ARISE’s founders and staff believe that all children deserve a quality education that doesn’t replicate inequitable and oppressive institutions. As a result, they’ve developed a rigorous, high engagement, authentic learning experience for all students. In order for every student to meet the high expectations that ARISE holds, a thorough system of support is critical. While the entire school is designed to make the educational experience highly personalized, attentive, and responsive, Adelante Student Services, in particular, provides intensive support to help  students move forward. 

Adelante is a Spanish adverb that means movement and commonly expresses two ideas: “salir adelante” and “sacar adelante” (in English, ”get ahead”). These two sayings encourage the development of self and the overcoming of obstacles. They are often used to push a person’s development. 

Adelante Student Services works within the whole school community to create the conditions, procedures, and resources to support struggling students academically and socio-emotionally.The Response to Intervention system includes the following structures: Academic Mentorship, Advisory, and Restorative Justice Praxis. ARISE offers site visits, coaching, and professional development to support implementation of their model.

Algebra Success, developed by The Urban Assembly (UA), helps schools equip eighth and ninth graders with the content and opportunity to experience success in Algebra 1. Historically, Algebra 1 is a gatekeeper to higher level mathematics, particularly for under-resourced communities. By gaining access to deep understanding in Algebra 1, students are positioned to better tackle higher level mathematics courses in high school and postsecondary schooling. Algebra Success achieves this by offering a curriculum that centers students through the use of discourse strategies and integrates social-emotional learning. 

Teachers utilizing Algebra Success are supported through ongoing coaching and professional learning communities while students experience high-quality curricular resources, discourse-rich classroom environments, intentional assessments, and the integration of social-emotional learning practices into their classroom experience. Algebra Success centers students in the classroom through instruction that highlights student voice and agency via the use of high-leverage discourse strategies. Currently, Algebra Success supports schools across the state of New York and has seen great success in positively impacting student achievement as measured by Regents exams. Algebra Success One Pager

Roots ConnectED addresses systems of oppression at the root. Their Anti-Bias Education model uses curriculum, classroom practices, and deep Community Building with all stakeholders to identify and dismantle the thinking and ideology that contributes to bias and discrimination before it gives way to harmful acts of oppression. The Anti-Bias Education model is centered on identity and inclusion, and acts as a means for transforming communities to be more just, equitable, and connected. The framework and its tools are holistic and intended for longterm integration throughout the curriculum and environment.

The Anti-Bias Education model seeks to build towards a new reality, where all feel seen and accepted as their authentic selves, and systems are equitable and enable access across differences. A dual process of personal and collective transformation supports students and adults in developing the attitudes and behaviors that dismantle oppression and sustain hope for a new reality. Dual Process for Change Tree of Love

While it is too early to measure outcomes from Roots ConnectED’s 22 coaching partnerships, satisfaction data is promising. They offer various professional development through coaching, institutes, and online workshops to schools interested in implementing the model.

BARR’s mission is to create equitable schools so that every student, regardless of race, ethnicity, or economic status, has access to a high-quality education where adults know them, recognize their strengths, and help them succeed. The BARR system transforms both the student and staff experience. Cohort-based classes, social-emotional learning (SEL) time, and personalized support are the markers of BARR for students K–12. Through these offerings, students develop personal relationships with peers and staff, feel understood as individuals, and become more connected in the school environment. Student support teams, a whole child focus, and response to intervention (RTI) are the respective complementary components of BARR for staff. BARR’s multi-tiered system of support enables teachers, staff, and administrators to utilize insights from relationships to design individually targeted interventions that address the academic and non-academic reasons why students may struggle in school.

The BARR system is implemented through BARR’s 8 Interlocking Strategies: BARR’s 8 Interlocking Strategies

• Focus on the whole student
• Providing professional development for teachers, counselors, and administrators
• Using BARR’s SEL curriculum to foster a climate of learning
• Creating cohorts
• Holding regular meetings of the cohort teacher teams
• Conducting Community Connect meetings
• Engaging families in student learning
• Engaging administrators.

BARR is shown to be effective in urban and rural schools alike, driving higher math and reading scores, decreased failure rates, improved student experience for all students, and narrowed opportunity gaps for students traditionally underserved. BARR Model One Pager

Big Picture Learning (BPL) was established to challenge traditional approaches to teaching and learning. Big Picture’s focus on student-interest-driven, real-world learning reflects the knowledge that students often learn best when school is relevant to their lives, builds relationships with adult mentors and peers who share their interests, and entails genuinely authentic and rigorous work that is situated in the community and workplace. 

The BPL school design is based on three core principles: 1) relationships – schools are designed to support student-centered experiences, one learner at a time; 2) relevance – student interests and real-world learning experiences shape the curriculum; and 3) rigor – assessment criteria for exhibitions of learning are aligned to professional standards. More broadly, 10 Distinguishers serve as BPL’s signature in the world of deeper learning and work-based learning. 10 Distinguishers Relationship Indicators Relevance Indicators Rigor Indicators

BPL works directly with schools to activate the potential of its students. It does not govern or operate schools but instead collaborates to transform existing schools or to establish new schools as a part of the BPL Network. Through collaboration with families and communities, each BPL school seeks to produce learning environments that are unique to local contexts. To support this, BPL offers deep partnerships, stand-alone professional development, and customized support. Today, there are over 80 Big Picture network schools in the United States and more than 100 schools around the world that utilize BPL’s design. 

The biofeedback breathing program by Rural Opportunity Institute (ROI) teaches students how to change their body’s conditioned responses to stressful situations in order to improve learning outcomes and interrupt cycles of generational trauma. As a training technique based on research from brain and body science, biofeedback breathing helps students develop the resilience and self-determination they need to live healthy, safe, and connected lives.

Biofeedback breathing is widely utilized by athletes, astronauts, and the military as a training tool to enhance performance and manage stress. By providing real-time physiological response data about Heart Rate Variability (HRV), biofeedback helps regulate breathing patterns, leading to better focus, resilience, and performance. Similarly, students can use biofeedback to improve self-regulation of their emotions and body, which makes it a valuable tool to use to cope with issues like anxiety, ADHD, depression, PTSD, and chronic pain.

Biofeedback breathing has produced positive results in a range of settings by helping people manage the health of their nervous systems. ROI has successfully piloted it in middle schools, county jails, and non-profit organizations, where it proved to be a preventative tool that helped to create a more supportive environment for students.

BookNook is an online collaborative learning model that offers reading intervention through reading lessons that include synchronous instruction, interactive activities, group discussion, and collaboration opportunities. Grounded in the science of reading, BookNook tutoring is versatile in being able to fit a school’s needs. It can be used for reading intervention and, while it usually takes place during the school day, tutoring services are also available before or after school. Tutoring can occur either one-on-one or in small groups, and tutors can be either in-person using school staff or virtual using BookNook tutors. 

BookNook’s reading curriculum comprises lessons that support the development of skills in phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. With more than 850 lessons—with some lessons available with Spanish supports—BookNook offers synchronous, impactful, scalable, and engaging tutoring designed to enhance K–-8 reading achievement. These tutoring sessions occur 2–3 times a week for 30 minutes each. BookNook Overview

BookNook is currently used in more than 2,700 schools across 40 different states. On average, students who received 20+ sessions of tutoring outperformed their peers by more than a quarter standard deviation in just 10 weeks.

Bridges to Academic Success is an innovative, multidimensional approach to supporting the academic achievement of newcomer students. The Bridges model is grounded in the belief that newcomers bring valuable resources, such as life experiences, home language, and cultural knowledge that enrich schools and communities. The model is designed for students who have been in US schools for three years or less, are multilingual learners, and may have had interrupted or inconsistent schooling in their home country.

Bridges curricula and frameworks are informed by extensive research on language, content knowledge, numeracy skills, and literacy development for newcomer students and Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE) with developing literacy and numeracy skills. All components of the model are designed to meet newcomer students’ language, literacy, academic, and social-emotional needs. 

Bridges to Academic Success, a project of the Center for Advanced Study in Education (CASE) at the Graduate Center, City University of New York (CUNY), consists of researchers and content developers, language and literacy teachers, and school administrators in secondary schools throughout New York State. To date, Bridges has served over 15,000 students and 1,800 educators. Bridges offers literacy, Spanish home language, math curricula, professional learning, and instructional coaching targeted at improved academic results for multilingual learners. Bridges Website

The Build UP model aims to empower and equip youth so they can overcome poverty and determine their own futures all while revitalizing their communities. Over the course of six years (following the 8th grade), students participate in a full-time, year-round program that supplants a traditional high school and college experience. Students spend half of their time in an academic setting, gaining knowledge that’s directly applicable to their paid apprenticeships in the real estate and construction sectors. As apprentices, students also work to rehab blighted, abandoned homes into like-new units. 

During the course of the six-year program, students earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree in their chosen field, which does not need to be related to construction or real estate. Once students complete the Build UP program and have secured a  job, launched an enterprise, or are enrolled at a four-year university, they are also able to take over the deeds to two units they renovated as part of their training. Through zero-interest mortgages, graduates build wealth while also earning passive income through using units as rental properties. This helps build a social and economic safety net for students and the larger community.

