AF Ritual Framework
Directions: This framework is intended for use as a guide in the planning and execution phase. The overall buckets
should guide your work, while the individual questions will apply in different contexts (ex: Community Circle is different
than a snack ritual). As our understanding of rituals and traditions evolves, we will refine this document.
School Identity and Values
Accomplished?
Do the school’s core values influence the structure and content of the ritual?
Do elements of the ritual reflect and reinforce the school’s identity and priorities?
Does this ritual create a collective identity as well as distinguished identities/responsibilities within
the school (ex: by grade level or homeroom)?
Do these rituals result in shared responsibility and ownership over the school community?
High Expectations: Routines and Scholar Habits
Accomplished?
Do all routines align with the AF Routine Design rubric and Common Picture?
Is there an airtight entry and exit routine?
Is there a seating chart?
Are all scholar habits enforced at 100%?
Do all scholars participate at 100%?
Staff Roles and Responsibilities
Accomplished?
Are clear staff roles and responsibilities outlined?
Does staff use core Taxonomy techniques to maintain high expectations?
Does staff scan frequently and redirect in least invasive ways?
Is staff positioned in strategic places among scholars?
Does staff participate at 100%?
When staff members lead a portion of the ritual, are they rehearsed and well prepared?
Making the Mundane Sacred
Accomplished?
Is the space purposefully set up in an intimate way?
Are symbols, banners, visual anchors, musical instruments and garb purposefully incorporated?
Is the entrance into the space structured in a way that separates the mundane from the sacred (via
silence, music, movement, etc.)?
Is silence and volume used strategically at different points in the ritual?
Emphasis on the Community
Accomplished?
Does a repeatedly do structure exist that enables all participants to access and participate in the ritual
with fluency?
Are communal songs, chants, cheers and/or readings included?
Do participants face each other?
Does the opening welcome the community? Does the closing say goodbye?
When individual scholars or adults speak, are they celebrated and respected by all participants?
Scholar Leadership and Participation
Accomplished?
Do scholars do the heavy lifting?
Is there a purposeful gradual release from adult-led roles to scholar leadership?
Do scholars take their roles seriously?
When scholars lead a portion of the ritual, are they rehearsed and well prepared?
Scholar Identity Affirmation
Accomplished?
How does the ritual affirm scholars’ identities?
Do scholars express themselves in creative, empowering and authentic ways?
In what ways do families participate in and lead elements of the ritual?
Academic Reinforcement and Celebration
Accomplished?
Are clear moments of the ritual dedicated to academic reinforcement and celebration?
Are these moments at once rigorous and differentiated in order to meet the varying levels of
participants (ex: different grades)?
Are these moments planned in advance in a manner that follows a clear scope and sequence?
Are these moments engaging and are there ways to celebrate the learning that’s happening?