one student at a time · The Met Portfolio 2001—2002 The 2001-2002 Met Portfolio is the sixth...

the met ro po l i tan regional ca reer and tec h n i cal center 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

a big pi c tu re schoo l

themetone student at a time

The Met Celebrates its 5th Anniversary!

Five years ago, in 1996, The Met was a brand new school organized around a very simple idea: students

learn best when engaged in interesting, relevant work with adults who know them well.

As of school year 2001-02, The Met is a thriving Rhode Island high school with two operating campuses

and four more under construction. Its student body is 220 strong, and its graduates are in colleges from

Oregon to Vermont, studying everything from journalism to computer animation. Its success is the reason

for a major Gates Foundation grant aimed at creating similar high schools across the country. The Met is

also the subject of the book, One Kid At A Time: Big Lessons from a Small School, by Eliot Levine.

Who owns this success? Every one of us. You, our parents, students, graduates, and community, who took

a chance on a new model for schooling and helped us demonstrate its power. You, our government lead-

ers, who funded and supported the school, giving Rhode Islanders more choices in education. You, our

teachers, principals and mentors, who are the glue that holds the school together, and the guides that

nurture the seeds of interest, imagination and knowledge in our students.

Happy Anniversary to all of us.

th e met ro po l i tan regi onal c a reer a nd tec h n i cal ce nter 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

The Met Portfolio 2001 – 2002

The 2001-2002 Met Portfolio is the sixth annual report of The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical

Center in Providence, Rhode Island. The Met is a public high school that uses real-world experiences

to build skills and knowledge, one student at a time. The Met opened in 1996 with fifty-three 9th grade

students, and this past June graduated its third class of seniors, the Class of 2002.

The Met Portfolio is structured around the school’s main design principles. Each section begins with a brief

description, followed by the data, quotations and examples that demonstrate The Met’s successes in 2001

- 2002. The SALT icon indicates results of the 2001-02 School Accountability for Learning and Teaching sur-

veys administered by the Rhode Island Department of Education to all public schools in the state.

The subject of both local and national media, The Met continues to win praise for student

achievement and for promoting the active participation of its students and families in the

learning process. Notably, 2001-02 saw the first year of training for principals of new

schools around the country that are based on The Met design. The founder of The Met,

The Big Picture Company, is working hard to change the face of education and create

more schools that are as personalized and successful as The Met.

All photos by Cal Wolk, Geoff Otis, Brian Mills, and Victoria Stilwell.

The Met’s Third Senior Class:

Graduating One Student at a Time

Senior Statistics – Class of 2002 . . . . . . . . . . .5

Scholarships and Awards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Senior Thesis Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

College Access: Preparing One Student at a Time

College Courses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

College Fair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Financial Aid Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

College Admission Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

College Visits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Graduation Readiness Advisory Board (GRAB)

Partnership with Dean College . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Personalized Education: One Student at a Time

Learning Plan Team Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Met Student Workshops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Summer Infusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

A Personalized Learning Environment . . . . . . .12

Learning Through Real Work:

One Student at a Time

Learning Through Internships (LTIs) . . . . . . . .13

Sample LTI projects from 2001-2002 . . . . . . . .13

LTI Sites 2001-2002 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Mentors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Mentor Breakfast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Quantitative Reasoning at The Met . . . . . . . . .15

Learning in the Real World: One Student at a Time

Service Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Whole School, Campus and Advisory

Community Service Projects . . . . . . . . . . .17

Individual Community Service Projects . . . . .17

Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Study Abroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Whole-Campus or Whole-School

Travel Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Whole Advisory Day and Overnight

Travel Experiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Individual/Small Group Travel Experiences . .19

Summer Learning 2001 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Summer Search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Other Summer Learning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Public Speaking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Outdoor Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Assessment: One Student at a Time

Transcript Innovations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

New Requirements for Senior

Institute Gateway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Family Engagement: One Family at a Time

Family Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Whole-School and Campus Events . . . . . . . .23

Specific Grade Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Family Engagement Committee . . . . . . . . . . .23

Family Nights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

FamilyNet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Family Engagement Innovations . . . . . . . . . . .24

Building a Community: One Student at a Time

Small Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Demographics 2001-02 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Cross-Campus Communication . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Pick Me Ups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Community Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

The Met’s Fifth Anniversary Celebration . . . . .26

Shared Decision-Making . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Community Response to the

Events of September 11th . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Coming Together to Remember

Joseph Hector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Community Building Innovations . . . . . . . . . .27

Professional Development: A Culture for Change

Staff Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Conference Presentations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Staff Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Staff Retreats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Principal Residency Network (PRN) . . . . . . . .29

Lifelong Learners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Support Of New Big Picture Schools . . . . . . .29

Leaving the Nest: Supporting Met Graduates

Alumni Support and Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

The Longitudinal Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

New Projects

One Kid at a Time by Eliot Levine . . . . . . . . . .31

Big Picture Schools Materials Development . .31

Big Picture Online . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Campus Expansion: Growing the Met Family

Building Milestones and Unique Qualities . . .32

Development of the School

Based Health Clinic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Student Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Staff Recruitment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

4

pursue your passion pursue your pas s i o n pursue your passion pursue your pas s i o n pursue your passion pursue your pas s i o n pursue your passion

The Met’s third graduating class take withthem knowledge and experience gleaned fromunique rites of passage. Their 75-page autobi-ographies, Learning Through InternshipExperiences, Senior Thesis Projects, travel, andthe many people they have met along the waywill contribute to their future success. We willbe following these graduates and their prede-cessors, and supporting them as they becomelifelong learners.

