Scarsdale Scarsdale Alternative Alternative

School: A Just School: A Just Community Community ApproachApproach

Kohlberg’s Developmental Kohlberg’s Developmental TheoryTheory

DevelopmentDevelopment as the goal of as the goal of educationeducation Distinguished between Distinguished between psychologicalpsychological

and and educationaleducational theories theories Developmental theories (i.e. Kohlberg, Developmental theories (i.e. Kohlberg,

Piaget) can inform educational theoriesPiaget) can inform educational theories Individual developmental capacitiesIndividual developmental capacities Needs of students of different agesNeeds of students of different ages Not meant to be replacementsNot meant to be replacements

The Just CommunityThe Just Community

Durkheim’s socialization theory of moral Durkheim’s socialization theory of moral formationformation Group’s authority leads to respect for rulesGroup’s authority leads to respect for rules Group solidarityGroup solidarity Communities of trustCommunities of trust Discipline = reintegration into communityDiscipline = reintegration into community

Kantian attitude - moral duty on the Kantian attitude - moral duty on the authority of individuals (autonomous & authority of individuals (autonomous & community)community) Group’s power comes from self-conscious Group’s power comes from self-conscious

sharing of norms to which all have agreedsharing of norms to which all have agreed Practices to ensure minority voice is heardPractices to ensure minority voice is heard

The Just Community The Just Community ApproachApproach

Began in 1974Began in 1974 Better understanding about actual Better understanding about actual

processes of successful interventionprocesses of successful intervention Liberal education ideasLiberal education ideas

Dewey: schools as communities that Dewey: schools as communities that mirror larger democratic societymirror larger democratic society

Effective learning and future citizenshipEffective learning and future citizenship Two sides: Two sides: Justice Justice and and CommunityCommunity

JusticeJustice

Democratic Institutions:Democratic Institutions: Weekly community meetingWeekly community meeting Smaller class-size advisory groupsSmaller class-size advisory groups Fairness committeeFairness committee Agenda committeeAgenda committee

Fairness, duties, rights, equity issues Fairness, duties, rights, equity issues One person = one voteOne person = one vote

CommunityCommunity

Ownership for the governance of Ownership for the governance of their own grouptheir own group

Students and teachers build a sense Students and teachers build a sense of communityof community Personally meaningfulPersonally meaningful Shared responsibilitiesShared responsibilities

Educational GoalsEducational Goals

Learning as an active process:Learning as an active process: Promote self-reflection, active citizenshipPromote self-reflection, active citizenship School as a valued communitySchool as a valued community Increased voice, autonomy, shared Increased voice, autonomy, shared

experienceexperience Discussion of justice, rights, duties, equityDiscussion of justice, rights, duties, equity

Motivation to learn:Motivation to learn: Increased productivity and knowledgeIncreased productivity and knowledge Attachment to schoolAttachment to school Competence, engagement as citizensCompetence, engagement as citizens

1969:Talk of creating an alternative ‘free’

school

1977:First affiliation with Harvard

and Just Community Ideas

1972-73:The A-School

begins - 3 teachers

fulltime, 1 part-time;

grades 10-12

1985:Judy C. leaves; Tony hired as new director

1979-82:Staff assisted

teaching HGSE Just Community summer course

1978-79:School becomes a

Just Community School

1985-97:Staff: Tony, Judy R.,

Tom, Linda, Sue, Sally

1987:A-School joins the Coalition of

Essential Schools

1989:Changes to two-

semester system, reorganized curriculum

1999:Tony leaves; Howard hired

as the new director

1999-TodayCurrent Staff: Howard, Jean, Jennifer, Jim,

& Linda

1969

1980

1990

2000

A-School TimelineA-School Timeline

Student Student Perspectives on Perspectives on the Scarsdale A-the Scarsdale A-

SchoolSchool

MethodMethod

Survey Monkey:Survey Monkey: Open-ended questionsOpen-ended questions

Just Community structuresJust Community structures Poweful learning experiencesPoweful learning experiences Current political interest and participationCurrent political interest and participation

