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Glossary |
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Academic Review
An academic review is a meeting of a student’s learning team for the purpose of reviewing concerns about a student’s lack of academic progress. An academic review may be requested by any member of the student’s learning team at any time.
Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
The Acceptable Use Policy is a legal document that details the rules for using MC2’s technology resources. By signing the agreement, students and parents indicate that they have read and understood the document and agree to the conditions of access to MC2’s technology network and resources.
Advisor
An MC2 teacher who serves as a student’s mentor and advocate is an advisor. Advisors generally work with 10 – 12 students for the entire year. Every student has an advisor.
Advisory
Advisories have 10 - 12 students in them. Advisory time is from 7:45-8:15 in the morning, and from 1:30-2:00 in the afternoon. Afternoon Advisory time is spent writing student End of Days. Students work within their advisory to set up a their Individualized Learning Plans, establish internships, and develop the foundational skills and habits (see Habits of Being, Habits of Mind, and MC2 Habits) for success at MC2.
Advisory Committee
The Advisory Committee is a representational group that provides the Director of MC2 advice in strategic planning, particularly in areas related to students and curriculum and the extended learning community. Members are representative of constituent groups, including two parent representatives and one student representative.
Artifact
An artifact is evidence of learning. An artifact may be the product of the student’s work, such as a poem, paper, poster, robot, model, illustration, etc. Artifacts of a student’s learning process may include photographs, videotapes, news articles, letters, etc. Artifacts must be archived digitally in a student’s Work Area on First Class.
Assessment
MC2 does not give grades, but focuses on comprehensive performance assessment. This means student are evaluated based on being able to demonstrate their learning and apply that learning in meaningful ways. There are two categories of assessment at MC2: formative, or ongoing feedback; and summative, judging student’s readiness to move forward. Assessment at MC2 is designed to model the “360 degrees of feedback” used in many business settings, so feedback is gathered (and encouraged) from a variety of sources: advisors, other educators, parents, mentors, other students, and the student him or herself.
Basic Skills
Identified by the SCANS Report (Secretary’s Commission on Achieving Necessary Skills, U.S. Department of Labor, 1991) as Reading, Writing, Speaking, Listening, and Mathematics/Arithmetic, Basic Skills are foundational to student learning. MC2 students are expected to be competent in all Basic Skills by the end of Phase 1.
Block
Blocks are designated times for planned academic learning opportunities. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, MC2 has a three block day. Block 1 is from 8:50-10:20; Block 2 is from 11:00-12:15, and Block 3 is 12:15-1:30
Challenge
A challenge is a learning opportunity that engages students in learning through problems. There are three types of challenges: real-world challenges, requiring action that will have a real audience and a real impact on others outside of the school; a “scenario” challenge, which is staged to simulate a real problem; or an academic challenge, targeting specific subject area knowledge and/or skills.
College Bound Reading Projects
MC2 students are expected to read a minimum of twenty books designated as “College Bound Reading” over the course of their high school career. One listing of college bound reading may be accessed online at www.ala.org/yalsa/ booklists/obcb . Another, more comprehensive resource for identifying appropriate titles is the book Reading Lists for College-Bound Students (available in the MC2 Information Center). Upon completing a College Bound Reading book, a student must complete a project based on the College Bound Reading Project guidelines.
Community Service
Community Service is unpaid work done in or out of school for an unrelated person or for an organization. A Community Service Log, found in First Class, should be filled out upon completion of any non-disciplinary community service in or out of school. Students also need to complete one Work Sample for the community service completed in each phase.
Competent (Competent Assessment)
A competent assessment indicates a student understands the fundamentals of the content, can demonstrate the skills, and makes conscious choices about what will and will not work. The student can distinguish important from unimportant, and is consistent, steady, and accomplished in applying his/her understandings and knowledge.
Destination Imagination (DI)
Destination Imagination is a creativity and problem solving program that helps learners develop Habits through solving challenges and participating in the regional, state, and possibly even global competitions.
EOD (End of Day)
At the end of each school day (except Friday – see EOW), each student is expected to write a 200 word (minimum) reflective message describing the school day, and accounting for their learning and behavior. The EOD should end with a productivity rating on a scale of 1-5 (1= unproductive, 5= very productive). The EOD should be e-mailed to the student’s advisor, parents, and to the Director.
EOW (End of Week)
At the end of a school week, typically on Friday, students are expected to write a 500 word (minimum) reflection about their learning over the past week. Students are expected to identify highlights of the week, set goals for the upcoming week, and identify tasks that need to be addressed. The EOW should be e-mailed to the student’s advisor, parents, and to the Director.
