2010
ACADEMY
Visioning Committee
Plano ISD
ACADEMY
Community Meeting
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Academy Visioning Process
• Board of Trustee Parameters
– Grades 9-12 school of choice
– Provide college and career readiness level of
learning for all students
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Academy Visioning Process
• Visioning committee parameters
– Maximum enrollment of 1,000 students
– School of choice with extracurricular options
• Only offer clubs at the academy, no option for extracurriculars
(athletics, music, speech/drama, etc.)
• Offer extracurriculars at the academy to the degree that
enrollment and facilities will allow (larger activities such as
marching band, drill team, football, etc. would probably not be
available)
• Students would have the option to return to their home
attendance campus to participate in extracurricular activities
• Students would be able to participate in all extracurricular
activities at the campus location shared by the academy and the
feeder of that campus
Academy Visioning Process
• Academy visioning committee work
– Weekly meetings
– Collaborative work environment
– Research between meetings
– Paperless, digitally supported work
– Interim report to the Board of Trustees
– Community input session
– Final recommendation to the Board of Trustees
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Academy Visioning Process
• Problem-based learning (PBL) model
– PBL is a commitment to a dynamic learning
and teaching strategy and can be used in
wide variety of curriculums
• Can be used in a classical comprehensive
curriculum like that of PISD
• Can also be used in targeted career-oriented
curriculums
• The learning and work skills developed are career
building, even without a specific occupational
orientation
Academy Visioning Process
• Problem-based learning (PBL) model
– PBL integrates subjects in solving real-world
problems and shows students the relevance
of their learning
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Academy Visioning Process
• Problem-based learning (PBL) model
– PBL is not necessarily intended for a wide
range of students, but for those who actively
see it as right for THEM
• PBL gives the student more freedom, but also more
responsibility and accountability to peers
• Highly engaged students may not necessarily improve their
performance, but they may like the learning process more
• Aggregate test scores and student satisfaction is generally
higher for PBL
• Presentation skills are actively developed in PBL
• Collaboration, cooperation, and honesty with others is key
Academy Visioning Process
• Problem-based learning (PBL) model
– PBL requires special skill-sets, training, and
planning
• PBL attracts certain teachers, just like students;
not all are immediately interested or oriented to it
• Group projects your student has done in the past
may not have exhibited the power of PBL
• Teaching and schedules are much more dynamic
• The teacher spends as much time with students,
but in different ways, as a guide and director
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Academy Visioning Process
• Possible academy focus
– Classical, core academic, comprehensive
• Adopt existing framework of comprehensive
project-based learning such as the New Tech
Schools Consortium
• Create local framework of courses using various
resources
Academy Visioning Process
• Possible academy focus
– TEAMS: Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math,
Science
• Use Achieve Texas career clusters as the framework
– Arts, A/V Technology & Communication
– Information Technology
– Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
• Create local framework of courses using various
resources such as Project Lead The Way
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Academy Visioning Process
• Possible academy focus
– Global Health/Medical
Vision: Provide a learning track that prepares students
for multi-disciplinary careers addressing and
managing global health and medical challenges.
• Possible starting points / resources:
– Achieve Texas career clusters
» Health Science
» Human Services
» Government & Public Administration
– Harvard Medical School Center for Global Health and the
Environment
– Univ. of Washington – School of Public Health
– Global Health Scholars Programs
Academy Visioning Process
• Possible academy focus
– Global Health/Medical
• Add specific “local” courses / PBL projects in areas
such as:
–
–
–
–
Service Learning Concept (Volunteering + Reflection)
Public Health Issues, Urban Planning and Policy
Epidemiology and Disaster Planning
Mass Communication
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Academy Visioning Process
• Possible academy focus
– International Studies
• Preparing students for the truly global world in
which they will live
• International business and foreign policy issues
• Take advantage of Plano's incredibly diverse but
very underutilized population
• Establish relationships with both local universities
and local corporations with strong international ties
• Offer foreign language and "cultural immersion"
courses not currently offered at other PISD high
schools
Academy Visioning Process
• Process for the remainder of this evening:
– Each table has committee members to facilitate and record thinking
of community members
– Group norms
– Three guiding questions
– Dialogue at table on ideas brought forward
– Capture all ideas
– Questions – FAQ
• Next steps in process:
– Committee meets to consider community input and finalize
recommendation
– Committee presents recommendation to Superintendent and Board
of Trustees
– Board makes decisions and directs staff to take appropriate actions
Community can follow the process at www.pisd.edu/academy
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