NH Public Schools Rising
New Hampshire is getting national recognition for its public education policies, practices, and outcomes. Why is this small, rural state getting so much attention?
In New Hampshire, partners are working to expand implementation of several education practices and policies that have been piloted in some of the states’ school districts. In particular, the Performance Assessment for Competency Education (PACE) approach has been a signature effort and is highly aligned with the Partnership’s vision for student-centered approaches that support deeper learning outcomes. To help socialize PACE and other innovative aspects of New Hampshire’s approach to public education, the Partnership partnered with Reaching Higher New Hampshire to produce Public Schools Rising, an animation that visits three school districts to see how these new approaches play out in the lives of students.
Reaching Higher New Hampshire is working with a broad set of allies to expand implementation of PACE and related reforms. Our hope is that this video helps people in New Hampshire and around the country see what’s possible when students, communities, and schools come together around a shared vision of learning.
This new animated video is a short tour of three New Hampshire public schools that have embraced a modern culture of learning—one that treats teachers like professionals, respects students’ needs, and makes learning accessible to each and every child. These schools are doing this by leveraging New Hampshire state policies and programs:
- Extended Learning Opportunities (ELOs): At Spaulding High School, we meet George, a student who is learning about audio engineering by working with a local business, and exploring how he can turn his passion into a profession.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE): At Hinsdale Middle School, we visit Kelsey, who is earning high school biology credits and nursing credentials by working in a local nursing home, relating her learning to the world in which she lives.
- Performance Assessment of Competency Education (PACE): In Concord, we see how Avery and classmates are demonstrating their competency in science by building a solar oven rather than taking a traditional test.
New Hampshire is getting recognized because state policies are being modernized to make learning like this possible. More New Hampshire students are taking their learning further and making career connections. New Hampshire teachers are using assessment to guide and nurture learning, not just to understand how good students are at taking tests. The bottom line: these policies are making a difference for students. Educators and families report that students in these programs are self-directed, fiercely motivated, and confident about the opportunities and challenges they’ll encounter in the world beyond high school. This is why New Hampshire is attracting national attention.
The animation provides a sense of what’s possible when students, communities, and schools come together around a shared vision of learning. Share widely if you think this is what public education should look like for every student.
Resources:
- Nellie Mae Education Foundation’s definition of student-centered learning
- National Conference of State Legislatures commission visits NH public schools
- Hinsdale ELO program recognized for advancing educational equity
Tweet it: Students in these NH public schools are experiencing the #FutureforLearning. This animated tour shows how state policies & programs can lead to real, scalable change in schools: https://futureforlearning.org/nh-public-schools-rising #EdChat