Currently, Build UP partners with local Birmingham community organizations to protect historically Black neighborhoods from gentrification. The program is now operating in two neighborhoods: Ensley and Titusville. They offer a range of supports to expand their model through replication, retrofitting, or inspiration.

The Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) integrates high school, college, and career into a single seamless community where students can explore pathways while working with professionals on real-world projects. Students fast-forward into their future and are fully immersed in a professional culture by solving real-world problems, using industry standard tools, and being mentored by actual employers, all while receiving high school and college credit. CAPS is an example of how business, community, and public education can partner to produce personalized learning experiences that educate the workforce of tomorrow, especially in high-skill, high-demand jobs. CAPS creates rich and meaningful experiences for students as well as industry and postsecondary partners.

The CAPS model is grounded in its five core values:

• Profession-Based Learning (Pro-BL): Real-world, project-based learning through collaboration with community and business partners. 
• Professional Skills Development: Students cultivate transformative professional skills such as understanding expectations and time management.
• Self-Discovery and Exploration: Students realize their strengths and passions by exploring and experiencing potential professions. 
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: An environment where creative thinking and problem-solving is encouraged. 
• Responsiveness: Ongoing innovation in curriculum development, programs, and services based on local business and community needs. 

The model began in 2009 with the creation of Blue Valley School District’s CAPS in Overland Park, Kansas. CAPS now reaches 170 school districts in 23 states and four countries. Where Students Lead Trailer CAPS Network Storyboard  

Through identity exploration, social-emotional learning, and community building, nXu catalyzes students and educators to develop their purpose, invest in their future, and live thriving lives. According to nXu, purpose is a fundamental human motive at the root of major markers of success throughout one’s life. Youth with a strong sense of purpose experience greater life satisfaction and physical, mental, and emotional well-being; perform better in school; and have higher rates of college retention. Adults with a strong sense of purpose also experience greater life satisfaction, financial and professional success, resiliency, and longevity. 

nXu’s CASEL-aligned Purpose & SEL model—specifically, its Nexus Curriculum—is currently being implemented in a growing number of middle and high schools across the country, where students experience significant growth in their sense of purpose and associated social-emotional constructs. nXu offers cohort learning opportunities, professional development, direct model implementation, and more to schools interested in implementing its model. 

The Brooklyn STEAM Center is located within the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a robust industry ecosystem with over 400 businesses that span manufacturing, technology, food, fashion, and media. At the STEAM Center, 11th and 12th grade scholars engage in high-quality professional work, develop robust and real industry networks, and explore tangible pathways to economic opportunity within industries such as Construction Technology, Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management, Cybersecurity, Design & Engineering, Film & Media, and Full-Stack Development.

The STEAM Center’s mission is to create a diverse, skilled pipeline for careers within the creative, technology, and manufacturing industries, with a focus on economically stable career pathways. Scholars at STEAM come from a diverse range of demographic and academic backgrounds, including race, socioeconomic status, gender, abilities, and academic performance, to name a few. Participating scholars graduate with technical, professional, career, and financial skills that they can use to create their own futures. The Brooklyn STEAM Center serves 325 high school scholars across 8 schools in Brooklyn, New York.

The Compass model goes beyond academics to develop students in mind, heart, body, and spirit. Compass ensures that all members of the community (young and adult) are engaging in deep, holistic, and adaptive development work.

The Compass model is implemented in 64 schools and is helping over 30,000 students experience more social acceptance, social concern, and social reciprocity as well as less emotional exhaustion. Valor offers cohort learning communities, one-on-one coaching and consulting, resource toolkits, and school visits to others interested in implementing the model. 

Building 21’s competency-based education (CBE) model is an equitable, student-centered approach to learning that allows students to earn credit at their own pace and across contexts through authentic, performance-based assessments. CBE takes traditional structures of the factory design model (e.g., age and grade-based groupings; credits based on seat-time) and replaces them with structures that privilege feedback, growth, and multiple opportunities to demonstrate learning. In this model, students engage with problem- and project-based learning in Studios that allow them to pursue their interests and passions, while progressing at their own pace along a competency-based learning continuum.

Building 21 currently partners with 44 schools and programs across 15 states to support them in their journey toward creating a personalized and competency-based model that meets the needs of their unique learners and local context. Over the past 8 years, thousands of users have accessed their free resources. They also offer week-long design institutes and personalized coaching. Getting Started with Competency-based Education

The Core 3 model can act as an invaluable training playbook for schools looking to strengthen adult practices around three core areas: classroom culture, academic rigor, and data use. In this model, leaders are coached through a two-year implementation journey to transform their teachers’ academic practices to strengthen students’ sense of belonging in the classroom, improve their academic outcomes and engagement, and provide more personalized learning through the use and analysis of real-time data. Core 3 occurs through replicable training modules that can be integrated into almost any learning environment. 

Currently, the Core 3 model reaches about 2,800 students across two Navigator schools and nine partner schools. Navigator Learning offers coaching and implementation support for leaders seeking to improve their school’s Core 3 priorities. The model also offers regular workshops and videoconferencing to build academic leadership capacity in these three areas. 

The RePublic Computer Science for All Program (CS for All) is dedicated to changing what’s possible for all students by providing computer science as a stand-alone subject to every middle school student and preparing them for higher-level computer science courses and certifications. Through access to a high-quality computer science curriculum and high-quality instruction and experiences, the program prepares scholars to be successful now and in the future. Students build technical skills in programming and computer literacy as well as soft skills like leadership, teamwork, communication, problem-solving, a strong work ethic, flexibility/adaptability, and interpersonal skills. CS for All prepares scholars to seek a degree in computer science, or any other degree, and pursue a career in a computer science field.

RePublic’s free vertically K-12 aligned Computer Science program is adaptable, allows for student choice, and is aligned to the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum. In the 5th–8th grade program, which is featured here, teachers get online self-paced professional development and have an option to pay for in–person training. This entry focuses on RePublic’s middle-school program. RePublic also offers curricular resources for elementary and high-school students. RePublic Schools Computer Science Overview

The Da Vinci RISE High model was designed to provide an equitable education for students traditionally left out of the larger educational narrative—those navigating foster care, housing instability, probation, and/or other circumstances that have interrupted their academic journeys. RISE believes that if we build with the needs of the most at-promise youth in mind, we will not only create an empowering school for them, but we will create a school that is well equipped to serve students with a vast array of skillsets and needs. The RISE model takes a responsive and holistic approach to education, acknowledging and adapting learning to accommodate the additional responsibilities and priorities students have in their lives outside of school. To do this, each RISE student co-creates and regularly updates a Personalized Learning Plan outlining their unique pathway to graduation. Plans leverage flexible scheduling, blended learning, mastery-based grading, and holistic wraparound support to ensure students meet their academic goals while managing their personal needs.

Da Vinci currently operates three RISE High schools serving 250 students in Los Angeles, California. Da Vinci Institute provides workshops to share model best practices. Da Vinci RISE: Student Profile Da Vinci RISE Brochure

EL Education’s comprehensive improvement model transforms schools into hubs of opportunity where all students are able to reach their unique potential. The model redefines student achievement to align with what is most celebrated in adulthood—mastery of knowledge and skills, high-quality work, and character—and outlines a set of Core Practices that help bring these to life. Grounded in the belief that greater engagement leads to achievement, EL Education’s Core Practices support students in becoming self-directed learners as they grapple with complex, real-world issues like professionals. The model positions students as active and collaborative learners alongside their teachers, or as part of a crew rather than just as passengers.

The full EL Education model requires intensive in-person training and coaching over multiple years, and 152 schools spanning 35 states currently employ the full model. EL Education also has an open-source K-8 Language Arts Curriculum and a menu of professional development opportunities to support its implementation. 

Embark Education serves as a launchpad for adolescents’ inherent intellectual curiosity, prepares them for high school, and supports them to understand who they are and how they fit into the world. The model achieves its goals by creating a learning experience that is learner-centered, integrated, and embedded. Learning at Embark’s flagship school is embedded into two North Denver businesses, which grounds students’ academics in real-world situations. Learners benefit from a truly integrated curriculum in which math, English, science, and history are artfully woven together so that no content or skill is learned in isolation. At Embark, learners are at the center and, therefore, are able to capitalize on their strengths while also receiving the guidance needed to meet their academic, social, and emotional needs.

Embark is committed to sharing their unique model as well as learner-centered education more broadly. They offer site visits and 1:1 coaching to schools interested in their model. Additionally, they offer a signature residency that provides education professionals with the time, space, and resources to surface their brilliance while building community with others.

Environmental Action Civics was developed by Earth Force to engage young people as active citizens who address environmental issues in their communities, both now and in the future. It is a research-based approach that focuses on project-based learning and civic action to empower students to identify environmental problems, investigate their root causes, and design and implement solutions through civics. Through this process, students develop important civic skills that will help them make a real impact in their communities, particularly those that have been historically marginalized. 

