Chrysalis School

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Time to Get Rid of the Traditional Grading Scale

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GradingpicResearch: Evidence has grown over the last century to show that traditional grading practices are subjective, ineffective, and often irrational. Time and time again studies demonstrate that when grades are used as punishment or to give students a “reality check,” the focus moves away from student learning and engagement plummets. Best grading practices include accurate, specific, and timely feedback that provide students opportunities for growth rather than marking them failures, and result in higher student performance, fewer disciplinary actions, and improved engagement and morale.
Practice: Our grading system largely reflects our philosophy and our goal of creating confident, lifelong learners. We use grading to highlight student strengths, honor their efforts, document mastery, and encourage the learning process. As a result, students develop positive self-concepts as learners and are more open to challenging themselves academically, leading to increased student performance.

Tired of Standardized Tests?

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Standardized testResearch: Traditional classrooms depend largely on testing to gauge student learning and achievement. Teachers present a lesson to a large group of students and use tests or quizzes to determine whether or not it stuck. Termed “summative” testing, this practice gives answers to what a student knows or doesn’t know at a particular moment in time. Researcher Thomas Haladyna notes that its use as a final outcome of learning is largely biased and even dangerous, as student progress is glossed over or minimized by scores that are based on arbitrary and often developmentally inappropriate criteria.

Practice: When working with small groups or one-on-one, the need for these impersonal forms of assessment is negated. We can constantly gauge what our students know by assessing them in a variety of ways to determine the breadth and depth of their knowledge. It’s not to say that we don’t use testing as a form of assessment. Students may take tests or quizzes, but they are used to inform our teaching–where we need to focus next, what lessons we need to re-teach, and so on. We do take care to prepare students for the SAT and college by introducing test-taking strategies along the way, but we refuse to tie their success to a single number.

“Just Right” Level of Challenge

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IMG_9683Research: In 1934, psychologist Lev Vygotski coined the term “zone of proximal development.” It represents the difference between what a student can do independently and what they can do with guidance and encouragement from a more knowledgeable person (i.e., a teacher). It’s the sweet spot in learning, where a student has enough knowledge to be comfortable and enough challenge to be intrigued and ready to stretch their learning.

Practice: In our experience, a lack of challenge creates boredom and disengagement, while too much challenge creates anxiety and stress. We aim for the zone of proximal development, or “just right” level of challenge, with each student. As teachers get to know students and their abilities they are able to match students with their ideal learning level and activities to support it. This level matches the right amount of teacher support with the right amount of challenge to encourage academic progress and performance.

Is the Traditional Day Best for our Teens?

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Tired-student-at-booksResearch: In 2014 the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a study that middle and high schools shouldn’t start earlier than 8:30 am. A new study moves that time to 10 am, which has caused quite a stir in the education community. Critics move quickly to disregard the research for the “realities” of time management. They fail, however, to reimagine school in different terms, where we don’t have to be bound by a traditional 7-hour day and we can pay attention to how kids really learn. Study after study confirms that the biological changes during adolescence require teens to get about 9 hours of sleep and re-wire them to both go to bed and wake up later. The effects of what can become irrevocable sleep loss include reduced cognitive responses, increased emotional responses, and increased risk of physical responses and disease. This adds up to grumpy teens who aren’t ready to learn and can’t work at their potential.

Practice: At Chrysalis we understand that every student is unique. We know that for learning to occur basic well-being must take priority, so we schedule according to each individual’s needs. Those who are able to start early are allowed to, but very few students at our high school start before 9 am. Likewise, those who need more sleep in the morning are allowed a later start. Sometimes we see that a particular subject just isn’t working as the first class of the day and we can shift it to the afternoon to take advantage of peak brain time. It’s all about optimizing the conditions for learning.

All the Rage in Education!

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FullSizeRender (1)Research: The term “personalization” is all the rage in the realm of education these days, with schools and software popping up in response right and left. Chris Lehmann of the Science Leadership Academy warns that this term should be exercised with caution. It can go wrong in two important ways: 1) by failing to actually tailor learning to the student and relying upon individualized pace alone to “personalize” standardized content, and 2) by embracing a “deficit model” in which the student’s weaknesses are not only identified, but narrowly focused upon, resulting in students spending the majority of their time in areas of weakness rather than areas of strength.

Practice: At Chrysalis personalization means that students’ courses, teachers, teaching methods curricula, and pace are all tailored to them. This is most true of one-on-one classes, where the course can be highly individualized to the students’ needs, interests, and abilities. In group classes personalization is adjusted to the group as a whole. Since groups formed by joining like-learners the teacher still has a high degree of flexibility to personalize learning to the group’s needs. We minimize weakness by allowing students to learn in their preferred style, building upon their strengths in the process. This is the real deal!

