EVSC GAIN: Futures Start Here

FUTURES START HERE EVSC Superintendent Dr. David B. Smith EVSC Board of School Trustees Mr. Chris Kiefer, President Rev. Terry Gamblin, Vice President Mrs. Karen Ragland, Secretary Mrs. Ann Ennis Mr. Andrew C. Guarino Mr. David Hollingsworth Ms. Amy S. Word

DISTRICT SIZE As educators, obviously we are here for academic outcomes. GAIN allows us to look at all the other factors that have to be in place in • 22,500 in PreK - Grade 12 order for our students to achieve increased academic outcomes. Being EVSC’s nationally • 670 students in Early Learning “able to identify, recognize and be aware of those things that impact a renowned, comprehensive programs student’s ability to learn, puts us in a position where we can have better framework for student conversations about how to support all our students. success. • 40 schools - Ryan Merriwether, Principal, North Junior High School • 25,000 student • 3rd largest district in SPECIALIZED devices Indiana PROGRAMS • All students have access • 7 Innovative High School Programs to take-home devices • Medical Professions Academy; Early College High • Interactive whiteboards in School; Shepard Leadership & Law Academy; JROTC; all classrooms Virtual Academy; New Tech Institute High School • Enhanced audio features • Regional Career & Tech Center In EVSC classrooms, GAIN allows teachers to in classrooms prime the brain so learning and development • 300+ Industry certifications earned each year can be maximized. Once the brain is primed, our teachers can present more advanced, complex • 3,200+ college credits earned each year curriculum because students have the skills necessary to persist through complex tasks, #WeAreEVSC ATHLETICS problem solve, think critically and collaborate effectively. These experiences provide students • 2,500 high school athletes with the opportunity to excel later in life because For additional information on • 19 state sanctioned varsity they have the neurodevelopmental foundations to GAIN, visit EVSCschools.com/GAIN use their knowledge for more complex thinking, or scan the QR code below. sports problem solving and collaboration as they grow • Athletic opportunities in grades older, enter the workforce and become productive members of our community. 6-12 with many schools offering “GAIN can take years to implement because the opportunities for grade 5 groundwork has to exist before any higher order learning can take place,” Smith said. “GAIN allows ACHIEVEMENTS our students to create the foundations they will need for future success. That’s why we say, futures • National leader in the use of data • Instrumental music offered to students •26 Advanced start here.” • 3 STEM certified schools in grades 3 -12 Placement • $36M in scholarships offered to students • 2,700 students in instrumental music courses offered • OptIN - state model for work-based programs •78 Dual Credit • Theatre, visual arts, choir, band and courses offered learning orchestra offered, including honors band, orchestra, jazz band and 02 choir. 19

GAIN in the CLASSROOM If you walk into any EVSC classroom, there “People often ask me how are our classrooms TABLE OF CONTENTS will be parts of GAIN that you can see, and are different. While our classrooms are parts you cannot. You will see students up different, it’s the mindsets, beliefs and systems 02 ABOUT US and moving around, you will see students that are truly different,” explained Phelps. 04 WHY GAIN? working together to solve problems, you will “Being intentional about staying consistent 08 IMPORTANCE OF GAIN see teachers facilitating student learning rather with developing lessons that take into account 10 GAIN IMPLEMENTATION PHASES than being the center of instruction. You might brain development, being intentional about 16 GAIN BENEFITS see students practicing techniques to refuel teaching techniques to manage stress load, 18 GAIN IN THE CLASSROOM and return to a calm, focused state for learning being intentional about giving students the to continue. opportunity to develop and practice executive 032 What you may not see is the background work functioning skills, being intentional about that it took to get to that point. This includes engaging every student in cognitively complex extensive professional development for staff, tasks and then putting all that together to and making changes at the foundational level ensure that it is happening in every classroom of how we think and what we do as a district. so that all our students are successful. That’s how the EVSC is different.” 1081