Senior Statistics – Class of 2002

• 41 seniors graduated on June 15, 2002 in aceremony held at Brown University

• The Class of 2002 was 39% Hispanic, 37%Caucasian, 22% African American, and 2%Asian

• Seniors received over $450,000 in financialaid and scholarships

• Seniors were accepted to 31different colleges

• 73% of the Class of 2002 started college inthe fall of 2002; 2% are in or plan to jointhe military; and 15% are working withmany planning on attending college in2003

The Class of 2002 are attending the followingcolleges and universities:

• American International College

• Bennington College

• Clark University

• Community College of Rhode Island

• Costin’s Warwick Academy

• Curry College

• Dean College

• Green Mountain College

• Johnson & Wales University

• Marlboro College

• Rhode Island College

• Syracuse University

• Wheaton College

Scholarships and Awards

Every year, Met students are nominated for andencouraged to apply for a variety of awards andscholarships that celebrate their accomplish-ments and support their pursuit of higher edu-cation. Four students were awarded scholar-ships from The Met’s Joseph Hector MemorialScholarship Fund. In addition, seniors in theClass of 2002 received numerous outsideawards, including:

• Brooks Pharmacy Scholarship

• Cape Verdean De Lomba Scholarship

• Clark University Alumni and FriendsScholarship

• Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Scholarship

• Johnson & Wales Leadership Scholarship

• Mayor’s Scholarship

• Portuguese American Scholarship

• Portuguese Heritage Scholarship

• Presidential Freedom Scholarship (two students received this award)

• Secretary of State Leadership Award (twostudents received this award)

• Syracuse University Honorable ChancellorsScholarship

• Target Scholarship

• Urban League Scholarship

5

In 2001–2002 the Met

had a 95.5% attendance

rate and a 1% dropout

rate.

Of the 100% of seniors

that applied to college,

all were accepted to at

least one school.

The Met’s Third Senior Class:

Graduating One Student at a Time


Senior Thesis Projects

Each Met senior must complete a Senior Thesisproject in order to graduate. The Class of 2002completed the following projects:

Met Baseball TeamOrganized The Met’s first baseball team,including recruiting student players, gatheringnecessary health forms, fundraising to buyequipment, leading practices with a mentor,and communicating with other local highschool teams to organize competitive games.

Catering BusinessEstablished an independent catering businessand catered five events, including the MentorBreakfast serving approximately 300 people.

Met YearbookCo-edited and produced The Met’s yearbook,including planning, designing, organizing andlaying out the format; learning AdobePhotoShop and Quark; facilitating meetings;spearheading the advertising sales; and, sellingthe yearbooks to Met students. (Two students.)

Foster Care SystemServed as a Big Sister to a foster care child,including doing an intensive research project on the number of children in foster care inRhode Island, the effectiveness of the system,and what happens to children after they leaveit. Concluded by reporting on the project toDCYF staff.

Men’s GroupRan the schools’ Men’s Group for its thirdyear, including organizing and facilitating theweekly meetings; doing research on youngmen’s issues; and, organizing field trips to helpthe group bond share positive experiences.

Costa RicaTraveled to Costa Rica for three weeks to studySpanish and volunteer at an orphanage afterfundraising, organizing and planning the tripwith a committee. Concluded by presenting anextensive research paper on Costa Rica’s geog-raphy, culture, and the importance of saving itsrainforest.

Met DancesOrganized all of the school dances for the year,including planning, organizing, budgeting and

promoting. Raised over $200 for a local chari-ty through donations collected at the dances.

Met Buddy ProgramLed the school’s Buddy Program, includingmaking sure all of the students involved in theprogram communicated with each other on aregular basis; documenting all interactionswith students; organizing monthly meetingswith the participants. Concluded by creating ahandbook on how to successfully run a buddyprogram.

Recording and Performing MusicCreated a CD containing 10 original, self-recorded songs and performed at numerous venues, including at the Mentor Breakfast infront of an audience of approximately 300.

Costa RicaReturned to Costa Rica to continue studyingSpanish and to work with an environmentalprogram that teaches children about takingcare of the land. Fundraised for the trip andconcluded by giving a presentation at a localschool and creating a website that local teach-ers can use to educate their students aboutCosta Rica and preserving the land.

Met Radio StationHelped to start The Met’s first radio station, toopen in 2002-03 by researching the applicablelaws; determining where equipment will bestored and monitored; fundraising for the sta-tion; and, interning with WHJY to learn all ofthe aspects of running a radio station and cre-ate a binder for the school to use once the facil-ity is ready.

Fashion ShowOrganized and hosted a fashion show withmore than 100 people in attendance whichhelped raise money for the senior class trip.Activities included contacting retail stores andasking for clothing donations and schedulingpractices for and training the student models.(Two students.)

