Criteria for Model School Designation
- Host Dr. Gurian for a school/community keynote address (this can take place via Zoom).
- Provide Gurian Institute professional development to faculty, staff, and administration, 1 or 2 days depending on the size of the school.
- Certify a minimum of 2 trainers per school (number of trainers depends on the size of the school) so that there is a cadre available to train new faculty the next year.
- Provide follow-up parent/community presentations using in-house trainers and GI consultants on PD or other days at the school.
- Provide at least 2 days for GI consultant to conduct school and classrooms observations (number of days depends on size of school) in order to provide feedback in terms of implementation, building capacity, and plan for accountability (usually after 2 – 3 months of initial PD).
- Provide 1 or 2 days for GI consultant to come to the school for one-on-one coaching with staff. This coaching day can, like the O/F days, include an after school feedback session. It transpires, usually, toward the end of the school year (spring).
- Send a minimum of 5 representatives to the annual Summer Institute each year (depends on size of school) to update knowledge, network with other model schools and share key learning from on-site implementation. (Discounted registration fee.)
- Provide success information and a testimonial to GI as well as photos of the school and logo for upload onto the Gurian Institute website and national publicity.
- Conduct annual progress monitoring with GI – This annual session with a GI consultant (often via Zoom) will discuss the year’s progress with the school leadership and explore future steps. The information reviewed might be qualitative data – effectiveness of gender-specific strategies that have been implemented (school-wide, classrooms, discipline) and/or quantitative data – general assessment information (i.e., test scores, disciplinary referral data, grades) dis-aggregated by gender.
Upon designation as a Model School/District, the Gurian Institute will present a plaque to the school.
Bring Gender-Based Teaching Strategies into your Classroom
At that point…
- the school will identify itself as a Gurian Institute Model School on its website (Home or About page) and whenever appropriate in marketing and PR materials,
- the school will consider sending a press release to local media sharing its GI Model School status,
- the school will agree to provide the Gurian Institute with ongoing assessment of the effectiveness of gender-specific strategies that have been implemented, and
- the school will allow the Gurian Institute to share information about the school with other schools so that they can benefit from the experiences of the Model School.
- Model School/District designation is for a 3-year period. During that time, the Model School agrees to continue providing in-service training for staff, faculty and parents facilitated by a GI Certified Trainer (school-based trainer).
- School will sponsor Michael Gurian to return in year 2 or 3 to provide a day of O/F, workshops, parent talks (this can transpire via Zoom).
Upon becoming a Model School, your school can enter into a Center of Excellence Agreement with Michael Gurian and the Gurian Institute so GI can continue to support your school and community. To learn more about the Center for Excellence Partnership, please contact Michael Gurian at michaelgurian@comcast.net.