WHY DO WE NEED GAIN? Walk in to any school in the nation and you fundamental way in which we need to educate will see students hard at work and teachers students.” focused on helping each student be successful. So what is missing? Why, according to recent According to Phelps, understanding how studies from the National Association of the brain works and develops is vital to Education Progress, do U.S. students continue transforming education and ensuring success to struggle? And, why according to the for every student. Advances in the field of National Center for Education Statistics, do neuroscience have benefited education American students continually fall short when because it has led to a better understanding compared with their international peers? of connections in the brain that contribute to learning and development. “Students today have different developmental experiences than they did 10, 20, or 30 years Phelps explains that to see the transformational ago,” said Susan Phelps, EVSC Chief Officer of growth we want in our students, we must start GAIN Benefits for School Staff: GAIN Benefits in the Classroom: Neuroeducation. “For example, children today by combining what we are learning from the • Provides a clear framework for how to • Provides a calmer classroom environment tend to spend less time outside in unstructured field of neuroscience with how to develop the • Helps teachers respond to students who play and more time with technology. While skills needed to be successful, including the approach teaching that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it does importance of safe, positive and connected • Fully integrates to ensure continuity of act out with calmer responses that focus on impact the way students’ brains develop and relationships; the role of critical cognitive self-regulation this can affect their readiness for learning. skills; and ensuring opportunities throughout practices through school and district • Reduces classroom distraction caused by Education as a whole has yet to take this each day for problem solving, innovation, and leadership transitions negative student behaviors “into consideration when we think about the engaging in complex thinking. “To ensure every • Improves ability to work with each student • Fosters a supportive culture for staff and based on their individual learning needs and administrators brain development • Reduces stress and provides a positive • Removes pressure to meet unachievable environment standardized curriculum goals • Brings continuity across the school system • Reduces burnout and improves job to whole child teaching and development satisfaction We simply can’t continue to refine decades-old practices and GAIN Benefits for our Community: expect the breakthrough results we all want so much. • Ensures students are gaining the skills needed to be successful in today’s workforce • Creates shared goals and common language within the community - Susan Phelps, Chief Officer of Neuroeducation • Develops a community that understands stress load and impacts on behavior and knows how to manage those emotions 041 1072

GAIN BENEFITS Through GAIN, all of our stakeholders benefit, from our students, to our teachers and school student has the opportunity to maximize Gaps in Current staff and even our families. their own potential and ultimately be Educational “The whole child is developed when we integrate all the elements of GAIN throughout a child’s successful in life, education must broaden Frameworks education. This intentional focus and alignment provides students with the biological, cognitive, its understanding of the skills needed and emotional and physical foundations needed to be successful throughout every stage of life,” how to develop those skills. We simply can’t Developmental Skill Phelps said. continue to refine decades-old practices and Progression expect the breakthrough results we all want Existing frameworks generally GAIN Benefits for Students: GAIN Benefits for Families: so much.” highlight essential skills, but • Helps students build confidence in their • Helps improve parent/child relationships as To see this transformational growth, it is are not sequenced to reflect own abilities discipline and acting out at school become important for schools to be able to create developmental progression. • Makes learning more enjoyable less prevalent a systemic approach to making sure every They do not grow or change as • Optimizes students’ ability to absorb • Helps families support self-regulation skills student, in every classroom, in every school students learn and grow. knowledge and build skills at home and at school can reach their full potential. Root Cause Analysis • Works with and for each child based on • Improves parent relationship with teachers According to Phelps, educators are doing Because frameworks lack a their individual progress and administrators exceptional work, yet education as a whole developmental progression • Helps students see the classroom as a safe, lacks a universal approach to learning that is aligned to how the brain grounded in human and brain development. develops, the field of “non-threatening environment This is key. Existing models or frameworks education cannot coalesce Having self-regulation skills are key to life. So one thing we really work generally highlight essential skills, but do not around a universal theory on here is ensuring that students can be college career and life ready. reflect how those skills are developed. There of development that lends We know now that maybe not every student is going to college. Maybe is no single approach that systematizes or itself to root cause analysis they’re exploring a different type of employment option. But, if they are operationalizes this progression with respect when students struggle life ready, then they’ll be able to function in any setting and having those to whole child development. In addition, with a specific skill, either self-regulation skills are key. We have students coming to school who don’t most educational solutions are singular, such academically, socially or have executive functioning skills for a variety of reasons but our focus is as a new curriculum, new leadership training, emotionally. supporting them and helping them explore unique options in order for or new interventions, etc. However, these Stress Load them to reach their unique potentials. one-off solutions can never fully impact Stress load is not considered student outcomes because ALL aspects as an essential component to of youth development are not taken into learning and skill development. account. This is the whole child development In order for higher learning to approach that goes beyond adding just take place, stress load must be another content area to be taught. managed. - Julie Underwood, Principal, Delaware Elementary School 052 1061

