Where has this been tried or successfully implemented?

Valley Park Elementary School, Blue Valley School District, Kansas City, Kansas

a "good" school

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In 1994 Valley Park Elementary School, Blue Valley School District, in Kansas City, Kansas was a "good" school Students consistently scored well above the national average on standardized tests. Well educated parents demanded excellence Staff described as "highly-motivated" Sought to answer the question "can brain research make a difference in our school? Conducted questioning, researching, studying related to brain research and education to become critical consumers of brain research Worked to develop a functional understanding of how the brain works Established partnership with a school reform group at a Kansas City university Goal: combine this knowledge with experiential wisdom amassed during years of teachingFindings from research on brain research1. Brain changes physiologically as a result of experience.a. Environment determines to a large extent the functioning ability of an individualb. Brain can change structure/function in response to external experiences2. Emotion influences learning.a. Daniel Goleman and Joseph LeDoux (separately) contribute to our understanding of the role of emotions in learningb. When brain recognizes an experience as useful, more of what is learned is retainedi. Positive emotion facilitates that recognitionii. Learning shuts down when experience is perceived as threateningc. Create an emotionally positive/engaging environment or compromise learning3. Intelligence is multiplea. Disputes long-held single general intelligence.b. Adds to the traditionally recognized intelligences of verbal-linguistic, logical-mathematical intelligencesc. Adds other intelligences such as interpersonal and naturalisti. These can serve as a foundation for better instruction & deeper emotional engagement of the learnerTheory into Practice Proceeded with brain-compatible classroom practiceso Safe, nonthreatening environmento Active and meaningful learningo Rich, stimulating, varied inputo Accurate timely, and helpful feedback Publicized within school and community Blue Valley School District's core valueso Compassiono Courageo Honestyo Perseveranceo Respecto Responsibilityo Self-discipline[this sounds a lot like character education as it is commonly practiced - JCD] Concentrated on thematic, integrated units of studyo Developed a unit plan process (collaborative) - classroom teachers and specialistso Yearlong themes focused on district objectiveo Closely integrated the core disciplines with music, physical education, arto Included the librarian!!! (And the counselor and the reading teacher) Combined performance-based assessments with traditional paper and pencil tests Provided ongoing staff development to equip teachers w/ requisite knowledge & skills Also used multiple personality assessments for Valley Park staff - goal to better understand one anotherA School Snapshot (this section provides details of a typical class) Teacher conducting writing conference with small group Students working independently at other tables & computers Agenda board Student work displayed (with rubrics attached to backs) Paraprofessional available Quiet music Lots of natural lights Live plants (none from the Dossett Plant suicide corner!)Teaching Students About Brain Research Help students understand their own thinking and learningo Brain functiono Brain anatomyo Brain physiology at varying developmental levelso Theme days related to multiple intelligenceso Various other hands-on, student centered activities related to brain & learningResults Used three measureso Gates-MacGinitie Reading Testso End-of-book tests (Harcourt Brace or DC Heath math textbooks)o Iowa Tests of Basic Skills Four years of data studiedo Gates-MacGinitie gain from grade 1 to grade 4 was 16 points - almost one full standard deviationo Mathematics end-of-course: fall to spring increases of 37,44,36,35 in grade 2o Iowa Tests - reading results steady with gains in math"Overall support of the premise that a school can be transformed into a more enriched environment without introducing negative effects in reading or mathematics learning."Results mixed on whether or not changed environment challenged students to actually increase their learning in math and reading.

Caulfield, Joan, Sue Kidd and Thel Kocher. Brain-Based Instruction in Action. Educational Leadership 58, no. 3 (November 2000): 62-65.