Big Picture School Network Peer Review Process

The 2009-2010 school year brings a new opportunity for schools in the Big Picture network – a chance to take part in a peer-review process to help our schools continue to improve and provide the best possible education for students. We will pilot this new process with a handful of schools during the 2009-2010 school year; and hope to extend the opportunity to all network schools in the future.

Guided by our ten distinguishers, Big Picture schools create places of learning for students that are very different than traditional models of education, and our experiences have led to huge successes for thousands of students. The Big Picture network aspires to continuously improve our practices, sharing the knowledge of the network through retreats, conferences, site visits and on-line tools. The peer review process is an extension of these practices, aiming to strengthen the network through the self-assessment of individual schools.

The assessment of our schools’ operations and cultures provide a core opportunity to learn both about our students’ work and our own work as educational professionals. Data will be collected both quantitatively and qualitatively, allowing schools to make decisions about how to adjust structures and designs to improve opportunities for students. The peer review process will provide some suggestions for formulating these adjustments, while also providing access to network support, coaching, and an outside eye for review.

Typically, schools have outside agencies providing reviews, yet the lens that is used is not aligned with the Big Picture philosophy, design and distinguishers; and is not useful for Big Picture school improvement. Our hope is that the Big Picture Peer Review process will be useful to schools and help them improve their practice, while providing data and improvement systems that are explainable and documentable for outside agencies.

Purpose

1. To provide a structure for schools to self-assess and make sure they are staying true to the Big Picture design.
2. To provide schools with a network of support from people who understand the work that is being attempted.
3. To strengthen the network by building relationships and providing opportunities to share best practices.

Outline of Process

1. Schools identify two or three goals, aligned with the Big Picture distinguishers, as areas in need of refinement within the individual school.
2. Working with Kari Thierer, the school will create a year-long plan, including guiding questions, indicators of success, data to collect, and resources needed.
3. During the fall, winter and early spring, the school will implement the plan, collect data and make changes, with support from Big Picture coaches.
4. During late spring, a group from the network will conduct an on-site visit to help assess the work, similar to an exhibition. This peer-review team will provide the outside eye to ask questions, provide suggestions for next steps and to assist the school with the identified goals.
5. Site visit team provides narrative report back to the school. The narrative report will be customized to best serve the needs of the individual school, with a dual purpose of fulfilling needs of the peer review, but also needs of outside agency reporting (if applicable).

For more information about the Peer Review Process, email Kari Thierer, Big Picture Learning’s National Director of School & Network Support.