Quantitative questionsQuantitative questions Ranking Just Community structuresRanking Just Community structures

Sample DemographicsSample Demographics N=162; 55 male, N=162; 55 male,

98 female98 female

84.6% White, 3.1% 84.6% White, 3.1% Asian, 1.2% Black, Asian, 1.2% Black, 0.6% Hispanic, 0.6% Hispanic, 1.9% other1.9% other

14.2% Doctoral or 14.2% Doctoral or professional, professional, 37.7% Masters’s, 37.7% Masters’s, 30.9% Bachelors, 30.9% Bachelors, 5.6% some college5.6% some college

Mean Age =33.07 Mean Age =33.07 yearsyears Range= 19-52 Range= 19-52

yearsyears

58.6% attended all 58.6% attended all three yearsthree years

Mean years Mean years attended=2.56 attended=2.56

103 answered 103 answered some or all open-some or all open-ended questionsended questions

Perceptions of School Perceptions of School ClimateClimate

DURING SCHOOL YEARS:DURING SCHOOL YEARS:

Developed character Developed character (n=36)(n=36) Gained voiceGained voice Empowered Empowered Gained confidenceGained confidence

Relationships (n=23)Relationships (n=23) 17 Feeling cared 17 Feeling cared

for/nurturedfor/nurtured 9 Feeling alienated 9 Feeling alienated

Mixed answersMixed answers

EFFECTS TODAY ON EFFECTS TODAY ON ACTIONS AND ACTIONS AND DECISIONS:DECISIONS:

Appreciate and seek out Appreciate and seek out communitycommunity

Listen to other voicesListen to other voices Know how to use Know how to use

consensus building consensus building proceduresprocedures

Realize actions of Realize actions of individual affect the groupindividual affect the group

Alumni Rankings of Just Community Alumni Rankings of Just Community Structures’ Helpfulness to their Structures’ Helpfulness to their

Growth as an Ethical PersonGrowth as an Ethical PersonRankiRanki

ngngStructureStructure MeaMea

nnRanked as Ranked as

#1#1Ranked as Ranked as

#2#2

1st1st Community Community MeetingMeeting

7.507.50 3232 1414

2nd2nd Core GroupCore Group 6.716.71 88 2424

3rd3rd Advisor Advisor RelationshipRelationship

6.606.60 1010 66

4th4th Academic ClassAcademic Class 6.146.14 1010 1111

5th5th Fairness Fairness CommitteeCommittee

4.754.75 55 55

6th6th InternshipInternship 4.674.67 44 55

7th7th Community Community ServiceService

4.094.09 33 44

8th8th OrientationOrientation 3.543.54 11 44

9th9th GraduationGraduation 2.632.63 ---- ----

N = 73; scores 1-9 with 1 = most helpful, 9 = least helpful

Did you follow the rules?Did you follow the rules?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Not very well For the most part Almost always

Impact on Impact on understanding/participation in understanding/participation in

democratic processesdemocratic processes

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Not much Somewhat Quite a bit

Concluding ReflectionsConcluding Reflections

POWERFUL, LONG-POWERFUL, LONG-LASTING MORAL LASTING MORAL INTERVENTION:INTERVENTION:

Research respect for Research respect for practicepractice

Constructed Constructed educational philosophy educational philosophy in dialog with teachersin dialog with teachers

Interaction of multiple Interaction of multiple variables: gifted variables: gifted teachers, strong school teachers, strong school system, small classes, system, small classes, separated buildingseparated building

Long enough and Long enough and strong enoughstrong enough

CURRENT CONVERSATION CURRENT CONVERSATION RE: JUST COMMUNITIES:RE: JUST COMMUNITIES:

Higgins-D’Alessandro Higgins-D’Alessandro and Power: Just and Power: Just Community as Community as strongest moral strongest moral education interventioneducation intervention