Environmental Action Civics embodies the belief that participation in local environmental decision-making is critical to equitable processes, innovative solutions, and enduring democratic and civic skills. It gives more people a voice in local environmental decision-making, particularly youth who are likely to bring fresh perspectives to problems. It also helps young people build a civic toolkit to solve problems as they develop a sense of social responsibility that fosters environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Each year, Earth Force works with approximately 67 schools and organizations in 28 states to engage students in Environmental Action Civics. Earth Force offers resources, professional development, consulting, and a community of practice for schools and organizations interested in implementing the model. What is Environmental Action Civics? Young People Reflect on Community Resilience to Natural Hazards Environmental Action Civics Overview

The EPIC model prepares students for postsecondary success and motivates them to be change agents by focusing on areas of learning beyond academics. The model consists of five integrated components designed to support students in building critical postsecondary habits and skills: advisory, Choice Day (C Day), postsecondary seminar & counseling, exploration experiences, and student-led conferences (SLCs). 

EPIC is implemented in Intrinsic’s two Chicago campuses serving 1800+ students, where they outperform district and state peers in college readiness as measured by early college coursework, postsecondary enrollment, and graduation rate. Intrinsic offers school visits and a resource toolkit to other schools interested in implementing the EPIC model.

The EQS model is an interdisciplinary, project-based course that empowers students to apply their learning in real-world contexts and examine complex sustainability issues. Essential questions are relevant, timeless, and broad, and enable students to explore new avenues of inquiry and apply knowledge from all content areas. These courses, which connect students with local experts and the broader community and are fueled by passionate teachers with deep content expertise, help students develop relevant background knowledge while simultaneously exploring their own interests and learning in a real-world context.

Each EQS course:

• creates a real-world context within which to apply disciplinary knowledge and skills
• focuses on interconnections between humans and the environment
• engages community members as partners in learning
• empowers students to choose the focus of their project
• motivates students through authentic project exhibitions
• is constantly evolving, guided by the interests, desires, and expertise of students and teachers.

At the School for Examining Essential Questions of Sustainability (SEEQS), where the EQS model and course were developed, EQS is combined with rigorous core learning in English, math, science, social studies, and the arts, as well as deliberate community-building and community maintenance, to enable students to apply their learnings to real-world situations and build critical sustainability skills.  SEEQS Model SEEQS Overview

Every Child Ready (ECR) is an evidence-based, comprehensive PK instructional model that helps children develop and maintain a deep love of learning and prepare for kindergarten. It is rooted in seven guiding principles that shape children’s experiences , as well as the structures and decision-making that support implementation. Guiding Design Principles The ECR curriculum is built to be developmentally appropriate and diverse. It includes engaging thematic units with separate content for 3- and 4-year-olds, and it provides children with the opportunity to engage in multiple types of play while learning core academic concepts and developing social-emotional learning skills. It also supports concept development and rich vocabularies in young children. 

The model is customizable to different contexts and is currently in four states across the country. It has demonstrated a range of positive impacts on children’s math and literacy skills as well as teacher performance. The model also provides various implementation supports to schools—including coaching, professional workshops, and digital resources—all aimed at ensuring that the school and classroom environment are equipped to successfully implement ECR.

Global Online Academy (GOA) is built on the belief that learning is fueled by curiosity and interest, and features over 60 semester and year-long interest-based electives that students can choose from. Global Online Academy’s learner-centered approach empowers students to do cognitively complex, meaningful and relevant work in a relationship-based environment, which is key to learning and engagement.

GOA offers pathways to high school students in public, independent, charter, and international schools to learn in a highly collaborative, global community that expands their perspectives and empowers them to meaningfully connect and learn from others. Asynchronous self-directed learning, collaboration with peers around the globe, one-on-one meetings with teachers, and a capstone project and exhibition allow students to connect to relevant academic content and engage them in rigorous work that deepens understanding and builds skills that matter in school and in life. 

Schools interested in the GOA model can become a member school, joining a group of 145 member schools in 31 countries and 34 U.S. states.  Member schools have access to student courses and professional learning to develop leader and educator competencies. GOA Student Program Course Preview

The GO Foundation offers a high-dosage tutoring program that flexibly complements math and ELA instruction in grades 3-12 and across different learning environments, particularly in systematically disadvantaged communities. Trained tutors and near-peer mentors—called Fellows—provide high-dosage tutoring (HDT) that (1) connects the same tutors with the same students over time, (2) occurs during the school day, and (3) limits tutoring group size to no more than four students. Tutoring sessions deliver personalized, rigorous content to entire cohorts in a school, not to only a select few. Students focus on content mastery and acceleration, are mentored around learning mindsets and positive self-identity, and form part of an academic community. 

The GO Fellowship was founded on the premise that tutoring is a powerful educational equity opportunity that should be made widely available, not simply to the wealthy or well-connected. The model has a dual mission of equitable access and outcomes for all students and of inspiring a diverse pipeline of effective classroom teachers and lifelong advocates for educational justice. The GO Foundation has developed a series of best practices informed by academic research, including the research-based Design Principles for Effective Tutoring developed by the Annenberg Institute, as well as their experience implementing high-dosage tutoring in schools for over a decade. The GO Foundation’s high-dosage tutoring model has reached over 10,000 students at schools in Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Delaware and is growing. The GO Foundation offers implementation and management services through a direct partnership and standalone advisory services for schools or districts seeking to launch a high-dosage tutoring program.

Greenfield Dream Teams serve two purposes: In the short term they provide students with a network of support to fuel their academic growth and personal motivation, and in the long term they help students develop the self-awareness and confidence necessary to establish a similar support network in the future. Dream Teams are composed of peers, immediate family, a school-based “Goal Coach,” and other key influencers from a student’s life such as friends, mentors, or religious leaders. These teams convene three times each year to reflect on progress toward academic and personal goals and plan ways to achieve them during the upcoming trimester. Ultimately, Dream Teams ensure that every child has a network of support rallying around them as they pursue their goals and dreams.

Greenfield Dream Teams are implemented across several Achievement First schools. An extensive toolkit is available to support schools who wish to adopt the practice.

Greenfield Expeditions have the power to transform students’ life trajectories by exposing them to career pathways and passions that influence their future choices. These immersive, project-based mini-courses guide students to choose pathways in high school and college that align to genuine interests grounded in lived experience, and they equip students to enter college with deep self-knowledge and purpose, ultimately boosting their confidence and persistence. During Expeditions, students conduct research, participate in field visits, and collaborate with experts to learn deeply about a specific discipline such as marine biology, neuroscience, architecture, or engineering. Each Expedition culminates in a school-wide, interactive showcase where students present or perform what they have learned to their families and school community. 

Greenfield Expeditions are implemented across several Achievement First schools. An extensive toolkit is available to support schools who wish to adopt the practice. 

The Greenfield Goal Team structure aims to accelerate student success and development by bringing teams of 8–12 students together regularly—often daily—to set and reflect on academic goals or work on developing life habits. Similar to an advisory or crew, the Goal Team helps students develop a sense of purpose and build deep, meaningful relationships both with their teammates and with at least one trusted adult in the school—their Goal Coach. In addition to leading a Goal Team, the Goal Coach serves as the main connector between students and families, ensuring ongoing partnership and two-way dialogue between school and home. In the comprehensive Greenfield School Design, Goal Teams involve an added layer of support called “running partners,” where pairs of students offer one another support throughout the day between Goal Team meetings. Ultimately, this structure provides students with a powerful set of habits that are essential to their future success. 

Greenfield Goal Teams are implemented across several Achievement First schools, often in conjunction with Greenfield Dream Teams. An extensive toolkit is available to support schools who wish to adopt the practice. 

Groves Literacy Partnerships uses an evidence-based curriculum rooted in decades of literacy and brain research in order to help close opportunity gaps for students in Kindergarten to Grade 3. Interested and committed schools opt into the partnership, which supports a network of 70+ schools with implementing the Groves Literacy model. Partner schools integrate an explicit, systematic, multisensory, evidence-based curriculum that teaches reading fundamentals and addresses individual strengths and challenges.

Over the course of a three-year partnership, Groves provides schools with literacy curriculum materials, 30 minutes of weekly classroom coaching, lesson modeling and co-teaching, assistance with tracking progress, and ongoing professional development, with the goal of making each school site self-sufficient by certifying their own in-house literacy coach. This approach to sustainable literacy instruction helps develop reading and spelling skills for all students. Groves also offers Intermediate Intervention for students beginning in Grade 4 who need reading intervention support. Groves Literacy Partnership Overview An Introduction to Groves Literacy Partnerships

Saga’s mission is to help states and districts to strengthen student confidence and achievement in math—a leading cause of high school dropout. Saga Direct’s model for high-dosage tutoring prioritizes the academic and socioemotional needs of students in under-resourced schools by ensuring all students feel a sense of belonging and achievement. This model personalizes math intervention or acceleration through rigorous tutoring sessions scheduled during the school day. Highly trained tutors, called Fellows, act as mentors and work closely with teachers and families to support student growth within and beyond the classroom. 