South Providence Asset MapCreated an asset map of the South Providenceneighborhood where the new Met schools willbe located by interviewing businesses, buildinga database of information, and creating a largemap showing the resources in the community.

6

The Met’s Third Senior Class: Graduating One Student at a Time (continued)

“Now this is my senior

year I felt sad about

leaving The Met Center,

but I am happy that the

school has changed me

from a disrespectful,

ignorant, little punk to a

very proper intelligent

young man ready for any

obstacle that anyone

throws at me.”

Excerpt from a senior’s

graduation speech


t he m et ro po l i tan regio nal c a re er an d tec h n i c a l cen te r 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

7

“I would also like to

thank my advisory and

my friends for support-

ing the ladder while I

climbed up and cushion-

ing the fall whenever I

fell off.”

Excerpt from a senior’s

graduation speech

Real EstateOrganized, publicized, and ran two“Homebuyer’s Workshops” designed to orientand educate first time homebuyers. Alsointerned with a real estate agent and a loanoriginator, and gathered statistics to demon-strate how homeownership and lower crimerates are related.

Church Volunteer ProgramWorked with a local church in Providence,including managing a staff of volunteers, hold-ing a raffle fundraiser, and running a clothingdrive which collected and distributed over1,500 articles of clothing.

Catering and CollegeCatered the Mentor Breakfast with anotherstudent and successfully completed a full yearof college at Johnson & Wales University.

DesignWorked with Muchi Muchi, a local designcompany, creating visual presentations for theirunique projection system (Adsum) for the Metgraduation and Mentor Breakfast.

Tae Kwon DoWorked with Providence Tae Kwon Do prac-ticing the martial art; training the students inthe children’s class; and, organizing, planning,and fundraising for a trip to a national compe-tition in Detroit.

Photography and MentorsCreated a photographic book about Met men-tors including, shooting all of the photos;interviewing the mentors and mentees; writingthe text for the book; and, formatting, print-ing and selling the final book.

MotherhoodIn preparation for becoming a mother, studiedpre-natal health information, took birthingclasses, worked to save money, and created abooklet of information and resources for otherpregnant or parenting students.

Peace Street ConstructionWorked as partners with a contractor to createa canopy and fence on the Peace St. patio,including researching several designs andmethods of construction and presenting theirideas to the whole school community and inte-grating feedback. (Two students.)

AnimationCreated a short animated film after solicitingadvice from several artists, researching differ-ent forms of animation, and working with amusician to create the soundtrack.

JapanTraveled to Japan and returned to teach a Metworkshop on Japanese culture and history fromthe Middle Ages through the present.

Teen Issues WorkshopDeveloped a teen issues workshop for The Metand Community Prep Middle School with theaide of a staff member and by consulting witha health care professional.

Fashion and HistoryCreated a gallery of fashions from three timeperiods, including researching how to makeauthentic looking dresses from each era and creating captions to explain how the fashionsreflected contemporary cultural and politicaldevelopments.

Newsletter and LibraryCreated a student newsletter with contribu-tions from other students and catalogued thebooks at Peace Street to create a library data-base.

School StoreCreated and acted as manager of a school storestaffed by seniors and operated to raise fundsfor the senior class trips.

History of RapWrote an investigative article on Hip-Hopmusic which covered the history and culture ofrap, the controversies surrounding rap lan-guage and subject matter, and investigativereporting on teenage perspectives of rap.

Spanish TranslationTranslated the first chapter of One Kid at aTime, Eliot Levine’s book about The Met, intoSpanish by working with a professional trans-lator and generating several drafts.

College Access ProgramEntered and successfully completed courses atMiami-Dade Community College through anaccess program.


Met Sister to Sister ProgramLed and expanded the Met Sister to SisterProgram at Alfred Lima Elementary School,including creating a budget; soliciting dona-tions; writing grants; supervising and trainingthe Met student volunteers; planning andorganizing curricula and events; and, supervis-ing the Lima students.

School-Based Health CenterHelped to plan and start a school-based healthcenter at the new campus of The Met, includ-ing creating and implementing a needs assess-ment of the community; involving and inform-ing parents; running the advisory board;recruiting and interviewing service providers;planning the set-up of the facility; meetingwith grant writers and foundations; and, pre-senting on the project to The Met communityand others.

Teen Issues HandbookEdited and wrote a handbook for teens onissues that affect them and the resources avail-able, including soliciting creative contribu-tions from other teens; consulting with profes-sionals; writing a grant; and, receiving an in-kind donation to publish and distribute thehandbook throughout Providence.

Project AwareRan a workshop on the effects of criminalbehavior and brought two groups of students to the Wyatt Detention Center to participate in their Project Aware program, a tour and ledby inmates. Videotaped the students’ perspec-tives before and after their experience in orderto document the impact of the Program andshared this information with the ProvidenceSchool Department in the hopes of involvingthem in future tours.

Violence ResearchCo-authored and performed in a Hip Hopevent (HipHopera) put on by Youth In Actionwhich addressed issues of violence againstwomen and corruption and included song andrap performances as well as dance. Alsoresearched gang activity and the desires andstruggles of gangs who want to become posi-tive community groups.

