How Partnership with EL has Improved Student Character throughout the School
Students are immersed in learning about, and are expected to practice strong character. The traits of responsibility, integrity, courage, compassion, discipline and respect are modeled by staff, parents and students in everything that is done at the school.
Character Goal Setting
Each student at Anser sets an annual character goal in the fall. Students use reflection and discussion to help them to set an attainable goal. Goals are derived from our character traits and can be set to help students with something at home in the community or at school. Goals are recorded by the teacher and are displayed in the classroom for all of the crew to see. Students help to support one another in reaching the goal and goals are referred to throughout the school year. Students reflect mid-year on their progress toward meeting their goal and then again at the end of the school year.
Picture: Dolly's Upper Childhood Crew Character Goals 2014
Picture: Dolly's Upper Childhood Crew Character Goals 2014
Assessing Character at Anser
Over the past couple of years there has been much discussion
with Anser teaching staff as to how we should assess character when it comes to our
student report cards. We knew that character needed to be separated from
our standards based grading, but finding the best way do so has been a process
of revision. We have always been a standards based school and our report
cards represented this, although they were created using the Idaho State
Standards. When Idaho moved to the Common Core State Standards (known as
Idaho Core Standards in our state) we made the decision to have two sections
added to the report cards: 1) Habits of a Citizen Scholar and 2) Habits
of a Learner Scholar.
Teachers worked together to write these habits based on Anser’s Character Traits. After using these habits for a year, we went back to the revision process; we felt there were too many habits and they were difficult to assess. We also determined we were making judgment calls that we felt we should not be making. About this time, those of us working on the credentialing process, came across a document from Expeditionary Learning that talked about the very dilemma we were having. The document explained “Essential Habits" (see a portion below). It was just what we needed to move forward with our reporting. The teaching crew agreed the essential habits were what we felt more comfortable placing on our student report cards. We are continuing to strive toward finding authentic ways to measure this area of development for our students.
Essential Habits
Common Words or Phrases
Collaboration Teamwork: We are crew, not passengers.
Participation: Effort Growth Mindset, Determination, Persistence, Perseverance, Grit
Responsibility: Focus, Self-Direction, Discipline
In addition to identifying what values and habits are important to the school, EL schools implement systems and structures to instruct to, assess, and report on students’ habits of scholarship (sometimes called habits of a learner, habits of work, HOWLs, etc.), an assessable subset of character. While schools develop their own specific systems for doing this, EL provides a common starting point; we encourage schools to align their habits with the “Essential Habits” listed above.
Current research shows that these aspects of character, which can be taught and practiced, positively impact students’ academic achievement (Farrington, et al, 2012; US DOE, 2013). Schools seeking to be credentialed should determine their own terminology and descriptive criteria for the habits, ensuring that they attend to the essential habits below and go beyond them as the school sees fit.
- EL Credentialing Process Overview
Teachers worked together to write these habits based on Anser’s Character Traits. After using these habits for a year, we went back to the revision process; we felt there were too many habits and they were difficult to assess. We also determined we were making judgment calls that we felt we should not be making. About this time, those of us working on the credentialing process, came across a document from Expeditionary Learning that talked about the very dilemma we were having. The document explained “Essential Habits" (see a portion below). It was just what we needed to move forward with our reporting. The teaching crew agreed the essential habits were what we felt more comfortable placing on our student report cards. We are continuing to strive toward finding authentic ways to measure this area of development for our students.
Essential Habits
Common Words or Phrases
Collaboration Teamwork: We are crew, not passengers.
Participation: Effort Growth Mindset, Determination, Persistence, Perseverance, Grit
Responsibility: Focus, Self-Direction, Discipline
In addition to identifying what values and habits are important to the school, EL schools implement systems and structures to instruct to, assess, and report on students’ habits of scholarship (sometimes called habits of a learner, habits of work, HOWLs, etc.), an assessable subset of character. While schools develop their own specific systems for doing this, EL provides a common starting point; we encourage schools to align their habits with the “Essential Habits” listed above.
Current research shows that these aspects of character, which can be taught and practiced, positively impact students’ academic achievement (Farrington, et al, 2012; US DOE, 2013). Schools seeking to be credentialed should determine their own terminology and descriptive criteria for the habits, ensuring that they attend to the essential habits below and go beyond them as the school sees fit.
