Promoting progressive education marketing the high tech high GSE

1. Photo source: hightechhigh.org Promoting progressive education marketing the high tech high GSE Sheila Bharucha, Eddie Medina, Alma Rico, Vishal Shah

2. Meet Tom the Teacher… I love my students I don’t have enough time with my students I don’t want to teach to the test I’d like to stay in the classroom but I want to feel challenged I don’t have enough independence in my classroom Graduate school did not prepare me for this…

3. Meet Paula the Principal… I don’t have enough time to support my teachers I’m under pressure to raise test scores from everyone There’s a food fight in the cafeteria I want to learn from best practices in the field I wish that there was more meaningful professional development

4. Educators are struggling… • American GSEs “range from inadequate to appalling”1 • Average turnover for all teachers is 17% leading to costs of $7 billion per year2 • Teachers often leave because of perceived self-efficacy in the classroom3 Sources: 1 – Education Schools Project 2 – National Education Association 3 – Brouwers & Tomic, 1999

5. But there is a solution…

6. The Graduate School of Education at High Tech High

7. But how can it scale its impact? Strategic priorities: • Be the pioneer in hands-on instruction focused on project-based learning • Expand the organization’s reach as far as possible

8. Recommendations • Define the GSE brand • Tailor marketing to each target customer segment

9. GSE has unique brand attributes • Hands on • Change-oriented • Holistic • Student empowerment • Collaborative “My students will champion their own development” • Theory based • Lecture focused • Faculty of scholars • By the Book “All my students will pass the state exam” • Elite • Reform-oriented • Performance driven • My way or the highway “No excuses, you will get into college” HTH GSE TRADITIONAL ALTERNATIVE BRAND ATTRIBUTES BRAND PERSONALITY

10. Develop a “sticky” mantra

11. TL/SL target: High-potential “idealist” teacher Teachers (SL and TL) Idealists at a glance: • Voice the strongest sense of mission about teaching • 52% are 32 years or younger • 9 in 10 believe all teachers can lead students to learn • 36% plan to stay in education but make a shift to other areas • 23% of teachers Idealist • 37% Content 40% Disheartened Source: Public Agenda and Learning Point Associates

12. LSP target: Target schools that believe in Project Based Learning Principals (LSP) • View on Learning • Strong STEM curriculums • Leadership consists of idealist (e.g., former TFA) • Level of activity on Donors Choose • Budget • $ per teacher in PD (greater than $5K) • Title I school in large urban district • % of total district budget dedicated to PD (at least 3% district average) • PD hours per teacher per year (at least 25 hours) • Poor Performance • AYP or API scores in bottom quartile of schools • High teacher turnover (over 20% per year) Indicators • View of Learning aligns with Project Based Learning • Budget for Professional Development (PD) • Poor School Performance Source: Public Agenda and Learning Point Associates

13. Differentiate the GSE Brand Consider benefits from a separate GSE brand: • GSE as an arm of HTH • Power of a separate entity • Possibly named in honor of an influential leader Case study: Match is a national education nonprofit, based in Boston. Match operates a growing portfolio of public schools, trains teachers, and pursues other innovative work in urban school reform

14. Recommendations • Define the GSE brand • Tailor marketing to each target segment • Build up social media campaigns • Develop strategic partnerships and targeted outreach • Ramp up LSP interest with “test-drives”

15. Marketing Strategy TL/SL LSP • Test Drive • Funding Guides • Social Media • Partnerships • Professional Development arms of San Diego county districts with high percentage of young teachers Branding

16. Evaluation criteria

17. Recommendations • Define the GSE brand • Tailor marketing to each target segment • Build up social media campaigns • Develop strategic partnerships and targeted outreach • Ramp up LSP interest with “test-drives”

18. Social media has potential for broad reach

19. Craft a social media roadmap

20. Recommendations • Define the GSE brand • Tailor marketing to each target segment • Build up social media campaigns • Develop strategic partnerships and targeted outreach • Ramp up LSP interest with “test-drives”