End of Quarter/End of Year Report
The End of Quarter (EOQ) report is prepared and sent home three times a year, at the end of each of the first three quarters. The EOQ reports on a student’s progress toward the goals set in his/her ILP, assessments in the Habits, and progress in documentations of Essential Knowledge. At the end of the fourth quarter an End of Year (EOY) report is prepared. This summarizes the student’s growth and progress of the past school year, records the goals set at the student’s last exhibition, and identifies the summer work the student has planned. EOQs and EOYs are mailed home.
Essential Knowledge
Essential Knowledge refers to the content standards that every student must know and be able to do upon graduation. MC2’s essential knowledge standards are drawn from the New Hampshire State Curriculum Frameworks and national standards (American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Council of Teachers of English, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, National Council for the Social Studies, etc.).
Essential Question
An Essential Question (EQ) is an open-ended question that requires students to engage in applied problem solving through gathering and analyzing information, evaluating choices between options, and synthesizing their learning by developing a personal response to the question.
Essential Schools
Schools that classify themselves as Essential Schools are members of the Coalition of Essential Schools, a national school reform organization built around ten common principles, as described by Theodore Sizer. For more information, visit www.essentialschools.org.
Exhibition
An exhibition is a public presentation of an individual student’s learning. Students articulate what they have learned, how they are applying that learning, and how they will build on that learning (what their future goals are). Students are expected to defend their work with accompanying artifacts to an evaluating panel. The panel includes the student’s parents and advisor. As the student progresses, the audiences and panel grows, including outside panelists and student advocates. Students who intend to progress from one Phase to the next must complete a Gateway Exhibition. The first exhibitions of the school year are scheduled in the afternoon and evening. The rest are scheduled during the school day.
First Amendment Project Schools
MC2 has the honor of being a First Amendment Project School. First Amendment schools are committed to modeling and teaching the rights and responsibilities of citizenship that frame civic life in our democracy.
First Class
First Class is MC2’s online community. Important communication about school activities, procedures, discussions, debates, schedules, and resources are available through First Class. Each student has a personal account where work is stored and documented. Each student’s family has a separate account, providing access to student work, assessments, and schedule. First Class is the primary means of communication between student, parent and advisor.
Gateway
A Gateway Exhibition is a student’s demonstration of readiness for the next Phase of learning. A student must have completed all components of the applicable phase in the Graduation Checklist and evidence of progress in Essential Knowledge documentations in order to declare intent to gateway and enter into the gateway process. The gateway process involves a phase portfolio and a gateway exhibition. A student may declare intent to gateway at any time (with appropriate documentation) and enter into the gateway process. (See Handbook for a description of the Gateway process and timeline.)
Governance Council
The MC2 Governance Council is a shared decision-making body created to maintain formal and effective procedures for forming and implementing policies which promote the vision of the school and reflect the District’s goals. Members include the Director, a teacher representative, two parent representatives, and four student representatives. (Note: This structure will be reviewed this year.)
Graduation Checklist
The Graduation Checklist is an official document that records a student’s progress toward meeting graduation requirements. The Director acts as MC2 registrar for approving credit.
Habits of Being
Habits of Being are qualities and characteristics that are essential to student success, whether at MC2, college, or work. Students are required to demonstrate Competency in these habits by the end of Phase Two:
Character, Quality Work, Collaboration, Curiosity and Wonder
Habits of Mind
Habits of Mind are thinking traits that are essential to lifelong learning. Students are required to demonstrate Competency in these habits by the end of Phase Three:
Problem Solving, Decision Making, Critical Thinking, Creative Thinking, Communication, Organization, Management, Leadership, Information and Technology
ILP (Individualized Learning Plan)
The Individualized Learning Plan is at the heart of each student’s MC2 experience. The ILP establishes the student’s individual academic and social goals for the next learning period, based on the student’s needs, interests, strengths, and challenges. The ILP is developed collaboratively by a student’s learning team, using the Learning Plan form in FirstClass. Meaningful goals are set in the areas of Habits of Being, Habits of Mind and Essential Knowledge and/or Basic Skills. These goals form the basis for decisions regarding the student’s learning. Students receive progress reports on their ILP goals in the End of Quarter reports that are mailed home each quarter.
Internship
The MC2 internship is designed to provide each student with an opportunity to work one on one with an adult mentor in a career area of personal interest. Students must prepare for an internship through researching the career, creating a resume and cover letter, and interviewing at the potential internship site. Once established in an internship, students must maintain a journal and identify and complete a project that adds value to the work site as well as evidences application of the student’s learning. Service learning and job shadows are smaller scale learning opportunities that help prepare students for an internship. Tuesdays and Thursdays are internship days at MC2.
Job Shadow
A job shadow is an opportunity for a student to visit, observe, ask questions, and gather information about a job or career. The student may be involved in assisting with everyday tasks, but does not develop a project as s/he would in an internship. A job shadow can not be longer than six weeks.