Public Debate Ad CampaignDeveloped a city-wide ad campaign aimed at creating public debate about social issues,including presenting opinions and research ontopics ranging from SUVs to TV viewing.

ComputersWorked with a mentor on plans to open acomputer business to provide affordable com-puter hardware and classes to low-income peo-ple in the Rhode Island area. Also ran work-shops on how to build computers and created apamphlet for students on the fundamentals ofcomputer use at The Met.

HorsesCreated a recipe for, marketed and packagednutritious horse treats to sell at local tackstores, donating the proceeds to IRAMS, anorganization committed to saving the wildmustang. Also taught horseback riding classes.

Joseph Hector’s Senior Thesis Project was to test all Met students’ homes for thepresence of lead. He was to prepare aninformational packet containing testingequipment and educational materials hedesigned. He was to run workshops witheach advisory to show them how to use theequipment to test their homes, and then beresponsible for collecting and analyzing theresults.

In his memory, each member of hisadvisory tested one student’s home for thepresence of lead.

8

The Met’s Third Senior Class: Graduating One Student at a Time (continued)

Always In Our Hearts

t e acher re s po n s e s :

How often do the follow-

ing take place in your

classes?

Integration and

Interdisciplinary

Practices


The Met is a college preparatory school. Alongwith personalized learning plans and real-world internships, college preparation is animportant component of The Met curriculum.Met students take college classes, go on collegetours, and take the PSATs in their junior yearand the ACT or the SAT in both their juniorand senior years. The Met understands theimportance of family involvement in preparingstudents for college, and devotes time andresources to exploring college options andfinancial aid opportunities with Met families.

College Courses

70 students took classes at the CommunityCollege of Rhode Island in the followingdepartments: Business Administration,Mathematics, English, Spanish, Fire Science,Biology, Human Services, History, ComputerStudies and Information Processing, Theatre,Nursing, Psychology, Philosophy,Oceanography, Art, Law, Speech, andChemistry. Students also took courses at BrownUniversity, the Rhode Island School of Design,and Johnson & Wales University.

College Fair

The Met’s third annual College Fair was heldon October 22, 2001. The Met hosted repre-sentatives from 65 colleges and universities ata college fair. The event was a success for thestudents and families, and helped local anddistant colleges learn more about the transcriptand what Met graduates have to offer.

Financial Aid Night

At the end of November, The Met held aFinancial Aid Night to inform students andtheir families about saving money for college,filing their taxes, and applying for FAFSAscholarships, loans and grants. In February anevent was held to assist families in filling outthe FAFSA forms.

College Admission Tests

The Met is committed to ensuring that thedoors of higher education are open to each andevery student. To that end, The Met worksclosely with students and their families inpreparing for the national tests that arerequired for most college admissions. 72% ofjuniors took the PSAT and 100% of seniorstook the ACT or SAT.

NOTE: In most schools, only 52% of the stu-dent body takes college entrance exams, thosein “college track” or “honors” classes. At TheMet, all of our students take the tests and all of our students apply to the college of theirchoice.

9

“…I have a strong belief

that she will one day

become an exemplary

adult, one that gives

back to the community

in a powerful and know-

ing way. I wish for her

that she were given the

chance for a college life

where she can mature as

a student and grow in

new and unexpected

ways.”

From a mentor’s recommen-

dation letter for her intern’s

college applications

College Access:

Preparing One Student at a Time


College Visits

This year, Met students visited the followingcolleges to learn more about their programsand college life in general:University of Rhode Island, CommunityCollege of Rhode Island, Providence College,Brown University, Johnson & WalesUniversity, Bryant College, Salve ReginaCollege, Clark University, AmericanInternational College, Curry College, DeanCollege, Mitchell College, Green MountainCollege, New Hampshire College, BentleyCollege, Springfield College

Two new college access programs were star t-

ed in 2001-2002:

The Graduation Readiness Advisory Board(GRAB) supports students throughout theirsenior year, particularly in college preparation.A committee comprised of principals and advi-sors met twice this year to talk with seniorsabout how prepared they were for graduationand their post-graduation goals. As a result ofthese discussions, support structures andprocesses were put in place.

A partnership with Dean College wasformed to help transition the twelve Met grad-uates who would enroll in the fall of 2002.The Met is researching similar partnerships tostrengthen its commitment to supporting ourstudents up to and beyond graduation.

10

College Access: Preparing One Student at a Time (continued)




classes?

Instructional Practices

For Heterogeneous/

Multi- Level Groups


The Met believes in educating “one student ata time.” Rather than expecting all students topursue the same body of knowledge at thesame time and rate, Met advisors work in col-laboration with each student and his or herparent(s) to develop a personalized curriculumbased on the student’s individual interests, tal-ents, and needs.

Learning Plan Team Meetings

Each student has a personal Learning PlanTeam comprised of the student, advisor, par-ent/guardian, and mentor. The Team meetsregularly to review and update the student’spersonalized Learning Plan. This year, over860 Learning Plan Team meetings were heldwith our 210 students, an average of fourmeetings per student.

