Activate

Goal
Kick off the work of transformation, build community support, and get energized to transform high school

Phase Owner(s)
District transformation team, school design teams

Embarking on the
Design Journey, Together

In this phase, district and/or school teams publicly announce the commitment to transformation, assess the student experience within each high school through the Educational Opportunity Audit & Analysis (EOAA), activate the school and broader community around transformation, and determine how to move forward. Along the way, schools and districts build the case for transformation, raise the ambition of what’s possible, and get energized to transform high schools.

In high school transformation initiatives led by a district or partner and involving multiple schools, this is the time for building deep, collaborative relationships with school design teams.

Creating the Conditions for Success

To be successful in this phase, district and school team members need to be coordinated in their efforts so they can address obstacles as they arise. Shared work in this phase—particularly regarding the public announcement and assessing the student experience—will set the stage for later work.

The Activate Phase Journey

Phase:

Initiate

Districts and/or schools learn about high school transformation, build belief, and prepare for the journey ahead.

Key steps in this phase

Assembling the district transformation team and/or the school design team
Assessing readiness
Enlisting key community members

Phase:

Activate

Districts and/or schools kick off the work, build community support, and get energized to transform high school.

Key steps in this phase

Announcing a public commitment to high school transformation
Activating the community
Understanding the student experience (EOAA)

Phase:

Design

Schools explore transformation while developing their design concepts. Districts or partners offer guidance and support.

Key steps in this phase

Completing a series of design experiences
Conducting inspiration visits to other schools
Developing school concepts and proposals

Phase:

Implement

Schools pilot and scale their design concepts, with ongoing support from the district or partner.

Key steps in this phase

Piloting and prototyping
Launching full school model
Continuing to build community support
Building and evolving the model

Assessing student experience (EOAA):

The district and high schools participate in the EOAA—providing transcripts, surveys, and focus groups to better understand student experience. Schools attend Student Journey sessions to unpack learnings.

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Activating the community:

Districts work to create broad awareness of the transformation effort in the community while high schools begin to envision the future of high school within their school communities.

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Experiencing Design Workshop 1:

Districts, schools, and the facilitation partner come together for a session to understand the needs of each high school and imagine what transformation might make possible.

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