Saga Direct’s high-dosage tutoring model is provided to 6,000+ students, built within the school day. Saga’s Widespread Impact division also provides comprehensive services to schools and districts: a standards-aligned math curriculum, a specialized platform for remote tutoring, as well as support for implementation, fidelity, training of supervisors and tutors, onsite inspections, and program management. With Saga, students can receive up to 150 hours of personalized instruction as part of their school day—and that tutoring time yields up to up to two-and-a-half years of academic gain in just one academic year.

For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. IB Continuum They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB education?

1. International-mindedness
2. The IB learner profile
3. A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum
4. An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency

The CP provides learners with an excellent foundation to support their further studies while also ensuring preparedness for success at university and in the workforce. Designed for learners aged 16 -19, the CP works in tandem with the Diploma Programme (DP) for students aged 16-19. It layers the CP core and real-world career engagement on top of rigorous DP coursework.

In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB also offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.

For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. IB Continuum They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB Education?

1. International-mindedness
2. The IB learner profile 
3. A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum 
4. An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency 

The DP is an academically challenging and balanced programme of education that prepares students, aged 16 to 19, for success at university and life beyond. It has been designed to address the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical well-being of students through subject teaching and the DP core. The DP has gained recognition and respect from the world’s leading universities. 

 In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB also offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.

For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programs developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. IB Continuum They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB Education?

1. International-mindedness 
2. The IB learner profile 
3. A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum 
4. An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency 

The MYP is unique in that it caters to the developmental needs of learners aged 11-16. It provides a framework of learning that emphasizes intellectual challenge and encourages connections between traditional subjects and the real world. The MYP focuses on “learning how to learn” through the systematic development of skills. An interdisciplinary approach addresses the developmental needs of students and prepares them for further academic study and life in an increasingly interconnected world. The MYP uses concepts and contexts as starting points for meaningful integration and transfer of knowledge across eight subject groups. 

 In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB also offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.

For more than 50 years, the IB has equipped students with the skills, confidence and lifelong learning they need to thrive and make a difference in an ever-changing world. IB Continuum  Through a powerful continuum of four student-centric programmes developed for learners aged 3-19, IB programmes can be implemented independently or in combination. They are underpinned by shared values and a shared emphasis on developing students who are lifelong learners and who are able to not only make sense of, but to make a positive impact on, our complex and interconnected world. Central to all four of its programmes are: What is an IB Education?

1. International-mindedness 
2. The IB learner profile
3. A broad, balanced, conceptual, and connected curriculum 
4. An approach to teaching and learning centered on inquiry and positive agency 

The PYP is unique in that it caters to the developmental needs of learners aged 3-12. It focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is a framework guided by six transdisciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, as well as transdisciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry. 

 In order to implement any IB programme, schools must undergo an authorization process. The IB offers a variety of professional development, certifications, and resources for its school community. Free resources are available for schools interested in learning more.

Ignite! Reading’s mission is to ensure that every student learns to read on time. Informed by the science of reading, Ignite delivers a one-on-one virtual tutoring program focused on teaching students foundational reading skills. Ignite tutors complete a 120+ hour certification program to become master reading instructors and pair with students all over the country to help them crack the code to become lifelong readers.

The model is designed to minimize the burden placed on teachers so that it can be easily and sustainably implemented during the school day and begin having an impact immediately. Curriculum-embedded diagnostic tools help determine where students fall on the continuum of learning to read before targeted one-on-one instruction begins. The ultimate goal of the Ignite! Reading model is to help students successfully build the foundational literacy skills necessary for them to become independent readers. Ignite! Reading Program Overview

The Innovation Diploma created by Design Tech High School (d.tech) is a unique opportunity for students to earn a specialized credential that represents their ability to apply design thinking skills to real-world challenges with efficacy. Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology used by designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs. In the Innovation Diploma (ID) model, design thinking helps students think about the future and use their imagination and intelligence to find a way to make the world better. 

The focus of the ID model is an independent year-long project that addresses a significant challenge students see in their own community. Students choose the topic of their project based on personal interests. As they work on their projects, students gain hands-on experiences that help them become proficient with innovation mindsets, skills, and responsibilities such as initiative and persistence, project management and collaboration, and storytelling and self-awareness. Earning an ID prepares students to be innovative problem-solvers with a sense of social responsibility.

d.tech offers professional development and school visits for educators as a part of a growing network of schools offering an ID. They also offer direct programming for non-d.tech students who want to earn an Innovation Certificate. Innovation Diploma Program

AIM’s Integrated Literacy Model (ILM) was designed to ensure that all students experience learning opportunities optimal for developing literacy skills. Recognizing that no single “off the shelf” program sufficiently addresses the continuum of skills necessary to develop proficient readers and writers, the ILM brings together evidence-based programs and initiatives aligned to six core instructional components. Additionally, the ILM leverages implementation science to give teachers the strategies they need to translate evidence-based literacy programs into practice within their classrooms faithfully and sustainably. 

The Integrated Literacy Model was developed within AIM Academy, a research-to-practice school serving students with language-based learning differences. Currently, only AIM Academy implements the comprehensive model, while more than 14,000 teachers participate in AIM Institute’s Pathway Courses to learn select literacy practices that comprise the model. AIM Integrated Literacy Model Summary The AIM Pathways™ Difference

The Iowa BIG model allows students to learn standards, gain 21st-century skills, and earn credits in English, social studies, and business through community-driven passion projects focused on topics and initiatives students are interested in. Students get to experience what core subject areas look like in real-life situations by conducting research and giving presentations to community or business partners. The projects are tied to rigorous academic standards that prepare students to succeed. 

Iowa BIG is designed to give students agency to manage the time, space, assessment, and curriculum they need to learn. They are responsible for scheduling and managing their work time. They learn the most effective places for them to work, think, and play. Standards are addressed through seminars and by demonstrating content knowledge within projects. In conjunction with their teachers, students assess themselves and make steps towards ongoing improvement.

To date, Iowa BIG has had 1,300 students participate in the program across four districts and one affiliate site. Student testimonials featured in Iowa BIG’s blogs and podcasts demonstrate the impact it has had on their learning experience. Additionally, a study found that students who participated in Iowa BIG were more likely to report that they were focused and engaged in their learning during the community projects as opposed to traditional school. The Iowa Big Podcast: S2E3

The Learn and Earn Internship program from Opportunity College is a transformative initiative designed to empower high school students on their journey toward professional success. Through this program, students gain meaningful work experience and accelerate their mastery of essential professional skills. The program is structured to enable students to build both professional skills and social capital, providing them with a solid foundation for their future careers.

Students participate in a paid internship with a local employer where they gain real-world work experience. Through structured and developmentally appropriate work-based learning experiences, participants accelerate their career readiness and professional trajectory toward upward economic mobility. In alignment with the internship, students attend an Intern Seminar Course, a comprehensive professional skills curriculum that guides them through four key learning stages—Theory, Application, Feedback, and Reflection. The program elements help students to develop and master durable 21st-century skills and competencies that are vital for short-term success in their internships and long-term success in college, career, and life.

Opportunity College provides comprehensive support, including forming employer and school partnerships, and lends technical assistance to implement work-based learning programs for 16–24 year old students. It currently operates in six schools and has demonstrated impact, with many students developing durable skills and reflecting positively on real-world engagement.

The liberatory project-based learning (LPBL) model at High Tech High (HTH) evolved from the belief that students should be actively engaged with ideas and creating new knowledge versus being passive consumers of information. By positioning students as the central agents in their education, LPBL serves as a vehicle for deeper learning that hones relevant academic, civic, and life skills and dispositions. The deeper learning experiences are intentionally created for and with students, so they can develop an expanding sense of identity and an expanded ability to pursue questions of importance with others. 

As an equity-driven organization, HTH believes that students should have access to meaningful learning and engage in projects that matter to them in a context of a loving community. Equal Opportunity for Deeper LearningThe engagement in projects driven by questions that students generate is liberatory PBL—a liberation from constructs about school where learning only happens with books and the primary source of information is the teacher. Instead, it challenges the roles of teacher and student and thinks of disciplines as lenses to see the world. This work is driven by Paulo Freire’s philosophy that one needs to understand the full truth of one’s own reality, resist dominant narratives, and reclaim one’s true identity. 

As an organization that is constantly reflecting and learning, the transformation of HTH has grown to include a network of charter schools, a teacher certification program, and a graduate school of education. This allows HTH insights into emerging questions about its unique approach to Liberatory PBL and the impact on the lives of its students.

Literacy Masterminds drives growth and achievement in literacy by giving students access to targeted, evidence-based instructional routines designed to benefit those struggling with foundational reading skills such as phonemic awareness, decoding, or fluency. Literacy Masterminds offers three series, with Series 2 focusing specifically on accelerating reading growth through fluency for students in grades 3–12. By the end of this series, teachers have established a regular fluency routine that engages students via a mix of whole group, small group, partner, and independent practice.

