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BY REQUEST... JULY 1999
PDF Version Clear Policies Encourage Positive Strategies |
![[Alaska]](images/ak-clr.gif) Location Contact Description The school board was correct: there was something wrong, and it needed to be fixed. Three questions would guide and shape the reform work the district set in motion: 1) Are kids developing necessary academic and social skills? 2) What happens to students when they graduate? and 3) What do we need to change to make our schools successful in the 21st century? Sampson and DeLorenzo began their task by studying models of school and community improvement that could be adapted to their district. They decided that Onward To Excellence (OTE), a model developed by the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, was best suited for what they hoped to accomplish. Specifically, they liked that OTE was an ongoing process and not a one-shot event. They also were attracted to the grass-roots method of improvement that OTE encouraged. They wanted to involve communities in the improvement of their schools. And so began the process of community building that saw school leaders and teachers going out into their communities to talk, resolve, and find common ground. The three villages (Tatitlek, Chenega Bay, and Whittier) served by the Anchorage-based district are extremely small (ranging in size from 65 to 350 residents) and inaccessible by automobile, making them all very unique in culture. One must fly into the Native Alaskan villages of Tatitlek and Chenega Bay, or take a train through mountain tunnels to reach Whittier. Such size and isolation presented an array of challenges that had over time, fostered some very unhealthy communities and schools. This was evident in the animosity many community members felt toward school staff, and often in animosity between students and staff. Chugach's new Assistant Superintendent, Bob Crumley (who was principal of Whittier Community School from 1995-1999) recalls his first year at Whittier as one of strife and conflict. Teachers would confide in him their fear of students who harassed them off school grounds; and the school itself was often the site of unrest, with open rebellion and disrespect common occurrences. With discord so pervasive in the school and community, it is difficult to imagine how school improvement led by OTE's town meetings could take place successfully. Indeed, some residents warned Crumley that such meetings would be volatile and unfruitful. Undaunted, and with the full support of district leadership, the meetings proceeded in Whittier as they did in the other Chugach communities. Strategies learned in OTE training, such as team building and small-group discussion/reporting, along with skillful leaders who possessed the ability to keep discussions focused, fostered valuable dialogue. Townspeople spoke about what good schools look like, traits of successful people, and what they valued about their own school experiences. What were predicted to be free-for-alls became gatherings where all opinions were respected, and soon some shared beliefs about learning emerged. Coinciding with the OTE process were efforts to improve the nuts and bolts of learning. The district knew that having communities on board for improvement was only one piece of the puzzle. They also needed to revamp teaching and learning. But in an era of high standards and low tolerance for failure, Chugach educators recognized that true improvement would be a monumental task. They knew that real improvement meant addressing the whole student, not just a focus on academic success. The solution they found didn't come as part of any slickly marketed curriculum. Instead, they assessed what was working in the district; they contemplated the trends that were shaping education at both state and national levels; and they considered the unique needs of their students and communities. These considerations left them with several conclusions, including the importance of high standards for all students, the concepts of individualized and thematic learning as powerful instructional methods, and the importance of life-skills training as a key to success in the world beyond school. The system that resulted is a student-driven, standards-based curriculum. Textbooks no longer dictate instruction-students do. Dubbed "the Chugach Model," the system was fully implemented in the 1997-98 school year. At the core of the effort are 10 standard areas based on academic and character development. All students must progress through specified levels of development in each standard area. These standard areas, which are the driving force behind instruction, are as follows:
The goal of the Chugach Model is for students to be able to apply skills in new and unpredictable situations long after they leave the school system. Three types of assessments ensure that students meet requirements. Teachers measure student achievement with skills-based assessments (which ask students to demonstrate proficiency in foundational skills), analytical assessments (which ask students to apply what they have learned), and contextual assessments (which require students to put what they've learned in school into practice in the real world). Instruction is individualized and self-paced. All students must meet the same standards, but how they meet the standards or how long it takes isn't as important as truly meeting them. The performance standards are set in a manner which ensures that once met, learning expectations are exceeded at the district and state levels. The district has found that when given clear expectations, a defined route for achievement, and the responsibility for learning, all students are capable of meeting high standards. Traditional report cards have been replaced with a developmental report card that takes parents, students, and teachers through the expected competency levels step by step. All classes are multiage groupings that allow children to work at their own pace. Graduation diplomas became competency-based, and are awarded to students when they reach specified levels in all standard areas. All students have an evolving Individual Learning Plan (ILP) that is designed expressly for them. Students have a copy of their ILP