An Early College Secondary School: The Queens School of Inquiry

Cover Letter: The Queens School of Inquiry

“Not encouraging students to question knowledge, society and experience

tacitly endorses and supports the status quo.”

The words of Ira Shor, CUNY historian, echo the mission of the Queens School of Inquiry —a partnership of Queens College, Region 4, and City University of New York’s Early College Secondary School Initiative (CUNY). We question the status quo and aim to make higher education more accessible, attainable, and affordable for all students from Queens.

We recognize that the most notable feature of our school is the inclusion of a significant number of college credit courses in the regular curriculum sequence. However, this is not the only factor that makes Queens School of Inquiry special. We plan to create a school with an atmosphere of high expectations where students and teachers are held accountable in a safe, caring and supported environment, parents are empowered to participate, college faculty are active members of the school, and local community members lend a voice in the mission of the school. The ultimate goal is a school that reexamines and reshapes traditional views of middle school, high school and college education through highly interactive, self-managed, and inquiry-based learning. Our instructional focus is on helping our students—and our staff—learn to question, practice, reflect and refine.

Recognizing that an early college secondary school is an ambitious undertaking, our common planning work--involving many hours of thinking, talking and arguing--has confirmed our conviction that is a very worthwhile project and one that we are prepared to bring to fruition. Our conversations have included college faculty, college administrators, school leaders, new school developers, teachers, parents, students and other educators grappling with the questions of how best to enable ‘at-risk’ students to succeed in higher education. We often spoke about “doing” history or “doing” science, reflecting our belief in meaningful student engagement.

Specific planning events had a significant impact on our thinking about the new school and are worthy of mention here. Throughout this planning work, we have received extensive advice, support, and encouragement from experts who have worked with high school students in the college environment. Many of us traveled to visit University Park Campus School at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. While there, we met with college faculty, high school teachers, and high school students to learn first-hand of the challenges and opportunities resulting from a deep university-school partnership. Additionally, we sought input from UPCS parents. Their voice has added a valued component to our on-going planning process. In early December, we had an opportunity to develop our own ideas at a two-day planning retreat. On that occasion, we identified the academic and personal characteristics that we believed to be essential for outstanding college achievement and worked backwards from those characteristics as we planned courses for each of the grades our school will house. We benefited from grappling with theses issues in conjunction with those engaged in similar planning at York College and City College. Our early college effort is being built upon a remarkable record of collaboration between the University and the public schools, a partnership that enjoys the full support of the leadership of the University.

Through the deep connections and collaboration forged between Queens College and the Queens School of Inquiry, we will create a school that: (1) supports students’ acquisition of broad and deep content area knowledge as defined by the New York State Learning Standards, (2) enables them to acquire up to two years of fully transferable college credit, (3) challenges them to become metacognitive and committed learners and (4) nurtures their emotional and intellectual development into strong, successful, and self-confident adults who contribute to their families and communities. We hope you will be as excited about this new school as we are!

An Early College Secondary School: The Queens School of Inquiry

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Imagine your child attending a small, safe, and caring school where your child:

· is well known, intellectually challenged, and celebrated by every adult in the building!

· will learn by asking questions, solving real problems and actively and happily doing the work of learning with dedicated and highly skilled teachers, parents and our community!

· will receive a high school diploma and up to 60 college credits – tuition free - from Queens College by the end of high school!

GREAT NEWS! The New York City Department of Education, in partnership with the City University of New York, Queens College and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is proud to announce the opening of a new school in our community: The Queens School of Inquiry, an Early College Secondary School. Beginning with a 6^th grade class in September of 2005, The Queens School of Inquiry will offer the opportunity for its students to graduate with up to 60 college credits and a high school Regents diploma.

The Queens School of Inquiry offers a well planned, rigorous, engaging and creative course of study. Individual attention will be paid to your child daily, building on his or her strengths and addressing his or her needs. We will help your child believe in…and be prepared for… college in the future!

