Minimums, Mastery, and Movement

In most educational settings, learners are expected to do the same thing at the same time, get a certain minimum grade or score to move on, and then proceed with moving on (or not) at a given time, each year, in a given way.
 
At Acton, we believe that learning is individual and, therefore, do not assign specific or common times to progress.  Rather, we look for readiness and mastery when considering movement.  This is relevant whether looking at how the Eagle moves through the day or how they move through their learning squads over time.
 
Movement and Mastery Through the Day
While Acton founders and guides believe in the power of choice and freedom in learning, we also know that young Heroes need guardrails to help cultivate the more deliberate practices needed to excel with independent learning and in a student-led environment. Therefore, we operate using a “Pyramid of Intentionality” which encourages heroes to develop these practices.
 
The Pyramid of Intentionality illustrates the movement of an Eagle through our program’s learning activities each day.  Consider the degree of intentionality needed to successfully participate in these learning activities.

Our daily schedule supports our Pyramid of Intentionality.  During the morning, all Eagles on campus work on their Core Skills.  These are activities that promote the development of foundational competencies in areas like math, reading, and language. Each squad will develop their own Reasonable Minimums that Eagles will be expected to achieve during Core Skills.  These minimums may speak to the amount of work to be accomplished or the level of participation or the demonstration of intentionality – or all of these.  Once minimums are met, Eagles will ‘unlock’ their access to the next activity.
 
 Getting in touch with one’s level of intentionality and control over that intentionality is the goal. As Eagles seek to participate in the many fun and meaningful activities on campus, they learn to manage their intentionality and, as a result, participate in learning with greater mastery and excellence.
 
Because being in the studio is considered a privilege, a Hero struggling with intentionality may be tasked with an Intentionality Challenge.  This will include deciding whether Resistance, Distraction, or Victimhood is the issue, and taking steps toward reclaiming intentionality.
 
Movement and Mastery Between Squads
This may be one of the more challenging concepts to contemplate and acclimate to at Acton, but one of the most important. We are all so used to a societal construct that has chopped learning into grades, and those grades start at the beginning of one school year and end nine months later.  However, we know that learning and progress do not fit neatly into that model and, therefore, as much as possible, look to eliminate that construct, seeing learning as an individual journey.  That said, we do see the value in loosely grouping learners based on where they are both developmentally and on that learning journey.  This helps to create a sense of ‘we’ – peers to journey with and learn beside.
 
As such, there are some commonalities among members of a squad, and recognizable signs showing when an Eagle becomes ready to move from one squad to the next.  At AAM, here’s what it takes for a Hero to demonstrate readiness to move from one squad to the next:
 

• Completion of their squad Badge Plan
  
• Movement Pitch/Unanimous Approval of fellow Squad members to begin transition challenge
  
• Parent & Guide approval of the requirements on the readiness checklist
  

      Next, the Hero will begin their Transition Quest which includes participation in squad activities as follows:

1. Core Skills: The Hero will begin by joining the next squad for Core Skills. When a learner has successfully joined this activity with high intentionality and success regularly they may then join… 
   

1. Collaborative Activities: This will include joining for morning launches, civilization, and genre writing.  When the learner is regularly attending and participating in those collaborative activities with high intentionality and success they may then join…
   

 

1. Quest, etc.: Quest and other unstructured activities make up the pinnacle of the Pyramid of Intentionality and take both a dedicated independent learner and a team-player.  Once these are demonstrated, the Hero will fully participate in Quest and other high-intentionality activities. 
   

 Once the learner is regularly participating fully, independently, and successfully in Core Skills, Collaborative Activities, and Quest, fellow squad members will vote on whether the rising Eagle is fully ready to join the new Squad. Once the vote has passed unanimously, the rising Eagle is a full-fledged member of the new squad and is recognized with a moving up ceremony.
It’s important to remember one critical thing when considering young Heroes’ abilities to be intentional in how they approach their learning; at Acton, we trust children. We believe they are capable of far more than they are often given credit for. So, please join us in being patient while our Heroes master taking over their own learning. It’s not a race to get to the end of the learning journey. It’s the meaning and ultimate joy that are of utmost importance.

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