In a semester-long partnership with XQ, we were challenged to rethink the high school experience to better prepare students for the future. Over five months, we researched and developed a year-long high school course that rethinks the A-F grading system and uses design thinking and project-based work to build creative confidence and collaborative habits. I ideated, designed, and built this course's structure with a team of students from the Iovine and Young Academy at the same time we were doing a consulting project with Mattel on Hot Wheels. We did this project over the course of one semester in partnership with XQ. I was primarily responsible for developing the new grading system our course uses.
core problem
Students don’t feel that course material is preparing them for life beyond high school.
Research
We began our research by conducting user interviews with our three main stakeholder groups: current and past high school students, high school teachers, and high school administrators.
To reach out to current high school students, we partnered with the XQ School DaVinci RISE to interview students about their experiences. Many of these students have attended more than one school, so these kids were able to compare their experiences for us. Our goal was to familiarize ourselves with their perspectives and find programs and experiences that were both positive and pain points for the students. What were their favorite classes? What did they see as the most valuable skills they have learned? Is there a specific type of learning environment that is more constructive than others? Because their school is an alternative school designed to help transient students, some of whom are in foster care, RISE approaches curriculum and the classroom in new ways, providing us with an interesting perspective to counter a lot of our personal experiences and presumptions.
We also interviewed students who graduated high school in the spring of 2019 and are currently freshmen in the University of Southern California Iovine and Young Academy. We spent much of the interviews asking them about their high school experiences and how they influenced their decision to attend the Academy and what they would change if given the chance. We wanted to get an idea of how well different high schools have prepared students for the creative, fast-paced, project-based, collaborative nature of Academy courses.
Lastly, we interviewed high school administrators and teachers from Simi Valley High School to get a sense for their motivation and passion in the classroom and when students are most engaged.
key findings: students
- Careers are becoming more interdisciplinary, schools are not
- Students are often encouraged to pick a single direction
- They aren't aware that interdisciplinary programs and careers are an option
key findings: teachers
- Many teachers hate following pre-established curriculum
- Teachers love creating their own curriculum
- Students love learning from a teacher's own curriculum
Our solution
Using the key insights we gained from our user interviews, we turned to the internet to research what solutions were already out there, if any, and learned what we wanted to take on.
We decided to build our own year-long high school course that would keep students engaged and prepare them for life after high school while also giving teachers more freedom in their own course design.
While I found curriculum and course design interesting, rethinking traditional grading systems is what I really got excited about. I wanted to design a new grading system for our course that focuses on growth and takes into account effort, creativity, and mastery.
As with most new ideas, I started with desk research.
My goal was to create a grading system that would encourage students to discover passions without the stress and constraints of a typical course. While many students succeed under the traditional A-F and Pass/Fail systems, most students around the United States struggle with it. This includes students with disabilities, financial strain, and responsibilities that stretch beyond the classroom. The current grading systems we are using often leave these students behind.
I needed to create a system that would relieve these students of the pressure and stress of our current system, while still encouraging students to push themselves.
What we built
We designed and built out a semester-long course that enables students to build creative confidence and learn how to collaborate effectively. In this course, students go through each stage of the design thinking process to bring one project from problem to solution. To keep the course challenging for students who take it more than once, we included a collection of themes teachers can choose from each semester to guide students' projects.
The course is designed to be implemented as a Pass/No Credit course to eliminate any fear of failure that poor grades or a Fail may cause, reducing creativity in students and altering the goals of the course. It will teach students how to prioritize their time and balance passions with obligations.
Teachers and students check in regularly to discuss the student's performance and progress. These check-ins are designed to be kept solely between the teacher and student.
This grading system uses a checkpoint system, with consistent teacher-student check-ins regarding the student's performance and progress. The parent will see the Pass or No Credit score at the end of the course, as well as the student's final presentation and portfolio. We designed it this way to create drive within students that is independent from parental pressure. Sharing check-in information with parents may create undue pressure on students and keep them from learning how to balance different elements of their life.
What I learned
This project showed me just how much I enjoy examining the most basic systems we use through the lense of accessibility and inclusivity. I also gained a new perspective on the stigma of trade school and other college alternatives. Having grown up in a small town, I know a lot of people who chose trade school after high school. Yet my time at USC has shown me just how much people in other parts of the country frown on people who choose those options. Looking at college alternatives this way really denies the struggles and hardships experienced by students with disadvantages and disabilities that make it exceptionally difficult to succeed in school. This inspired me to start In the Margins for my capstone project. Stay tuned to learn more about what I'm working on now!