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A Research Essay
Mariana Aguilar
different secular, co-ed high schools in Los Angles and submitted five-page write-ups for each. I
selected Fairfax High School, a conventional LAUSD public school, as the first school to
observe and utilized it as a standard which to compare the other schools. Subsequently, I toured,
observed and interviewed faculty and students at Fredrick Douglas Academy, an ICEF charter
high school, DaVinci School, a project-based charter high school, and Animo Leadership High
School, a Green Dot charter high school. Although these three schools have different educational
models and pedagogies each offered something unique to their students: DaVinci provided a
real-world curriculum; Fredrick Douglas, FDA, executed rigorous college preparation; Animo
ensured a nurturing, supportive and safe environment. As a result, each of these schools has also
achieved admirable data regarding student success. DaVinci reported 98% daily attendance in
the 2009-2010 school year, (At A Glance) a statistical indicator of students’ attraction to school;
meanwhile, FDA and Animo proclaim 100% of their graduates are accepted at a four-year
university. Despite these phenomenal accomplishments, I felt that none of the high schools
completely served all of the students’ needs. I began contemplating the aspects necessary for
maximum educational development, personal growth and preparation for life after school. In this
paper, I extract information from the observational studies and other scholarly research to
propose some of the essential components of such a quintessential institution. Due to a lack of
experience and expertise, I am not attempting to discuss all the elements necessary for the
optimal high school, for that would be a tremendous and precocious undertaking at this point in
my academic career; rather, this proposal presents my initial exploration of the formation of a
high school that maximizes students’ intellectual potential, empowers them with life skills and
In order for students to freely pursue academic endeavors, the school must produce a
physically safe, socially secure and supportive environment. Abraham Maslow supports this
assertion in his Hierarchy of Needs Theory articulating that the most fundamental need, safety,
must be fulfilled before an individual can pursue less primal needs such as self-esteem and self-
actualization (Maslow 18). Self-esteem needs include the desire for competence, mastery, and
achievement while the self-actualization need can be defined as the hunger to fulfill one’s
potential (Maslow 18). Based on this theory and other supporting research, students must feel
physically safe before they can attempt to understand complex concepts, achieve academic
success and discover their talents. The physical safety of students can be ensured by establishing
organized and clean classrooms, accentuating the presence of emergency personnel and
paraphernalia, simulating protocol in a crisis and rigidly enforcing rules that prohibit violence,
harassment and weapons. The staff must also ensure emotional safety by creating a supportive
school community, providing access to counselors, implementing a ‘No Bullying’ policy, and
enforcing adequate supervision before school, after school, during recess, and passing period.
The human capital for such endeavors can be drawn from parents who would be mandated to
provide twenty-five hours of volunteer work at the school upon their child’s acceptance.
Along with creating a safe environment, the school must provide devoted teachers who
gratify students’ belongingness needs, a second vital need, that must be established for self-
esteem and self-actualization needs to emerge. Maslow’s theory supports this proposition
declaring that individuals must also fulfill the thirst to ‘belong’, which includes establishing
satisfying relationships with others and receiving affection in order to develop a concern for
higher level needs (Maslow 20). In the school, affection is not physical, but rather communicated
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through caring, dedicated and supportive faculty and administrators. Teachers would
demonstrate attentiveness to students’ needs through their before and after school availability as
exemplified by FDA, DaVinci and Animo. In an interview at FDA, Tylynn, a student, vocalized
that her teachers’ dedication illustrated through their consistent availability assured her of their
support and further more, motivated her to meet their expectations (Tylynn Interview). Her prior
acquisition of safety needs and satiation of belonging needs through the responsive relationship
with her teachers, enabled her to pursue higher level needs such as academic performance. In
addition to confirming belonging needs, the teacher’s support encouraged the dispersion of a
larger effort. Tylynn’s statement parallels the findings of psychological research as stated in the
Educational Psychology textbook that writes, “If a relationship with the teacher is important and
reasonably positive, then the student is likely to try pleasing the teacher by working hard on the
assignment (Seifert 112). Thus, caring and supportive teachers allow students to seek higher
level needs while simultaneously eliciting greater effort and generating motivation.
