Mt. Hope High School &
XQ+RI Education Transformation
Project Manager
Task: Managed a comprehensive year-long deep dive into high school reform, which was intended to embed equitable, inclusive, diverse experiences, while engaging student voice and providing relevant Real-World Learning opportunities with a desire for life-long education.
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Specifics: Assembled a comprehensive team of students, faculty, industry experts and key stakeholders to share in the vision and co-create a new working model for the 21st century.
Steps Involved: Onsite school visits across multiple states, presentations to industry leaders, school board, faculty and families.
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Outcome: 256 page grant proposal application which included: School Redesign, Pilot Portfolio, Implementation Plan and Stakeholder Engagement Portfolio which outlined all specifics of the project.
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How I Worked with Mt. Hope High School on the XQ+RI Education Transformation Project
In March 2018, the XQ Super School Project announced that Rhode Island would be the first recipient of its national state-by-state effort to reform high school. There would be an initial $25,000 Planning Grant competition awarded to twenty schools across the state to reform the delivery of education. One year later, two schools would be selected to receive a $500K award.
Three months after the initial meeting, Mt. Hope High School was awarded the $25,000 Planning Grant, and the year-long effort began.
As the XQ Project Manager, my responsibility was to work directly with the school principal and a design team to collect feedback from students, faculty, the school board, community members, and employers to determine what resources Mt. Hope High School needed to better serve its students. In addition to input, we also received data from the XQ+RI Equity Audit to gain clarity on underserved populations within the school.
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Informed by qualitative insight and hard data, we held focus groups that prioritized the student voice. Next, the principal and I toured the United States to meet educational leaders that had successful models for meeting student needs.
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After several months of planning, we drafted a 256-page grant request that emphasized equity, student voice, social justice and relevant Real-World Learning. It was a monumental project, but awe inspiring. While Mt. Hope High School was not selected as a finalist, we incorporated our learnings into the current and future curriculum.