Knowing all this, the EVSC - unable to find a Knowledge and Understanding: Because of the importance of viable solution to meet all these areas - decided The second area within Learning & GAIN, it serves as a central point to create its own framework. Development involves the use of high- in the EVSC’s current Continuous GAIN - Growth in Academics through Innovation quality curriculum to develop depth of Improvement Plan. Included in the and Neuroeducation - is the EVSC’s evidence- knowledge in all content areas, including plan is our “Theory of Change - informed approach to ensure each student reading, math, science, history and self- Better Together the GAIN Way” has the opportunity to achieve their maximum regulation. which includes the following ideas: potential. Through GAIN, we can ensure that “With executive functioning skills in place If we base our actions and practices our high school graduates leave us with the to prime the brain for optimal learning, on how students learn and how knowledge, skills and abilities to be successful at we use curriculum that intentionally the brain develops to give us a work, at home and in the community. aligns with how the brain develops and basis to hold one another to high “In the EVSC, we strive for students to not only that creates opportunities for students to expectations, and have the highest level of academic knowledge, have experiences beyond the traditional If we provide experiences that but also the self-regulation skills needed to classroom. This helps them develop engage students in relevant and collaborate, problem solve, think critically and deeper engagement and a love for meaningful ways, and creatively, and be reliable, responsible and kind learning,” explains Phelps. If we focus on the growth of each to others,” said EVSC Superintendent David Skill Development: and every student and school, and Smith. “This is ensuring that every student has Skill Development is the culmination of If we invest in and expand the the opportunity to develop to their full potential. learning. At this stage, students are able capacity of our leaders, staff and We do this through GAIN.” to use their executive functioning skills, schools, and content knowledge and self-regulation If we ensure we work together with 601 skills to absorb academic knowledge others to problem solve through and solve complex problems, think complex challenges along the way, critically, communicate effectively and be Then every student will have access innovative. to opportunities to achieve and will “This is the core of the world in which be empowered to thrive in life. we live today,” said Phelps. “Knowledge and information will advance quickly 1052 and students will need to be able to continuously expand their knowledge and use their 21st century skills to contribute positively to their community, workplace and family. GAIN sets the stage for them to do just that.”

GAIN IMPLEMENTATION PHASE III: Learning & Development Phase III includes three areas that are closely linked, but each is dependent upon the other to ensure optimal outcomes for students. Executive Functioning Skills: The primary executive functioning skills are Experts agree that executive functioning skills working memory, focused attention, self- are the foundations for future success. control and cognitive flexibility. Executive “There has been much research in the past functioning skills are the precursors to learning decade or so on how children learn and what’s and are better predictors of student success important for them to be able to learn,” said Dr. than reading or math scores or even IQ. It is Bunney. “As it turns out, a lot of that research vital to develop and strengthen these skills shows that executive functioning skills are the intentionally as part of a universal curriculum. primary skills necessary to prepare children for “Being intentional about creating opportunities learning.” for students to not only develop these Put another way, Dr. Wexler explains that executive functioning skills but also to practice “executive functions prime the brain of a them on a daily basis is so incredibly important student so they are able to learn and absorb to ensure student success,” said Phelps. the information being taught.” 1041 702

WHY IS GAIN IMPORTANT? The district began researching neuroeducation “We spend billions of dollars in the United and its impact on student outcomes in 2014. States on curriculum - and there is no doubt Since then, plans and systems have been good curriculum matters, yet children are not developed, modified, refocused and redefined being exposed enough to the precursor skills to provide the best possible outcomes for all that set them up to learn well, effectively and students. thoroughly,” said Lynne Kenney, PsyD, pediatric psychologist at Wellington-Alexander Center “Looking back, we were working extremely for the Treatment of Dyslexia in Scottsdale, hard to increase student success, but we just Arizona. weren’t seeing the substantial gains across the board that we wanted,” Smith said. “We Ensuring that students’ brains are in a position certainly were seeing gains in some areas and to retain information, remember what they “RESST focuses on creating relationships recognize when stress load is getting too high were proud of our work, but we knew we could have been taught and put that knowledge and environments in which students can and how to lower stress load so learning and do more.” into action is central to GAIN and increasing thrive,” explained Phelps. “It sets aside time problem solving can happen. In this phase, outcomes for students. for refueling, or allowing students to recharge students will practice and develop their self Because of the EVSC’s focus on continuous and be ready for learning to take place, as well awareness and self-regulation skills so they can improvement, the district began looking deeper “Sometimes we think that if kids aren’t doing as being intentional about creating positive refuel and return to a calm, focused state that into neuroscience and how the brain functions well in math and reading that we have to give relationships with students and staff and allows learning and development to thrive.” and combining that knowledge to improve them more math, more reading,” explains Dr. allowing time for play.” student outcomes. “ Bruce Wexler, professor emeritus of and senior Sometimes we think that if kids aren’t doing well in math and reading RESST also helps adults and students to that we have to give them more math, more reading But we say to them maintain a balanced stress load throughout the To see a short video about GAIN and to ‘You can’t pour water into a jar when the lid is closed.’ You have to give day since research shows us that maintaining hear from EVSC teachers and principals them the cognitive skills to open the lid so the content goes in. this balance positively impacts student’s about how they are utilizing GAIN in the learning, development and health. classroom, scan the QR code below. “One of the requirements for optimal learning - Bruxe Wexler, professor emeritus, Yale University to take place is that students know how to manage their stress load,” said Phelps. “Every person is balancing stress load throughout the day and it is important to both learn to 801 1032