Teachers learn these routines through a 12-week, flipped professional development model, during which they explore evidence-based literacy strategies on their own via an online platform before convening each week in remote, small-group PLCs to plan, reflect, and problem-solve. The model’s flipped design ensures that when teachers meet, the bulk of their time is spent collaborating meaningfully to apply the strategies to their specific context. Teachers can join as school cohorts, or they can join as individuals, which allows teachers to build community across schools and districts, share best practices, and ultimately feel less siloed. 

Literacy Masterminds currently works with four districts across the country as well as with Teach for America Corps Members and Alumni from TFA D.C. and TFA Philadelphia. Literacy Masterminds Flyer

Inspired by the technical term “beta testing,” which describes the process of piloting and improving a product through continuous iteration, Living in Beta means that no one is ever finished growing, learning, or adding to themselves. Through a four-phase program, students design experiences that bring relevance and meaning to their learning and lives. Activities include scaffolded activities that help them understand and navigate their interests, goals, and futures; real-world experiences; and supportive mentorship from a certified adult. These transformative experiences empower students to develop a greater sense of identity, belonging, purpose, and direction as they test and iterate on their passions, explore their personal values, and discover their purpose, or “why.” 

The Living in Beta model has been implemented in 25 organizations in 15 states and 5 countries, in addition to the flagship, One Stone. Learners in those schools have reported increases in classroom engagement, passion for learning, relevance, and connectedness. They also felt more prepared for life outside of high school. Through its certification program, school visits, and professional development opportunities, One Stone supports school communities looking to implement the Living in Beta model.

The Number Lab Math Block immerses learners in a knowledge-building community, freeing them to think critically, creatively, and independently, while also developing their communication and collaboration skills. Learners construct durable and deep knowledge structures by working collaboratively to reason their way to new understandings. They make conjectures, create algorithms, write proofs, and communicate their findings to the scrutiny of their peers. 

The Math Block is implemented at Long-View Micro School in Austin, TX, which also operates as a lab for other schools and teachers working to implement the model. In addition to the 75 students at Long-View Micro School, the model has reached over 1,000 educators and their students across the country through myriad offerings. The Number Lab offers professional development, including Field Study Days (observation) at Long-View Micro School and on-site visits to partner schools, as well as physical and virtual resources, including a subscription-based website, to those interested in implementing the model. The Number Lab (Field Study) Video

Modern Classrooms Project empowers educators with their innovative instructional model to ensure all learners are appropriately challenged and supported every day. The instructional model has three components: blended instruction, self-pacing, and mastery-based learning. Implementation of the model fosters strong learner–teacher relationships, builds critical learning strategies that underpin self-direction, increases confidence and love of learning, and increases content mastery. The model also leverages technology and is best implemented in contexts where educators have support to innovate and reimagine instruction. 

Modern Classrooms Project has reached over 53,000 educators in 169 countries. In order to support implementation, they offer resource toolkits, professional development, one-on-one coaching and consulting, and cohort learning communities, to equip educators with the skills, resources, and community required to sustain and improve upon this customized instructional approach. Excellence in Classroom Innovation

The Montessori model is rooted in human development and neuroscience, and it is underpinned by the belief that children are naturally curious, learn from their surroundings, and desire independence. Recognizing that children are intrinsically capable, the Montessori model creates learning experiences that empower children to drive their own learning and master academic and social skills for school and life. 

Named for its founder, Italian doctor, anthropologist, and educator Maria Montessori, who founded the Association Montessori International (AMI) in 1929, Montessori is practiced in an estimated 16,000 schools worldwide. AMI In the U.S., Montessori is represented by AMI affiliate AMI/USA and the American Montessori Society (AMS), as well as the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education (MACTE), which accredits teacher education programs. AMI/USA AMS MACTE While there are multiple organizations that offer support in implementing a Montessori model, here we share the details of the model as defined and shared by the National Center for Montessori in the Public Sector (NCMPS), which works to increase equitable access to Montessori models in public education. NCMPS

The U.S. Montessori community has identified “essential elements” for Montessori schools, emphasizing:

• Montessori-trained teachers
• Mixed-age groupings
• Uninterrupted work periods
• High degree of student choice
• Montessori materials

NCMPS Essentials Elements for Montessori MPPI Montessori Essentials Public Montessori

NAF career academies are structured as small, focused learning communities that fit within and enhance traditional high school settings. NAF brings education, business, and community leaders together to transform the high school experience for students, with a focus on college and career readiness.

NAF career academies are designed so that students have learning experiences that are personalized and connected to their career interests. Students can choose from multiple career pathways in thriving industries as the basis of their program of study and can earn NAFTrack Certification. NAFTrack is a recognition of a student’s experience, career planning journey, and skill mastery as validated by local employer partners.

To support pathways toward college and career readiness, NAF provides rigorous, career-focused curricula using project-based learning that incorporates current industry standards and practices. This allows teachers to expand the curriculum by exposing students to career-focused content in real-world contexts—bringing the workplace to the classroom. NAF provides experiential learning opportunities that expand classroom boundaries by connecting students to both professionals and the workplace. As a result, students acquire the skills they need to be future-ready.

NAF has grown from one NAF Academy of Finance in New York City in 1980 to more than 600 academies across 35 states, plus DC, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands, focusing on growing industries including finance, hospitality and tourism, information technology, engineering, health sciences, and more.

The National Education Equity Lab (Ed Equity Lab) is an education justice nonprofit committed to closing the opportunity gap and leveling the playing field for high-achieving students from historically underserved communities at scale. It does this by delivering college credit-bearing courses from top colleges and universities in teacher-supported high school classrooms nationwide at no cost to students. After successfully completing the course, scholars earn three widely transferable college credits and a transcript from the offering institution. Ed Equity Lab exclusively provides this opportunity to Title I and Title I-eligible high schools.

Students in the Ed Equity Lab take college credit-bearing courses taught by a professor at a top university with the support of a near-peer Teaching Fellow from the university, an on-site co-teacher, and a cohort of their peers. Through this experience, students not only gain college credits, making college more accessible and affordable, but they also develop college-going skills, confidence in their ability to pursue a college pathway, and a positive, affirmed identity as someone who belongs in higher education. 

Ed Equity Lab began this work in 2019 with a single Harvard humanities course and now reaches more than 300 schools and 20,000 scholars in 31 states in urban and rural communities.

Navigator Learning created a student grouping model that supports the development of leadership, interpersonal relationships, and collaborative problem-solving. Its mission is rooted in a belief that if students are to be successful in college, the workplace, and beyond, they need so much more than traditional, teacher-led instruction. The aim of Navi Squads is for students to master their own learning through student-centered group work. In small, structured groups, students rotate through distinct roles. Some students act as leaders and some as facilitators, and others offer operational and logistical support. Squad members learn together by navigating work that’s challenging and engaging. 

Navi Squads is being piloted in three Navigator Schools in California and three partner schools. This model reaches 630 students across two states. Navigator Learning hosts learning communities and workshops dedicated to sharing learnings and improving on Navi Squads. For a more comprehensive collaboration, it also offers partnerships or consultations to those interested in implementing this or other Navigator Learning models.

The Eye to Eye Near-Peer Mentoring Program is a transformative initiative that empowers students with learning differences through one-on-one mentorship. College and high school students with learning differences serve as mentors, engaging in art-based activities with middle school mentees. Through creative projects and personalized support, the program fosters self-esteem, self-advocacy, and social-emotional growth. It creates a supportive community where mentees develop skills to navigate their challenges, express themselves, and build resilience.

The program offers individualized support tailored to each mentee’s specific needs and strengths. Mentors provide guidance, share personal experiences, and offer strategies to help mentees overcome obstacles related to their learning differences. Eye to Eye creates a safe and supportive space, known as the Art Room, where mentees can openly discuss challenges, discover their strengths, and develop self-advocacy skills. The program promotes empowerment and self-advocacy by encouraging mentees to identify and articulate their needs, communicate effectively with teachers and peers, and seek appropriate accommodations and support. The community engagement aspect of the program extends beyond mentor-mentee relationships, fostering a broader support network. The program organizes events and exhibitions to showcase participants’ artwork and accomplishments. These gatherings create opportunities to further strengthen the sense of community and understanding.

The program demonstrates a strong impact for both mentors and mentees. The program currently reaches 54 schools and has a partnership model to support new schools in implementing the program.

The New Tech Network (NTN) Model is guided by four Focus Areas. NTN developed the focus areas to align the work of whole school transformation and to help school communities understand the overarching goals that impact the work through all phases of our school development process.

• College & Career Ready Outcomes: Prepare each student for postsecondary success with the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to be ready for college and career.
• Supportive & Inclusive Culture: Foster a school-wide culture of belonging, care, community, and growth for adults and students. 
• Meaningful & Equitable Instruction: Center the instructional approach on authentic, complex thinking, and problem-solving through high-quality, relevant project-based learning (PBL).
• Purposeful Assessment: Cultivate shared, school-wide understandings of equitable, purposeful assessment and grading practices that inform teacher instruction, emphasize individual student growth, and demonstrate progress towards college and career readiness.

