We speak with Adam Grumbach, social studies program coordinator of the New York Performance Standards Consortium, and Naseem Haamid, a law student who attended Fannie Lou Hamer High School. We discuss inquiry based learning, Performance Based Assessment Tests, Habits of Mind, and self-directed, interdisciplinary portfolios, as alternatives to standardized-test driven curricula.

Overview

00:00-00:54 Intros

00:54-02:04 NYS Performance Standards Consortium

02:04-03:54 Potential effect on Consortium of elimination of Regents exams as graduation requirement

03:54-05:09 Inquiry- and literacy-based education

05:09-06:27 Creation of curricula

06:27-07:39 Students’ input into what they focus on

07:39-10:54 Naseem’s transition from a test-oriented school to Fannie Lou Hamer HS (FLH HS)

10:54-10:39 The most valuable things about FLH HS for Naseem

10:39-14:31 Transition from FLH HS to more traditional college and law school classes

14:31-17:21 Performance based assessment tests (PBATs) and other assessments

17:21-19:26 Rubrics

19:26-20:09 Grading of PBATs

20:09-24:45 Portfolios

24:45-28:25 College and career planning

28:25-32:56 Selecting and supporting teachers

32:56-35:35 Lessons for teachers elsewhere from the Consortium

35:35:36 :31 “This is what education should be like”

36:31-38:15 Distinctive way Consortium approaches introduction to post-secondary careers

38:15- Outro

Transcript

Click here to see the full transcription of this episode. 

References

• New York Performance Standards Consortium website


• Fannie Lou Hamer Freedom High School website

Soundtrack by Poddington Bear