Blog
What is the Purpose of School? A Call for Whole-Learner Outcomes.
What is the purpose of school? For the past four decades, the prevailing national answer—shaped largely by the 1983 report “A Nation at Risk” and documented by historian Patricia Graham—has been singular: Achievement. This focus helped usher in an era of standardization, compliance, and testing. It was designed to respond to global economic anxieties…
Tools
A Learner-Centered Ecosystem
It’s time for a shift from the school-centered education system—where efficiency, standardization, compliance, ranking, sorting, and task completion are top priorities—to a learner-centered paradigm, where we focus on supporting each learner to know who they are, thrive in community, and actively engaged in the world as their best selves. “A Learner-Centered Ecosystem” dives deep…
Blog
Family Partnerships: A Key Strategy for Supporting Whole-Learner Outcomes
The Mindset That Makes Family Partnerships Possible If we view school as a one-dimensional institution with a narrow purpose—primarily focused on delivering content and measuring student proficiency aligned to narrow metrics—then the idea of partnering with families may seem like an unnecessary distraction. But if we believe learning happens within a larger ecosystem, where…
Podcasts
Episode 36: Clark Street Community School Student Panel with Ruby & Everest
Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsEpisode Summary: In this live-recorded episode at the Aurora Institute Symposium 2024, Katie Martin hosts two inspiring students from Clark Street Community School, Ruby and Everest. Together, they share their unique experiences in a learner-centered environment that emphasizes real-world learning experiences and community connections. Ruby and Everest reflect on…