Mapleton Early College (MEC) is a hybrid of two high school models: Big Picture Learning and Early College. Students experience a college-preparatory environment balancing classes, independent project-based learning, real-world learning through professional internships, and access to college courses and the pursuit of an Associates Degree concurrent to their high school studies. Students and parents are active participants in the design and assessment of the student’s personalized learning plan, which starts with the student’s own interests. Around these interests, the student’s advisor, internship mentor and parents create an individualized formal curriculum, internship learning goals, community-focused learning opportunities, and college readiness plan. By staying with the same advisor and small advisory of students for up to four years, students participate in a strong culture of high standards, accountability, and support. MEC students learn to become problem-solvers, lifelong learners and cooperative members of the community, prepared for college and beyond.

Beginning this summer, MEC Director, Sarah Abramson committed significant time and energy to bring a focus to Math/QR at the school. She reached out for Big Picture Quantitative Reasoning (QR) support and was rewarded with a three-day intensive visit by 12 members of the Big Picture QR Leadership Team. This team worked closely with MEC advisors around specific needs and requests, facilitated engaging, hands-on activities and investigations with students, helped advisors map out detailed QR plans, and shared useful resources to support these plans. New relationships were formed with commitments on both ends to maintain contact and provide continued support. This three day “launch” of the QR focus for MEC ignited a spark with staff and students alike.

As part of the agreement to receive the concentrated QR support from the Big Picture network, MEC agreed to be the first school to host a concentrated numeracy visit by AHSI. In preparation for the ongoing discussion and planning for this visit, MEC staff was provided with the concept paper collaboratively written by the AHSI Math/QR capacity-building workgroup titled, Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Numeracy in Our High Schools. MEC staff would find from reading this paper, the emergence of 7 Numeracy Principles designed to serve as the focal point for this and other numeracy-focused school visits.

View concept paper: Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Numeracy in our High Schools v8

MINT PROCESS

Introduction
SNEI Process
MINT Participants
Pre Visit Work
Site Visit
Summary Findings
Recommendations
Next Steps
Video & Pictures