The NTN Model has been implemented in over 200 schools and has reached more than 80,000 students. NTN students consistently outperform non-NTN students on standardized assessments and make significant gains in critical thinking skills. NTN offers one-on-one coaching and consultation, professional development, resource toolkits, and more to schools interested in implementing the model.

Once has developed a high-dosage, one-on-one reading-tutoring program for kindergarten students that is rooted in the science of reading and does not require certified teachers to implement. Existing school support staff are trained to deliver scripted reading lessons that explicitly and systematically introduce letter-sound correspondences and give students the opportunity to apply those when reading authentic, decodable texts. Students also practice deliberate writing activities related to the sounds they are learning each session. Each lesson is video recorded, so that the school staff member can receive feedback from a Once coach to continuously improve their tutoring instruction.

Once offers various supports to schools interested in implementing their model, from free resources to a deeper partnership. 

Public Impact’s Opportunity Culture initiative aims to provide more students with consistently excellent teaching by extending the reach of high-quality teachers. The model takes existing school staff and redistributes roles and responsibilities to leverage talent in ways that boost student learning and educator satisfaction. Multi-classroom leaders are excellent teachers who lead a team of about six teachers. With additional support and more specialized staff, teachers collaborate on instructional planning, share best practices around rigorous and personalized learning, participate in just-right professional development sessions, and engage in more small-group tutoring than in typical schools. In some variants, teachers on these teams also extend their reach and earn more. This model ensures that teachers have access to more effective learning strategies and students receive consistently high-quality instruction.

Public Impact partners with K–12 schools and districts to support the restructuring of school design and operations to make this model work. Currently implemented across more than 10 states and 50 districts nationwide, Opportunity Culture has shown to provide approximately one-half year of extra learning in reading and math.

P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High Schools) was designed to provide youth in under-resourced systems with an innovative education opportunity that is a direct pathway to college attainment and career readiness. It was developed through a public-private partnership with IBM to enable students to earn both a high school diploma and a no-cost, two-year postsecondary degree in a STEM field.

Spanning grades 9-14, P-TECH provides a holistic approach to education and workforce development. Working at their own pace, students complete a combination of high school and college-level coursework to earn both a high school diploma and associate degree. They also participate in a range of workplace experiences such as mentorships, worksite visits, and paid internships. P-TECH’s ultimate goal is to prepare youth for the estimated 16 million “new collar” jobs that will be created in the US economy by 2024. These jobs will require postsecondary degrees, but not necessarily a four-year college degree.

P-TECH has grown to more than 300 schools worldwide with more than 600 large and small companies serving as partners across a range of sectors, including health IT, advanced manufacturing, and energy technology. P-TECH shares extensive information about its model on its website. P-TECH also supports its model with the digital platform IBM SkillsBuild for Students and Educators (formerly Open P-TECH).

Place-based education (PBE) is anytime, anywhere learning that leverages the power of place and connects learners to communities and the world around them. Teton Science Schools’ Place Network defines “place” as the ecological, cultural, and economic aspects that make up a community. Research in PBE indicates that a student’s sense of self, motivation to learn, and community engagement are enhanced through meaningful interactions with immediate physical and cultural environments. This is because students learn best when they are able to situate their learning in a relevant context. The Place Network brings Teton Science Schools’ innovative teaching practices, enduring relationships, integrated curriculum, and global awareness to students and teachers anywhere in the world. 

The PBE model reaches over 4000 students and 100 educators in 21 schools in rural communities across the country and worldwide, in such places as Bhutan, where students experience greater engagement, academic outcomes, and sense of belonging. The Place Network offers a variety of resources and supports, including cohort learning communities, one-on-one coaching and consulting, professional development, and resource toolkits to schools interested in implementing the PBE model.

Pod is an enhanced advisory model developed by City Neighbors High School (CNHS). Often considered the heart of the school, Pod is frequently described by students and advisors as a “second family.” Pods serve three core purposes: providing academic support, providing safe social-emotional spaces, and building community. All students belong to a Pod with no more than 17 others, and each Pod sticks together with its advisor through all four years of high school. A Pod is also a reserved meeting, working, and living space for students. Pod becomes a place where students feel at “home away from home” in school, and it strives to ensure that every student is “known, loved, and inspired.”

The Pod model entails some common activities while also leaving ample space for teacher autonomy and student voice. Activity blocks, special programming, and Individual Learning Plans are important parts of the Pod experience. City Neighbors offers site visits and a resource toolkit to support schools in implementing Pod.

Recognizing that every student is different, Intrinsic designed PODs to flexibly leverage time, space, staff, and technology to meet students where they are and encourage independence. PODs involve big, flexible classrooms that allow teachers and students to make class exactly what it needs to be every day. Each POD has three teachers and upwards of 60 students, who rotate among teacher-led instruction, independent learning time, small-group work, and project-based learning – all based on the individual needs of each student. Instruction in PODs is coupled with self-reflection and goal-setting to support students as they build a solid academic foundation and engage in work that closely mirrors postsecondary expectations, while fostering independence and agency. 

PODs are implemented in Intrinsic’s two Chicago campuses serving 1800+ students. There, they strive to accelerate growth among all learners, as measured on NWEA MAP and the P/SAT Suite of Assessments. Intrinsic offers school visits and a resource toolkit to other schools interested in implementing the PODs model.

Project Invent engages students in real-world problem-solving by creating transformative learning opportunities. The program leverages project-based learning incorporating design thinking, engineering, and social impact. In their projects, students identify and address pressing issues in local or global contexts and then use the design thinking process to invent solutions. Design thinking is a problem-solving methodology that emphasizes empathy, creativity, and collaboration and is used by designers, engineers, and entrepreneurs.

The ultimate goal of Project Invent is for students to create meaningful projects that have the potential to improve the lives of individuals, enhance communities, and address pressing global challenges. This goal is based on Project Invent’s effort to democratize changemaking because it believes that every student can invent, engineer, and make a difference.  This belief empowers students to learn the problem-solving skills and innovation mindsets needed to be effective agents of change. It also empowers them to take ownership of their learning and find purpose in it. 

Through Project Invent, students from diverse backgrounds become proactive, socially responsible citizens who are better prepared for the workforce and the future. In 2022–2023, Project Invent worked with 890 students from 23 states. Of those students, 83% were from a Title 1 school. As it continues to train educators and share its resources, Project Invent seeks to inspire and support a generation of fearless, compassionate problem-solvers. Project Invent Overview

The Robertson Center at Success Academy is where educational thinkers and changemakers come together to advance learning for all children. Through programming and content, they aim to amplify what’s working in Success Academy’s K–12 schools, share lessons learned about creating strong education communities, and create space to learn with external peers. Project-based learning (PBL) is a critical component of Success Academy’s elementary school literacy curriculum and supports the development of reading, writing, and verbal communication. Through projects, scholars engage with learning in ways that connect academic skills and knowledge to the real world.

Success Academy’s PBL units are designed for scholars to immerse themselves in one topic from a cross-disciplinary perspective. During PBL lessons, scholars read rigorous shared texts, conduct their own research, and explore topics in their local community. At the end of each project, scholars present their creations and learnings to friends and families. 

The Robertson Center has published 10 of Success Academy’s PBL units, and more than 30 elementary schools are currently implementing these lessons as part of their literacy curriculum. The Robertson Center currently offers services around direct implementation as well as professional development webinars to support leaders and teachers.

Quests are interdisciplinary, authentic, and purposeful challenges that provide an opportunity to teach the skills and concepts that students will be able to use in everyday professional situations. Each Quest is designed around real-world challenges as a way to enhance a student’s understanding of big ideas and broad global concepts, as well as provide the space to develop and apply 21st-century skills. Quests are designed to meet the developmental needs of students from Kindergarten to grade 12.

Using content standards and 21st-century skills, Quests are framed around a central problem with a clearly defined final product that students work through while studying the issues over the course of a quarter. In a Quest, everything a student is learning, doing, practicing, and discussing is directly related to their successful delivery of their final product as a solution to the identified problem.

The Quest model is currently implemented at the Charlotte Lab School in Charlotte, NC, and NYC iSchool in New York City. Since this model was developed in 2008, over 13,000 students have participated in this challenge-based approach to learning. Quests Overview

Approximately one in five American students attends a rural school and in most states the majority of districts are considered rural. It can be challenging for small, rural school districts to provide a robust array of college and career options for students on their own as compared to their urban and suburban counterparts. The Rural Collaborative model enables rural communities to come together across various sectors to create innovative and relevant learning opportunities for their students. 

By activating collaboration and partnership among geographically proximate school districts, higher education institutions, and industry partners, the Rural Collaborative model increases the value of existing community resources by making them available to more young people. This also helps to build the skilled, regional workforce needed to strengthen the local economy because programs of study are aligned to data about regional workforce needs and projections. 