Our school program is comprehensive and satisfies all New York City and State Regents requirements. Special attention will be given to inquiry – learning how to learn. We believe in preparing all children– one child at a time - to become active, college-educated citizens. Our students will be the new leaders of the 21^st Century; they will make genuine contributions to their communities. We will work with you and your child starting in the 6^th grade and continuing through until the 12^th grade. We offer:

small class size
highly trained, dedicated, and caring teachers
hands-on learning with real world application
after-school and summer intensive programs
strong partnership with parents

We are fortunate to be located in Queens, the most culturally diverse community in the nation. Our student population will also reflect that diversity. Our school is open to students of ALL ability levels: struggling students, students with special needs, students just learning English, and students who perform at or above grade level. In other words, ALL students will be given every opportunity to enjoy the full advantages of our school.

One of the most exciting aspects of starting a new school is the opportunity to build that school together. Please join us for an informational meeting at --- on -DATE-. Everyone is invited. We will discuss the school plan and the application process for our first 6^th grade. If you are unable to join us, please call---- for further information.

We welcome you to join us in building a satisfying, successful, and productive future for our children!

Elizabeth Ophals, Principal

Teaching Positions: The Queens School Of Inquiry

The Queens School of Inquiry (QSI) is an innovative, new neighborhood public school, open to students in Region 4’s Districts 24 and 30 in Queens County, New York City. It will open in September 2005 with a 6^th grade class of 81 students, and will add one grade each year until it is a complete 6^th-12^th grade school. QSI is a collaboration between the NYC Department of Education, Queens College, the CUNY Early College Initiative, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The goal of the school is to establish and implement a clear and demanding academic program for students, including after-school and summer programs that will enable students to earn up to 60 Queens College credits—tuition-free—and a Regents diploma by 12^th grade. Students of all abilities, including struggling learners, students with special needs, and English Language Learners will be welcomed at the school.

Core Information about QSI

Family Partnerships: The school believes that school-family-child collaboration is essential for student success. QSI staff will communicate regularly with families about school matters including academic expectations as well as social and emotional development, and will seek to build family support. Each student will have a ‘Student Action Plan’, created jointly by staff, parents, and students, and updated regularly that will focus teacher instruction and evaluate progress. We expect to educate all of our students--one child at a time.

Collaboration: QSI will be a ‘Professional Development School’, a ‘Learning and Teaching Demonstration Site’ and a visitation site for professionals and community members. Working with the faculty and pre-service teachers from Queens College, and other QSI faculty, teachers will welcome the opportunity to reflect on and refine their teaching. Team teaching is the norm and the primary strategy for academic intervention. We expect that this classroom practice will promote collaboration among the students as well.

Professional Development: Teachers from QSI will have many opportunities for professional development and will have a guiding voice in creating them. Common planning time is built into the daily schedule and will be supported by Critical Friends Groups. Immediate expectations, with paid compensation, include bi-monthly evening planning meetings and one Saturday retreat in the Spring 2005, two weeks in the Summer 2005 (prior to opening), and occasional Saturdays and after-school sessions during the school year. Topics will include building a school culture; adapting instruction and developing interventions for multiple learning styles including students with IEPs; ELLs and struggling learners; using instructional technology effectively; team teaching, and understanding and implementing the ‘Principles of Learning’ from the University of Pittsburgh.

The School Day: QSI will offer students before-school tutorials, a daily Advisory beginning at 8:30, a daily Inquiry Learning period, and an after-school session four times a week from 3:00 – 4:00. This time is to build student skills and assist them with homework in additional to providing arts and athletic activities. Class sizes are small. The schedule has extended blocks for humanities and math/science subjects. Teachers will be compensated for any and all additional time.