The infinite-assessment tool exemplified by FDA illustrates another way the school
would communicate its dedication to student success and intellectual development. This system
allows students to retake tests until they receive the grade they desire and requires them to retake
exams until they pass. However, students must complete an hour of tutoring to demonstrate their
dedication to qualify for retaking the exam. By allowing students the choice to increase test
scores, the teacher empowers the student with autonomy. Also, the teacher’s flexibility and
willingness to work with the student until they are satisfied denotes concern, reinforces their
supportive role and highlights the teacher’s belief in the student’s capabilities. The devotion on
behalf of the teacher encourages the student to expel superior effort to meet their teacher’s grand
expectations of them. Furthermore, teachers redesign the test to prevent students from
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memorizing the answers while maintaining its evaluation of the student’s understanding of the
material. All versions of the test would ask complex thinking questions defined by Bloom as
those questions that ask students to evaluate, synthesize and analyze information (Bloom, et
al.1956). These types of questions require students to break down knowledge, understand the
structure and relationship of concepts, put material together in a coherent whole, judge the value
of the information for a specific purpose and reflect a profound understanding of the idea (Seifert
212). Although it may seem that this infinite assessment approach emphasizes the grade, it
actually redirects the focus towards mastering the material because the student’s performance
will only improve in relation to his or her understanding. The shift in motive from grade to
mastery of material augments the student’s intellect because mastery of material “leads to more
sustained thoughtful learning” (Steifert 112). Thus, the infinite-assessment tool conveys a
supportive sentiment, creates incentive and facilitates profound intellectual growth – a valuable
tool indeed!
Consistently nurturing exemplifies only one of the essential qualities fundamental to the
authoritative teaching approach, a method that is necessary for engendering mature, responsible
and respectful behavior. Similar to the authoritative parenting techniques discussed by Steinberg,
authoritative teachers require students adhere to strict behavioral and academic expectations
while allowing students autonomy over their decisions (Steinberg, et al 1267). For example, if a
student came to class fifteen minutes late, the teacher would arrange appropriate consequences.
These repercussions would not be punitive in nature but rather restorative and educational like
FDA’s “Success” program. The program parallels traditional detention but utilizes a positive
name and requires students use the time towards productive engagement: studying, doing
homework, or completing office tasks. The use of a corrective rather than punitive response
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indicates to students that their teachers are not the enemy but rather someone whom the student
can cooperate with to meet their full potential. Ensuring students feel accepted and supported
rather than belittled and incompetent requires implementing and enforcing firm rules while
affirming the supportive nature of the teacher-student relationship. Therefore, the establishment
of a safe environment and the use of authoritative techniques enable students to pursue self-
esteem and self-actualization needs to develop mature behavior and responsible habits and to
2. Curriculum
growth and development of life-skills, the school would utilize the Design Based Learning
method, DBL, proposed by Doreen Nelson. Effectively applying DBL does not require the
reinvention of the entire lesson plan, rather DBL is a tool to inspire interest, engage students and
create connections with prior knowledge upon introduction of new material. The process of DBL
begins with the teacher proposing a 3-D design challenge to create something “never-before-
seen” and explicitly articulating constraints and expectations. As the students form solutions,
they learn the standard curriculum through discovery, develop a connection to their creation and
practice reading, writing, and computation skills (Nelson). For example, the teacher may present
students will need to research the following concepts: gravity and velocity, science ideas,
consumption, economic relationships, draw maps, social science skills; and calculate distance,
volume and capacity, math practice (How Does Design Based Learning Work).
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Statistical data from empirical research provides sound evidence for the efficacy of DBL
in helping students learn and increasing student desire for education. For instance, Table 1
illustrates the higher and more consistent attendance in the DBL class compared with four other
traditional classrooms (see Table 1). In the month of December, out of 20 students, the DBL
two of the other classes and an average attendance of 12 students in the remaining two classes.
Even October, the month with DBL’s lowest average attendance, 12 students, equals the
maximum average attendance of two of the other classes. Although inaccurate to assert causation
because of confounding variables, there certainly appears to be a correlation between the DBL
class and higher, more consistent attendance. If this relationship is correct, DBL classes
successfully attract students to school. An interview with Emily, a student at DaVinci supported
the allure of projects when stated, “The projects make school more fun and less boring” (Emily
Table 2, which depicts the improvement in the mastery of words (see Table 2). Most students
increased their word recognition by at least 40%, some as much as 200%; the few students who
did not progress by at least 40% had initially known more than 200 of the required words and by
the middle of the year could discern nearly all of them. The students’ rapid improvement points
The benefits of DBL also include provoking the development of complex moral
care, freedom of choice in the classroom engenders the most intricate form of moral caring:
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integrated caring, which consists of the assessment of one’s personal needs and those of others
this challenge, students must evaluate the needs of the farmer, city people and themselves when
proposing a solution. The variety of options forces students to make value judgments and
improvements in moral reasoning associated with more frequent prosocial behavior one could
also argue that DBL stimulates behavioral progress (McCafferty 368). Furthermore, DBL
provides students with the three basic needs necessary for students to achieve self-determination:
autonomy, competence and relatedness (Seifert 124). Since the DBL challenge always demands
develop a unique solution. Unlike traditional projects that delineate specific instructions, the
the direction of the enterprise. Additionally, the lack of a ‘right’ answer increases the likelihood
that the student will feel capable of achieving the challenge and gain confidence in their
competence. Finally, as students discuss the challenge with their classmates and share their 3-D
solution they will feel related to their peers. Evidently, DBL enables students to fulfill the three
needs necessary to achieve a sense of self-determination. According to the theory, students who
motivated (Seifert 124). Since research finds intrinsic motivation associated with completion of
schoolwork, enjoyment of learning and an increase in the value of education, DBL facilitates the
development of successful academic habits (Seifert 124). Thus, DBL promotes personal growth
through moral development and fosters motivation by supplying the prerequisites for self-
determination.