The Rural Collaborative model is currently being implemented in Texas, Colorado, and Indiana across more than 20 school districts, enabling students to earn career-specific certifications and dual credit hours while gaining hands-on experience. The Rural Schools Innovation Zone (RSIZ) in South Texas is an exemplar Rural Collaborative and, as such, worked with Empower Schools and the Texas Education Agency to create a free toolkit to support the design and launch of the model in other regions. Rural Collaboration Toolkit Rural Schools Innovation Zone

The ©SEEDS of Learning (SEEDS) model is a research-based training and coaching program for educators. It is designed to ensure kindergarten readiness through balanced, high-quality, and play-based interactions that promote children’s social and emotional development, as well as their literacy and language skills. SEEDS can be implemented by early childhood educators (infant/toddler and Pre-K/Transitional Kindergarten), parents, and coaches.

FluentSeeds, a part of Collaborative Classroom, trains and coaches educators in two domains: how to engage with students and what skills need to be taught. The how is rooted in relationships, so educators are trained to focus on five key areas to ensure intentionality and skill in educators’ ability to build relationships with their students. The what is an evidence-proven set of developmentally appropriate interventions targeting the development of critical early and pre-literacy skills.

This multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) model is compatible with any curriculum, and currently serves around 4,000 educators and 31,000 students across 11 states. SEEDS of Learning Overview

The Self-Directed Learning model was designed to give young people agency over their learning, guiding them to flourish and find a calling that will transform our world. The model embraces highly personalized, hands-on learning with real-world work in service of supporting young people to become curious, independent thinkers with a lifelong love of learning. Learners develop a wide range of skills that underpin self-direction—learning to learn, learning to be, learning to do, and learning to live together. The model centers around five key experiences, which are largely learner-led. Under the model, learners engage in Socratic discussions, challenge their peers to set rigorous daily goals, work on traditional academic disciplines at their own pace, practice self-governance, and tackle real problems through Quests. 

Five schools have adopted the Self-Directed Learning model, and over 80 partners have gone through The Forest School and the Self-Directed Learning Institute’s workshops or trainings to design and build their own models. The Forest School and the Self-Directed Learning Institute offer 1:1 coaching and consulting, professional development, cohort learning communities, and resource toolkits to schools interested in implementing their approach. 

St. Benedict’s model supports students to fulfill their potential as emotionally mature, morally responsible, and well-educated citizens. To do this, they create meaningful student leadership opportunities, social-emotional support systems, and community-building structures. The success of the model hinges on the idea that students are responsible for their own development as well as that of their peers. While the model was developed explicitly to serve students of color and students from low-income backgrounds, it has the potential to support students from all racial, religious, and socioeconomic groups.

The St. Benedict’s Prep model is implemented at the flagship site in Newark, NJ, serving 950 students, of which 85% identify as students of color and 80% receive financial aid. St. Benedict’s students far outpace Newark in graduation rate and college enrollment and persistence. The Father Mark Payne Institute offers site visits, professional development, implementation workshops, and ongoing support for schools interested in implementing the model.

The centerpiece of the NuVu model is the studio. Inspired by the MIT Media Lab, the NuVu studio is an immersive, interdisciplinary learning experience built around four pillars: innovation, empathy, design, and impact. Each studio is structured by hands-on, real-world projects in a 6:1 student-to-coach ratio that ensures support for students as they work on open-ended problems. To create voice and purpose for students, studio topics always include relevant social issues. 

NuVu students work on a single multidisciplinary studio for 3 to 4 weeks rather than attending multiple courses each day. Projects help students deepen their critical thinking skills, express their creativity, learn to collaborate, and develop deep technical skills. All learning in the NuVu model is hands-on, so students spend a lot of time in “the shop,” a multi-faceted fabrication space where students have access to a variety of materials, resources, and tools, both digital and analog. Students also have access to experts who serve as guest coaches and bring rigor to the learning process by providing feedback, provoking new ways of thinking, and encouraging iteration.

NuVu graduates have proven to be prepared to thrive in engineering, art, and design programs at highly selective colleges. As NuVu continues to empower its students with the technical skills to become designers, entrepreneurs, makers and inventors, it has developed NuVuX, an initiative that brings design, creativity and innovation to K-12 schools and organizations around the world. NuVu serves as the epicenter of the growing global NuVuX Partner Network. NuVu Brochure A Day in NuVu

Created in Chicago and implemented nationwide, Success Bound guides middle school students through the process of developing and refining a unique vision for the future while building awareness of the ways that their daily choices contribute to realizing that vision. In weekly lessons, students learn new skills to take ownership of their learning, seek help from others, and respond to adversity. 

The Success Bound model has been implemented in 200 schools and is helping over 25,000 students prepare for high school, identify pathways to postsecondary success, and take ownership of their education. Success Bound offers resource toolkits and one-on-one coaching and consulting to others interested in implementing the model

Success for All Tutoring is a research-proven literacy tutoring model designed specifically for below-level students in grades 1-8. The program offers two levels: “Tutoring with the Lightning Squad” for grades 1-3 and “Tutoring with ThemeReads” for grades 4-8, catering to the specific needs of different age groups. 

Students work cooperatively in pairs, guided and monitored by their tutors, as they advance through activities to develop reading skills. Each 30-minute session allows tutors to effectively support up to six students, maximizing instructional time. With user-friendly software and comprehensive guides, tutors have the necessary tools to facilitate engaging sessions. Individualized reports track and display student progress at the student, class, and school levels, allowing for informed decision-making. At-home activities complement in-class learning and promote collaboration between students and parents. 

Success for All provides extensive training and support for school-based tutors, ensuring they are well prepared to deliver effective instruction. The programs currently operate at 301 sites and serve 7,762 students.

Summit Learning is a comprehensive program offered by educator-led nonprofit Gradient Learning. In Summit Learning classrooms, teachers deliver dynamic lessons to the whole class, small groups, or one-on-one. Recognizing that each child is unique, educators teach in ways that ensure each student gains knowledge and develops lifelong learning skills on the timeline and in the ways that they learn best, from small group support, to group projects, to mentoring. This comprehensive model includes a platform through which students can access hands-on, real-world tasks and activities, take assessments, monitor feedback, and track their learning progress. The model is grounded in learning science and is adaptable for grades 4 through 12 across all core disciplines. 

Summit Learning is implemented in 400 schools reaching 85,000 students where they experience an increase in academic scores, cognitive skills, and relevance in learning, as well as positive personal and interpersonal skills. Gradient Learning offers resource toolkits, professional development, and one-on-one coaching and consulting to schools interested in implementing the model.

Teach to One 360 integrates the best of instruction and adaptive technology to deliver personalized math classes to every learner. The model leverages a robust curriculum with thousands of high-quality lessons from multiple providers that can replace or supplement any core math content for grades 5 through Algebra 1. Its unique online platform assesses students’ math skills and designs learning schedules to best fit their needs. In a Teach to One 360 class, students get to experience the beauty of math discovery through collaboration within various learning modalities: teacher-led instruction, peer-to-peer learning, or independent online learning—all customized just for them.

Teach to One 360 has so far reached more than 100 classrooms across 22 states. For schools seeking to adopt this program, New Classrooms offers a direct partnership that comes with comprehensive implementation support. Additional standalone digital tools are also available for schools seeking to diagnose and accelerate students’ math content knowledge and skills.

The Arthur Project utilizes graduate social work students to provide structured, holistic support to youth throughout middle school. The therapeutic mentoring model was designed to provide greater access to wide-ranging support for middle school students by connecting them with clinicians-in-training who serve as their mentors for the duration of middle school. This process is facilitated by weekly meetings between mentors and individual students where the focus is on healing, growth, and exploration. 

Core to The Arthur Project is a focus on the power of effective relationships with caring adults informed by best practices in youth development, mentoring, and mental health. By pairing them with healing-centered, trauma-informed, culturally responsive mentors, the model helps middle school students recognize their value in the community and the world during a formative time in their lives. Adolescent development research indicates that middle school is a crucial time for school engagement and that ninth-grade status is the single-best predictor of whether a student will complete their secondary education. In support, The Arthur Project seeks to strengthen the crucial transition from middle school to high school. 

The Arthur Project currently works in three middle schools in New York City, but the model is designed to be scalable so that more young people have access to services that support mental health. The Arthur Project uses its experience and expertise to consult with schools that want to adopt its model. The ultimate goal for the model is to prepare more youth for lifelong success beginning with the developmental window that opens in middle school. The Arthur Project Theory of Change

The Calculus Project (TCP) is a grassroots-style initiative aimed at dramatically increasing the number of students of color and students from low-income backgrounds who complete Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus in high school. Its mission is rooted in the belief that if students that are furthest from opportunity have the skills and resources to access advanced mathematics it will decrease their need to take remedial mathematics courses upon entering college. This, in turn, will increase the likelihood of their graduating from college, open doors to STEM professions that would otherwise be hard to enter, and positively impact their future earnings. 

