We believe learning happens in community, in context, and in conversation.
For this reason, our community co-design process is designed to be an ongoing, iterative, and inclusive conversation. Any time an important school-wide decision is made, there is an opportunity for input from a representative sample of the school community. During this part of the planning process, we listen and learn from our community. Listening and learning from these conversations will always be the foundation of our plans.
We believe learning communities must be diverse, inclusive, and equitable environments where every perspective is valued.
The conversations we have in the earliest phases of planning will always aim to represent and elevate the voices of our stakeholders – particularly the perspective of our students who are furthest from opportunity. At our core, we are an organization that exists to support student growth and success. Any plan we make, or partnership we form, will need to appropriately address the developmental needs of our students.
We believe evidence-based, data-driven, instructional practices are essential.
Our organizational approach to learning is to continuously improve. We follow the Carnegie Mellon model of rapid improvement cycles. We incorporate Plan, Do, Study, and Act (PDSA) cycles into our planning processes, informed by the conversations we have with our community. This process will ensure that we are rigorously planning for positive change, executing the plan with fidelity, studying the efficacy of the plan, and acting with transparency to share the outcomes with our community.
We believe excellence requires preparation and reflection.
Our learning community will be excellent; excellence is not a coincidence. Excellence requires rigorous preparation. We prepare for our planning by listening and learning from the community. We prepare for our work through detailed planning practices. We prepare for our evaluations by setting clear and measurable goals that can be evaluated both qualitatively and quantitatively.
Excellence also requires intentional reflection. We consider the perspectives heard in community conversations. We make time to study our actions and draw conclusions about their efficacy. We share our reflections with the community to ensure they resonate.