New Designs for School

Breakthrough Schools: New Orleans 2015 Cohort

As part of the NGLC Regional Funds for Breakthrough Schools initiative, New Schools for New Orleans awarded planning grant funding to support the design of personalized learning models in five New Orleans schools.

Rooted School

Rooted helps students to discover their “why” during their high school years by exposing them to industry experiences and college preparatory curriculum in a blended learning environment. Students choose their pathway (industry or college) and personalize their remaining time in high school to best prepare them for their intended future, either by focusing on job skill development and internship opportunities or taking college preparatory or dual-enrollment classes. All students will graduate with at least one industry certification and the credits required for college enrollment.

Grades Served: 9-12 at full scale
Startup Type: New School
Operator Type: Charter
Setting: Urban
Students at Start: 60
Students at Capacity: 250
Start Date: Fall 2016

Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning

This open-enrollment school for students of all abilities specializes in providing therapeutic services to students with emotional disturbance and/or a diagnosed behavioral disorder (ED/BD). The pillars of the school model are 1) ongoing high quality professional development for teachers and support staff; 2) tight feedback loops for students and teachers; 3) learning by doing; 4) whole child learning (intellectual, social, emotional, physical); 5) collaborative inquiry/exploratory learning; and 6) therapeutic (vs. punitive responses) to challenging behavior.

Grades Served: K-8 at full scale
Startup Type: New School
Operator Type: Charter
Setting: Urban
Students at Start: 180
Students at Capacity: 420
Start Date: Fall 2016

New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School

Sci High’s PL work is focusing on learner profiles and personalized learning pathways first to ensure student engagement, self-mastery, and choice. Flexible learning environments are already a cornerstone of Sci High, from internships to dual-enrollment, AP classrooms to personalized scheduling.

Grades Served: 9-12
Startup Type: Complete Redesign
Operator Type: Charter
Setting: Urban
Students: 550
Redesign Start Date: Fall 2015

KIPP McDonough 15 Middle School

This school’s personalized learning strategy includes two primary structures: 1) The addition of an iClass, and 2) 1:1 classrooms in which all kids have access to a Chromebook. iClass is a daily class period designated specifically for fully personalized instruction and allows students to receive instruction on their specific level through a range of software programs and/or small-group instruction. In conjunction with and aligned to the student-driven work in iClass, students and content-area teachers engage with personalized learning throughout the school day, using various EdTech tools and software programs on Chromebooks in core academic classes to supplement traditional instruction and allow for more small-group instruction.

Grades Served: 5-8
Startup Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: KIPP New Orleans Schools
Operator Type: Charter
Setting: Urban
Students: 420
Redesign Start Date: Fall 2015

Akili Academy of New Orleans

Akili Academy will incorporate personalized learning strategies into every math and literacy class by the 2017-2018 school year. With these strategies, students receive whole group instruction from teachers and then are flexibly grouped to participate in a three-station rotation for the remainder of the class. The stations include a personalized learning computer station, an independent or collaborative work station, and a teacher-led small group instruction station.

Grades Served: K-8
Startup Type: Complete Redesign
Operator: Crescent City Schools
Operator Type: Charter
Setting: Urban
Students: 570
Redesign Start Date: Fall 2015