investigating altschool v

1、INVESTIGATING ALTSCHOOL19Investigating AltSchoolSana Ahmed, Ankur Bhatia, Amirah Cums, Yue (Iris) Hu, Rachel ReclamManagement in Education Professor Rachel PachecoGraduate School of Education University of Pennsylvania Summer 2015EXECUTIVE SUMMARYAs both a school and a tech company, AltSchool has de

2、vised a compelling approach to using modern tools to make education more alized and adaptive. However, scalability remains an important challenge for AltSchool if they want to succeed in the long term.Key Findings:· AltSchools use of technology in the classroom has enabled them to administer a

3、highly individualized curriculum in an efficient and potentially cost effective way.· The strategic decisions and positioning taken by AltSchool have empowered them to be a flexible and mission driven organization, capable of prioritizing development and rapidly adjusting their approach to lear

4、ning.· As a school, AltSchools tech-centric brand gives them an enormous competitive advantage. But to achieve their goals as an education technology company, they must sell their product to the masses, rather than just the niche markets they currently serve.· AltSchools diverse competenci

5、es in both education and technology are not all naturally reinforcing. However, AltSchool hasgreat efforts to incorporate all of them into an inclusive, -centric culture, reinforced by teacher equity and autonomy.Summary of Recommendations: Ensuring that their technology is practical and accessible

6、for partner schools is feasible for AltSchool, but as their proprietary platform is designed to function as the core of a schools academic approach, high barriers to adoption may exist. Demonstrating very significant value and making adaptation as straightforward as possible will be imperative for A

7、ltSchool as it moves forward.Investigating AltSchoolDescribed by their founder, Max Ventilla, as education for 2030, AltSchool is a small network of micro-schools located in San Frsco, Palo Alto, and as of this fall, Brooklyn, NY. Generously backed by some of the most influential players in Silicon

8、Valley, the schools emphasize individual attention, adaptive learning, and small class sizes to adapt to a rapidly changing world, but they are also living laboratories for an operating system that backers hope will revolutionize the classroom. At AltSchool, programmers work alongside educators, and

9、 it is apparent that the more than 100 million dollars raised in venture capital is not simply for develo a handful of costly private schools. Success for AltSchool will thus depend on the scalability and effectiveness of its operating system.Following our research, we have found AltSchool to have a

10、n intriguing business m. Combining an innovative curriculum with the dynamic management practices typical of lean technology startups, AltSchool has devised a compelling approach to using modern tools to make education more alized and adaptive. However, scalability remains an important challenge for

11、 AltSchool if they want to succeed long term.Curriculum & TechnologyThe Learner PortraitAltSchool currently serves TK-8 and offers interdisciplinary learning across the core subjects of mathematics, language arts, science, socio-emotional learning arts, fitness, technology and foreign language.

12、There is a strong focus on alized learning, collaborative commu involvement, and continuous innovation. AltSchool puts huge emphasis on leveraging data, not judgment, to make instructional decisions and streamline operations. Engineers work side by side with teachers to develop and create data dashb

13、oards to monitor progress, collect feedback, and share that data back with s and parents. The below diagram exhibits how this interaction works as s move through the AltSchool Learning Cycle:alizedLearning Plan(PLP)The PlaylistThe AltSchool Learning Cycle (Note: Below description taken from AltSchoo

14、l Company website)The Learner Portrait: When a child joins AltSchool, a Learner Portrait is created that continually updates throughout his or her school year. It catalogs interests, passions, strengths, weaknesses, and learning strategies that work best. It also reflects the AltSchool Learner Objec

15、tives that have been met to date by each .alized Learning Plan (PLP): Based on the Learner Portrait, educators (incollaboration with family and s) prioritize a set of goals from the AltSchool Learner Objectives. The PLP is reviewed regularly and informs the Playlist activities asees each week.The Pl

16、aylist: The Playlist is a set of weekly learning experiences and exercises that help s meet their specific PLP goals. The Playlist includes individual and groupactivities, as well as short-term and long-term projects. Once a PLP goal is successfully completed, this achievement is recorded as a tone

17、on a s Learner Profile.The AltSchool Learner Objectives focuses on four primary areas: Ways of Thinking, Ways of Being, Ways of Interacting and Knowledge and Experiences. These objectives are designed to ensure is developed holistically through creativity, self- awareness, empathy and a variety of e

18、xperiences. Ultimately, s at AltSchool are encouraged to go deep in an area of interest to exhibit expertise early on. These learning objectives are informed by a variety of standards, some of which include Common Core, NCTM, ISTE and CASEL.s are given weekly assessments and parents receive regular

19、progress reports on Playlist activities that ajusted every week based on assessment outcomes. AltSchool also uses Measures of Academic Progress (MAP), a nationally-normed standardized test, three times each year to assess progress in math,ing, and language arts.Implications of Alt Schools Curriculum

