opening: 275
Students at Capacity: 300
HALLMARK FEATURE: Mastery learning in rural district
Piedmont Middle School (PMS) is transforming the rural community of Piedmont, AL by reimagining the process of
teaching and learning and is planning a transition to a mastery-based, personalized learning model. The school is
already high-performing: it consistently meets AYP and the percentage of students who score "Advanced" on
assessments consistently exceeds the state average. The Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) has
recognized PMS as one of Alabama's highest performing middle schools. The teaching staff includes over 35% of
National Board Certified Teachers.
In the redesign, Piedmont City Schools will develop and present a sustainable model that works in small town
and rural America. The new model will enhance the blended learning approach currently in place with a shift away
from grade levels toward mastery learning. Students will work with their teachers to develop personalized learning
plans that meet their individual needs. Flexible scheduling will allow for dynamic rosters based on daily
instructional needs. Core subjects will be combined in learning blocks (math/science and humanities). These
classes will meet in community learning areas, which will provide the space and resources to assist students in
reaching individual goals. The classroom spaces will also allow for project-based collaboration with peers.
Piedmont City Schools is an active participant in Digital Promise’s League of Innovative Schools. Through the
district’s “MPower Piedmont” initiative, PMS students have access to laptops 24/7 with school-provided Internet
access. This effort will support anytime/anywhere access throughout the community so student learning can occur
outside of the normal school day and during summer months.
Contact: Matt Akin, [email protected]
Website: http://pms.piedmont.k12.al.us
GRANTEE: THE ACADEMY OF INNOVATION AND LEADERSHIP
Ensuring the holistic success of students, breaking the cycle of academic failure and dropout
School: Memphis Academy of Innovation and Leadership
Opening: Fall 2015
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: Memphis, TN
Type: New School
Operator: The Academy of Innovation and Leadership Charter Management Organization
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 400
Students at Capacity: 700
HALLMARK FEATURE: Personalized learning, college success
The instructional model for the Academies of Innovation and Leadership (AIL) is based on the expertise and
experience gained by leadership members at VOISE Academy, located in one of Chicago’s most underserved
communities, which has produced significant gains and success for its students. AIL will improve on this model
and focus on skill mastery through individualized instruction and a flex model of blended learning coupled with
a holistic approach. An integral part of the model will be individualized learning experiences focused on a unique
computer-based Response to Intervention (RtI) program, effective differentiation, and data-driven instruction. The
approach will be self-paced and interdisciplinary. Ongoing student assessment is essential to AIL’s instructional
foundation. Flexible scheduling and highly personalized online programs and digital tools designed to increase
mastery and minimize achievement gaps will guarantee growth for all students. Empowering students with this
instructional model will promote student engagement, motivation, and foster independent learners as leaders of
their own educational experience.
The enrollment plan will begin with sixth grade in order to address the significant academic performance gaps
that typically occur between fifth and eighth grade, reduce key academic deficiencies, and offer rigorous high
school preparation. It will transform the traditional cycle of failure or disengagement historically experienced by
many students due to outdated “teaching to the middle” educational models. Students' academic deficiencies will
be met with targeted and engaging instruction, additional time, support and encouragement. Immediate response,
instructional data, and progress affirmations will promote self-confidence and advocacy and replace educational
apathy. With the guidance and encouragement of high-quality teachers, students will work at their own pace
toward skill mastery and academic growth. The personal and academic growth achieved by students will ensure
future prosperity for themselves, their families, and will be a positive reflection on the community in which they
live.
Contact: Todd Yarch, [email protected]
Website: http://www.voiseacademy.org
Twitter: @tyarch
GRANTEE: THRIVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Honoring each student’s academic and social-emotional growth
School: Thrive Public Schools
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-8
Location: Southern CA
Type: New School
Operator: Thrive Public Schools
Operator Type: Charter
Students at Opening: 250
Students at Capacity: 550
HALLMARK FEATURE: Social-emotional learning and family partnerships
Thrive is a new charter management organization, launching its first two K‐8 public charter schools to serve a
diverse mix of students in San Diego. The Thrive model will incorporate social-emotional learning and projectbased learning into blended learning. By integrating projects and inquiry, Thrive will honor the needs of each
student’s academic and social-emotional growth through the thoughtful use of technology and the care of
adults.
The school and instructors will adapt to meet individual students’ needs, rather than expect students to adapt. The
instructional team will continuously reflect on data, refine their practice, and grow professionally. Teachers will
enjoy great autonomy, thinking critically and creatively to adjust their own practice and mix students’ experiences.
They will use technology to create opportunities for personalization and real-time feedback. All students will
become creators of their own learning. Tinkering, robotics, arts, chess, and other opportunities will enhance
creative and inquisitive thinking. Through hands-on and minds-on opportunities, students will apply and show
what they know in a collaborative setting. With the Common Core, Thrive will model the shift to an authentic
student-centered, mastery-based approach that focuses on learning how to learn and not just what to learn.
The Thrive model emphasizes students’ self‐ advocacy and self‐actualization, embracing the concept of
Aristotle's Phronesis: it is not enough to have knowledge; we must know what to do in context and with
thoughtful deliberation. It will apply these organizational strategies:

Outcomes for tomorrow today: Creating opportunities that maximize long-term academic achievement and
global citizenship.