Teacher Duties and Responsibilities

Have expert knowledge of their subject area
Work in an inclusionary, non-tracked environment
Teach outside of traditional subject and grade level confines
Demonstrate a commitment to differentiating instruction and a willingness to adapt teaching to recognize alternative learning styles
Use cooperative group work and constructivist learning as primary instructional approaches
Assess student effort and learning through authentic assessment and portfolios as well as standardized tests
Collaborate in interdisciplinary planning and team teaching
Serve as a student advisor to a multi-grade, small student advisory group during their tenure at the school and attend professional meetings to support this work
Work closely with families to support the academic, social and emotional growth of students
Participate in regular professional development, reflective practice, peer coaching, and professional associations
Collaborate with faculty from Queens College on curriculum development and instructional practice, and with Queens College pre-service teachers during their internships
Use technology inside and outside of the classroom

Selection Criteria

Evidence of capacity and willingness to carry out the above duties and responsibilities
Knowledge of and willingness to teach in another subject area
Background in working with students with special needs or English Language Learners will be considered assets

In addition to an interview, teacher candidates will be asked to participate in a curriculum development simulation and may be asked to be observed teaching at their place of work (or another venue) or to do a demonstration lesson

Eligibility Requirements

Licensed certified teachers of Common Branches, Math, Science, ELA and Music with satisfactory ratings, and newly certified teachers are encouraged to apply.

Sample Schedule for 5 Teachers: Classes (Q), (S) and (I)
	Hum I	Hum II	Math/Sci I	Math/Sci II	Mus/PE
	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri	Mon - Fri
8:30-9:00	Advisory
9:00-9:45	Prep	Hum (I)	Math/Sci (S)	Team Teach Hum (Q)	Music/PE (Q)
9:45-10:30	Hum (Q)	Hum (I)	Math/Sci (S)	Team Teach Hum (Q)	Prep
10:30-11:15	Hum (Q)	Lunch	Lunch	Learning Lab (S)	Music/PE (I)
11:15-12:00	Common Planning Time
12:00-12:45	Lunch	Learning Lab (I)	Math/Sci (Q)	Lunch	Music/PE (S)
12:45 - 1:30	Hum (S)	Prep	Math/Sci (Q)	Math/Sci (I)	Lunch
1:30-2:15	Hum (S)	Team Teach Hum (I)	Prep	Math/Sci (I)	Learning Lab (Q)
2:15-3:00	Inquiry
3:00-4:00	Extended Day

School Rules: The Queens School Of Inquiry

Dear Students,

Congratulations! You are part of the first group of students to attend the Queens School of Inquiry (QSI). We are a school where people care about each other, where we all love to learn – including the adults – and where we expect the best from one another. At our school, we’re curious about everything, and we act on that curiosity by asking questions, searching for answers, both individually and on teams. With our partner, Queens College of the City University of New York, we will offer you many exciting and enjoyable learning opportunities, both inside and outside of school. By the time you graduate from high school 7 years from now, you will have already earned up to one or two years of college credit and will be well prepared to succeed in the college of your choice.

We expect that you will also be a partner in our school and will take an active part in making our school one of the very best. We expect that you will take part in helping us run the school and in making important decisions that will affect us all. More importantly, we expect you to be responsible for your own learning – with plenty of support from us – and to help other students in their studies and in their growth as human beings.

In order to help you do so we have created a few simple School Rules:

· Respect others as you would want to be respected.

· Do the right thing.

· Come to school every day—on time and prepared to work.

· Maintain a healthy and caring school environment.

· Distract NO ONE from learning.

· Resolve differences of opinion with Peer Mediation and Conflict Resolution.

· Dress appropriately for school.

· Bring nothing to school that could be considered a weapon.

· Follow the directions of all school staff.

Because we are part of the great city of New York and so that you become informed citizens, we will also study and use the Discipline Code of the New York City Department of Education.

Our expectations for you are the highest.

We know you can meet them.

We’ll help.