Nucci: Stresses Nucci: Stresses limitations Kohlberg limitations Kohlberg theory and research; theory and research; proposes domain proposes domain alternativealternative

Berkowitz: Berkowitz: Comprehensive big-Comprehensive big-tent vision of positive tent vision of positive youth developmentyouth development

Faculty Faculty Reflections on the Reflections on the

Scarsdale A-Scarsdale A-School ExperienceSchool Experience

“ “I think the most powerful lesson I have I think the most powerful lesson I have learned over time is that I am happiest learned over time is that I am happiest when I am part of a collaborative, when I am part of a collaborative, caring community; that I want to caring community; that I want to surround myself with people who treat surround myself with people who treat each other compassionately and who each other compassionately and who can see multiple points of view. The A-can see multiple points of view. The A-School was my first experience in such a School was my first experience in such a community (even though it wasn’t community (even though it wasn’t perfect or maybe because it wasn’t perfect or maybe because it wasn’t perfect!).”perfect!).”

Why We JoinedWhy We Joined To learn how to create an “imperfect caring To learn how to create an “imperfect caring

community”community”

““To engage kids authentically and to relate to the To engage kids authentically and to relate to the whole human being, both students and colleagues”whole human being, both students and colleagues”

““Traditional Education was too narrow in focus”Traditional Education was too narrow in focus”

““To get away from the ‘me versus them’ mentality”To get away from the ‘me versus them’ mentality”

To “own” our school and our workTo “own” our school and our work

To learn to constantly adapt and change our To learn to constantly adapt and change our teaching to meet student needs as we came to teaching to meet student needs as we came to know students more fullyknow students more fully

““During my first year there I During my first year there I started to realize that it’s more started to realize that it’s more about setting up situations for about setting up situations for

students and then really paying students and then really paying attention to them—what mattered attention to them—what mattered

more for my teaching was how well more for my teaching was how well I listened.”I listened.”

Faculty Faculty Perspective on the Perspective on the

Goals of the Goals of the SchoolSchool

Rebecca:Rebecca: “I never told you about that letter Jane “I never told you about that letter Jane Crofut got Crofut got from her minister when she was from her minister when she was sick. He wrote sick. He wrote Jane a letter and on the Jane a letter and on the envelope the address was envelope the address was like this: It like this: It said: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; said: Jane Crofut; The Crofut Farm; Grover’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire; Grover’s Corners; Sutton County; New Hampshire;

United States of America.”United States of America.”

George: George: “What’s funny about that?”“What’s funny about that?”

Rebecca: Rebecca: “But listen, it’s not finished: The “But listen, it’s not finished: The United States of United States of America; Continent of America; Continent of North America; Western North America; Western Hemisphere; Hemisphere; The Earth; The Solar System; The The Earth; The Solar System; The Universe; Universe; The Mind of God—that’s what it said on The Mind of God—that’s what it said on the the envelope.”envelope.”

George: George: “What do you know!”“What do you know!”From the play “Our Town,” by Thornton From the play “Our Town,” by Thornton

WilderWilder

The WorldThe US

NY StateTown of

Scarsdale

SAS Community

Core Group

Self

The Faculty’s JobThe Faculty’s Job

To nudge, push, cajole, challenge To nudge, push, cajole, challenge and support students to see the and support students to see the ever-widening circles/communities ever-widening circles/communities which affect them and which they which affect them and which they have the potential power to have the potential power to influence.influence.

The Methods that The Methods that Worked: School Worked: School

StructuresStructures Adviser-advisee relationships:Adviser-advisee relationships: “ “Most [powerful macrocurricular Most [powerful macrocurricular

moments] involved confronting a student moments] involved confronting a student over a behavior, for instance cheating, over a behavior, for instance cheating, having the student deny it at first, as a having the student deny it at first, as a student is wont to do, and then later student is wont to do, and then later having the student admit to me that he having the student admit to me that he had cheated. The coming clean through had cheated. The coming clean through honest admission of a ‘wrong’ behavior, honest admission of a ‘wrong’ behavior, seeing that an adult can accept it and not seeing that an adult can accept it and not hate you, and rebuilding the relationship hate you, and rebuilding the relationship from there has to go a long way in how a from there has to go a long way in how a student eventually relates to people.” student eventually relates to people.”

