Conway Academy of Expeditionary Learning is a TK–6 public school in Escondido Union School District, California. It Is recognized as an EL Education Credentialed School for its deep commitment to transforming curriculum, instruction, culture, and leadership to drive excellent outcomes for all students. The school serves approximately 528 learners of which 77% identify as Hispanic/Latino, 36% are English language learners, and 16% are students with disabilities. Its motto, “We Are Crew, Not Passengers,” expresses a collective ethos of shared responsibility, compassion, and agency.
Embedded Files
A Day in the Life
Watch this Video to experience a day in the life of a student at Conway:
A Conway student begins the day by arriving on campus before the 8:00 am start and is greeted by a welcoming and energetic atmosphere. Once in the classroom, the student dives into the morning lessons, which often include math or literacy. Instead of only working individually, they frequently collaborate in small groups, engage in hands-on projects, and use technology to practice new skills.
By 9:45 am, it is time for recess, giving the student a chance to enjoy fresh air, play, and connect with peers. The late morning continues with inquiry-based learning, such as exploring science concepts through experiments or developing writing pieces that highlight their own ideas and creativity. Around 12:00 pm, the student enjoys lunch, followed by recess, before heading into the afternoon block. This time may include enrichment through art, P.E., or library, as well as opportunities to work on group projects or presentations.
Throughout the day, the students' voice and choice are valued, with teachers encouraging them to take ownership of their learning and share their thinking with classmates. By the time the bell rings at 2:28 pm, the Conway student leaves with a sense of accomplishment, having spent the day engaged in meaningful, collaborative, learner-centered experiences.
School Redesign Goals
In 2014–2015, Conway was identified as one of the lowest-performing schools in the district. Since then, it has undergone a remarkable transformation while adopting the Expeditionary Learning (EL) model, advancing year by year and achieving EL Education Credentialed School status in 2022. The redesign prioritized whole-child development through three dimensions of student achievement: mastery of knowledge and skills, character, and high-quality work. This journey required reimagining culture, assessment, and leadership to create an environment where all students are challenged, supported, and inspired to contribute to a better world.
School Design Elements
Clear Identity
Vision: all learners discover their unlimited potential through Excellence, Perseverance, Integrity, and Compassion (EPIC)
Mission: to create classrooms alive with inquiry so EPIC students feel compelled to make the world a better place
Small Learning Communities
Central to Conway’s design is CREW: a daily advisory structure and way of being that connects students and adults in smaller, caring communities. In CREW, learners develop belonging, build character, and practice the habits of scholarship that define ethical and effective learners. These groups help break down the scale of a TK–6 campus into intimate, relationship-rich environments where students are known and supported.
As one student shared, crew “is the heart of everything we do at Conway. It makes me feel like I’m a part of something really big. It’s like a big community and a family.”
Real-World Learning
Expeditions, which are long-range, inquiry-based projects, are the anchor of Conway’s real-world learning. Students engage in authentic fieldwork, partner with community experts, and produce work tied to real issues and audiences. Highlights of past expeditions include Better World Day, where students publicly share their learning and advocate for community impact. Learning is intentionally public and purpose-driven, where exhibitions, celebrations, and presentations of learning invite families and partners into the process.
Performance Assessment of Whole-Learner Outcomes
Assessment at Conway goes beyond standardized tests. Students articulate their learning, track progress, and showcase growth through Student-Led Conferences, Celebrations of Learning, and Passages, which are public demonstrations of understanding and skill. Authentic feedback cycles (models of excellence, critique, multiple drafts) support the creation of high-quality work. At Conway, students are positioned as leaders of their own learning journeys and encouraged to reflect on both academic mastery and character growth.
Learn more about Student-Led Conferences, even in Kindergarten, at Conway:
Teacher Collaboration
Conway’s redesign has been sustained through intensive educator collaboration. Teachers have protected, embedded time for professional learning communities (PLCs), where they review student work and co-design expeditions. In PLCs and staff meetings, they share practices that make learning visible and align assessment to whole-learner outcomes. School-wide professional learning is tied to the EL Core Practices and reinforced with sustained coaching support from onsite instructional coaches EL consulting.
Distributed Leadership
At Conway, the motto “We Are Crew” extends to leadership. Staff work in Instructional Leadership Teams (ILT) to guide improvement of instruction and learning. Students also play visible roles in shaping culture and learning, notably through student ambassadors who welcome visitors to their site and lead in-depth tours and events. Students lead whole-school meetings and CREW meetings. In addition, Conway’s credentialing process (through EL) was collaborative, requiring collective ownership of vision, progress, and continuous improvement.
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