Iowa BIG Update to Board of Education Monday, July 20, 2015 Dr. Trace Pickering, BIG Administrator Taylor Zeller, Prairie Student Enrolled in BIG

Student View: Taylor Zeller Putting the “public” back into “public education” Projects: xxx Place photos/text where you’d like.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” Learning is most powerful & lasting when students: Are allowed to pursue a line of inquiry aligned to their passions.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” Learning is most powerful & lasting when students: Are treated as they are: thinking, caring human beings wanting to make a difference.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” Learning is most powerful & lasting when students: Are engaged in authentic projects.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” Learning is most powerful & lasting when students: Work with and are accountable to authentic audiences expecting real results.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” Learning is most powerful & lasting when students: Learn content in context.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” We exist to: Unleash the creative power and ability of young people.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” We exist to: Connect them deeply with their community.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” We exist to: Be a visible, measurable part of driving economic vitality.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” We exist to: Retain Iowa talent in Iowa, for Iowa.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” We exist to: Fundamentally alter the mental models of “school” and “education”.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” How we do it: Integrate “subject/discipline/content” learning into highly contextualized problems, issues, and opportunities of impact. _

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” How we do it: Create continuous opportunities for serendipity.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” How we do it: Co-create with our community.

Core Tenets & Beliefs How we do it: Team kids with teachers of all ilks: professional educators, business & community leaders, entrepreneurs, other students. Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” How we do it: Throw them into the public arena.

Core Tenets & Beliefs Putting the “public” back into “public education” How we do it: We ensure joy is a part of the work.

A Few Sample Projects:  Second Story Farms & ZeroMyles Aeroponic/Aquaponic Urban Farming  Urban Orchards  Success to the Power of SHE  ShoeLace Jobs LLC – teen job connector website  Johnson STEAM Academy Magnet School entryway redesign  Potential of wireless power’s impact on regional electrical supply company  Self-navigating spectrometer: measurement & analysis of PCB levels in Iowa waters  Drone for agricultural mapping and research  Bever Park Zoo revitalization Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Iowa BIG Results  72 students, 38 projects, 60 community partners (40+ CCSD students)  GPA range: 1.8 to 4.3 (no correlation to being successful at BIG)  Offered limited set of core courses and electives  3 business start-ups  2 students gained 3 & 5 points on their ACT from previous attempt  560 hours of additional instruction  2,000+ core academic and 21 st century standards verified and documented Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Iowa BIG Data  Parents Survey. How would you rate your child’s overall experience at BIG?  39% - Outstanding, beyond expectations!  46% - Excellent, very pleased  15% - It was a good experience  How satisfied are you with the level of learning, including the development of life-long skills, your child achieved?  62% - Extremely satisfied  23% - Very satisfied  15% - Satisfied  95% of student we surveyed indicated they felt a greater sense of ownership in their own learning. Have you seen this same kind of change? Putting the “public” back into “public education” 100% Positive! 100% Satisfied! 100% YES!

Iowa BIG Data Senior Exit Survey.  How confident are you in your ability to communicate professionally?  How confident are you in your ability to design solutions to real world problems?  How confident are you in your ability to manage your time? Putting the “public” back into “public education” 100% Confident Communicators! 100% Confident Problem Solvers! 100% Confident Time Managers!

Senior Exit Survey.  This year, did your grades go up, down, or stay the same?  Did you find joy in the initiatives and projects you helped serve this year? 100% YES! 91.7% Same or Better! Iowa BIG Data Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Iowa BIG Data Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Iowa BIG – Student Comment  “That I mattered as a student.” Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Iowa BIG – Next Iteration  Stronger mentorship  More access to “just-in-time” workshops & learning  More business-based projects & work  Stronger parent communication & involvement  Follow-up with research support  Continue to expand the model & share results Putting the “public” back into “public education”

Questions/Conversation Putting the “public” back into “public education”