High School Redesign at BMC

- Flexible learning environment (FLEX PERIOD) & Flexible Schedule

- Teacher Advisory groups (TAG)

- student successes

- access to staff

- access to different curriculums

- quality student centered learning

- it is about the individual

- credit recovery

- staff that are willing to try new things

- more value in the process of learning as compared to the results

- students having a voice (Student Voice Committee)

- more students taking responsibility for their learning

- culture shift in regards to how students view education

- culture shift in that they are ALL our students – not just who teaches them

- technology – increased use of by teachers and students (hidden curriculum)

- dynamic strategies

Why is HSRD important at BMC?

- trying to improve our school

- students learn at different paces

- makes our jobs easier – more satisfying and successful

- time is built in the day

- improves connections with students (relationships)

- alternative – life-long learning

- collaboration between staff for how students learn

- shared responsibility for students (we are ALL responsible for ALL of the students in our school)

- students and staff do not come from the same background, so we utilize staff strengths – building capacity

- CONNECTIONS

- may not be successful in some areas but they are attending every day – that says something

- more welcoming environment

- pushes staff to try new things and work harder, to be innovative, go past our comfort zones

- pushes staff to not give up – we CAN’T give up - harder to give up (keep trying)

- students are not falling through the cracks as easily as in the past

- accountability for staff and students for learning

- we don’t just “move on”

- we don’t “take away” the fun stuff when a student didn’t learn

- taking student backgrounds/experiences/life into account

What is the Core focusses of HSRD at BMC?

• Mastery Learning
• Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum
• Flexibility
• Personalization
• Professional Development

- personalization and flexibility have been our main focus

- next focus is rigor and relevance

What has changed at BMC?

• Flex block every day (30 Minutes)

- opportunities for learning outside of the “regular classroom”

- attitudes towards homework and formative assessment has become work completion

- physical make up of rooms, galleria, learning areas

- classrooms are more open – we let anyone in

- offering courses outside of our schedule – students taking different classes at different times than the school offering of the courses

- integrated into classrooms for support

- attitudes have changed

- being flexible to the needs of our students

- classrooms look different

- it may look like chaos at times but it really is organized chaos receptive to individual student needs

- we don’t “dump” student anymore into classrooms (gone are the days of SNAP or “your problem”)

- we have a genuine believe that students are capable; will vs. skill

- it is about the learning experience: pass or fail, as compared to the final mark

- we have stopped limiting the course options – instead of you CAN’T take this course, we talk about the challenge

Student expectations?

• Flex block is a class
• Students working towards greater academic excellence (focus groups, tutoring, finishing tests / course work, study groups)

- completion of work

- increased responsibility for their own learning

- respect, responsibility, results – school motto

- more accountability

- less stress of exams/homework completion

- they know that we won’t give up – we will find someone who can help them if we don’t need the answer

- parents are more involved – they realize that flex, etc.. is their child’s opportunity