ATLAS COMMUNITIES

Evidence of positive effects on student achievement		?
Year introduced in schools		1992
Number of schools		63
Support developer provides schools
First-year costs      with new staff      with current staff reassigned		$98,000 $90,000
= Strong	= Promising		= Marginal
= Mixed, Weak		? = No Research

OVERVIEW

The ATLAS Communities approach (Authentic Teaching, Learning, and Assessment for All Students) is based on the belief that all students can and must reach their full potential. A key feature of ATLAS is the Pre-K to 12 "pathway." The "pathway" refers to feeder patterns of elementary, middle, and high schools, which the approach seeks to coordinate to produce a coherent educational program for each student, from the first day of school through graduation.

ATLAS works with pathways toward five goals: (1) to improve learning for all students by focusing on teaching for understanding; (2) to evaluate student work through a variety of standard and authentic assessments; (3) to engage teachers in serious, sustained professional development through whole-faculty study groups; (4) to involve families and other community members in the education of their children; and (5) to reorganize the internal structures and decision-making processes of schools and districts to support the above goals.

The approach was formed in 1992 as a partnership of four school reform organizations: the Education Development Center in Boston, the Coalition of Essential Schools at Brown University, Project Zero at Harvard University, and the School Development Program at Yale University. The approach is one of several sponsored by New American Schools, a national initiative to develop replicable schoolwide reform programs.

According to the developers, ATLAS builds on a base of research and examined practice drawn from each of the sponsoring organizations. Specifically, the approach draws on essential questions and student exhibitions from the Coalition of Essential Schools; professional development and curriculum development from the Education Development Center; multiple intelligences, authentic assessment, and Teaching for Understanding from Project Zero; and family involvement, school climate, and management and decision-making from the School Development Program. According to the developers, the approach is based on theories of change, and influenced by experiences in early sites.

During its first several years of development, ATLAS worked with three pathways in Norfolk, Virginia, Prince Georges County, Maryland, and Gorham, Maine. Since then, ATLAS has expanded to encompass 63 schools in eight states, and 14 pathways.

EVIDENCE OF POSITIVE EFFECTS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

Strength of the Research Base. ATLAS is a relatively new approach, and rigorous research on its effects on student achievement is not yet available.

Research on implementation is available. Five independent studies examined ATLAS implementation. Four of them compared the implementation of ATLAS to the implementation of other school reform approaches; the fifth examined two ATLAS districts. As many as 22 schools were examined; some of the studies examined the same schools or pathways.

Effects on Students. At the time of this report, no studies on the effects of ATLAS on student achievement were available publicly. However New American Schools has commissioned a longitudinal study for which the collection of test data is underway. ATLAS pathways also collect and make publicly available test data on student effects.

CENTRAL COMPONENTS

Organizational Change, Staffing, and Administrative Support. ATLAS requires professional staff to be organized within each school and across the pathway into whole-faculty study groups. According to developers, these study groups become the vehicle for professional development and a catalyst for changes in teaching, learning, and assessment. In addition, ATLAS schools are required to develop a school leadership team composed of the principal, teachers, other school staff, and parents (and sometimes other administrators and students). This team assumes many of the responsibilities traditionally held by the principal, such as planning the annual calendar and schedule, overseeing the budget, organizing professional development, and communicating with the district. The developers suggest that the relationship between the district and school involve co-management.

ATLAS provides each pathway with a site developer, who works with school and district staff, organizes professional development, and helps implement ATLAS. Districts are required to fund a part-time pathway coordinator. The pathway coordinator typically is a teacher or administrator who is relieved of some other duties.

Curriculum and Instruction. The ATLAS approach to curriculum and instruction encompasses the Teaching for Understanding framework developed by Harvard's Project Zero. According to the developers, particular features of this framework include: (1) coherent learning goals and curricula from kindergarten through 12th grade; (2) focus at each grade level and subject area on a few important topics, emphasizing depth rather than breadth; (3) inclusion of basic skills taught in the context of solving problems; (4) developmentally appropriate curriculum and instruction; and, (5) respect for individual differences while maintaining rigor for all students.

Instructional strategies include project-based and cooperative learning activities, teacher-facilitated discussions, and occasional direct instruction or lecture to provide particular kinds of information.

According to the developers, the ATLAS approach encourages everyone in the school to assume non-traditional roles. Students, for example, are asked to become questioners, explorers, creators, and problem solvers. Teachers and administrators are encouraged to regard themselves as mentors and coaches, observing students' work and providing feedback, suggestions, encouragement, and guidance for improvement. Families and community members are encouraged to act as resources for, and facilitators of, learning.

Supplies and Materials. The developers do not require or provide specific instructional materials, but, as implementation progresses, they may recommend learning materials consistent with the approach. The developers require administrators and key teachers to use handbooks to guide faculty study groups. These books are provided to 30 percent of the school staff as part of professional development (additional copies can be purchased for $20 each).

ATLAS recommends that staff members purchase its instructional guides ($5 to $20 per book). Available titles include: Learning from Student Work, Asset Mapping, The Curriculum Planner, Teaching for Understanding (Harvard Project Zero), The Whole-Faculty Study Group (Corwin Press), and Dimensions of an Exhibition (Coalition of Essential Schools).