20、AltSchools curriculum plays a critical role in their strategy as both a school organization and technology start up. As a school organization, their primary challengewill be their ability to continue supporting remote sites with the same amount of interactivity they have in Palo Alto. They also will

21、 need to convince a larger audience that their instructional methods are effective across socioeconomic strata. Currently, no public data is available to assess performance.As a technology start up, they will eventually work to license out their proprietary platform and build partnerships with exist

22、ing schools outside their network. What they have built is certainly unique, but its scalability and application in different environments will be the ultimate test.AltSchools Approach to Human Capital: Reimagine Education by Empowering EducatorsIn the past five years, roughly half a million teacher

23、s have left their positions each year attrition that costs $2.2 billion annually. Turnover is highest among new teachers, with up to 50 percent quitting within five years. Based on the fact that educators are fleeing the profession in huge numbers, education experts all agree upon the fact that in o

24、rder to transform education, the culture around how to support teachers must be changed.In 2013, founder Max Ventilla and his team of renowned educators and technologists started AltSchool by asking, how would school look if we designed it from scratch today? Since raising $33 million in Series A fi

25、nng in 2013, AltSchool has expanded to four schools in the Bay Area, with additional locations in San Frsco, Palo Alto and Brooklyn opening this fall. Its staff has nearly quadrupled, from 30 to 115 employees, one-third of whom are educators, and their funding increased from $33 to$133 million (Stre

26、et Insider, 2015, May 4). They evaluated everythingfrom what role teachers should play to how technology could complement classrooms.AltSchool began building schools, each supported by a proprietary technology platform that all this possible. In 2013, there were 20 s in one school. This year, there

27、will be up to 500 s in eight schools. While most of the investment will go toward technology in the forms of engineering, product and design, AltSchools approach is very much about finding ways to make traditional teaching more effective, not to replace it all with touchscreens and teacher-bots. Alt

28、School alizes academics for each based on their unique learning style, interests, and skill level. It can adapt and grow in real time to keep pace with accelerating changes in the outside world.In this sense, AltSchool always requires a higher quality of teachers from all over the country and even f

29、rom all over the world. AltSchool currently has a high caliber of teachers who design their own curriculum and deliver creative teaching methods as they want. AltSchool now aims for an 8:1 -teacher ratio and insists that there should always be at least two teachers in every classroom. Teachers at Al

30、tSchool always work in co-teaching teams, drawing on each others strengths to ensure that the classroom runs smoothly and the program is rich and dynamic.The autonomy that the school offers attracts educators who were pioneering innovators in the traditional educational system. AltSchool is small by

31、 design and the team takes a growth-centered approach, continually collecting and iterating on feedback from its commu of teachers, s, and parents. Improvements happen in hours and days, not years. AltSchools platform enables teachers tiver alizedLearning Plans - custom-lesson plans for each child t

32、hat combine interests, parental priorities, and specifiks educators feel will best challenge and prepare each child to succeed. Finally, teachers regain their entire autonomy in the classroom. The school creates a culture where teachers feel empowered and valued and where s and parents feel heard.Sa

33、laries aigher than at typical public or private schools, with merit bonuses making up a significant proportion of compensation packages. The performance-based bonus and their benefits are significantly better than the schools from which they are co . Ventilla says, “But more attractive to candidates

34、, is the prospect of earning equity in a startup” (as cited in Bercovici, 2014). Teachers having equity in the company represents a small fraction of their compensation, but it is expected to become significant as they stay and increase their level of responsibility. It could represent a life-changi

35、ng fin al outcome. Ventilla elaborates, “Its something that the teaching profession is entirely devoid of, and its kind of a miserable thing. Theres nothing that could happen thats finally great for a teacher” (as cited in Bercovici, 2014). Kate Moriarty, an AltSchool Teacher who has worked ly with

36、world-class engineers, technologists, and researchers, states:AltSchool is not only changing the future for s but for the teaching profession as well. We are trusted with the dom to figure out how to best support our class and understand each s needs. And if something isnt working and we have an ide

37、a of how to change it, we have a team of engineers y to listen and quickly implement solutions basedon our feedback. If that isnt a dream job for a teacher, I dont know what is (as cited in Barber, 2014).At an information session on August 13, 2015, in Brooklyn, New York City, Susan Power from AltSc

38、hool San Frsco echoed, “If something doesnt work for us (educators), we can give that feedback immediately and it goes right into the pipeline. We can make change happen” (NYC Brooklyn Information Session, 2015, Aug 13th). Alt School creates a culture where teachers feel re-empowered and valued in t

39、he school setting and could play leading roles in making educational changes.The investment in the future will support AltSchool as it opens more schools in existing and new markets, aggressively hires the best talent towards its mission, develops new tools and functionality for its platform, and be