Ambitious, multi-dimensional teaching and learning: Engaging students in academically rigorous classes that
emphasize application of knowledge.

Engaging and supporting families: Valuing parents as partners and providing for family learning opportunities.

Supportive environment: Creating a safe environment for all community members to learn and grow.

Effective leaders and operations: Harnessing Thrive’s energy and resources to assure goals are met.

Collaborative and engaged staff: Selecting high-quality staff and offering strong professional development.
Contact: Nicole Tempel Assisi, [email protected]
GRANTEE: UTICA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS
Student agency of voice, choice, and opportunity to learn
School: The Campus for Connected Learning
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 7-12
Location: Sterling Heights, MI
Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: Utica Community School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Suburban; Higher Education Partnership
Students at Opening: 200
Students at Capacity: 600
HALLMARK FEATURE: Personalization, anytime/anywhere learning
Utica Community Schools, Michigan’s second largest public school district, is an active member of Digital Promise’s
League of Innovative Schools and a recognized leader on the effective use of technology to drive student
achievement. The 28,000-student district has developed a model for a new school to better serve its
students, especially those in need of additional support. The academic model will prepare and support students to
achieve readiness to succeed in college and in the careers of their choice. In the personalized learning culture,
students, teachers, and administrators will collaboratively work within a flexible, open-agency model that has
clear expectations for performance. A variety of instructional approaches will be supported by anytime, anywhere
access to high-quality digital content. Student mastery of competencies will be measured using a system of
adaptive assessments, project-based assessments, and measures that reflect college readiness benchmarks.
The school day for middle school aged students will be more structured with equal time for individualized online
learning, direct instruction and small-group work, and project-based learning. High school age students will
transition to a flexible, non-age-based schedule. They will be expected to be on the school campus during the
“core” hours of instruction on each of the scheduled school days. Within the “core” instructional hours, the
students will be engaged in personalized, self-paced learning through a variety of methods, including project-based
learning. “Non-core” options, available across an extended day, include internships, workshops and classes offered
through community partnerships, college courses, small group and one-on-one instruction/support, and success
coaching.
The district has partnered with The University of Michigan-Flint to offer UCS students courses for college credit.
These courses will be offered in the same facility to allow students to move seamlessly between college-credit and
high school courses.
Contact: Robert Monroe, [email protected]
Website: http://www.uticak12.org
Twitter: @uticaschools
GRANTEE: VALOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES
Pushing the envelope in developing college, career, and life ready graduates
School: Valor Collegiate Academy
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 5-12
Location: Nashville, TN
Type: New School
Operator: Valor Collegiate Academies
Operator Type: Charter
Focus: Urban
Students at Opening: 145
Students at Capacity: 1,120
HALLMARK FEATURE: Gradual release of structure
Valor Collegiate Academies (VCA) is a new charter management organization planning to open six schools over the
next six years, able to serve about 3,200 Nashville students in all. The founder and CEO brings to VCA 12 years of
experience as a teacher, school leader, and CMO leader at Summit Public Schools in California. VCA will have a
Gradual Release academic model in which students will experience a thoughtful release of structure over the
course of 8 years, earning more autonomy as they grow. As they own more of their learning they will spend
increasingly more time in student-centered, competency-based, blended learning environments overseeing their
own learning. In Stage 4 (11/12th grade) students create their learning schedule, track their mastery of
competencies, and are coached on making decisions about how/when to learn and demonstrate mastery.
Exploration is another key piece of the model as students will spend 20 percent of their school year in courses that
focus on developing critical non-cognitive skills that are essential for success in college. Innovation courses will be
offered in all Exploration sessions, providing an “innovation sandbox” w/in each school for testing new ideas in a
low-risk, collaborative setting. When students are participating in these courses during Exploration, about 30
days in total, teachers will participate in personalized professional development.
A third key element in the Valor model will be its Non-Cognitive Model and Whole Child Feedback. Valor is
developing a "coach" position that is a social-emotional/behavior/non-cognitive expert rather than academic
content expert. The number of coaches increases and the number of academic teachers decreases as student
progress through stages. Furthermore, Valor aims to be a leader in collecting non-cognitive data and using it to
inform growth. They intend to partner with Six Seconds and LiveSchool to build a non-cognitive management
