Our partners in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and New York presented to the iNACOL Blended Learning Symposium earlier this month to reflect on the process of opening new, mastery-based high schools. The schools, E3agle Academy and P.A.C.T. Academy in Cleveland, and The Urban Assembly Maker Academy in New York, opened in fall 2014 and feature systems for students to advance based on mastery, personalized learning that leverages technology, and a focus on strong relationships between students and staff. Presenters included:

*Madelaine Hackett, Carnegie Design Fellow, The Urban Assembly
*Richard Reynolds, Head of School, PACT (Problem-Based Academy of Critical Thinking)
*Peggy Schauer, Head of School, Eagle Academy
*Darcel Williams, Program Manager for New Model, Cleveland Metropolitan School District

The leaders discussed what they’ve learned from innovating within their districts. Here are some highlights from the discussion: