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Doing high school differently

Our Services

We believe that every student deserves an education that sparks in them a lifelong love of learning, and prepares them to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. We work to support communities who share this vision, and who are striving to create more just and equitable educational experiences for all young people.

We help build equitable and responsive high schools.

We work hand in hand with school and district leaders and provide design guidance, implementation support, capacity building, and technical assistance to partners as they reimagine secondary schools and the ecosystem around them.

An intentional, phased approach to school transformation. We support teams to lead change in their buildings by piloting, cultivating bright spots that will show what is possible, generating momentum, and creating a coalition of the willing.

One-on-one coaching to leaders. We build leadership mindsets and skills, focusing on the importance of vision clarity and skills necessary to communicate, develop, and uphold this vision. Throughout, we coach leaders to manage up so that they have the air cover that they need to lead toward transformation.

School observation visits. We provide leaders and their teams with evidence-based feedback and thought partnership to help them improve, no matter where they are in their continuous improvement journey.

We help schools bring learning to life.

We develop the rich, deeply resourced project-based curricular materials that enable teachers to create transformative learning experiences for every student. We then provide educators and instructional leaders with embedded support to ensure high-quality implementation that focuses on fostering deeper learning and critical thinking.

Transformative Learning Experience units. We build project-based units that are rigorous and provide students with a sense of purpose. TLE units can be implemented in a variety of ways within an expanding range of core subjects and electives.

Implementation supports. We surround teachers with a suite of reinforcing supports: strong unit plans with daily lesson-level resources, unit “unpacking” sessions, ongoing intellectual preparation, and guidance on adaptation for local context and scaffolding for multilingual learners.

We prepare the next generation of leaders.

We provide the next generation of leaders with tangible support, hands-on learning opportunities, mentorship, resources, and coaching to become powerful advocates and change agents in their communities. We are building a pipeline of educators who are prepared to lead for equity and become the future leaders of student-centered high schools.

Transformative Leaders of Massachusetts (TLM) fellowship is a new kind of leadership preparation program for aspiring school leaders who have big ideas and dreams for the ways that high schools can be transformed to ensure that all young people find success in and beyond high school. It features a deep focus on instructional and student-centered leadership, hands-on learning through apprenticeship, a diverse, intimate leadership cohort, and layered support structures.

Learn more about TLM

Our Approach

We support our partners as they transform the student learning experience and reimagine high school. Our approach is adaptive, responsive, and intended to empower students and stakeholders.

Focus on Students

We focus relentlessly on the student experience. We ground our work in positive youth development, culturally responsive practices, and meeting adolescent needs in all elements of design.

Design With, Not For

We believe in inclusive, collaborative design. We harness the assets of the communities we work with, ensuring our partners have a hand in the solutions we develop and building lasting capacity on the ground.

Start With the Learning Experience

To truly reimagine high school, we must start by transforming the very core of school: the student learning experience. We prioritize the instructional core in all of our work and pay close attention to what students are being asked to do daily.

Build Momentum

We take an intentional, phased approach to school transformation. We support teams to lead change in their buildings by piloting, cultivating bright spots that will show what is possible, generating momentum, and creating a coalition of the willing.

Learn and Iterate

We are a learning organization. We are committed to adapting, refining our practice, and finding solutions to intractable problems in our sector.

Indicators of School Quality

We believe the job of high school is to ensure a high quality education for all students that encompasses a broad vision of student success. To that end, we have identified seven indicators of school quality, grounded in the tenets of positive youth development theory and educational equity. The indicators are both concrete, to help educators build a strong vision of excellence, and broad, to allow for customized implementation suited to the unique realities of students and communities.

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    Coherent Mission

    There is a clearly defined mission that is rooted in an unwavering belief in the potential of all students and that is deeply understood by and resonant for all stakeholders.

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    Positive School and Classroom Culture

    Students are well known, respected, and part of a community that radiates affirmation and a sense of what's possible for young people.

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    Rigorous and Purposeful Learning Experiences

    Student learning experiences are rigorous, purposeful, and clearly connected to the development of college and career readiness competencies.

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    Academic Systems

    There is a schoolwide, mission-aligned, instructional vision that articulates how learning should happen and strategically informs adult development.

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    Student Supports

    Students have a comprehensive set of supports, resources, and opportunities to advance along a pathway to graduation.

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    College and Career Planning

    Every student has a clear and viable postsecondary path to college and career success that represents informed and authentic choice.

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    Strategic Development and Use of Resources

    The school optimizes people, time, and other resources and engages in constant iteration in order to meet a mission grounded in positive youth development.

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