- EL Credentialing Process Overview
Anser Character Traits
Anser student, Elijah, created this book about the Anser character traits as her "Written and Illustrated by" project in 2nd grade. Anser's Family Council had Elijah read the story aloud. The video is used to introduce new Anser families to the culture and character of the school.
All Anser Crews take time to discuss what these traits mean at their specific grade level (see Crew Meeting Vertical Alignment below). This makes is much more effective when students reflect on their progress if the traits are connected to something challenging to them at that time in life ( i.e. Body Basics is Early Childhood 1/2 grade).
All Anser Crews take time to discuss what these traits mean at their specific grade level (see Crew Meeting Vertical Alignment below). This makes is much more effective when students reflect on their progress if the traits are connected to something challenging to them at that time in life ( i.e. Body Basics is Early Childhood 1/2 grade).
Student Voice and Leadership
Anser showcases student voice and leadership each week as a different classroom presents at Whole School Community on Wednesdays. Each class, K-8, chooses the content and prepares a presentation for the student body and Anser parents. Students choose whether to present content from their classroom learning or important culture and character presentations.
Anser showcases student voice and leadership each week as a different classroom presents at Whole School Community on Wednesdays. Each class, K-8, chooses the content and prepares a presentation for the student body and Anser parents. Students choose whether to present content from their classroom learning or important culture and character presentations.
Adventure = Character
Every grade level crew at Anser goes on annual adventure experiences. Most adventures are purposefully connected to Expeditions that each grade level focuses on for their year of learning, but all focus on the development of the whole child. The experiences range from a day hike in Boise Foothills to snowshoeing at Bogus Basin or a two night camp out and ropes course adventure in McCall, Idaho. These activities provide students an opportunity to challenge themselves both physically and mentally, which leads to more character development.
The following are the adventure experiences each grade level participates in over a two year period:
Kindergarten: rock climbing wall and team building activities
Early Childhood: hiking in the Boise Foothills, bike riding on the Boise River Greenbelt
Middle Childhood: snowshoeing/snow science and over night campout at Farewell Bend Oregon
Upper Childhood: McCall Outdoor Science School camp out
Junior High: annual ropes course and camp out in McCall, Idaho
The following are the adventure experiences each grade level participates in over a two year period:
Kindergarten: rock climbing wall and team building activities
Early Childhood: hiking in the Boise Foothills, bike riding on the Boise River Greenbelt
Middle Childhood: snowshoeing/snow science and over night campout at Farewell Bend Oregon
Upper Childhood: McCall Outdoor Science School camp out
Junior High: annual ropes course and camp out in McCall, Idaho
Anser Junior High Ropes Course Adventure 2014
Anser Junior High Adventure Quotable Moments
Additional Documentation Supporting Student Character
Guidelines for Success matrix- student behavior matrix based on the Anser Character Traits | |
File Size: | 43 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Community Understandings - document signed by parents, students and Anser staff regarding how we take care of one another at Anser | |
File Size: | 73 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Caring Community Plan and Discipline Procedures - school-wide discipline protocol | |
File Size: | 42 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Crew Meetings Vertical Alignment 2011 - Documentation of K-8 Alignment for crew meetings | |
File Size: | 141 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Dear Community Member Character Letter - description of character letter sent to prospective character letter writers | |
File Size: | 71 kb |
File Type: | docx |
Anser Report Card | |
File Size: | 570 kb |
File Type: |
How Do I See MySelf MC - mid and end of year student reflection | |
File Size: | 622 kb |
File Type: |
Character Letter - example of student character letter | |
File Size: | 538 kb |
File Type: |
End of Year Goal Reflection Pt.1 - student example of end of year goal reflection | |
File Size: | 463 kb |
File Type: |
End of Year Goal Reflection Pt.2 - example of student end of year goal reflection | |
File Size: | 305 kb |
File Type: |
Parent Letter - example of parent letter post-student led conference | |
File Size: | 487 kb |
File Type: |
How Do I See Myself EC Pt.1 - student example | |
File Size: | 450 kb |
File Type: |
How Do I See Myself EC Pt.2 - student example | |
File Size: | 462 kb |
File Type: |
Goal Setting Parent Letter - directions for parent post-conference letter | |
File Size: | 71 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Goal Setting Form Character - form used at goal setting conferences for student character goal | |
File Size: | 46 kb |
File Type: | doc |