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information prompting students to attribute a higher value to the knowledge; furthermore, DBL
facilitates the development of skills utilized in the workforce. For instance, another DBL
challenge is the “never-before-seen” city utilized to teach geometry. Students may spend an
entire class period designing their own city block out of recycled materials, but after the allotted
time the city serves merely as a reference point that students use to understand many concepts:
identities, angles, slopes, triangles, quadrilaterals. In fact, the city embodies almost every concept
in geometry! By illuminating the connection between information learned in the classroom and
life outside the classroom, DBL increases the value of the information creating more of an
escalates the chance that the pupil will remember the knowledge for an extensive amount of time
(Christ 1). Another organization, Schools We Need, recognizes a distinct benefit of real world
demanded in an individual’s occupation (Real World Learning). The real-world context of DBL
curriculum ignites interest, leads to greater motivation and prepares students for life after school
In the classroom a teacher encounters a variety of learning styles, diverse perceptions and
preferences for ways of remembering information; therefore, in order to maximize the efficacy of
a classroom a teacher must utilize a wide range of instructional strategies so as not force learners
into a standard model (Tomlinson 2). In the book Teaching Students to Read through Their
remembers what is heard; 40 percent recalls well the things that are
format. (13)
This except illustrates the frequently referenced styles of learning: audio, visual and kinesthetic.
However, the existence of these specific types of learners lacks strong empirical foundations, but
whether or not there are classifiable differences diversity between strengths, abilities and
learning preferences certainly exist. The point is not to identify students’ learning preferences but
rather highlight the necessity to teach material through different modes so as to appeal to the
diversity of student’s strengths. Howard Gardner proposed another theory of cognitive diversity
called Multiple Intelligence that recognizes intelligence as existing in different areas including,
lingual, musical, logical, spatial, bodily, interpersonal, intrapersonal and naturalist (Gardner).
More psychologists support this theory but the primary purpose of referencing Gardner is to
illustrate the proliferation of theories that assert the assortment of strengths and preferences.
Because of the heterogeneity, it is important to diversify the type of instruction in the classroom
in order to honor and respond to students’ varying abilities (Seifert 68). For instance, the
teaching of a specific concept would adhere to the following progression: it would begin with the
DBL challenge, which naturally lends itself to the “kinesthetic” and “visual” learners. After the
teacher utilizes the DBL challenge to engage students, the teacher would articulate the lessons
objectives, one of the key steps in Madeline Hunter’s effective teaching model (Seifert 191).
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Following the explicit identification of the objective, the teacher would present information
through a short lecture, an ideal method for “audio” learners. Subsequent to the lecture, the
teacher would facilitate a classroom discussion based on analysis, synthesis and evaluation
questions, serving those with interpersonal intelligence. The incorporation of multiple teaching
strategies would ensure the communication of information in ways and serve the needs of all
students.
Teachers would also utilize the jigsaw classroom technique created by Aronson to stimulate
positive relationships among students, to fortify a socially accepting environment and to incite
social development. The technique works as follows: students are broken into multiple groups of
four or five and within the group each student is assigned a specific portion of the material that
they then research. Subsequently, the student convenes with the ‘experts’ on the topic from the
other groups to verify and exchange information before presenting the material to their jigsaw
group (Seifert 125). This method works best if the other students in the jigsaw group do not have
access to the information other than listening to their peers. For example, if studying The Great
Gatsby one student in each jigsaw group might be responsible for identifying the theme and
finding support, another for discerning symbolism and showing examples, another for
highlighting character development in the novel, and another for pointing out the use of literary
devices. In jigsaw exercises, even if one student, X, does not like another student, Y, it would not
benefit student X to ignore student Y because then he or she would not acquire the material.
