The International Center’s work is based on the premise that students are living in a world that is changing dramatically and the education system needs to adapt to those changes in order to prepare students for the world in which they will live and work. The International Center has developed an extraordinary reservoir of resources and relationships to advance school improvement, including:
The Rigor/Relevance Framework is used in schools across the country and around the world to make instruction and assessment more rigorous and more relevant for all students. The Framework is a tool developed by staff of the International Center for Leadership in Education to examine curriculum, instruction, and assessment. It is based on two dimensions of higher standards and student achievement. The Rigor/Relevance Framework is easy to understand. With its simple, straightforward structure, it can serve as a bridge between school and the community. It offers a common language with which to express the notion of a more rigorous and relevant curriculum.
The Rigor/Relevance Framework is versatile; it can be used in the development of instruction and assessment. Likewise, teachers can use it to measure their progress in adding rigor and relevance to instruction and to select appropriate instructional strategies to meet learner needs and higher achievement goals.
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Learning Criteria to Support 21st Century Learners can help a school better define how well it is meeting the needs of all learners by looking at the whole school and the whole student. The Learning Criteria has four dimensions:
Foundation Learning - Achievement in the core subjects of English language arts, math and science and others identified by the school.
Stretch Learning - Demonstration of rigorous and relevant learning beyond minimum requirements, such as participation and achievement in higher level courses, specialized courses, and so forth.
Learner Engagement - The extent to which students are motivated and committed to learning, have a sense of belonging and accomplishment, and have relationships with adults, peers, and parents that support learning.
Personal Skill Development - Measures of personal, social, service, and leadership skills and demonstrations of positive behaviors and attitudes.
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Creating and Sustaining a School-Wide LIteracy Program Brockton High School Michele Finnegan, Social Science Department Head
Brockton High School’s restructuring efforts have centered on improving academic achievement and personalizing the educational experience for all students-high standards, high expectations, no excuses. This session will discuss a school wide literacy program that has increased the level of academic achievement for all students, including ELL students and students with disabilities; a professional development model that requires all teachers to be teachers of reading, writing, speaking, and reasoning; data analysis to target areas of skill development; and the strategies for personalization. The initiatives have resulted in impressive student results on state and national assessments.
Developing 21st Century Skills at English Estates Elementary English Estates Elementary Dr. Beth Sharpe, Principal
How does a school go about developing the skills needed by teachers and students for our changing world? In the last four years, English Estates has implemented Leadership is Elementary-a comprehensive program for transforming the school culture, developing personal leadership skills in students and staff, and implementing new ways of teaching and learning, including rigor, relevance, and relationships. We encourage innovation by providing professional development, creating authentic audiences for teachers and students, and setting high expectations. This session will offer proven tips for implementing project-based learning, problem-based learning, global projects, digital storytelling, and Web 2.0 activities-the skills necessary for a lifetime of success.
A+ Plan for Creating a High Performing High School Jensen Beach High School Ginger Featherstone, Principal
Jensen Beach High School has been rated an “A” school by the Florida Department of Education since its inaugural year in 2004. Sustaining this achievement, even in a time of limited funding, requires administrators and teachers to manage resources efficiently. The entire staff has embraced a single-school culture philosophy that implements school-wide programs and initiatives which provide a return on investment, such as cross-curricular reading and writing initiatives, read alouds, writing across the curriculum, and vocabulary blitzes, which increase rigor in all curriculum areas. Data teams to help drive instruction were also created as part of the master schedule. Recognizing the value of relationships, they have implemented student and new teacher mentoring programs. Jensen Beach will share its A+ Plan that has facilitated its success.
Leadership for Rigor, Relevance and Relationships Sue Gunderman
The growing enthusiasm for the new 3R’s is a result of wide recognition that a commitment to rigor, relevance and relationships is an effective approach to school improvement that challenges students to stretch their learning and develop personal skills as well as fostering improved engagement. The International Center is known for its Rigor/Relevance Framework, which is used in planning, instruction and assessment. This session will describe the leadership tasks and approaches necessary to develop a school culture that embraces rigor and relevance and that builds relationships between students and adults and among the students themselves, all of which are essential to support learning at high levels.
Building Capacity for Sustained Improvement Salina Intermediate School Majed Fadlallah, Principal
Majed Fadlallah, Principal of Salina Intermediate School, will conduct a lively and interactive presentation focused on how Salina Intermediate School has built capacity for sustained improvement for student learning and performance. Salina Intermediate has met AYP for many years despite challenging demographics. Meeting the needs of all of Salina’s students is a top priority. Participants in this session will gain an understanding of how the school meets the needs of diverse learners, including special education students, economically disadvantaged students, English language learners, and students from diverse ethnic backgrounds.
The Rigor/Relevance Framework