system and user dashboard with a leading LMS that allows for feedback for students on academic and noncognitive growth.
Contact: Todd Dickson, [email protected]
Website: http://www.valorcollegiate.org
Twitter: @valorcollegiate
GRANTEE: WEST ALLIS-WEST MILWAUKEE SCHOOL DISTRICT
Establishing personalized, deep learning environments across the district
School: West Allis-West Milwaukee School District
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: K-12
Location: West Allis, WI
Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: West Allis-West Milwaukee School District
Operator Type: District
Focus: Urban/Suburban
Students at Opening: 4,000
Students at Capacity: 9,500
HALLMARK FEATURE: District-wide personalization
West Allis-West Milwaukee School District (WAWM), an anchor district member of the Chief Council of State
School Officers’ (CCSSO) Innovation Lab Network, plans to create personalized, deep learning environments
tailored to meet the needs of individual learners for all 9,500 students in the district. In 2011-12, WAWM launched
its next generation learning approach in 32 elementary classrooms. In 2012-13, next generation learning expanded
into 66 elementary and 12 intermediate classrooms. All elementary pilot classrooms have shown increased
academic achievement and growth compared with non-participating classrooms at their school.
The complete redesign of the academic model in WAWM schools will involve Individual Learning Plans, data-driven
planning and decision making, inquiry-based learning, digital learning tools, and strong staff/student relationships.
The six pillars that are an integral part of all next gen learning environments in the district are career pathways,
student-centered learning environments, competency-based progression, student voice in learning, a 21st
century skill set, and family and community partnerships. The plan for district-wide scale-up will involve these
replicable next generation learning practices:
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Learning Progression Continuums—used to identify students’ skill level at a given point in time, to deliver
instruction, and to set personalized learning goals—will be expanded and digitized for all grades and serve as
the foundation for competency-based progressions
A digital bank of K-12 instructional strategies and lessons will be developed to accelerate data-driven student
learning
Individual Learning Plans for all students will provide a 24/7 menu of deep inquiry- and project- based,
blended, and virtual learning opportunities accounting for rigorous standards, student interest, and selected
career pathway
1:1 mobile learning devices will be fully implemented for all students and staff
Technology and physical environments will be redesigned to support next generation learning
A data warehouse will enable longitudinal analysis of student data covering a range of information
Innovative Lab School and Classroom Incubator Models will be used to scale up next generation learning
implementation
Personalized professional development will continue to develop educators’ skills to facilitate next generation
learning
Contact: Johnna Noll, [email protected]
Website: http://www.wawm.k12.wi.us
Twitter: @SchoolsWAWM
GRANTEE: WORLD CLASS SCHOOLS
Extending the reach of excellent teaching to all students
School: World Class Schools I (working name)
Opening: Fall 2014
Grades Served: 6-12
Location: North Carolina
Type: New School
Operator: World Class Schools
Operator Type: Charter
Students at Opening: 150
Students at Capacity: 1,050
HALLMARK FEATURE: Opportunity culture for teachers
World Class Schools (WCS) will be a new charter management organization (CMO) dedicated to extending the
reach of excellent teaching to all students and creating an "Opportunity Culture" for teachers. WCS is inspired by
the path-breaking work of Public Impact, a national education policy and management consulting firm based in
Chapel Hill, North Carolina (seehttp://opportunityculuture.org).
Research consistently shows that teacher quality is the most important school-based factor influencing student
outcomes. The WCS model optimizes teachers' roles by using technology to personalize educational experiences
through digital learning, and by efficiently channeling teachers' efforts toward meaningful engagement with
students in their areas of greatest skill and deepest passion. Students will receive live in-person and remote
instruction from excellent teachers across the WCS network, coupled with high-quality digital learning in a
personalized, flexible model. And teachers will have opportunities to advance in their careers, and earn more,
without leaving the classroom.
The model will evolve—rapidly and dramatically—as the quality of digital content and adaptive digital learning and
assessment tools improves over time. This process of improvement will be guided by a new approach WCS is
calling “SMART iteration:” Strategic, Manageable, Aligned, Rapid & Reflective, and Teacher-Led. School leaders
and teachers will frequently analyze school and classroom-level practices and resource allocations, to build on
what's working and fix what isn't—week-to-week or even day-to-day. One anticipated evolution in the learning
model is a shift over time from fixed rotation blended learning to more flexible, personalized learning. Other
unique features of WCS include ambitious plans for scale within clusters of schools, movement away from gradelevel designations, rigorous internal accountability measures, and the ability to leverage partnerships with leading
national and local education reform organizations.
Contact: Joe Ableidinger, [email protected]