Met Student Workshops

Students teaching students has proven to beone of The Met’s most powerful motivators forlearning. This year, students planned and facil-itated a large variety of workshops on topicsthat grew out of their interests and/or LTIs.These workshops included:Nonviolence conferenceTeen issuesYouth In ActionBuild Your Own ComputerBreakdancingHIV and AIDSMock trialPianoCommunity musicViolinWildlife studyJapanese Culture and History

Anger managementFinanceMen’s groupWomen’s group

Summer Infusion

This year saw the implementation of a newprogram to personalize and support the transi-tion from middle school for our incoming 9thgraders. The ultimate goal of “SummerInfusion 2001” was to familiarize the studentswith as much of the LTI process as possibleprior to the start of school. The focus was onexploring and identifying interests, using thementor database, and preparing for informa-tional interviews with potential internshipmentors.

This program also gives The Met an oppor-tunity to get to know the incoming students,and determine their academic strengths andgaps. This also helps to inform the placementof students in advisories.

The data from the first Summer Infusionincluded:

• 2 two-week sessions were held

+ 24 students participated in session one

+ 28 students participated in session two

• 90% of incoming 9th graders attended

• 7 Alumni worked as Graduate Advisors

• 4 current students worked as ArtCoordinators

• 40 informational interviews were held

• 15 shadow days were held

• 3 LTIs were finalized

11

Personalized Education:





classes?

Small Group Active

Instruction


A Personalized Learning Environment

This year, Met students contributed to thebeautification of their school buildings in avariety of ways:

• Students hung their artwork and photo -graphs throughout the school buildings.

• Students created murals for the fence aroundPublic St. construction site.

• A student painted a mural on relationshipsand community on a Peace Street projectroom wall.

• Another student painted a mural on war ona Peace Street project room wall.

• The 9th grade Sister to Sister program

painted a mural at Peace Street with 2ndgraders from the Alfred P. Lima School.

• Peace Street students created and hung apermanent display of Raku pottery tiles inmemory of Joseph Hector.

• A Shepard student created a ceramic sculp-ture of The Met logo with his mentor andcreated a permanent space for it outside thePeace Street building.

• Two students created a canopy and built alattice screen for the Peace Street patio fortheir Senior Thesis Projects.

12

Personalized Education: One Student at a Time (continued)




classes?

Authentic Instruction

“…I wore sunglasses because the sun was so bright it reflected onto the ice and made everything

light up. The sky was nice and blue and my adrenalin was pumping as I was climbing up the ice.

Climbing up the ice with the ice pick was something I will never forget because I am the only per-

son in my neighborhood that can say I have been to Alaska and climbed a glacier…”

From a senior’s journal


Each Met student has a personal curriculumbuilt around his or her personal interests.Students are guided to identify their interestsand create alliances with professionals in thereal world to pursue those interests. Throughinformational interviews and shadow days, stu-dents explore the many opportunities in thecommunity through which they can pursuetheir interests. Learning Through Internship(LTI) is the formal process through which stu-dents spend two days a week at a worksitewith a mentor. At the site, they develop an in-depth real-world project that they work on atthe LTI site and back at school. The projectsbecome the foundation of the student’sLearning Plan and provide opportunities forthe student to address the The Met’s LearningGoals.

• To select an LTI site, Met students tookpart in a total of 547 informational inter-views and 302 shadow days that resulted in234 internships.

Learning Through Internships (LTIs)

Sample LTI projects from 2001-2002

9th grade:A 9th grader interned at the RI State Archiveswhere she created a minority index to the1885 census to facilitate genealogical research,specifically for people trying to proveNarragansett ancestry. She then analyzed thedata drawing historical conclusions and creat-ing graphs.

10th grade:A 10th grader researched the media’s impacton violence in children, did two case studies,and developed a pamphlet for parents at theFeinstein Child Care Center.

11th grade:An 11th grader studied the East ProvidencePolice Department and the effect of September11th on police work.

LTI Sites 2001-2002A total of 167 businesses and organizationsserved as LTI sites for Met students this year:

103.7 FNX Radio95.5 WBRU RadioA & V DesignsA.H.E.N.A.K.A. ModelsAA/Thrifty SignABC PetsAction Physical TherapyAdvertising VenturesAIDS Project RIAlexandra Morgan - Dog TrainerAll Children's TheatreAmerica House CommunicationsAmerican Heart AssociationAS220Atlantic Physical TherapyAtomic ComicsAudette, Bazar & Gonzalez, Inc.Audobon Society of RIBarros Center for the ArtsBella Vista RestaurantBig Nazo PuppetsBoris Bally - MetalsmithBradley HospitalBrewers Wickford Cove MarinaBright HorizonsBroad Street YMCABrown UniversityCenter for Hispanic Policy & AdvocacyCentral Health ServicesCharles Fortes Elementary SchoolCharlesgate Nursing Home

13

“…Having come to us

with no experience in

our field, he has been

able to learn new skills

faster than I can train

most full-time employ-

ees in those same

areas…His eagerness to

learn and his communi-

cation with others

around him separate him

from the pack…”

from a mentor’s recommen-

dation letter for his intern’s

college applications

Learning Through Real Work:



Child Center, Inc.Children's Shelter of Blackstone ValleyChristopher Foster GlassworksCity Garden FlowerClassical High SchoolClub Neopulsi CreationsCohen's Fashion OpticalCommon CauseCommunity Prep SchoolConcept Link LTDConnie and Nicki's RestaurantCozy Corner Child Care CenterCVS Highlander Charter SchoolDaily BreadDAREDiane Hiller PhotographyEarthenwaresEast Providence Boys & Girls ClubEast Providence Police DepartmentEaster Seals Cornerstone PreschoolECentricSitesEmmaus Youth CenterErik Bright CeramicsErnie Potters CarpentryEsek Hopkins SchoolEstelle Hero - DesignerFCCE/URIFederal Hill HouseFestival BalletFocus ChildcareFortes Elementary SchoolFriendship Head StartFull Circle GalleryGregg’s RestaurantHaffenreffer Museum of AnthropologyHamilton HouseHasbro Children's Hospital Gift ShopHeadshots Photography D.B.A. B.A.Z.Historical Preservation and HeritageHi-Tone RecordsHoffman Animal HospitalIglesia Metodista PrimitivaInnovative Network SolutionsIntercity Contemporary ArtsInternational Yacht Restoration SchoolJ. Juan & Associates, LLCJack and Jill on the HillJobs for Ocean State GraduatesJohn HopeJohn Hope Day CareJoseph Cornwall - ArchitectKnight Memorial LibraryLaSalle BakeryLifespan CorporationLooking Glass Theater

Luke's MusicMAPMartin Luther King SchoolMashantucket Pequot MuseumMeKenna Performance ProductsMinority Investment DevelopmentCorporationMoses Brown SchoolMuchi MuchiNapa Valley GrilleNavy Recruiting StationNeedlenose ProductionsNew Technology ComputerNewport Collaborative Architects, Inc.Nicholas A. Mattiello - AttorneyNorth Providence Assembly of GodOil and Grease on WheelsPaul Cuffee SchoolPerishable TheaterPerry Middle SchoolPilgrim EnterprisePinegate FarmsPlanned ParenthoodPleasant View SchoolPrecision Saw & Mower Service, Inc.Project New Urban ArtsProvidence Art ClubProvidence City HallProvidence Police Mounted CommandProvidence Tae Kwon DoQuisqueya in Action, Inc.RE/MAX 1st ChoiceRI Children's CrusadeRI Department of EducationRI Department of Labor and TrainingRI FoundationRI HospitalRI Hospital Print ShopRI School for the DeafRI Select Commission on Race and PoliceCommunity RelationsRI Small Business Development CenterRI TechRI Youth GuidanceRoger Williams Middle SchoolRoger Williams Park ZooRolling Thunder Light & SoundRumford Pet CenterRyan Walquist - ArtistSandra Feinstein Gamm TheatreSave the BayScott Lapham - PhotographerSew BizSkippy White'sSloop Providence14

Learning Through Real Work: One Student at a Time (continued)




classes?

Community Based

Learning Opportunities


the m et ro po l i ta n r egio nal c a re er a nd tec h n i ca l cen te r 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

Solo InsuranceStandard TimesState of RI School to Career OfficeStep by Step Dance StudioT.F. Green AirportTavares Pediatric CenterTeam ComputerTec Direct, Inc.The Alfred P Lima SchoolThe Bailey SchoolThe Big Picture CompanyThe Flynn SchoolThe MetThe Providence Mayor's OfficeThe Public Archaeology Lab, Inc.Tockwatten Home Tolman InteractiveTrinity EncoreTrinity Repertory CompanyUrban Bankers of RIUrban League of RIVisiting Nurse AssociationWarwick Animal HospitalWarwick Police DepartmentWaterview VillaWavelight Design, Inc.Women and Infants HospitalYouth In Action

Mentors

A Met mentor is an accomplished adult whohas expertise in the student’s interest and canact as a role model and coach for a student.Mentors are key members of the Learning PlanTeam and help students connect their learninggoals to real-world projects.

• 74 new mentors were recruited to workwith our students this year

• 123 mentors returned to participate

• 5 mentors received honorary teachingdegrees at graduation from PeterMcWalters, Commissioner of Education, fortheir four year dedication to mentoring Metstudents:

+ Mario Luis - Director, Office Services atLifespan

+ Efrain Osorio - Providence SchoolDepartment

+ Cal Wolk – Director of PublicEngagement, The Big Picture Company

+ Bill Kenyons – Chef, Gregg’s Restaurant

+ Christopher Foster – Artist, Glassworks

• 4 community organizations were honored atgraduation for their outstanding contribu-tions to the Learning Through Internshipsprogram:

+ Trinity Repertory Theater

+ International Yacht Restoration School

+ Dr. Pat Feinstein Child DevelopmentCenter

+ Roger Williams Middle School

Mentor Breakfast

Approximately 300 people attended the secondannual Mentor Appreciation CelebrationBreakfast on May 1, 2002. Eighty-six mentorsviewed a mentor appreciation video and lis-tened to the speakers. Two seniors along withThe Met’s co-founders, Dennis Littky andElliot Washor, welcomed the guests. Two stu-dents and their mentors spoke about the student-mentor relationship. An advisor spokeabout what a mentor means to a student’s edu-cation. Overall, eighteen students helped planand run the event, with two catering andanother two providing the musical entertain-ment.

