EDCU 640--Critical Analysis Framework

Teacher behavior and knowledge base

Mission and Vision of the Alternative School

What is the school for? Reproduction, growth, democracy, equity?

Are teachers technicians, facilitators, co-learners, or change agents?

Mission

Roles

Do they have thorough understanding of the content, and can teach it in a way that pioneers new thought?

Does the vision embrace experimentation or just recycle habits?

Vision

Content

Which orientation does it privilege? Is it rationalist, reconstructive, etc.?

Do they have a balance of intellect and content knowledge (CK) and human qualities?

Orientation

Character

Student experience and engagement

Content and skills taught

Community relations and presence

Question/Considerations

Question/Considerations

Question/Considerations

• Are students co-creators of knowledge, or consumers?
• Are students given opportunities to provide feedback, or challenge their own thinking?
• Do students feel like their experiences are heard, and that what they learn can be tied directly to their everyday life?
• Does it emphasize inquiry (cognitive), choice (personal), mastery (academic), or activism (social)?
• Is there space for inquiry, risk-taking, and failure as learning?

EDCU 640--Critical Analysis Framework

• What counts as “worth knowing”?
• How do they consider knowledge? Is it stagnant? Is it everychanging? Does it depend on the subject itself? ect.
• Which orientation informs what gets taught — disciplines, skills, personal interests, or social issues?
• What do they prioritize when teaching?

• How does the school engage with its community?
• Is it shaped by local needs and conditions?
• Is the goal adaptation to society, or reconstruction of it?

Innovation versus Tradition

Assessment and Evaluation

Power Dynamics

Who holds decision-making power (ie. administrators, teachers, students, the community, ect.)

Does the school innovate, or does it rationalize tradition with new labels?

How is success measured? What do they prioritize when looking at success?

Is their innovation just recycled custom? Does it prioritize tradition to an extreme extent?

What orientation do these power dynamics support?

What required skills are there to constitue "success?"

1. Heavy Reliance on Standardized Online Curriculum Platforms 2. Limited Live Interaction 3. Traditional Roles Retained 4. Student Experience (Edgenuity)

Traditional

1. Giving Students Control
2. Community Involvement
3. Edtech Tools

Innovative

VS

A hilarisous review of edgenuity

Repackaging?

1. Traditional means of learning rather than something learner or project based
2. Optional live sessions are more of an add-on
3. Using off-the-shelf platforms (Edgenuity)
1. Nothing wrong with using them, but the problem is that they rely on it too much

Flexibility (“students learn in ways that are right for them … at their own pace”), tutoring, options, support suggest personalization. There are also other sources given for aspects of students' life beyond the classroom, and courses on practical/soft skills.

Personal Relevance

A strong structure: online learning, pacing, standardized testing alignment, credit recovery, measurable progress, etc. Also, the system signage (courses, LMS, pacing, etc.) suggests a technological / structured model of delivery

Curriculum as Technology

They align with state standards and Common Core; they offer rigorous courses, credit recovery, and CTE pathways. So there is a strong discipline/standards component.

Academic Rationalism

Core Academics

Career and Technical Application

Peak Prep: What is knowledge?

Social Justice?

Orientation?

Community Relations

Peak Prep does have their own Facebook page, filled with reels of students sharing their projects, reviews from parents and students in the community, and collaborations with companies such as advertising agency KellyBrady and learning center Kumon (as shown on their Instagram). Also on their Instagram is a collaboration with Junior Explorers, a company that prioritizes hands-on learning, and whose mission is "to exercise a child's creativity and discovery through play." In other words, they do seem to respond to the child's need to explore and play when learning, and have built a community of collaboration with other educators.

• Students don't appear to be co-creators; as discovered by the interviews and based on these videos
• Passive learners: learning activities don't entirely resonate with their own personal experiences or every day life.
• However, with one-on-one tutoring opportunities, there seems to be many , and students are not punished for getting wrong answers during the lesson.
• Guided notes and a provided transcript do provide some amount of independence and autonomy when learning, as students can use the medium they prefer (video vs text) and go along with the video at their own pace.

Interview

My interview with English instructional coach Laura Dinanno (6th-12th English/History)at Peak Prep's Virtual Academy showed me that:

• Classes online are asynchronous, but instructional coaches are required to participate in scheduled parent-teacher calls, check email daily, submit student work samples/documents on schedule, ensure that students participate in required testing, and complete surveys when sent out. The Learning Coach is the primary contact for the student as they navigate their education.

• The program is designed around daily teacher assignments and evaluations, providing structured guidance and support. As they call it, "teacher-centered learning"

MISSION & VISION

The mission of Peak Prep Pleasant Valley is to provide individualized educational options to students seeking alternatives to traditional classroom programs, to ignite the unique talents, capabilities, and joy within each student, enabling them to become citizen leaders who make positive contributions to the world around them.

Curriculum as Technology Orientation

Who Holds the Power?

According to Eisner, this orientation views curriculum planning as a technical process of relating means to ends. It is not concerned with debating the value of educational goals, but rather with finding the most efficient way to achieve them

Decision-making power is primarily held by administrators and teachers, with students and parents having a more supportive or receptive role

• specific, comprehensive curriculum platforms (ie. Stride for TK-5 and Edgenuity for 6-12)
• Course Description Book indicates that the curriculum creation is centralized and NOT done by teachers or students
• Top-down structure
• Teachers have the power, students are limited, and parents/community take a supportive role

• Systematized and Efficient Process: The academy uses pre-packaged, technology-based curricula
• Teacher as Manager: The learning is "teacher-centered," with the teacher directing the student through the established "course to be run"
• Focus on Means to Ends: The curriculum is a means to a clearly defined end: ensuring students meet all California State standards. The planning model is designed to produce measurable outcomes, such as mastery of grade-level requirements

How success is measured

Priorities for Success

• Daily Assignments and Evaluations

• Pacing and Consistency

• Academic Rigor and College Preparation

• Academic Achievement

• Holistic Personal Development

• Leadership and Citizenship
• A successful student is enabled to become a "citizen leader who makes positive contributions to the world"