The Queens School Of Inquiry

Supporting our students…

We have the special goal of preparing you to attend college and earn up to 60 Queens College credits and, at the same time, graduating from high school with a Regents diploma. You will learn how to be a confident, independent thinker, participating citizen and caring adult. This means you will have to work hard and work smart while you are with us. This is how we plan to help you:

Small Class Size…

Our classes have fewer students than most schools. Often there will be a second teacher in the room to help you, either by yourself or in a small group.

Highly Educated and Caring Teachers…

Our teachers have studied hard and continue to study to find the best ways to teach each and every one of you. They know how to provide extra instruction if you are learning English; they use special techniques for those of you who have trouble learning; yet, they challenge students who are sometimes bored in class. QSI teachers in all subjects connect the learning to real life so it makes sense to you. They know your Student Action Plan well. They keep in touch with your families. More than anything else, they want you to succeed…and believe you can!

Advisory…

Every morning, you and a small group of students will meet with a teacher to talk about things that concern you – schoolwork problems, learning how to get along with other people, how to set and meet goals for yourself. In fact, these ‘Advisories’ will read good books and solve math puzzles as a group. We hope that your Advisory will stay together for the 7 years you are with us so you can get to know and encourage one another.

Inquiry Learning…

Built into your schedule is a daily ‘Inquiry Period’, reflecting a core value of our school: people learn by asking questions of interest, investigating the answers, and sharing the results with their community. During this Inquiry Period, small groups of students with a teacher will work on a meaningful project that you students choose. Meanwhile you’ll use literacy, math, and technology - all the things you learn in school - in a real world experience. This is your chance to practice what you know. We expect that what you do will matter…to yourself and to the world around you.

Technology…

Every day you’ll have time to use our Rolling Lap Top Lab to help you with what you’re learning and how you learn it. Computer programs can help you read, write, do math, learn another language, sharpen your skills, do research, learn more about technology itself, compose your own music, keep track of your progress, illustrate your own work.

Extended Day and Summer Academy…

Preparing yourself for college while you are still in middle and high school is in itself a very challenging task. You’ll need plenty of extra time. At QSI, we’ll offer tutoring before school as well as some arts, athletics, and tutoring after school. Plan on attending our summer academy; you’ll need the time to catch up, keep up and move ahead.

REMEMBER –

All of us are here to help you succeed!

It is a mark of intelligence and courage to ask for help when you need it!

Exit Criteria: Queens School Of Inquiry

We hold very high standards at QSI. We expect the best and the most. As a member of the first class to graduate from the Queens School of Inquiry, we believe that you will:

· Score at level 3 or 4 in New York City 8^th grade tests in ELA, Math and Science.

· Complete Exit Projects in social studies and science by the end of 8^th grade.

· Pass the Algebra Regents-your first high school exam - by summer of 2007.

· Maintain a portfolio of your best work from year to year, including copies of your Student Action Plan. You will be able to describe what you know and what you don’t know and to help us make plans to help you improve.

· Investigate and present a yearly Inquiry Project, on a topic of interest that you and your teacher decide together.

· Complete all the courses required for high school graduation with either a Regents Diploma, or the Regents with Distinction Diploma. You will be able to take and pass the following Regents: English, American History, Global Studies, Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Spanish, Living Environment and Chemistry.

· Develop and present to the community a major High School Inquiry Project, demonstrating that you know how to select an important topic, to do extensive research, to use technology, and to apply all of the learning that you have gained at QSI.

· Demonstrate active citizenship by offering community service during both middle school and high school. Examples might include tutoring at a local day care or elementary school, working as an intern in a local government office – or serving on our own School Leadership Team, or an Inquiry Project related to an issue of concern to our community.

· Create a Personal Fitness Plan, with evidence of participation in team sports or another physical activity of your choice.

· Earn up to 60 college credits from Queens College and be ready - in mind, heart and spirit - to continue pursuing a college education to a Bachelor’s degree or further.