DVD on Fairness Committee

The ProcessThe Process

Identify a problemIdentify a problem Air varying perspectives on the Air varying perspectives on the

causes causes Propose solutionsPropose solutions VoteVote Design mechanisms for enforcementDesign mechanisms for enforcement

The Teacher’s RoleThe Teacher’s Role

Clarify issuesClarify issues Sharpen conflictSharpen conflict Allow students to hammer out Allow students to hammer out

solutionssolutions“I would say the notion of processing class fundamentally changed the way I look at school. The fact that students and teacher could be involved in a discussion about how to make class better was very empowering to me.”

Which Structures:Which Structures:

Advisor-adviseeAdvisor-advisee Community MeetingCommunity Meeting Core GroupCore Group The synergistic effect of having those The synergistic effect of having those

structures operating on so many structures operating on so many levels throughout the schoollevels throughout the school

Picking out only one or two structures Picking out only one or two structures will diminish the chance for success.will diminish the chance for success.

A Recent Example A Recent Example of the Process in Actionof the Process in Action

“ “It came to light that a website had been created on It came to light that a website had been created on which students (mostly male) rated other students which students (mostly male) rated other students on their attractiveness and also wrote comments on their attractiveness and also wrote comments about them. We had core group and community about them. We had core group and community meeting conversations in which students were very meeting conversations in which students were very honest about how much they were hurt by the site. honest about how much they were hurt by the site. Students who usually were quiet pushed themselves Students who usually were quiet pushed themselves to speak up. Some real conflicts were exposed… to speak up. Some real conflicts were exposed… Several people who had posted comments on the Several people who had posted comments on the site spoke about how much their views had changed site spoke about how much their views had changed as a result of hearing their friends talk about how as a result of hearing their friends talk about how they felt victimized by the site.”they felt victimized by the site.”

The Relationship The Relationship between the Macro- and between the Macro- and

Micro-curriculaMicro-curricula Classroom management (discipline) Classroom management (discipline)

issuesissues Specific curricular applications: Specific curricular applications:

dilemmas, argumentative writingdilemmas, argumentative writing Applying the process of the macro-Applying the process of the macro-

curriculum to the classroomcurriculum to the classroom

~ Howard Rodstein, English Teacher, Current SAS Director

The Ways our Pedagogy The Ways our Pedagogy ChangedChanged

We Learned to:We Learned to: Frame and milk a conversationFrame and milk a conversation Step aside, loosen control and let the Step aside, loosen control and let the

students lead from within a students lead from within a structure we establishedstructure we established

Turn failure into opportunityTurn failure into opportunity

Foundations for Faculty Foundations for Faculty Change and GrowthChange and Growth

The freedom to create and to make The freedom to create and to make mistakesmistakes

The support of other teachers and of The support of other teachers and of kidskids

The challenge of working in the micro The challenge of working in the micro and macro curricula at the same timeand macro curricula at the same time

Awareness of role modeling made us Awareness of role modeling made us constantly question our own actionsconstantly question our own actions

The Impact of the School The Impact of the School on the Teachers as on the Teachers as

Individuals Individuals We Learned:We Learned: ResilienceResilience Not to sweep things under the rugNot to sweep things under the rug To stand up for our beliefsTo stand up for our beliefs To be more accepting of people and To be more accepting of people and

of differenceof difference To ListenTo Listen That we can get things done and we That we can get things done and we

can change things!can change things!

“We had an incredible sense of accomplishment at the amazing things we did with students and with schooling.”

~ Tom Conrad, Science teacher