Powerful Practices
The powerful practices are how we build student engagement in community and in learning, through research-based culturally responsive practices in classrooms and schools.
Examine Who We Are
Nurture Democratic Systems and Structures
Discuss and Deliberate
Civic Media Literacy
Take Action Through Experiential Learning
Competencies and Indicators Ensure Quality Powerful Practices
All schools score themselves on these:
COMPETENCIES are combinations of knowledge, skills and attitudes that we develop and apply in a Powerful Practice. They are informed by the Civic Life Lenses and emphasize aspects of learning and doing within that Practice, individually or collectively, across all spaces in our district. Youth and adults develop competencies through the regular reflective practice. Competency descriptions provide an overview of key features and holistically describe attitudes, skills and knowledge associated with that Powerful Practice.
Schools that choose it as a priority use these to assess needs and develop an action plan:
INDICATORS identify specific aspects of a competency that are applicable to specific roles or schooling contexts. These indicators focus on the scope of the competency as it relates to individuals and groups across varied systems and structures at the school and district level. Indicators help all stakeholders determine which aspects of a competency are most relevant to and/or needed for their own growth and development in that Powerful Practice. Indicators also describe values, dispositions, and behaviors that would democratize and strengthen existing practices.