Through cooperation and reliance on their peers to acquire information, students in jigsaw
groups develop more empathetic attitudes, exhibit less prejudice and hold fewer negative
stereotypes (Aronson 220). Thus, the jigsaw exercises improve relations between students,
consequently producing a more socially accepting and secure environment, one of the basic
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needs necessary for further cognitive pursuits (Seifert 54). Furthermore, the chance to collaborate
development (Solomon 1988). The group work enabled by jigsaw exercises provides
important to students’ academic career and their life after school. Over all the combination of
teaching techniques that honor all learning styles and the use of jigsaw classroom exercises
serves the variety of student abilities and preferences and establishes an accepting classroom
environment.
The education of the whole person requires a focus on students’ personal development through
the teaching of prosocial action. The prosocial behavioral development program would consist of
an informational class, recognition by the school, community service requirements and the
establishment of an intimate school community. In the informational class, students would study
pro social behavior and learn about situations that encumber helping. For instance, students
would learn about social norms that encourage prosocial behavior and that emphasize the
benefits of working others. Additionally, the course would familiarize students with concepts
like the bystander effect, the diffusion of responsibility and pluralistic ignorance (Latane &
Darley 217) that often hinder people from helping. Also, since incorrect interpretation of a
situation often impedes helping behavior (Latane & Darley 216) students would learn about the
red flags that indicate an emergency situation. Lastly, students would learn how to help in
specific situations: a car accident, a fire, and witnessing bullying or harassment. In this class the
primary mode of learning would be in jigsaw groups to encourage cooperation and facilitate the
development of empathy. Because of the strong relationship between empathy and prosocial
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behavior, the jigsaw learning groups would promote helping attitudes (McCafferty 368). Thus,
the prosocial informational class would inform students how and when to behave prosocially as
is a stimulus that increases the likelihood of a behavior by being introduced or added to the
situation (Seifert 108). According to the operant conditioning model, the enjoyable reward of
recognition for a positive action in front of peers would increase the frequency of such prosocial
behavior (Seifert 28). During an interview at Da Vinci, a teacher, Ms. Moran, articulated a
similar effect on the students saying, “The students love to be recognized with an ‘All-Star
Award.’ Even though it is only a piece of paper, they enjoy the visibility in front of their
classmates and the recognition of their model behavior” (Ms. Moran Interview). Furthermore,
recognizing students who behave prosocially allows them to develop a reputation for honestly
and credibility, and accordingly form a greater influence in modeling the benefits of prosocial
behavior (Schmuck & Schmuck 172). An apparently simple thing, a slip of paper turned into a
revered certificate when the school bestows its stamp of approval can have powerful effects in
Community service projects comprise an important component to teaching prosocial behavior for
they stimulate ties between students and their community. One scholar, Raji Swaminathan, who
similar benefits stating, “Such “real world’’ experiences will help students build identities as
community reminds them of the close proximity of tragic disparities. Resulting from continuous
service and interaction, students develop a relationship with the people they help and become
conscientious of strong connections between them and their surroundings. This sense of
interdependence raises the likelihood of prosocial behavior for students recognize themselves as
belonging to the same community (Kidron & Flieschman 90). Additionally, community service
projects are a unique environment where students learn useful life skills outside the classroom.
community based service projects with academic skills and content and provides opportunities
for structured reflection on the service experience”(Swaminathan 140). The experiences earned
in community service projects are relevant and valuable to life after school whether it is through
work place, with most occupations demanding interaction with people of diverse backgrounds
these skills fundamentally prepare students to function in the work place. In order to enable
maximum personal growth, the community service project would not end after one year; rather,
it would span the entire duration of the student’s high school experience with the student
selecting the organization in the 9th grade from a preapproved list. The personal selection of the
organization reflects an individual interest or as defined in Hidi and Renniger’s “The Four-Phase
predisposition to reengage in content over time (Hidi & Renninger 113). Since the student would
be working with the organization over the course of four years, it is imperative that the student
demonstrates individual interest in the subject. Additionally, individual interest “has been found
to have a positive impact on attention, recognition, and recall; persistence and effort” (Hidi &
Renninger 115). Therefore, the student’s freedom of selection increases the likelihood that they
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remember the skills learned in the community service project and expel greater effort. To ensure
further benefits from the community service project, students would write five page self-
reflections at the end of each semester documenting their personal reactions, experiences and
growth. Afterwards, the students would share their self-reflection log with a group of classmates
during a special school assembly, because much fieldwork finds that interactions and responses
from other students amplify the impact of self-reflection (Seifert 194). As the culmination of
their community service project, students in the 12th grade would present to younger students an
innovative proposal for other ways to combat the social issue related to their organization and
relay the beneficial experience of helping others. In these presentations, the seniors’ actions and
vocalized rationale for prosocial behavior would serve as an effective model to younger students
(McCafferty 369). Community service projects expand the breadth of student experience,
immerse them into real world situations, nurture compassion and connect them to the world
Lastly, creating a tight knit school community is the final element in the prosocial
between students, creates expectations of social trust and promotes a concern for one’s
perception within the school (Kidron & Flieschman 91). School wide activities such as
assemblies, fairs, student concerts, and spirit week strengthen the sense of a school community.
