State: Louisiana | Number of Students: 3,996 |
School Type: Charter Management Organization | Free and Reduced Lunch: 97.6% |
Grade Level: PK-12 | English Language Learners: N/A |
School Context
Results Driven: ReNEW uses data to problem solve and create change that supports increased academic success forstudents.
Shared Responsibility: Collaboration is highly important at ReNEW. The community works together and sharesresponsibility for student success.
Feedback and Reflection: ReNEW believes regular feedback and reflection helps develop staff, strengthen schools andpromotes a culture of learning from mistakes.
Pride and Enthusiasm: Teachers and staff at ReNEW approach their work with enthusiasm, taking pride in the change theyare creating for students and the community.
Inventive Practices: Invention and innovation are key at ReNEW to creating learning environments that are safe, excitingand engaging.
State of Technology
From Labs to Carts: SciTech Academy, the network’s PK-8 school thatfocuses on STEM initiatives in the classroom, has served as the pilot sitefor ReNEW’s blended learning initiatives over the last few years. In 2013,the network piloted two blended learning labs with 60 Lenovo desktopcomputers for students to use. However, teachers’ dissatisfaction withscheduling lab time and the disconnect between the lab and classroominstruction caused the network to rethink their blended learning model. In2014, the network purchased 1,200 HP Chromebooks and a new cart-basedsystem was introduced. Today, the labs have mostly been disbanded andreplaced with Chromebook carts.
1:1 Chromebooks: All ReNEW students in 5-12th grade have an HPChromebook at school. Upon opening in Fall 2015, McDonogh City ParkAcademy will pilot a new program that allows all students to use theirReNEW laptops at school and at home. While these older students have a1:1 device to student ratio, younger students at ReNEW in K-4th grade havecloser to a 2:1 ratio.
Teacher Created Videos: In 2014, teachers at SciTech Academy piloteda new instructional strategy for delivering daily lessons as a result of anetwork-wide initiative to improve teachers’ ability to formatively assessand adjust instruction during lessons. Teachers at SciTech pre-recordeddaily lessons, uploaded the videos to Educanon and embedded questionswithin them as checks for understanding. During class, students watch theteacher’s lesson on their Chromebook and work at their own pace. Whilestudents are working, the teacher is using the available data to monitorstudents’ progress and provide real-time intervention as needed. Accordingto ReNEW the pilot was successful and they hope to expand it this academicyear.
Virtual Algebra: ReNEW Schools has received support from New Schoolsfor New Orleans and Educate Now! to pilot a new virtual algebra course.Eighth grade students across the network who are eligible to take Algebra1 can enroll in the virtual course taught by one of ReNew’s own teachers.Each school has a designated classroom for this course that contains atelevision and a Chromebox. When class is in session, the virtual teacher,who is teaching from one of the five ReNEW schools, is displayed on the TVwhile students in the other schools are sitting in the room. This allows thenetwork to offer Algebra 1 to a small group of students at one time, withouthaving a teacher travel around to each campus and teach each groupindividually. An in-person teacher is also present to support management,motivation and building relationships. If the pilot is successful, the networkplans to expand the Algebra 1 offering and add additional virtual coursesmore broadly.
Tech Needs & Requirements
ReNEW will only use products that strictly adhere to privacy laws. All tools must be Chromebook compatible. ReNEW is interested in tools that can efficiently and effectively gather real-time formative assessment data so that teachers know how students are doing in the moment. ReNEw is also interested in exploring tools for writing development, specifically those that enable cycles of feedback.
Initiatives
Real-Time Data: ReNEW is focusing on new ways for teachers to collect formative assessment data and use it effectivelyduring a lesson. The goal is for teachers to become proficient collecting formative data and then to learn how to adjust theirinstruction in real-time in order to meet their students immediate needs.