Steering Committee co-chairs meeting

Share word clouds to extract terms from teacher and student work for Core Beliefs, Values and Expectations








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8/25 faculty work on Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectations
9/15 faculty work on Core Values Beliefs, and Learning Expectations
9/25 student work on Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectation

Student activity in Homeroom - Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate

Dear Faculty and Staff,

As we delineate and define our core values, beliefs and learning expectations, the input of the students is essential. For this Friday’s homeroom, the students will go through an activity similar to what we did during the PD days before school. The two staff members in each homeroom will need to facilitate the activity, for which Tom Honohan has created a Google Form, entitled “The Five-Question Exercise.” Here’s how things should go:

1.       When students arrive at 9:39, have them arrange their seats in configuration conducive to discussion.

2.       The TV Production class’ weekly presentation will begin promptly, ending with the anchors explaining the activity to come.

3.       The Google Form is accessed through the link, NCHS Five-Question Exercise, and one staff member can moderate the discussion while the other types in the students’ responses. A hard-copy of the same form is attached.

 4.       Try to get through as many of the questions as time allows, but it is far more important to allow substantive discussion among the students than to get through all the questions.

5.       At the end of the homeroom, click the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the form and make sure the desks are returned to their pre-homeroom state.

This is the same set of questions we discussed in our groups on the second PD day, just re-worded for students; since all of us have gone through this, I am confident that we can all easily facilitate this version for our students.

Thanks and, as always,  let me know if you have any questions.

Ari

Student responses to the NCHS Five Question Exercise

8/25 faculty work on Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectations
9/15 faculty work on Core Values Beliefs, and Learning Expectations

Steering Committee co-chairs meeting

Plan co-chairs meeting schedule & plan to aggregate faculty and student responses

Faculty meeting

Ari presented outcomes of August 25th faculty work on ideal NCHS graduate and reviewed homeroom activity for September 25, 2011.

Summary of teacher responses to Ideal Vision of NCHS Graduate activity

8/25 faculty work on Core Values, Beliefs, and Learning Expectations

Faculty activity in on PD Day - Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate

A Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate

A Vision of the Ideal NCHS Graduate

The first – and most significant – step in the NEASC self-study process is the identification, delineation and refinement of our core values, beliefs and learning expectations.  Moving beyond the traditional “mission statement,” a school’s core values and beliefs about learning provide the foundation for all decision-making going forward. This is to be a dynamic and inclusive process, beginning with the faculty and subsequently involving students and all other stakeholders, the product of which should be a collective objective to which the entire New Canaan High School community can commit.

Directions:   In your groups, brainstorm around the following questions.  Be as specific as possible, especially as to the thoughts behind your choices. DO NOT address concerns about implementation (funding, staffing, et al) as this is an exercise about ideals.  Later, we will re-convene as a faculty and each group will report out. Commonalities will quickly surface and differences will provide an opportunity for spirited, respectful and thoughtful debate.

What words and phrases best describe the ideal NCHS graduate?

What should be the goal of a NCHS education? Why?

• What skills should each be able to demonstrate?
• What competencies and literacies should each acquire?
• What habits of mind should each possess?

In what specific ways can the school provide for every student to acquire and achieve this?  

• Around what, should our program of study be built?
• What types of experiences should every student have while in high school
• What supports should we have in place to ensure success for all students?
• In what specific ways should we prepare all students to be informed and responsible members of society and the global community?

Additional Resources