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One Student at a Time - Personalization

Learning at a Big Picture School is not constrained by the school day or the school year – it is constrained only by our guiding principle that schools must be personalized and educate ONE STUDENT AT A TIME.

The philosophy of educating one student at a time expands beyond “academic” work and involves looking at and working with each student holistically. Every student’s work is documented on an individual learning plan created and updated each quarter (or trimester) with the learning team (the student, parent(s), advisor, and whenever possible, internship mentor) in a learning plan meeting.

Everything that makes up the student’s learning experience - the curriculum; the learning environment; the use of time during the school day; the choice of workshops or college classes; the focus and depth of investigation through the Big Picture learning goals - is developed based on the student’s individual interests, talents, and needs.

Personalizing education is about doing what’s best for kids - pushing and pulling at the right time, not dictating or punishing, but problem-solving and mediating. Overall, the school’s job is to know each student well and to provide the right measure of challenge and support for each student to promote growth. Students must also take responsibility over their learning and pursue their interests and passions in depth in the real world and at school. Students are encouraged to pursue their interests in depth in order to grow both personally and academically, and are given credit for learning experiences gained outside of the school day or the academic year.

Essential Elements of One Student at a Time – Personalization Include:

• Individual learning plans created each quarter by the student’s learning plan team
• Strong parent/family engagement
• Learning plans focus on individual students’ interests, passions, talents, and needs
• Understanding and pursuit of the Big Picture Learning Goals
• Students are responsible to follow their interests
• Personalized learning environment
• Independent work time
• Academic rigor
• Mediation (peer and adult)
• Student workshops
• Choice of college classes
• One-on-one meetings with advisors
• Strong daily use of Supercalendar (daily planner)
• Summer learning plans