With the support of our school and your family – plus your determination and hard work – we believe that you can accomplish all of these goals.

We know you can do it!

Assessments: The Queens School Of Inquiry

How will we know you are learning?

Like other students in New York City and New York State and as a student at QSI, you too are expected to take the annual Math and English Language Arts tests; we expect you to achieve either a Level 3 or 4. At the end of 8^th grade, you will take additional New York State exams in both social studies and science, and you will complete Exit Projects in both these subjects. Since QSI is a school dedicated to helping you attend college while in high school, you will have to take some of these tests as soon as you are ready. By the end of 8^th grade, you will be taking your first high school Regents exam in Math. Between now and then, we’ll help you work hard and give you extra time for learning so you’ll be well prepared to pass all these exams.

Because we know at QSI that you’re an individual with your own learning style and have your own strengths and weaknesses, we’ve added some other ways of understanding how you are progressing academically, and how we can help you achieve at the very highest level we know you can achieve.

Student Action Plan

Together with your parents and teachers, you’ll review your own work, test scores and records from previous years to create a Student Action Plan. This will help us all set goals and offer you ideas on how each of us can help you meet these goals. As we create this plan, we’ll include an Interest Inventory so we can help you make connections between what you like to do and what you learn in school. We’ll review your Action Plan several times a year so we’ll know what steps to take next.

Portfolios

You’ll keep two different kinds of portfolios of your work. The first portfolio will contain all your works ‘in progress’. The other portfolio will include samples of your best work. This ‘Finished Portfolio’ will give us examples of how you’ve mastered certain skills with such items as your memoir or written reports of science experiments. Then, we’ll use computers to create a digital portfolio.

Inquiry Projects

Because we believe that people learn best by practicing what they’ve learned, especially in an area that interests them, every day you’ll have time for working on an Inquiry Project. Along with other students with similar interests, you’ll work with teachers to identify and solve a real world issue and then give a live presentation for an audience. Together we’ll study what makes a great project and presentation; we’ll use online research and real world experts for information; we’ll learn how to critique each other’s presentations so we can all improve. An example of other students’ Inquiry Projects is “A Neighborhood Store Survey” which they then presented to their local Community Board. Other students started a real business, selling baskets made of rolled newspaper, with a legitimate business plan and budget, and made a profit! Others wrote and videotaped an original musical titled “Why Aren’t You Hearing Me?”, a story about teenage life in NYC in the 21^St century. You too will have a chance to select your own topics to research and present to the public.

Sample Student Schedule: The Queens School of Inquiry

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

8:30-9:00

Advisory

Reading

Advisory

Math

Advisory

9:00-9:45

Humanities

ELA

World Cultures

Humanities

ELA

World Cultures

Humanities

ELA

World Cultures

Humanities

ELA

World Cultures

Humanities

ELA

World Cultures

9:45-10:30

10:30-11:15

Music

Physical Education

Music

Physical Education

Music

11:15-12:00

12:00-12:45

Learning Lab*

Learning Lab

12:45-1:30

Math

Science

Math

Science

Math

1:30-2:15

2:15-3:00

Inquiry**

Inquiry

Extended Day

3:00-4:00

Academics

Athletics

Arts

Academics

Athletics

Arts

Academics

Athletics

Arts

Academics

Athletics

Arts

*Daily Learning Lab is designed to use technology to help with work in subject areas, in ‘Inquiry Projects’ and on building up strengths in reading, writing and math.

** Since we learn by asking and answering important questions about topics that interest us, the Inquiry period each day gives us time for that. Inquiry Projects can be independent or done in small groups and teachers are there to help and encourage.

Extended Day: Teachers will help you strengthen your skills to prepare you for earning college credits later on. We’ll meet 4 days a week after school. Don’t worry: there will be time for arts and athletics, too!