TCP achieves its mission by disrupting widespread tracking practices and identifying Black and/or Hispanic students from low-income households to participate in higher-level mathematics learning acceleration beginning in the summer after 7th grade. During their work with students, TCP staff pre-teach upcoming topics and support students to excel in their mathematics coursework. The program is run in a cohort-style model that supports social and emotional learning (SEL) and peer teaching. Families, students, and their teachers are all involved in an ongoing manner to remain engaged with the students’ math learning. 

TCP has served more than 10,000 students since 2009, with the majority enrolling in AP-level mathematics courses by their senior year of high school. 

The Gentlemen’s League is a transformative initiative dedicated to creating new pathways to life success for boys of color in grades 3–12. By connecting them to mentors who look like them, the program is better able to support boys of color in their individuality and their social–emotional development. Recognizing the importance of representation, The Gentlemen’s League also focuses on increasing adult males of color in K-12 schools so that there is a greater likelihood that boys of color will have positive role models who can relate to their experiences and help them stay out of the school-to-prison pipeline.

The Gentlemen’s League operates with three core objectives: to educate, empower, and enrich boys of color. It educates through mentorship; workshops covering topics such as etiquette, conflict resolution, and financial literacy; tutoring for academic support and exam preparation; and book clubs fostering literacy and character development. The program empowers through an Ambassador Program where students take on leadership roles and set an example for their peers. Lastly, the program enriches through service learning, field trips, and extracurricular activities.

The Gentlemen’s League mentoring program offers a unique opportunity for schools committed to rethinking traditional supports and improving outcomes for boys of color, particularly Black and Latinx boys. Emphasizing integrity, excellence, brotherhood, and joy, The Gentlemen’s League works to help boys of color feel seen, heard, and deeply known as they learn to reclaim their power. Through these intentional efforts, the program seeks to support a cradle-to-career pipeline for participants. The Gentlemen’s League currently partners with nine schools in Memphis to foster personal growth and success in school.

The Learning Challenge was designed to give young people access to rich learning opportunities, putting them in the driver’s seat. Through the Challenge, young people define what they want to learn and how, and what success is to them, which ignites their passion for learning and reinforces their capacity and desire to enact their agency in intentional ways. Over the course of 10 weeks, GripTape supports young people in pursuit of a learning endeavor driven by their interests, by providing them with full decision-making authority, financial resources, and an adult Champion to encourage them along the way. When young people engage in this empowering program, they experience lasting shifts in their mindsets, skills, and behaviors, which, in turn, further equip them to enact their agency now and in the future. 

Over 3,200 young people across 48 states and two territories have completed the Learning Challenge. GripTape offers the Learning Challenge opportunity directly to young people and also supports schools, districts, and organizations that wish to adopt or adapt the program for their communities, through one-on-one coaching and consulting, professional development, and resource toolkits. Learning Challenge Overview

The Parent Program impacts two generations —parent and child—through a coaching approach. It is parent-centered, relationship-based wellness programming that connects families to concrete supports, increases social connections, and elevates self-efficacy. The program’s approach aims to increase parent agency and mitigate the impacts of toxic stress and adverse childhood experiences on parents and their children in the long term. This is done by meeting parents where they are, both on their well-being journey and where their capacity is to support their children’s health and education. The program is a partnership with parents to strengthen protective factors for children and families as a whole. These protective factors include parental resilience, social connections, concrete supports in times of need, knowledge of parenting and child development, and social and emotional competence of children. The Parent Program achieves this by assigning a dedicated Parent Wellness Coach to each family. The Parent Wellness Coach is trained to apply two coaching frameworks in individual and group settings. 

The Primary School implements the Parent Program at its East Palo Alto and East Bay sites. East Palo Alto East Bay While the Parent Program can be run from birth until middle school, they are currently piloting iterations of the program from grade 3 onward. The Primary School is looking to support other schools and community settings interested in piloting the Parent Program.

The QUESTion Project fosters individuality and social responsibility in students, allowing them to question themselves, each other, and society in order to define their own purpose and direction in life. Students explore important life questions and develop the mindset and skills that will help them define the choices they make in school and life.

The QUESTion Project is founded on five Pillars of Learner Development—choice, purpose, fearlessness, interconnectedness, and a bigger picture—that students journey through to develop their overall self-knowledge. Students explore and make meaning of these pillars in the QUESTion Class, a semester- or year-long class. They engage in individual reflection, large group “co-creative” activities, small group presentations, and individual written assessments to develop a working definition of the five Pillars. It is through these activities that they share their related experiences and connect their definitions and experiences to implications for present and future decision-making. The QUESTion Class alumni showcase a positive personal, communal, and societal identity and better preparation for life after graduation. 

The QUESTion Class has been adopted by 20 schools in New York City and Los Angeles, reaching more than 12,000 students. The QUESTion Project supports interested schools to implement their model through the QUESTion Academy, which provides teacher training, and ongoing coaching. The QUESTion Project Overview QUESTion Project Alumni Podcast

The Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis) is a New York City–based nonprofit organization that has been at the forefront of social justice, educating, organizing, and training youth and educators since 1995. Through unconditional love, around-the-clock support, and wraparound programming, it makes space for young people to examine their roots, define their stories, and awaken their agency as they develop into empowered critical thinkers and community leaders. 

Core to the organization is the Rites of Passage Program (ROP). ROP is a long-term, transformative youth development model that provides multilayered support, guidance, and education to adolescents as they grow into adulthood. In this model, youth form self-identified, gender-based groups (called “Chapters”), each led by two adult Chapter Leaders who facilitate weekly sessions and serve as trusted mentors and confidantes for participants as they explore their identity and beliefs as well as life’s various challenges. 

Together, Chapters of 12–18 youths form an intentional community, learning to embrace the ideals of brotherhood and sisterhood and to utilize restorative justice methods to resolve conflicts. All the while, they are strengthening their connection to their histories, their values, their world, and their voices.

While ROP was designed to support Black and Latinx youth, the program has been successful in many diverse communities. BroSis offers training and coaching for schools and community organizations to help them establish ROP programs that meet the unique needs of their youth. The Rites of Passage Program Overview and Rationale

The Walkabout Learning Model is inspired by sacred Australian Aboriginal rites of passage, which prepare young people for adulthood through real-world experiences. It is designed to engage young people in their own learning by creating a contemporary rite of passage where students discover the interconnectedness of knowledge through experiential learning opportunities. 

The Walkabout Learning Model provides a framework for developing community-centered, experiential high schools that emphasize the co-development of interpersonal skills and rigorous academic standards. Over the course of a year, learning comes alive for students in five Challenge Areas: Wilderness Expeditions, Service Learning, Applied Academics, Career Internships, and Final Presentations. These learning experiences push students to move beyond their perceived limitations and support them in gaining a deeper sense of responsibility and ownership of their education. At the heart of the model is a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) component that supports students in developing as whole human beings and seeks to engage students with their own emotions, peers, and communities. 

Walkabout Education and the Walkabout Learning Model is the vision of a team of educators and alumni from the Walkabout Program, a highly successful experiential education program that offered a full-day, full-year, public alternative for high school students for 37 years in New York. 

Walkabout Education offers curricular materials, consultation, coaching, and professional learning opportunities to schools interested in implementing the model in whole or in part.

The Whole Child Model makes students’ socio-emotional growth foundational to everything a school does. It is a trauma-informed, social-emotional learning model rooted in an understanding that children’s academic success is inextricably linked to their overall well-being, and in the belief that we can—and must—attend to the development of the whole child. The model helps students build the intra- and inter-personal skills they need to regulate their emotions, manage stress, and handle conflicts productively. It does this through a multi-tier system of supports that together develop a safe and warm school environment for everyone—including students and their families. 

The Whole Child Model is currently implemented in over 30 schools across Washington D.C., Texas, and Tennessee. Students in Whole Child Model classes demonstrated significant growth in various social-emotional factors such as perseverance, social awareness, and self-efficacy. Free resource toolkits, as well as some Cohort Learning Communities, are available to schools interested in implementing the Whole Child Model.

The Whole-Bodied Education Model by Girls Athletic Leadership Schools (GALS) aims to support young women to become powerful advocates for themselves and leaders for their communities. It reflects GALS’ belief that academic growth is strengthened through social, emotional, and physical health support. All students are challenged, take risks, learn from failure, and leverage their individual strengths through rigorous, standards-based academic programming. 

Specifically, Movement Modules and active pedagogy ensure students experience the connection between pushing themselves physically and thriving academically. In addition, they learn to be self-aware, to set goals, and to become advocates in their learning and growth through the GALS Series, a homegrown SEL curriculum that focuses on female adolescent development and empowerment. The single-gendered context is embraced as a strength, while difference and individuality within what it means to be female is celebrated as part of the distinct community that makes up the school. 

There are three GALS schools operating in Denver and Los Angeles and serving 512 students, and two GALS-inspired schools exist in Guatemala and Israel. Students of GALS express confidence in their ability to be successful. GALS offers school visits, professional development, 1:1 coaching, and its GALS Series curriculum for schools interested in implementing the Whole-Bodied Model.