Affective Education

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head and brainResearch: Research on the brain’s affective filter demonstrates that a student’s emotional state is closely linked to their ability to learn. When the brain is in a positive emotional state students can learn more effectively and at higher levels of cognition. Neurologist Judy Willis concludes, “With such evidence-based research, the affective filter theories cannot be disparaged as ‘feel-good education’ or an ‘excuse to coddle students’—if students are stressed out, the information cannot get in. This is a matter of science.”
Practice: Our program incorporates the elements of an affective education, meaning that we are just as concerned with the personal and social development of the individual as we are with their academic or cognitive development. We know that when these are out of balance negative emotions can present themselves in a number of ways. We work to minimize the stress and anxiety around schooling and keep positive attitudes about learning and school.

Learning Never Ends

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DSC_0367 (3)Research: Jerome Bruns, author of “They Can But They Don’t,” argues that learning doesn’t have to be confined to the classroom or traditional worksheets, lectures, and homework. He’s a firm believer that kids are natural learners and that as parents we are their first and most influential teachers. The time we spend with them is simply irreplaceable. Spending time with them, observing and participating in their areas of interest, encouraging them without evaluating or pointing out their errors, and helping correct them in nonjudgmental ways are incredibly valuable learning opportunities.
Practice: Families who are new to Chrysalis may find themselves asking, what should we do with all this extra time that my child’s not in school?! Think of all the life skills your child will need in the future. They will need to cook, manage their finances, find their way around town, board a bus…it’s endless and learning is hidden in many activities. Cooking is math, TV sparks discussion, excursions are lessons in how to navigate the region, read maps, plan and organize an outing. Chores, PE, community service, times with family and friends, sports, and extra sleep are all valuable activities!

Maker Space

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DSC_7093Research: One of the hottest new trends in education is based in the maker movement, an extension of “do-it-yourself” culture. It combines the elements of shop class, the arts, engineering, and home economics to promote creativity and teach real-world skills within the school day. The school offers a space where tools, supplies, and other resources are available for students to tinker and experiment with. These hands-on learning opportunities introduce new hobbies and passions to students, and according to Roland Barth of the Harvard Principals’ Center, develop risk taking, purposefulness, the ability to pose important questions, freedom, hard work, collective learning, leadership, and a sense of responsibility for one’s self and others.

Practice: Last year we applied for a received a grant from the Glendorn Foundation to bolster hands-on learning. We will be creating maker spaces at both campuses that offer tools, supplies, and other resources to tinker and experiment with outside of class. We see great potential in this project as so many of our students are experiential, or hand-on, learners. At the South Campus activity centers will provide choice in how students spend their time during their activity/study period. At the high school breaks in their schedules will offer time for experimentation.

Problem Solving With Minecraft

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minecraft_2_lResearch: Minecraft has been hailed as a “virtual sandbox,” with opportunities for kids to build, explore, and create on a digital platform. Education writer James Drzewiecki identifies many benefits to using Minecraft in the classroom, which include: increased engagement, collaboration and teamwork, building social skills, increased problem-solving skills, the creative introduction of curricular content, the incorporation of student choice and creativity, and incredible potential for use in endless subject areas. Its overwhelming appeal to many students makes it an accessible and comfortable format for them to engage in the learning process and demonstrate what they know.
Practice: As a tool that so many of our students are familiar with and enjoy, we see a world of opportunities for learning with Minecraft. We are extremely grateful to the parent who made a generous donation to the South Campus this summer. We are now outfitted with new computers, iPads, and our own server so that we can begin to explore the potential for this new technology. We can’t wait for it to transpire!

Highly Selective

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matt chessResearch: There’s currently a nationwide teacher shortage, as the number of college students who choose to become teachers drops and teachers already in the field leave the career. Schools are scrambling to hire the teachers they need and stretching the qualifications necessary to make it happen.

Practice: Our process for hiring new teachers is highly selective, going well beyond credentials to ensure that candidates are in line philosophically in how they think about children, learning, and the school community. Once they’re hired they go through teacher training and are assigned a mentor teacher to learn our culture and practices. Being at Chrysalis is a continual process of learning and discovery for everyone who works and studies here. We’ve made a few outstanding hires this summer who we’re really excited about…we can’t wait for you to meet them!

Our Campuses

Chrysalis High School and Middle School
15900 Woodinville-Redmond Rd NE
Woodinville, WA p: (425) 481-2228

Chrysalis Elementary Campus
17005 140th Ave NE
Woodinville, WA p: (425) 481-2228

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