40、gins to bring its technology to other schools nationwide.Strategic PositioningAltSchool has taken a unique position that may give it a considerable advantage over many of its existing competitors by choosing to incorporate as a B Corporation.One of only about 1000 companies with this certification,

41、AltSchool joins a commu whose underlying responsibilities are to put its mission at the forefront of all decision- making. It has the flexibility to make decisions that are not only good for shaolders who fund the venture, but also are the best for its stakeholders children, parents, and teachers. W

42、hen asked about how the decision to choose the benefit corporation structure impacted investors, Rajiv Bhatia, AltSchools VP of Product, elaborates, “A lot of our investors are intrigued that we have a triple bottom line. There is this mission of hel each child reach their full potential and we trea

43、t employees well and have good HRpractices. It comes with our investors but hasnt ever caused tension.” With leading investors like Andreessen Horowitz, First Round Capital, John Doerr, Jonathan Slackler, Learn Capital, Harrison Metal, Omidyar Network, Founders Fund and more, totaling more than $133

44、 million in funding, a stakeholder-driven, well-funded venture puts AltSchool iy great position to succeed within the market, but it may not be enough to sustain a competitive advantage as newcomers enter the market and begin to take the same approach to please stakeholders.AltSchool makes huge clai

45、ms to provide an individualized learning curriculum for each of its s, which may be one of its biggest competitive advantages in the micro/private school arena. During an interview process, each child is assessed, along with parents, before gaining admission to AltSchool. This helps the organization

46、 determine (based on factors such as the childs age, interests, developmental stage, andality) what alized learning plan (PLP) would be best suited for that individual child. Ventilla described this innovative approach as an alternative to the 18th Century factory style education m that has expired

47、but still exists. By combiningalized technology and education under one umbrella, AltSchool sets itself apart from competitors who may see the benefit but lack the infrastructure.The mere fact that AltSchool delivers its technological curriculum in-house allows faster product iteration than its comp

48、etitors, which is vital to its survival.Engineers dedicated to customizing, altering, and enhng the curriculum receive direct feedback from teachers in the classroom, without the barriers of outside bureaucratic hold ups that usually come with outsourced technology.Additionally, AltSchool has adopte

49、d an inverted management structure for ultimate operational effectiveness and flexibility. To ensure that key initiatives and concerns are escalated promptly and delivered to the correct nel for timely and effective responses, the administration is strategically divided into sections with separate g

50、oals under one mission. This allows intense focus in concentrated areas to get the best results for its ecosystem. By employing top quality nel to scout physical spaces that incorporate surrounding communities, teach and engage outside of the core curriculum, and provide a al touch with parents give

51、s the organization a strong position to lock in a commu of supporters that extend beyond the normal grasp of traditional schools, while strategically kee overhead down.There is no question that AltSchool is unique within the education space on many fronts, but it is the combination of strategic prac

52、tices through variety, access, and needs- based positioning that give it its long term competitive advantage. AltSchool has strong key components that align with its desire to eventually scale the m and operating system. Bhatia explains:The challenge to make actual positive, repeatable space is real

53、ly hard and takes a long time. Working on social gains is hard and it doesnt matter how talented a on the technology side is, it just takes long. Were not going to solve that with immediate gratification. There are ways of faster feelings of impact. In the format weve built, we are able for their re

54、sults. Stakes aigh. (al communication, August 12, 2015).The key is not only to be different from competitors, but also better.Core Activity System & FitIn an analysis of AltSchoolivities with regards to their strategic positioning, four core competencies stood out. (See Table 1)1. A Proprietary

55、Operating System designed by engineer design experts who work ly with teachers in develo digital tools, tracking platforms, assessments, and learning plans that support learning and increase classroom efficiency.2. Micro-school Networks create a tight-knit commu of educators and families who can col

56、laborate and communicate with each other for ized support. Additionally, smaller school communities allow for more individualized support for s.3. Individualized Adaptive Curriculum catered to each childs unique learning style and abilities; focused on the “whole child” learning experience.4. Intern

57、al Educator Research and Development department consists of teacher and PhD researchers working ly with engineers and designers for innovative development of digital tools to be used within classrooms.Of these four core competencies, some were more reinforcing than others. Areas focused on technolog

58、y development including the operating system, internal R&D, and adaptive individualized curriculum, had greater links amongst activities. While data collected from the smaller school communities provides meaningful insight for product development, key aspects of micro school activities did not n

59、ecessarily detract from or improve the operating systems performance. Even so, it will be important for AltSchool to maintain continuity here, especially given that micro-schools are essential labs for testing operating systems. Ventilla elaborates on AltSchools operating system, “Themore people use it, the better it becomes