Extended Learning Opportunities The contents of this PowerPoint were developed under a grant from the US Department of Education, H323A120003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the US Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. Project Officer, Corinne Weidenthal Welcome Introductions- Overview of the day Schools are all in different places- some have established programs, some do not Some are only pass/fail- others are graded Challenge is meeting all of your needs with this training

Materials For This Presentation Come from a variety of sources including but not limited to: www.beyondclassroom.org www.nextsteps-nh.org New Hampshire Department of Education Virtual Learning Academy Charter School (VLACS) Lebanon High School Winnacunnet High School NH Extended Learning Opportunity Program Design Handbook Lots of resources out there- we will be highlighting many for you to use back at your schools One that we recommend is the ELO handbook that is on Beyondclassroom. Handbook is under tools and resources. Is also listed on your resource guide Tag the glossary its page 25 in your handbook

Course Learning Objectives Participants will learn: what an ELO is the essential elements & best practices of an ELO ELOs and their role in transition where to find ELO resources We want our session to be interactive and engaging. There is a lot of material to get through in the time we have. Ask questions but know that we tell you that we will be addressing your question later in the session It is a large group- will be asking for feedback and group sharing throughout but may need to limit the sharing because of the size of the group

Guiding Principle ELOs, like transition, do not happen in isolation. This training is about ELOs and the framework needed to build a program. Actual building needs to include other partners not present at the training.

Getting Started What is an ELO? Who do we need to create an ELO? How do we create an ELO? Focus today in on the individual- will have some cross over with tomorrow’s material Resources will vary from school to school Before we create- we need to know what an ELO is

What is an ELO? How do you and your school define what an ELO is? Ask for feedback

What is an ELO? Using paper, a role play, a video or any creative method of your teams choice, create a representation of how your school team defines an ELO. How did your school determine that definition? Each group has 7 mins to create a representation and then will ask groups to do a quick share with the larger group. Use this information to lead into how ELO’s are defined by DOE & high quality ELO’s. Suggest that those there by themselves partner with others for this activity

NH DOE Definition of ELOs The primary acquisition of knowledge and skills through instruction or study outside of the traditional classroom methodology, including, but not limited to: Apprenticeships Independent study Internships Private instruction Community service Online courses Performing groups source NH DOE

DOE Guidance on ELOs Credit for ELOs must be based on student demonstration of mastery of rigorous, measurable course level competencies. It is the purview of the local school district to identify/develop course level competencies, decide on appropriate competency assessment methods, and identifying necessary and sufficient evidence for students to demonstrate mastery. ELOs may provide credit for all or some of a core course. Source- NH DOE DOE at the bottom is hyperlinked How do we define core vs elective? If I take an extra science class- is that a core class or elective?

DOE Guidance on ELOs ELO learning may be offered in any course area; school district policy defines which areas the district will approve. ELOs must be pre-approved by the school before beginning. Certified school personnel must authorize and oversee the ELO and the awarding of credit. Source- NH DOE DOE website

High Quality ELOs Source: www.beyondclassroom.org A learning opportunity outside the classroom for which students get credit, including, but not limited to, sports, independent study, and online learning. A specific structure for learning with personalization through flexible parameters. These credit-bearing ELOs have specific student components that foster disciplined inquiry, meta-cognition, and skill development. Source: www.beyondclassroom.org We do not consider on-line classes in and of themselves an ELO. Let’s talk about this- why would we say this about ELO’s and on line classes? Agree or disagree?

Developing your ELO policy? Practice piloting ELOs? Which comes first? Developing your ELO policy? Or Practice piloting ELOs? We are going with piloting Practice can inform policy yet many schools need a policy to start a practice Think implementation science- we need to make sure we have the right people at table, that we commit to developing a process and refining it as we have more knowledge Policy development , awarding credits, assessment details all infrastructure components will be in will be day 2

To start- we need people

Identifying the Key Participants Student Has an interest or passion, and a desire to explore learning. Certified Educator To work with the student & ELO coordinator on identifying competencies and assessing learning. Community Partner/Mentor Provides the expertise for what the student wants to learn.