Scheduling and Grouping. According to the developers, because ATLAS is a framework, not a prescriptive program, it does not require specific strategies for scheduling or grouping. However, the developers recommend scheduling that allows teachers to work together in study groups. They also recommend flexible grouping of students and longer blocks of time for instruction at the secondary level.

Monitoring of Student Progress and Performance. According to the developers, ATLAS provides a framework for student assessment, which should be related to standards that have been adopted by the state, district, pathway or school community. The developers recommend a range of assessments, including standardized tests, school- and teacher-made tests, exhibitions of mastery, portfolios, and community-based projects. Teachers are also encouraged to examine and discuss student work using protocols provided by the developers.

Family and Community Involvement. The developers will not implement ATLAS without significant family and community support. Involvement is encouraged in three areas: teaching and learning; assessment; and management and decision making. According to the developers, ATLAS schools engage parents and the community in ongoing discussions about governance, teaching, learning, and assessment. ATLAS promotes parent involvement in activities such as parent conferences and student exhibitions. ATLAS also encourages parents and the community to become involved in making school and pathway decisions, preferably by joining school leadership teams. Like the staff, parents and community members are expected to review data, plan implementation, assess progress, and evaluate results.

SUPPORT THE DEVELOPER PROVIDES SCHOOLS

Professional Development and Technical Assistance. ATLAS requires 30 percent of staff to participate in an annual three- to four-day leadership institute that covers topics selected by the school. The training is held during the summer or the school year at the school or a nearby professional development center. Trainers are leaders of other ATLAS schools, ATLAS staff, or consultants who are knowledgeable about the institute topics. Principals in the pathway are encouraged to attend an annual three-day national principals' institute; their registration fee is included in the approach's adoption price.

The developers hire staff ("site developers") with teaching or administrative experience to guide the schools through the implementation process by providing professional development, acting as mentors for teachers, and coordinating activities. Site developers provide workshops, follow-up sessions, and support as requested by the school and pathway leaders.

The cornerstone of professional development in ATLAS schools is the weekly study groups, in which all faculty participate. According to the developers, study groups provide a forum to discuss instructional innovations and to solve problems that may arise during the implementation of new approaches to teaching and learning.

Other technical assistance includes: at least one visit by senior staff for consultation and quality control; an ATLAS evaluation team visit; visits from staff at other ATLAS communities; ATLAS in Practice, a quarterly newsletter that provides ideas and sources of materials to ATLAS members; and the ATLAS Web site, which allows school staff to engage in online discussions.

After three years of implementation, the developers offer to tailor technical assistance to the needs of the pathway.

Implementation Requirements and Schools' Experiences. ATLAS requires commitment of staff in the pathway schools to begin implementation. To help schools decide whether or not to participate, the developers offer a four- to six-month pre-implementation process called Charting the Course (developed in 1997). According to the developers, some pathways engage in Charting the Course the year prior to implementation; others fold Charting the Course activities into their first year of implementation.

During pre-implementation, the school is encouraged to examine its past performance to determine whether ATLAS can help address its current and future needs. An exploration team of approximately 15 people—including district administrators, teachers, parents, and community leaders—is expected to attend a two-day retreat, followed by weekly or biweekly meetings throughout the pre-implementation period. The exploration team is expected to assemble a portfolio, comprising student work and surveys of parents, teachers, and students, to determine priorities and a strategy for reform. The team meets with ATLAS staff to decide whether to continue with the approach and plan the full implementation process. Next, ATLAS staff meets with the school faculty to develop implementation goals. These goals should reflect district, pathway, and school goals. According to the developers, these usually include improving student performance on assessments and achieving higher grades.

According to the developers, the ATLAS approach requires substantial changes in school organization and culture, staff attitudes and behavior, and parental and community involvement. The implementation process takes at least three years. Schools that need more time to fully implement the approach may need to seek additional funding support from grants or other sources.

Studies show that implementation differed across components of the approach. Some components, such as establishing and conducting faculty study groups and setting up a school leadership team, were implemented early in the process. Less straightforward changes, such as transferring decision-making responsibility to the school leadership team, generally occurred later or not at all. Some aspects, especially changes in instruction, were well implemented at some schools and unevenly implemented at others.

According to the developers, research on implementation has been used to improve new replications of the approach. The developers also claim that the various components of ATLAS eventually coalesce. 

COSTS

The first-year cost of adopting this approach is $98,000. This cost covers technical assistance and professional development, including teacher release time (e.g., for weekly study groups); materials; and the salary for a pathway coordinator. Schools can lower this cost to $90,000 per year if pathways assign a current staff member to serve as the part-time pathway coordinator.

The developer's fee for adopting ATLAS depends on the number of participating schools in the district. If three schools join ATLAS, each pays $50,000 in year one, $51,700 in year two, and $53,330 in year three. If five schools join, each pays $45,000 in year one, $47,200 in year two, and $49,000 in year three. If eight or more schools join, each pays $40,000 in year one, $42,000 in year two, and $44,100 in year three. If a district establishes multiple ATLAS pathways, the per-school cost is lower.

In addition to the above costs, districts must identify a part-time to full-time pathway coordinator for each year of implementation.

Many pathways choose to go through a preliminary exploration of ATLAS (Charting the Course) before agreeing to move forward with full implementation. There is an additional cost for these services.

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