GAIN IMPLEMENTATION Safe and Connected We want to develop children who are critical, creative, passionate, Culturally Inclusive highly motivated thinkers. Phase II - Conditions for Learning Student Voice “- Lynne Kenney, PsyD, Pediatric Psychologist Phase II represents the systems and practices Family Engagement that balance the central nervous system so that Relationships research scientist in psychiatry at Yale School of “That’s why GAIN is so important. Not only learning and development can happen at the Student Wellness Medicine. “But we say to them ‘You can’t pour do we know we have to be intentional about highest level possible. This phase readies the brain water into a jar when the lid is closed.’ You have learning how the brain develops and grows, for learning. Within this phase, educators modify Environments Classroom Design to give them the cognitive skills to open the lid so we also have to operationalize that knowledge systems and practices by introducing curriculum and a Balanced the content goes in.” so we can bring it into all of our classrooms and utilizing instructional practices that ensure Sensory One of the ways we prepare students’ brains to successfully and with fidelity,” Phelps students are calm, alert and ready to learn. The Environment learn is ensuring students have the cognitive said. “Understanding that we must lay the systems and practices in this phase ensures the skills, also known as executive functioning skills, groundwork in order for optimal learning to central nervous system is balanced so students Schedules Classroom Choreography necessary for optimal learning such as attention, take place, versus just offering more math or and staff have the fuel needed for learning, Systems Refueling self control and memory. more reading, is central to GAIN.” problem solving and persisting on cognitively According to Dr. Benjamin Bunney, professor complex tasks. Group Plans emeritus of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, For more information about GAIN and “For optimal learning to take place, the brain first Continuum of Behavior executive functioning skills are the primary skills to hear from neuroeducation experts needs to have fuel or energy to focus and do the Responses, Behavior Data necessary to prepare children for learning. “It from across the country regarding the work, and stress load must be balanced,” said Systems and Self-Regulation turns out that it isn’t actually IQ that tells you importance of neuroscience in education, Phelps. “Neuroscience tells us that when stress if a child is going to be successful, it is the way scan the QR code below. load is too high, learning is more difficult, and for Process Checklist they have mastered executive functioning skills in some may not happen at all. Stress load interferes terms of life success.” with memory formation, self-control, focused Teacher & sta Adult Wellness and Taking into account the skills that students need attention and problem solving for both social and practices Self-Regulation, GAIN to have for optimal learning to take place, and academic challenges.” Instructional Practices, and then operationalizing that into a system that can The Conditions for Learning includes RESST - Learning and Behavior Cycle be implemented into every classroom is the very Relationships, Environments, Schedules, Systems, essence of GAIN. and Teacher and staff practices. Together, these systems and practices ensure stress load is 902 balanced so learning and development can be maximized. 1021

GAIN IMPLEMENTATION A TRANSFORMATION FRAMEWORK Successful implementation and integration of “As our knowledge progressed, we had to start 1012 GAIN starts with a shift in knowledge, mindsets thinking of how best to implement GAIN across and competencies of every adult responsible all of our classrooms and what groundwork for educating students. When that shift had to be established for this shift to happen,” happens and the practices are implemented, Phelps said. students feel safe emotionally, socially, To implement GAIN, the EVSC developed three cognitively and physically. This helps them main phases that align with brain development engage in cognitively complex thinking, take and work together, not independently, to academic risks, innovate, and collaborate with ensure students have the opportunity to others. This is when learning and development maximize their skills. happens. This is what prepares students for every stage of life. Phase I: Conditions for Transformation The first phase of GAIN lays the groundwork for future success. Conditions for Transformation represents the transformational change that needs to happen at the systems level, as well as changing the mindsets and knowledge base of educators. Included in this phase are two areas: Neuroscience for Transformation: Conditions for Teaching: In this area, leaders incorporate neuroscience This area focuses on broadening the of change to improve the effectiveness of knowledge base of educators and developing change and impact student outcomes. The the capacity to incorporate change at the neuroscience of change explains that human student, classroom, school and district brains are inherently wired to resist change, level. The expanded knowledge base will whether good or bad. The neuroscience of help educators at all levels incorporate key change helps organizations drive change that aspects of human and brain development is aligned with how the brain works so it is with their current skill set so that learning and more readily accepted. Change is hard, but it development for all youth is maximized. is even harder when the process isn’t aligned with how the brain works. 1001