Identifying the Key Participants ELO Coordinator Coordinates the different aspects of an ELO including agreements with partners, DOL approval, communication with all parties Guidance/School Counseling Ensures the ELO is listed on the student’s transcript. Also support the scheduling of the ELOs. Families Support the student, agree to the ELO, and may assist in identifying the community partner Not all schools will have ELO Coordinators Some schools may have other staff participate

Special Education Considerations For students who receive special education services, the student’s Case Manager should be part of the ELO team. Consider the following: alignment to the IEP and identified supports. include the ELO in the transition services and course of study. ELO may also serve as an assessment. This is key for Spec Ed For at risk student- may need out of district coord

For Students with a Disability Disclosure What information about the student's disability is shared with the community partner? Does it need to be? Does the student need an accommodation? Or are there natural supports in the workplace? Resource AskJAN What is the student’s role in this? What needs to be shared & what does not. Review JAN- focus on disability and accomidations

Preparing a Student for an ELO Student centered planning What is a student interested in? What do they want to learn? What drives their desire to learn? Credits Are there areas the students want/need to gain more credits? Do they need credit recovery? Maybe the student wants to take a class they the school does not offer What has been done for assessment work if a student is interested in career exploration Will explore credit recovery more tomorrow

Key Participant Clarification ELOs require a Certified Educator to oversee competencies and award credit The DOE does not require a HQT Not all schools have ELO Coordinators School Counselors or Career Tech/Work Based Learning Coordinators sometimes fill this role ELOs are for ALL students ELOs do not get rid of the need for teachers. Transition Counselors or School Counselors also assume the role of ELO Coordinators ELOs offer a unique tool/teaching method to support students in their learning

Making the Connection to Students & Transition Planning Not everyone does well sitting in a classroom. Experiential learning often works well for students with disabilities and students at risk. Community connections and concrete, hands-on learning provide support to reach measureable post secondary goals. Involve the Student’s Case Manager —Align to the IEP —Include in transition services and course of study Review learning style and preferences ELO can be used as assessment, coordinated set of activities, course of study. Make the connection to life after HS Discuss relevance- exploration of careers, leisure activities, advanced academics

Components of ELOs We have all seen this- represents the 4 key areas of an ELO This image was developed by the Q.E.D. Foundation and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

to build an ELO Again Focus will be on the student. Policy will be day 2 Start to think about a student or situation at your school that you would like to see as an ELO. Can reference the Almost ELO chart of you are looking for a place to start

ELO Design Template Creates a framework to develop and organize the ELO. Provides student, educator, community partner and family an understanding of expectations for the ELO. Outlines the roles and responsibilities of the ELO partners. let’s use the design template to build a high quality ELO You have it in your folders . Its hyperlinked Although many of you maybe using different tools- this one offers an explanation of what occurs at each step of the process and is the reason why we are using this one

Resources for Developing ELOs Beyond Classroom Lebanon High School Winnacunnet High School Next Steps New Hampshire NH Extended Learning Opportunity Program Design Handbook VLACS Give time to explore sites What other resources do you know about and use? Write them on the sticky pads and add them to our resource easel paper

Theory into Practice Consider a student or a program at your school that you would like to design an ELO for. Using the design template, let’s draft an ELO for that student or program. You will be working on completing each section for the remainder of this training Give groups a couple mins to consider this

Step 1: PLANNING (Student and Overseeing Educator Work Together) Competencies Project Description The Essential Question Community Partners New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunity Design Template created through the NH Department of Education ELO Initiative 2007 - 2011 Show template- these are the first 4 elements of the design template. Sets the foundation for what the student will be learning and doing for their ELO This is one with the student. They take the lead but need to work with ELO Coordinator and Certified Educator to complete Also- start thinking about credits to be awarded

Where to Begin? Identify what the student wants to learn and create an essential question. A good essential question: motivates and shifts students toward ownership of learning. is thoughtful, provoking, and philosophical, and not have a simple (or “google-able”) answer. provides a baseline for the student to refine his or her own answer throughout the ELO experience. The template may start at competencies- we think we need to identify what they wat to learn and the questions they want answered before assigning competencies

Essential Question: What drives the learning? A good essential question can help shift students toward ownership of learning. Essential questions can be thoughtful, provoking, and philosophical – and they should never have a simple (or “google-able”) answer. The community partner can serve as a sounding board as the student works through and refines his or her own answer for the essential question. Source: www.beyondclassroom.org Further reading on Essential Questions Remember to click on hyper link Give some examples from your schools