so they can easily reference it and track their own progress. If a deficiency is noted in any standard area, the plan will target remediation for that area and involve all necessary staff. To accommodate this new system of individualized learning, all students have a developmental profile that follows them from year to year. The profile is a running record of where every student is developmentally in each of the 10 standard areas. It recognizes that students are strong in some areas and weak in others, and doesn't penalize them for learning at different rates, as traditional systems inadvertently do much of the time. Students know this system and understand what it means for them. To reinforce student understanding, the district placed posters around its schools that clearly detail standards, benchmarks, and scoring guides. Student-led conferences are also a regular part of every school in the district. These conferences ensure that all players are on the same page. In addition, students have access to their own Student Assessment Binder, which is a notebook that logs each assessment used as they pass from one standard level to the next. There is no guesswork involved. Everyone-students, parents, and teachers-know what is expected of them. With the Chugach Model, it is possible that a 13-year-old student can receive a diploma, or that a 17-year-old student is far from graduating, but generally the district tries to keep students with their same-age peers. This is not to say that classrooms don't vary (in fact, most rooms have an age span of about four years among students. Regardless of their physical placement, the district makes every effort to instruct each student based on individual needs. Every student receives an education that is relevant, has meaningful assessments, and offers effective remediation. The third piece of reform Chugach leaders put in place was life-skills training. While community support and involvement was critical, and individualized, high-quality instruction equally valuable, providing students with the skills for a successful transition to life after graduation was absolutely necessary. Whether they want to pursue higher education, military service, or a specific trade, students need life skills that enable them to become contributing members of society. The district took several innovative steps in developing its life-skills component. First, a meeting was arranged with business leaders from around the state of Alaska. About 22 CEOs and managers gathered to discuss what traits they were looking for in employees. They pondered the good things schools were doing for kids and also made suggestions for what could be done better. Their suggestions, coupled with those from the communities, jelled to form what became the district's career development and personal/social/health standards. Consequently, application in all curriculum areas is essential-students must understand how what they learn in school transfers to the real world and then know how to demonstrate this understanding. Taking this concept a step further than most school systems, Chugach implemented a "house school" idea called Anchorage House. Beginning in the middle grades, students travel to Anchorage and spend time in one of two neighborhood houses owned by the district. Time spent at the houses is intended to instill in students an awareness of life and of responsibilities beyond home and school. Initial stays at Anchorage House last only a few days. These build throughout high school and culminate in a stay of a month or longer during which students live almost independently. While there, groups of eight to 10 students work as a team on trust building, open communication, social skills, time management, job exploration and responsibility, and household tasks. Most Chugach students will have five Anchorage House experiences by the time they graduate. Spending time in one of the houses, staffed by specially trained and certified teachers, is a privilege that all students eagerly anticipate. Staff development is another vital component to the effectiveness of Chugach's efforts. Not only is content taught differently in the district, but it is assessed in ways that are new to most teachers. Success in Chugach would be impossible without highly skilled teachers to implement the model on a daily basis. Though the state specifies that a maximum of 10 staff development days can replace instructional time with students, Chugach uses summers and weekends to increase staff development days to 30 or more. All in service days are focused on enhancing teachers' abilities to instruct within the model. Teacher needs drive professional development, which can be provided by district experts but often comes from outside consultants. In addition to bolstering instructional skills, inservices focus on team building and camaraderie. All teachers also have a district-developed teacher resource binder that contains information about the district's mission statement, goals, beliefs, and assessment techniques, as well as sample assessments and a background on education theory. To implement the Chugach Model, the district received a waiver from the state education department that gave it flexibility with certain regulatory compliances. Specifically, there are no letter grades or credit hours awarded in Chugach. The district has not received special state funding to implement any of the changes, but it has on occasion received other privately pursued grants. Student Perspective In talking with students from Chugach, several things become apparent. First, they recognize the work of their teachers and are grateful for small classes and schools that care. They also feel in control of their own learning-they know what they know and what they still need to learn. The students of Chugach have an unspoken confidence in themselves, from those who have always succeeded to those who have always struggled. Finally, they are secure in their goals for the future. Whether these goals take them to higher education in distant places or keep them in their village, these kids exude a quality that speaks to the power of an education tailor made for each one of them. Observed Outcomes
Keys to Success
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