Draft+1

Strategic Education Design in RSU 3: Moving Toward a Proficiency Based System

Why Change Education?
Certainly, we have many people putting their best efforts, energy, and intentions into education. We have passionate teachers, we have some excellent students, but could we improve? We want to create a system that works better for both the teachers and the students. We want to address some of the issues we currently see, such as these facts:
 *  40% of children are not proficient at many grade levels in Math and Reading.
 *  Missing 20 school days or more student is not uncommon in our district.

In light of issues like those above, it is apparent that something must change. But what is it and how we will do it? How do we find or create new model that will best serve our educational goals? How do we define those goals in the first place? How do we ensure that the new system will fit the values and practical needs of our community? These are the questions we seek to address and we need your involvement.

There is a process already in motion in our district that aims to redesign & rethink education. In the spring of 2011, the school board voted to move RSU 3 toward the implementation of a proficiency based system. As part of this process, two separate committees were formed: one for teachers and administrators and one for parents and community members. Both committees are creating and discussing a vision of how a proficiency based model would work. In the end, there will be a process of bringing these visions together.
 * The Design Process **

What is a Proficiency Based System?
Some key points of a proficiency based system could be:
 *  Students are grouped by ability rather than age
 *  Demonstrate proficiency before advancing
 *  Students will learn the same skills, but in a different way
 *  Teacher role becomes primarily facilitator, guide and coach
 *  Learning is often project based
 *  Students schedule their work
 *  Group work & Collaboration is encouraged

Get Involved In The Process
We have created multiple digital means to encourage and allow wider community participation in this process. Support from the community is central to the goal of the design process. Education simply cannot work without the support and involvement of the community. Meetings of the community focused committee are open to the public. There are also ways to participate online.
 * 1)  [|RSU 3 Strategic Design Email Group] - Members of the community design team are emailing ideas back and forth, discussing strategies and educational goals. Sign up to join the conversation.
 * 2)  Collaborate on Our Wiki - In this shared space anyone can contribute articles, videos, or their own thoughts for the community to see. The goal is to create a well thought out description of this new education vision
 * 3)  [|Read about Proficiency Based Systems on the RSU 3 Site] - The district has put together a introductory page that lists the concepts involved in this design process, as well as the contact information for members of both committees.