Schools

DEF partners with a variety of schools on both long-term and short-term projects. Below are some examples of recent and ongoing projects.

Academy for Arts and Academics

The Academy for Arts and Academics (A3) in Springfield, Oregon is an alternative school founded on the dramatic arts that opened in 2006. Offering an innovative educational experience, A3 targets students who are losing interest and risk leaving high school. All A3 staff members have been trained by DEF, and DEF materials are being incorporated into the curriculum. DEF continues to be involved in decision-related activities at A3, including a decision-focused public dramatic performance that was covered in the local newspaper. Most recently, DEF presented an onsite decision skills training for 11th graders which received very positive evaluations from the attendees.

Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School

Based in West Philadelphia, Boys’ Latin is a college preparatory high school for qualified boys of diverse backgrounds in a historically underserved population. DEF has been training staff members and supporting a recently completed school-wide project that used decision skills to tackle a critical health issue.

Castilleja School

At Castilleja School, an independent school for girls in grades 6-12 in Palo Alto, California, DEF has been participating in several special projects, including Senior Leadership Week, where DEF partnered with a history teacher to develop curriculum for studying stakeholder values and decision making during and after a major disaster such as Hurricane Katrina.

Decision Science-Themed Magnet Schools in Omaha

In August 2007, Benson High School Magnet in Omaha, Nebraska, opened as the nation's first magnet high school based on decision science. Benson and its partner magnet school, Morton Magnet Middle School, are committed to incorporating decision skills into real-life settings, with an emphasis on the application of decision science to resolve local problems, using project-based learning and collaboration with the greater community. DEF's decision-making methodology is at the heart of this effort.

Eastside College Preparatory School

DEF has conducted an initial onsite fundamentals training for teachers at Eastside, established in East Palo Alto, California, to train and prepare students historically under-represented in higher education to succeed in college.

The Haverford School

Our first independent school partner, The Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania, has identified decision making as a core element of its K–12 curriculum since beginning work with DEF in 2004. The incorporation of decision skills into the school’s programs is central to achieving Haverford’s goal of producing students who can think critically and communicate effectively. Haverford is also using the DEF decision model to improve the effectiveness of teachers and administration. In 2007, Independent School Magazine

featured Haverford’s application of decision making.

Mastery Charter High School

Located in Philadelphia, Mastery Charter High School has been teaching decision skills within its social-emotional learning advisory curriculum since 2003. Mastery’s innovative teaching approach for a socio-economically disadvantaged student population is resulting in impressive student achievements, including the large percentage of graduating seniors who are accepted to a college or university. Named one of 15 exemplary charter schools nationwide by the US Department of Education in 2005, Mastery has grown from a single campus in 2001 to four schools today. Recently, US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Civil Rights Advocate Al Sharpton, and Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich visited Mastery Charter’s Shoemaker Campus, along with state and local officials. In comments to the press, the visitors indicated that the attitude and performance of Mastery students debunked the myth that poor and/or minority children can’t learn.

Oak Grove Center for Education Treatment and the Arts

DEF has presented onsite fundamentals training for teachers at the Oak Grove Center, a nonprofit residential and educational treatment center with two campuses in Southern California. Oak Grove administrators and teachers are exploring ways to incorporate decision education into their existing day and residential programs.

Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences

DEF recently completed an all-day workshop for the senior class at the Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences (SAAS), introducing them to the Decision Chain, The Four Steps of Decision Quality, and the Decision Scoring Form. The foundation continues to work with the SAAS teaching staff and has presented the first in a series of onsite teacher workshops for the school.

Sigourney School District

The Sigourney School District in Sigourney, Iowa, has launched a charter school focused on entrepreneurship. DEF provided training to the teachers and administrators in the Sigourney district as they planned this project. In 2009, representatives from the district attended our summer workshops on the Stanford University campus.