Typical Course Sequence Grades 6-12: The Queens School of Inquiry

Our goal at the Queens School of Inquiry is to create as many opportunities for you to take college courses in high school. We know that may require us (and you) to think about school somewhat differently, but we think it is worth it. By starting college work earlier, you’ll have the opportunity to learn what college is all about. You’ll start off in college-level courses here at QSI with other QSI students as your college classmates. We’ll also start with college courses extended over an entire year instead of just one semester. This will give you more time to understand what’s required in college. Then, as you gain more confidence and skill, you’ll have an opportunity to take courses on campus at Queens College with other typical college students. You’ll also have an opportunity to select courses that may be of specific interest to you in the later years.

The chart below outlines what a typical path through QSI might look like. Courses highlighted in blue carry Queens College credit (and possibly high school credit, too). The ® symbol indicates a Regents exam is associated with that course. There will be a Summer Academy each year for both enrichment and earning high school and college credits.

GRADE 6	GRADE 7	GRADE 8		GRADE 9
Advisory	Advisory	Advisory		Advisory
Extended Humanities: Integrated English Language Arts and World Cultures	Extended Humanities: Integrated English Language Arts and American History			English American History ®
Math	Math		Algebra ® *	Geometry ® *
Integrated Sciences	Integrated Sciences		Life Science	Living Environment ®
	Spanish		Spanish	Span 111: Elementary Spanish I
Music	Art		Music
PE/Health	PE/Health		PE/Health	PE/Health
Technology	Technology		Technology
Inquiry Project	Inquiry Project		Inquiry Project	Inquiry Project

Grade 10	Grade 11	Grade 12 – Fall Semester	Grade 12 – Spring Semester
Advisory	Advisory	Advisory
English ®	Eng 110: College Writing	Choose 1 of the following each semester: Comp Lit 102: Great Books or Eng 152: Works of American Lit or Eng 155: Great Works of Fiction
Trigonometry ® * or Math 122: Precalculus	Precalculus or Math 110: Intro to College Math or Math 151: Calculus	College level electives / concentration courses in: Math 152: Calculus II or Science or Social Science or Spanish Literature or other TBD
Physics/Chemistry: 2-year integrated high school course [Chemistry ® at conclusion]
Hist 125: World Civilization to 1715	Hist 126: World Civilization to 1715 to Present [Global History ® at conclusion]	Econ 101: Intro to Macroeconomics		Participating in Government
Span 112:Elementary Spanish II	Span 203:Int. Spanish I and Span 204: Int. Spanish II
PE/Health	PE/Health	PE/Health		PE/Health
	Arts 151: Drawing 1
Inquiry Project	Inquiry Project	Inquiry Project		Inquiry Project

* This assumes adoption of new state standards for math.
Student Population: The Queens School Of Inquiry

Enrollment in September 2005 at the Queens School of Inquiry (QSI) is expected to be 81 6^th grade students. Of these students, 70% will have scored Levels 1 and 2 on the 5^th grade English Language Arts exam;15% will have Individual Education Plans and 20% will be English Language Learners. Admission to QSI will be by application by 5^th grade students currently attending public and private elementary schools in Districts 24 and 30 in Region 4.

If more than 81 students apply, students will then be selected by an equitable lottery, weighted to ensure representation from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and academic backgrounds just described. Requirements for admissions pending a lottery process are as follows:

Student and parent interview
Student portfolio: a sample piece of work
An admissions essay describing why s/he wants to attend QSI
Two letters of recommendation

1 from the current school and 1 from an adult, non-family member

A signature page signed by both the parent(s) and student

Applications will be evaluated by members of the school planning team. For those students with IEPs, preference will be given to students whose IEPs mandate either inclusion or mainstreaming.

The application process, especially the interview, is an opportunity for QSI to clarify its goals and expectations to students and their families. It is especially important that the families understand the commitment required for this intensive academic program in preparation for college level courses. Likewise, this process offers families a chance to determine if QSI is the best school for their child.