Quantitative Reasoning at The Met

This year, Assistant Principal Chris Hempeland Tom Bassarear, professor of mathematicsand education at Keene State College, surveyedthe past five years of math learning at TheMet. They were seeking to resolve some of thestruggles of mentors, advisors and students infinding math in student’s interest-based proj-ects, and in navigating the disconnect betweenthe traditional models of math teaching andThe Met philosophy. After considerableresearch and discussion, Chris and Tom devel-oped a new approach towards mathematicsthat is accessible for students and applicable toreal-world learning.

This new design is meant to increase stu-dent’s quantitative reasoning abilities (a MetLearning Goal). Its development was informedby numerous issues and concepts, including:

• Math is most effectively learned not as sub-ject matter but as a process of thinking.

• Students tend to retain mathematical learn-ing when they apply it to real-world prob-lems that have meaning for them.

• The traditional methods of teaching mathare not compatible with the style of teach-ing advisors are expected to use at The Met.

15

“There is something to

be said about having

the responsibility and

accountability of show-

ing and teaching some-

one your life’s calling

which goes way beyond

the day to day tasks.”

from a mentor’s speech at

the Mentor Breakfast


• It is possible to separate math into the vari-ous concepts it helps us to understand,rather than into the traditional, disconnect-ed subjects of arithmetic, pre-algebra,geometry, algebra, trigonometry, pre-calcu-lus and calculus.

Chris and Tom determined that many of theinternship projects and activities could beunderstood through one or more of the follow-ing lenses:

1) Uncertainty – gathering data to answerquestions

2) Change – gathering and analyzing data tolook at how something changes over time

3) Shape – using knowledge of shapes to buildor design something

In order to use these concepts to help them intheir real-world learning, students need todevelop the following skills:

1) Measuring

2) Computation

3) Looking for patterns

4) Taking numbers, shapes and concepts apartand putting them back together

This year, this new approach towards math wasimplemented in the 9th grade advisories wherethe students developed real-world projects thatexplored the concept of uncertainty.

16

Learning Through Real Work: One Student at a Time (continued)


Other than through

grade reports, how often

do you have contact

(either in writing, tele-

phone, of face-to-face)

with the families of stu-

dents regarding the fol-

lowing items?

Student Performance

and Problems


The Met believes that the deepest learning andthe strongest motivation result from authenticexperiences. Experiences in the real worldmotivate profound learning for several reasons.First, the work has real consequences that mat-ter to an audience beyond the student andteacher. Second, the resources for learning arelimitless when students are not confined to onebuilding and a pre-determined set of materials.Third, the student develops personal relation-ships with experts in the areas of his or herinterest. Internships are only one of many waysMet students learn in the real world. Met stu-dents’ learning and work are also derived fromauthentic experiences through communityservice, study abroad, outdoor education, trav-el, and public speaking.

Service LearningThe Met believes community service encour-ages students to be active citizens and pursuetheir interests in a way that benefits others.Additionally, it offers unique learning oppor-tunities that help them address the LearningGoals.

Whole School, Campus and Advisory

Community Service Projects

• Peace and Shepard came together to do acommunity street clean-up from Dexter St.to Cranston St.

• Peace planted trees in the West End tobeautify the community.

• Peace Street 9th graders were introduced tothe concept of LTIs through a new programcalled Learning Through Volunteering(LTV), where groups of students (cross-advi-sory) spent first quarter developing projectsaround volunteer work they performed atlocal non-profit organizations.

• The Met’s South Providence Task Force ini-tiated a mural project where Met parentsand students came together with theInternational Gallery for Heritage andCulture to decorate the fence around thePublic St. construction site with each muraldepicting a component of The Met’s philos -ophy.

• One advisory spent a day at Tavares Centerreading and drawing with the children.

• One advisory participated in protests foramnesty for undocumented workers andforums with legislators about universalhealth care.

• One advisory made decorations for the giv-ing tree at the Biltmore.

• One advisory tested homes for the presenceof lead paint.

Individual Community Service Projects

Through their internships or as part of anotheractivity, Met students participated in the fol-lowing community service projects:

• Mentoring a foster child

• Playing guitar for the residents at theHamilton House senior community center

• Assisting in running The Met’s eveningFamily Nights program

• Serving meals at Amos House and FourCorners Church

• Running a manners workshop for kinder-garteners at the Bailey School

• Helping to organize and run the DominicanFestival 2002

• Working with three and four year-olds tocreate a book about emotions

• Church-based activities

• Running workshops in Pawtucket Middle17

Learning in the Real World:



Other than through


do you have contact





lowing items?

Information/ Referrals for

Heath and Social

Services Needs


Schools on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

• Helping to clean Trinity Church

• Running a teen issues group for students atCommunity Prep

• Creating a canopy and a lattice screen forthe Peace St. patio

• Working with the YES foundation to spon-sor a youth event

• Coaching a youth basketball team

• Volunteering to organize and run all-schoolevents

• Mentoring and tutoring other Met students

• Helping the non-profit Sandra FeinsteinGamm Theatre attract a younger audience

• Helping with the Bradley Hospital seasonalgift-giving program for poor families

• Tutoring students at the Paul Cuffee Schoolin math

• Working with fourth graders on robotics

TravelThe Met believes that travel broadens anddeepens students’ understanding of themselvesand the world. Whenever possible, travel isintegrated into students’ Learning Plans asthey pursue their interests and goals.