Other policies can also foster close ties between specific students. For instance, peer tutors, as
witnessed at Animo and FDA, also exemplify a policy that fosters ties between students and
helps them succeed academically. Peer Tutors are students who already completed the course
with an A and assists students struggling in that course either through before or after school
tutoring. The tutoring relationship establishes strong links between the student and the tutor
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through a reciprocal exchange: students improve upon their understanding with the tutor’s help
and the tutor feels a sense of reward and satisfaction as the student masters material. The trusted
relationship between the two students of different grades cultivates more inter-grade ties within
Vgotsky the use of an expert in the material also augments the student’s performance compared
to performing alone (Seifert 34). The use of a tutor is not permanent, but rather is a form of
instructional scaffolding, a temporary framework, that the student can utilize until they have
mastered the material. (Seifert 34). Thus, the peer tutors program serves the students academic
needs as well as establishes more connections between students and in turn brings the school
community closer.
Finally, the sentiment of a close school community would be completed with the
found that it improves student performance and fortifies connections with the school.
Supervising lunch times, cooking and serving lunch in the cafeteria, chaperoning school dances
and field trips or volunteering to support extra curricular activities could fulfill the parental
volunteer hours. This type of visibility of parents at the school establishes the sentiment of a
family and reinforces the sense of a school community. Also, all parents would be required to
attend at least six of the ten monthly meetings, a process demonstrated by FDA where parents
visit each of their child’s classrooms and hear a twenty-minute update on the class’ assignments,
projects, achievements and challenges. Establishing a relationship between parents and teachers
further integrates the school into the lives of the students as the adults form a unified front.
Furthermore, if a student receives below a 3.0 GPA the student’s parent must come and shadow,
a concept adopted from Animo, their child for a day in order to gain a better understanding of
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their child’s challenges. The presence of one’s parents at school emphasizes the close link
between personal families and the school, consolidating the connection between one’s personal
and academic life. In turn, the integration of home and school life promotes the sense of the
school as an overarching constant. Lastly, all parents would be given access to an online system
to check their child’s grades, attendance and correspond with faculty and staff. The importance
of communication with the parents is very important for it enriches parents’ awareness of what
their students are learning and empowers them to provide more confident and informed support
to their child (Seifert 144). This involvement in their daughter or son’s life serves to create
further support for the student’s academic pursuits. Thus, parental involvement both improves
performance in the classroom as well as works to strengthen the sense of a school community,
There are many other topics necessary to discuss and research in the formation of a high
school and the topics I addressed reflect only an elementary exploration of the intricacies
fundamental to an educational institution. However, the paper presents the essential mission of
the school I will one day create: to prepare students for life through rigorous intellectual
development and personal growth. Some topics I will explore further include the use of
of the student’s voice in the school, optimal class scheduling, after school and extra curricular
programs and a major focus on curriculum development. This class and paper is my first dive
into the realm of education and I feel both inspired by the vast amount research, information and
leaders in the field as well as overwhelmed by the incredible amount of work to be done.
However, after this independent study, scholarly research, school observations and visitation to
various educational reformers’ lectures I am assured that I am not toiling alone, rather I am
Aguilar 18
accompanied by the brilliant thinkers before me and my passionate peers pursuing similar
endeavors.
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Notes:
Table 1- Attendance of Second Graders in five different classrooms, four with traditional
Source: "Results." Teaching and Learning through Doreen Nelson's Method of Design Based
<http://www.csupomona.edu/~dnelson/results.html>.
Aguilar 20
Source: "Results." Teaching and Learning through Doreen Nelson's Method of Design Based
<http://www.csupomona.edu/~dnelson/results.html>.
Aguilar 21
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