21. Target student segments through partnerships

22. HTH GSE can reasonably target these segments Size of target for TL Number of teachers in San Diego with 1-2 years experience 1,341 teachers 23% are classified as idealists 308 teachers Of these, HTH GSE can attract approximately 10% 31 …with a similar target for SL, HTH GSE has a large pool of candidates in San Diego. Source: San Diego County

23. Recommendations • Define the GSE brand • Tailor marketing to each target segment • Build up social media campaigns • Develop strategic partnerships and targeted outreach • Ramp up LSP interest with “test-drives”

24. Free test-drive for potential LSP teams “Test-drive HTH GSE” days Case study: NTC is offering a free, 10-day guest pass to preview the new No-Nonsense Nurturer professional development program.

25. Initial investment can be recouped with reasonable break even assumptions • Break even with 14 new students (across LSP and M. Ed programs) • Large share of investments are one-time, such as Brand Refinement

26. Funding sources Foundations Corporate Philanthropy Strong focus on principal and school leadership—have funded similar programs to GSE Current funder and focused on these deeper learning issues One of the top philanthropic givers and has pledged to give $1B to education by 2015 Focused on technology

27. Implementation

28. Additional long-term options to explore

29. In Summary • HTH needs to embrace its position as the “iPod” of graduate education • By focusing its resources on branding and marketing, it can reach its transformative potential “Bringing Teaching to Life”

30. Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. John Dewey, 1897 Questions?

31. Appendix • Similar program summary • Case studies

32. A glimpse of similar programs

33. High Tech High GSE Target Applicants Recruiting Mechanisms • Experienced teachers and school leaders • Future school founders • School leaders in districts looking to implement HTH practices • Workshops, speaker series, and panel discussions • Bi-annual peer reviewed journal on practice and policy • Tours • Outreach to local principals • NPR • Collegial conversations

34. Building Excellent Schools Target Applicants Recruiting Mechanisms • BES Fellows: Ambitious high-capacity, entrepreneurial individuals planning to start their own school. Statistically: 74% Ed, 16% Law/PP, 10% Business/Nonprofit • "Weekend Warriors”: New and experienced school leaders • Emerging Leaders: School staff in existing charter schools looking to manage their own school • Heavy emphasis on "No Excuses" philosophy • Ready-made applicant pool through partnershipwith TFA • Summer Internship pipeline for graduate students • Nominations/referral bonus - $5,000 finder's fee if the fellow enrolls • Cultivates the Excellent Schools Network through summits, awards, training and an online portal"

35. KIPP Fisher Fellows Target Applicants Recruiting Mechanisms • Experienced educators, the majority school leaders at KIPP schools and half previous TFA corps members • Looking to start a KIPP school • Highly selective, 15 fellows in 2012-2013 • Focuses internally • Recruits heavily from TFA

36. New Leaders Target Applicants Recruiting Mechanisms • Emerging Leaders: Experienced teachers, coaches, and assistant principals • Aspiring Principals: Principals looking to turnaround struggling schools • Principal Institute: First year principals • Policy & Practice/Leadership Dev't Services: School administrators • Playmakers newsletter, and a number of other guides and handbooks • EPIC knowledge system – case studies and awards • In 2011, unveiled shortened name and logo and new EL, PI programs

37. Deeper Learning Initiative • “Deeper Learning is about delivering rigorous core content to students in innovative ways that allow them to learn, apply what they have learned, and demonstrate mastery.” • The Alliance for Excellent Education, leads research and publication of policy issues in deeper learning • HTH is hosting a conference “in April 2012 • Funded by Hewlett Foundation in 2010 Members: • High Tech High • Big Picturing Thinking • Asia Society • ConnectEd • Envision Schools • Internationals Network for Public Schools • Expeditionary Learning • New Visions • New Tech Network • EdVisions Schools

38. Traditional, alternative, HTH GSE • Common across all • Degree-granting (or relationship w/degree-granting institutions in case of alternatives) • Certification • Classroom instruction Co-located with K-12 institution Distinct student-led culture Clinical training emphasis Tuition Research-focused Stipend Career support Partnership w/GSEs and others New teachers Accredited Trendy