To promote participation in advisory communities, despite over half of the students attending school virtually, advisors are asking students for synchronous attendance to advisory circles through Google Meets and are projecting the virtual participants so students can see each other as they circle. Future School created a new set of advisory lessons and developed a curriculum map for each grade level advisory. They have systemized grade level teams and advisory with each scheduled on the school staff calendar. Advisors will receive training through Big Picture Learning (BPL); attend site visits; receive in-person training from the BPL Coach and the Learning Through Interests Advisory Coach; and attend conferences hosted by BPL.
With CSP funding, Future School has been able to expand their promotion and marketing by using billboards, radio spots, Facebook ads, and other social media platforms. Future School maintains positive relationships with the media in Fort Smith, and they have been interviewed many times by local news sources, including newspapers and television stations.
Since its inception, Future School has been active in the River Valley community. For example, they built a float and participated in the Fort Smith Christmas Parade; hosted a booth at Konsplosion, the local anime convention; volunteered with the Salvation Army as bell ringers during the holidays; and painted the windows of local businesses during the winter season. Future School has also hosted community events open to the public to promote their model. Most notably, their First Annual Block Party attracted citizens from throughout the Fort Smith area, including vendors, artists, and sponsors. The Chalk the Block competition, which was part of the Block Party, resulted in students from area high schools participating.
Future School is instituting Restorative Practices to address all tier 2, 3, and 4 discipline infractions with a referral to the Restorative Practice Facilitator. The School is reviewing tiered infractions and providing support to the teachers to understand the different levels. All staff will receive 24 hours of training through International Institute for Restorative Practices (or another certified entity) every five years. Future School plans to develop a peer council that will include members of the student body who have completed a training course that the school will provide. Restorative Practice Team Meetings, both for the peer council and adults, are scheduled monthly to discuss ongoing issues. Future School is expanding the use of Restorative Practice to include peer council members and/or community members who receive ongoing training monthly and access to Restorative Practices training videos/sites. The Restorative Practices Facilitator is scheduled to become a certified trainer through IIRP (International Institute for Restorative Practices) and will serve as a resource for the entire region.
90% of students in grades 10-12 will have had at least one Learning Through Interest (LTI) experience per year. These may be internships, WATC classes, or passion projects selected by the students. Although COVID restrictions could have made it difficult to make progress towards this goal, the Future School created a list of options that meet the needs of students attending campus, virtual students, and hybrid students.
90% of students in grades 10-12 who complete an LTI will create an exhibition based on their individual interests, internship site, community, and/or school need. The Exhibitions are scheduled for December 14th through the 18th. Future School is piloting ImBlaze, a program to streamline internship acquisition, follow-through, and attendance. The School plans to increase the number of community partnerships that support internships from the 186 students placed in internships last year at 166 different local business partners.