Strong or Weak Essential Question? What does Dr. Seuss have to say to adults? Strong question! Will require creativity Do depressed high school students benefit from medication? Weak question. Can ask Google and get the answer How does a leader maximize the effectiveness of a group? Strong question! Requires critical thinking Source: www.beyondclassroom.org Amination set up- questions are visible- click to show answers Ask group if its strong or weak

Competencies… are based on the enduring knowledge expected to be gained by a student. often reference NH Curriculum Framework, Common Core Competencies and Grade Span Expectations. describe what is expected from a student to demonstrate mastery of the competencies. Typically 3-7 are identified for an ELO. This may vary due to the credits being earned for the experience. To support the learning and ensure continued growth toward mastery, the learning process includes continuous feedback and predetermined bench marks (formative assessments) which clearly show progress toward achievement of learning goals and help guide instruction. This can be a sample performance task(s), a test, a presentation, or another form of evidence to show mastery of the competency. Source: NH DOE

No Competencies? We’ve Got You Covered Two resources to identify competencies for an ELO: New Hampshire State Model HS Competencies- State Board Approved VLACS Competencies are listed for each course. ACTIVITY Go to the VLACS learning catalog https://vlacs.org/middle-high-school/learning-catalog/ Find the High School English class called Creative Writing. There are four competencies for the class. What did you find?

Project Description Think big picture What does the student want to learn? Who will they work with? What will they do? How will they, and others, know when the ELO is complete? How will they demonstrate what they learned? How will their work be assessed? By whom? Performance indicators Comes down to- what are they going to do?

Community Partners… work with the student and certified educator to create the ELO and to establish criteria for commitment and engagement. provide the expertise/information. provide assistance on determining the student’s understanding of the subject matter. You will need a working knowledge of your school insurance policy and familiarity with the NH Department of Labor rules. Need to have someone that can connect with the community

A Note About Community-Based ELOs The NH Department of Labor has specific rules and regulations regarding students and an unpaid work experience. This includes ELOs. Visit www.nh.gov/labor/ to learn about the process to have your program and businesses approved https://www.nh.gov/labor/site- map/schools.htm Additional information can be found in the NH Extended Learning Opportunity Program Design Handbook Depending on time- may only briefly touch on this More of this on day 2

Community Partner Considerations Does the community partner have requirements for students to be on their premises? Criminal record check? Drug screening? Immunization requirements? Non-disclosure agreement?

Team Time Now its your turn to work with your team to start to complete the first part of the template. Consider the student or situation that you want to make into an ELO. Complete the first 4 sections. You can also use this time to make notes on resources to further explore for that ELO

Step 2: Implementation and Formative Assessments Timeline and benchmarks Research Reflection Overseeing educator and student communication Community partner communication ● Formative Assessments - a wide variety of methods that teachers use to evaluate student comprehension, learning needs, and academic progress during a lesson, unit, or course. The information collected during formative assessments is used to improve the teaching and learning process as it is taking place. How is the student doing? Setting up guidance and direction for the learning

Timeline & Benchmarks How long does the student anticipate the ELO will take to complete? How will you know if the student is on track to complete the ELO ? How is the student, certified educator and community partner/mentor monitoring progress towards completion/mastery? Timeframe des not refer to seat time. May start at the beginning of a term but true ELOs are finished when they are finished Performance indicators and benchmarks Accountability eliminates wiggleroom but the learning is done when the learning is done. Question is how are you monitoring it? Handbook has some mid point forms to use to check on progress

Components of ELOs This image was developed by the Q.E.D. Foundation and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0

Research Explores how and where the student will find the information they want to learn. Prepares them for implementation & engagement in their ELO. Relates to the essential question and what the student wants to learn. Allows student to identify any assumptions they made and consider new learning opportunities. Source New Hampshire Extended Learning Opportunity Design Template, created through the NH Department of Education ELO Initiative 2007 - 2011 Formative assessment What are they learning? Where is the information coming from? This is foundational- knowledge setting Articulates the question(s) that guides the learning. (Essential Question)