Leadership Role
Students have numerous opportunities to take on leadership roles within both the MC2 community and the larger communities of their lives. Examples of MC2 leadership roles include: Community Meeting Facilitator, Governance Council Representative, and Advisory Committee Member. Outside our school community, students may include positions they’ve held that they feel meet MC2‘s competency criteria for Leadership.
Learning Opportunities
Learning opportunities are experiences through which a student gains knowledge, skills, and/or self-awareness. MC2 identifies four main categories of learning opportunities: internships, treks, challenges, and personal life. To receive credit for a learning opportunity, a student must document his or her learning, through artifacts and completion of a work sample.
Learning Team
The learning team is a group of people who have a vested interest in a student’s success. At a minimum, the learning team is comprised of the student, the student’s parents, and the student’s advisor. Other individuals may be involved , as agreed to by the student’s parents.
MC2 Habits
MC2Habits are foundational to student success at MC2. Students are expected to demonstrate Competency in these habits by the end of Phase One:
Self-Direction, Ownership, Community
Personal Life Experience
Students are encouraged to view learning as ongoing and throughout their lives, rather than something that ends when they leave the school building. Any experience a student has that enables him or her to learn may be documented for school credit. Documentation includes providing artifacts (evidence of the work) and completing a work sample (reflection on the learning).
Phase
MC2 uses “phases” rather than grades to identify that student progress toward graduation is based on demonstration of competency, rather on “seat time”. There are four phases at MC2, approximately comparable to the traditional 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades. Expectations for each phase are detailed in the Graduation Checklist. Students move from one phase to the next by preparing a phase portfolio and presenting and passing a Gateway. A student may declare intent to gateway at any time and enter into the gateway process.
Portfolio
Portfolios are collections of work with written reflection and artifacts,that evidence a student’s learning and growth. Portfolios are used in several areas at MC2: to document Essential Knowledge competency in specific areas, such as Mathematics, Physical Education, and the Arts; to provide evidence of readiness to move from one phase to the next; and to demonstrate information gathering and decision making in key areas, such as post-graduation plans.
Post Graduation Portfolio
Every student is required to compile a post graduation portfolio, documenting thoughtful exploration of post-graduation learning opportunities, such as college, tech school, volunteer service, military service, etc.
Probationary Plan
A probationary plan is a contract developed for a student who has received three official Warnings. The plan is developed by the Director and the student’s learning team. The plan specifies what is expected of the student, what the consequences for not meeting those expectations are, and the length of time the probationary plan is in effect.
Public Achievement
Public Achievement is an international youth initiative that engages young people in learning about democracy and citizenship by doing public work – solving problems and finding ways to cooperate with people who are different.
Reading Log
When a student finishes reading a book of personal interest, they complete a Reading Log, which includes the Title, Author, Genre, a synopsis of the book, whether they liked the book, and why they did or didn’t like it. The reading log must be kept in the student’s Work Area in First Class.
Rubric
A rubric is a set of criteria that provides specific information about the standards and expectations on which a habit, skill, or product, is being assessed. MC2 uses five levels in rubrics: Novice, Advanced Beginner, Competent, Proficient, and Expert.
Schedule Planner
Students plan their learning opportunities for the quarter and schedule them in their paper planners and then update that information in their Calendars on FirstClass. Parents may view their student’s schedule information through First Class.
Senior Project
Senior Project is a culminating assessment for Phase IV students that demonstrates what they know and can do as they prepare to graduate from MC2. Senior Project has four components: a research paper on an essential question of the student’s choice, a related product or activity, a portfolio, and a public presentation before a community review panel.
Service Learning
Service learning refers to learning through doing work that provides service to others and/or the community. There are three components to service learning: student ownership, citizenship, and academic integrity.
Tardy
A student is considered tardy if not in advisory by 7:45 a.m.
Trek
Treks are field-based learning opportunities, involving work and travel outside the school building. As with all learning opportunities, treks require artifacts and Work Samples for credit in addition to the completion of all trek work.
Warning
A “official” Warning is a consequence for a serious behavior infraction or for repeated inappropriate behavior. If a student accumulates three warnings, a probationary plan is developed.
Wilderness Orientation Trek
The Wilderness Orientation Trek (WOT) is a required trek for all new students. The purposes of the WOT are to provide students with challenging achievement, a focused introduction to the MC2 Habits and expectations, and the experience of being in community. The WOT is led by a certified outdoor instructor.
Work Area
Each student has a Work Area in First Class, accessible by parents and MC2 faculty, where s/he stores all record of learning and work. Students are coached on how to set up and maintain their work areas. EOQs/EOYs are based solely on evidence in the student’s Work Area. In other words, a student only receives credit for work that is in his or her Work Area.
Work Sample
A work sample is the reflective documentation of a student’s learning. To receive credit for a learning opportunity, a student must complete a work sample, using the Work Sample form in First Class.
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