The Maine DOE in collaboration with the New England Secondary Schools Consortium (NESSC), convened six districts in the League of Innovative Schools (LIS) on November 18. The inaugural meeting for 2015 was hosted by Mary Nadeau, principal of Nokomis High School.
During the morning, Nokomis staff opened their school and classrooms, inviting members from visiting districts to assist them in their efforts to implement proficiency-based education. Participants were asked to visit classrooms, talk to students and staff, and collect evidence of proficiency-based instruction.
Teams of visiting staff members collected and shared observations about the actions of students and teachers that show evidence of a student-centered environment that allows for student voice and accommodates a variety of pathways. The Nokomis faculty members were appreciative of the quality and thoughtfulness of the reflections and questions shared by members of the visiting districts.
During the afternoon members of the LIS helped addressed two questions of practice posed by league members using Professional Learning Group protocols. Educators from Cony High School asked participants to provide feedback on their work related to the implementation of the Guiding Principles. In a following session, faculty from Deer Isle Stonington High School asked for design input on their plans for an integrated marine pathways ELA strand for a large heterogeneous group of students.
The NESSC is a collection of five states supporting improvements in high school education and personalized learning. The five states include Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The Great Schools Partnership facilitates the work of the NESSC on behalf of these five states.
For more information about the League of Innovative Schools contact Mark Kostin at mkostin@greatschoolspartnership.org. For more information about proficiency-based education, contact Maine DOE’s Diana Doiron at Diana.doiron@maine.gov.