Study Abroad

In order to pursue their interests, several Metstudents traveled to other countries this year.One student went to Japan as part of anexchange program to immerse herself in theJapanese language and culture. Another trav-eled with his advisor to Corea to speak at analternative schools conference about The Met.Two students focused part of their senior thesisprojects on Costa Rica and traveled there thisyear to study Spanish and provide communityservice. One of the students volunteered at anelementary school for three weeks, while theother volunteered his time translating for amarine biologist for a month.

Whole-campus or whole-school travel

experiences

• Visiting New York City in December

• Climbing Mt. Monadnock in NewHampshire

Whole-advisory day and overnight travel

experiences

• rafting in Maine

• going on a canoe trip

• participating in Hip Hop Speaks in New York City

• camping in Martha’s Vineyard

• visiting a bookstore

• taking an overnight trip to Six Flags inMassachusetts

• traveling to Philadelphia

• going to the Grand Prix

• camping in Acadia National Park

• traveling to Virginia Beach, VA

• visiting the Boston Science Museum

• going bowling

• observing a trial

• going fishing

• visiting Harvard University

• attending a Health Policy hearing at theRhode Island State House

• seeing an IMAX 3D film on the interna-tional space lab

• visiting the New England Aquarium

"…I was able to do some

serious studying, and

reflect a lot about how I

live back at home. This

is where I figured out

what I mention earlier in

the essay, the so-called

‘revelation.’I was walk-

ing down a dust road in

Potrero to see if they

had any salad yet at ‘Las

Brisas,’when I noticed

how quickly I was walk-

ing. ‘Why am I rushing?’

I asked myself, ‘where is

it that I have to be?’It

was like a ton of bricks

for me to think about

this, where did I ever

have to be that was so

damn important. At that

moment, (sorry if this is

getting too ‘spiritual’) I

was walking right past

this really cool colored

lizard, and I stopped to

examine it. What a cool

lizard it was too; it really

made me think.

- from a senior’s writings on

his study abroad experience

18

Learning in the Real World: One Student at a Time (continued)


the m et ro po l i tan r egio nal c a ree r an d tec h n i ca l ce n te r 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

19

Individual/small group travel experiences

• One student lived for a month inPennsylvania and interned with an uncle’sauto repair shop

• The Fishing Club went to Martha’sVineyard for a Fishing Derby

• Two students went on a Civil RightsMovement historical and educational tourof several Southern states with URI’sMulticultural Center

• Three students climbed Mt. Liberty in NewHampshire with an advisor

• Several students traveled with advisors anda principal to New York City to study theaftermath of September 11th and documentstudent experiences

Summer Learning 2001Each year, Met advisors allocate time to workwith students on planning their summer activ-ities so that they may continue to pursue aninterest, find new interests, and/or travel tonew places. In the summer, just as during theschool year, the world is The Met classroom.

Summer Search

Summer Search is a national foundation thatselects students for full program scholarshipsfor two consecutive summers. The Met activelyseeks out opportunities for its students to par-ticipate in these programs because, as theirmaterials state, “From wilderness expeditionsand academic programs on college campuses tointernational experiences like community serv-ice projects or family homestays, SummerSearch finds opportunities that enhance eachstudent’s innate talents while encouraging adeeper sense of self-awareness.” In the summerof 2001, Met students participated in the fol-lowing Summer Search programs:

• Bennington College, Vermont

• Colorado Outward Bound, Colorado

• Doubletake Academy, Washington

• Hurricane Island Outward Bound, Maine

• Interlocken, Colorado

• Longacre Farm, Pennsylvania

• Maine Teen Camp, Maine

• Mountain Biking Expedition, Colorado

• Northfield Mount Hermon, Massachusetts

• Onshore Offshore Expeditions, Arizona

• School for Field Studies, Caicos Islands

• Syracuse University, New York

• Visions Program, Montana

Summer learning in 2001 also had students

participating in the following programs:

• Audobon Society summer camp

• Barnard College’s summer program

• Brown Environmental Leadership summerprogram

• Brown Summer High School

• Building Educated Leaders for Life(B.E.L.L.)

• Camp Anytown program on diversity andcommunity building

• Camp Fuller sailing program

• Camp Steppingstones (for children withHIV)

• Casey Foundation

• Classes at Community College of Rhodeisland

• Crusader’s college preparation program

• Department of Children, Youth andFamilies

• Minority Investment DevelopmentCorporation

• Moses Brown math course

• Navaho Reservation

• Newfangled Web Factory

• Quisqueya in Action

• Recycle-a-Bike program

• Rhode Island School for the Deaf summer school

• Summer Institute at the Courts

• Young Women’s Health Conference in DC

student re s po n s e s :

Please rate how often

each statement is true

for this school.

Teachers Provide

Support


Public Speaking

Public speaking allows Met students to devel-op confidence, poise, presence, and the abilityto articulate their ideas. