Every once in a while a school appears that
is so unique, so startling in what it has achieved and so special
in its devotion to cultivating the strengths of students that
it makes everything seem possible. Jefferson County Open School
in Lakewood, Colorado, is such a school for anyone interested
in self-directed learning. Individual programming, self-directed
learning activities, democratic governance, self-assessment, trips,
apprenticeships, students demonstrating accomplishment to the
community—yes, all of that and more. And, yes they are a
regular school in a public school system, and, yes, they have
been doing these things for thirty years, and, yes, their graduates
do extremely well in life-after-school with a high percentage
successfully pursing higher education. Jeffco is a national treasure
and an icon because it reminds us—no matter how difficult
our circumstances--that whatever we envision can become a reality.
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The key to the power of our school is that we
focus on the individual, and that all students have every opportunity
possible to develop their unique interests using their greatest
strengths.
Pat Sliemers, RetiredTeacher.
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Students of Jeffco address several levels of challenge.
First, they are challenged to achieve 27 competencies referred
to as "expectations." This list includes competence
in basic subject areas, but goes farther into personal, social,
survival and career skills. Students can propose any promising
approach to achieving these competencies and meeting these expectations.
Courses are offered to help students complete the basics, and
once students declare class involvement they are required to attend.
Many other approaches are possible, such as the
ones chosen for completing the math competency over the years,
which include taking an on-site, internet or college math course;
conducting practical math work or mounting a project involving
math. Another approach for students is to propose teaching a course
of their own in the subject as some do each year. The course on
dinosaurs and the Jurassic Period that Jason gave to seven grade
eight classmates, for example, was popular and successful.
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We want every student to find and develop a
passion. Once they do there is no stopping them. I can’t
fill these kids up with textbook stuff any more. When you’ve
been touched by the fire, nothing less will do.
Brian FitzPatrick. Retired Jeffco teacher
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Students are also challenged to conduct passages—a
Walkabout--in six different areas: creativity, logical inquiry,
career explorations, global awareness (including service), practical
applications and adventure. These are major activities: students
write proposals for all six passages, develop them with the assistance
of their support groups and present them at a special meeting
of their advisory groups. Once their proposals are approved, they
undertake them; once the work is completed, they present their
achievements to an audience of peers, teachers, parents, adult
mentors and other members of the community. These presentations
are their final graduation requirement. While they are working
on these expectations and passages, students are also compiling
both a transcript outlining their achievements in school, and
a portfolio of their work to support it. Throughout their activities
students are encouraged to discover and pursue endeavors they
are passionate about. Since the transcript is the high school
record that students take away with them when they graduate, they
usually pursue their passions intensely.
Teachers provide a number of activities designed
to assist students in completing their competencies and passages.
The timetable provides them with one day a week for individual
and off-campus pursuits, and a two week period every spring for
extended activities. The provision most celebrated among students
are trips and apprenticeships. Every student participates in organizing
at least one trip to an important site that can become the focus
for various passages. It may include a service trip to help farmers
in a distant state to dig out from under a recent flood, or a
trip to assist in the excavations at an archaeological site in
Mexico or to visit literary sites in Britain or New England. Students,
usually in groups of ten to twenty, prepare for trips a year or
more in advance, making plans and arrangements, raising funds
and conducting preparatory studies.
Apprenticeships are career related and cover all
fields from theatre to architecture to welding. Each one involves
on-site experience under the guidance on a mentor who is a professional
in the field.
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The original committee that, in 1975 founded the
little school that later became Mountain Open High School, consisted
of nine parents, nine students, one teacher and me. We were bound
by three non-negotiable conditions: we had to live within the
same budget per pupil as other schools; we had to abide by the
contract with teachers, hiring only certified people; and we had
to meet district graduation requirements.
We had no trouble finding many certified teachers:
300 applied and 6 were chosen by consensus. Every teacher was
to devote approximately equal time to each of three roles: advisor;
formal teacher--in the sense of sharer of her expertise--and informal
teacher in the sense of learning partner.
The district’s graduation requirements in
1975 were so minimal that it was embarrassing. We created a set
of graduation expectations that were far beyond that of any other
school in the district. There was no mention of grades, so we
just didn’t use them. When I read the district guidelines
carefully, I also read all the fine print and found some interesting
sources of funding that we put to good use.
We must have done something right. The school
has grown to over 600 students, now from K to 12, and—despite
many battles--it’s still thriving.
Arnold Langberg, founding principal of Mountain
Open High School which later became Jefferson County Open School.
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As Arnie says in his comments, there are no grades,
but there is a great deal of evaluation, most of it by students.
The framework for this on-going self-assessment is the transcript.
Students collect their work in portfolios and write their own
record of achievements. Keeping this record, which will be the
document they present to universities and perspective employers,
sustains the students’ focus on productivity and quality
in their efforts to earn and create the most impressive possible
transcript. In individual challenges students negotiate the criteria
for success which then becomes the guide for discussions about
progress and achievement between students and teachers. Teachers--no
longer judgers, rankers and graders—do everything possible
to help students to become successful.
When major work is complete—passages, for
example--students present their achievements and their experience
to an audience consisting of teachers, peers, parents and other
adults. Demonstration is followed by celebration. Those of us
interested in SDL celebrate a school with such a bold vision,
the courage to make the vision a reality, and the grit to sustain
it.