Research Considerations Identify the resources the student needs: Community mentor On-line resources College classes… What is a reputable information source? Research should be ongoing and occur throughout the ELO. Research can be reading a book, interviewing, experimenting- there is no one way to do research

Reflection Provides information on what the student is learning, how they are learning and the connections they are making. Allows educators and community partners the opportunity to evaluate learning and provide feedback. Shows the evolution of thought and understanding. Demonstrates problem solving and critical thinking. Think about those times when you have had an Ah Ha moment- when things clicked. We want students to document those times or when the pieces are not coming together Different parties will have different perspectives- having all partners involved in the reflection provides an opportunity for everyone to learn Formative assessment- ongoing Metacognitiion

What Does Reflection Look Like? Reflection can be: A journal A blog Correspondence Weekly narrative Video or audio documentation… The goal is to document the progression of learning connections between experience, research, critical thinking and growth. Who sees the reflections and how are you giving feedback? Can also have video or recordings too Reflection allows the student to take ownership of the process and their education. Highlights the differences between learning vs teaching

Communication How will the student, certified educator and community partner communicate? How is information shared with other team members? Topics? Frequency? Method? These aspects need to be considered and decided upon prior to the ELO starting. Does everyone understand the scope of the ELO? Who is monitoring what aspects? How often does everyone need information? Remember the timeframes you identified Is it OK for the educator to stop by the site? Is email best?, Blog? Google drive document? Make sure communication is tied to benchmarks and timelines

Team Time Again- take time with your team to build the 2nd section of the template

Step 3: Summative Assessment Final demonstration of mastery ELO presentation Assessment of mastery

Final Demonstration of Mastery The project description gave an overview of the ELO. Now shift gears to think about how the end product and presentation are assessed. What is going to be assessed? By whom? When? Where? Planning for the big show

ELO Assessment In developing an ELO, all partners need to know what the expectations are and how the ELO will be assessed. No surprises! That information needs to be clearly outlined in the ELO plan. No one likes surprises. Make sure that roles and responsibilities are clear. Beyondclassroom has tools for assessing ELOs . Successful ELO programs have clear assessment processes The student should know from the beginning what they are going to be assessed on

Assessment of Mastery All four components of the ELO need to be assessed: Research Reflection Product Presentation The four components are intertwined. Rubrics provide a clear understanding of the expectations for all aspects of the ELO. Research is seen through the product and presentation. Critical thinking and understanding of materials is evident in reflection Process vs content Single pt rubrics Defines by school policy

Product The artifact(s): the concrete, tangible display of the student’s learning. Assessment Reflects the description of the ELO Demonstrates the key aspects of the learning experience Answers the essential question Can include: Portfolios Research papers Depending on the ELO it could be a building, website, a manuscript…the possibilities are endless!

Assessing Product Consider: Complexity Authenticity Quality Reflection of learning Uniqueness to the student Visually engages the audience Source Q.E.D rubric How do you define quality?

Presentation Student demonstrates research and their findings. Student publically shares their ELO experience. Involves ELO team members including: community partner, ELO Coordinator, educator and family. Defending their learning Mention competencies

Assessing Presentation Elements to consider: Articulates a clear explanation of the ELO and the rationale for it. Evolution of thought and understanding of the subject matter and materials. Use of the product in the presentation. Engages the audience. Summative assessment

Assessing Research What sources did they use? Did they integrate and apply the information into their ELO? Is that information clearly articulated? Did the product and presentation clearly demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the research and its application to the essential question? How do you assess any project that a student does- a research paper? Project? Are the product and presentation a clear reflection of what the student set out to learn? Can they articulate an answer to their essential question

Team Time You know the drill…work on the 3rd section

Now that the ELO is done The overseeing Certified Educator is responsible for: providing the student with feedback. issuing a grade. working with school counseling to record the ELO in the student’s transcript.

Let’s Face It….. ELOs are an amazing opportunity for student learning

Summary ELOs are for all students, in every subject matter. ELOs are a tool to support students to learn content and skills through a rigorous, structured learning process. There are a wide variety of resources available to support the development of ELOs.

Preview to Day 2 Learn the critical components of an ELO program including policies and practices that support ELOs. Explore strategies to develop an infrastructure to support ELOs within your school. Work with your team to create a plan to enhance or build your ELO program.