D C Everest Area School District

Our district is willing to push boundaries and seek innovative means of breaking down barriers that are holding back the next generation. We encourage our students and teachers to take risks — to try new things, develop innovative means of instruction and embrace diverse learning and presentation methods. Some of our latest pilot programs include:

Teachers Change Lives — This semester-long course is designed to provide high school students interested in pursuing an education degree with the opportunity to gain real-world experience before college. Students create lesson and discipline plans, conduct assessments, draft blog posts cataloging their experience, debate current educational trends, gain practicum experience with a teacher mentor within a classroom of their choice, and develop a portfolio they can use when applying to university. This course recently became “gradeless” — with students determining their grade through reflection and self-assessment.

Innovation and Creation — This self-directed, interdisciplinary, competency-based high school course takes place in a project-based environment. In collaboration with the instructors, students design their own immersive learning experience and receive credit in Social Studies, English or both depending upon the nature of their project. As part of the course, students must plan, create and reflect upon their project to meet individualized learning goals. Projects also involve real-world collaboration with community members, businesses, professionals, and experts.

Pathways — In keeping with Big Picture Learning, we have created a blended online virtual school with a micro-school environment to provide options for those students who need or seek a non-traditional school environment. Pathways provide personalized, cross-disciplinary, project-based learning options for the students. Students can elect to participate in a mix of online course options, small-group sessions and one-on-one sessions with instructors based on their preferences. We are in the process of offering work-based options as well.

Middle School House Pilots — The DCE Middle school is comprised of sixth-grade and seventh-grade wings, and within each wing, students are grouped into miniature communities — or houses — for their core academic courses, providing them with a peer group support network. To ensure students form relationships outside of their home, non-core classes are integrated across grades and houses. Two pilot houses — 7X and 6 Mini— offer a collaborative, small and connected learning community in which students work on interdisciplinary, individualized, project-based portfolios. The system relies on heavy conferencing — with students reflecting on their projects, planning next steps and utilizing a homegrown digital scheduling tool to set and monitor their daily schedule.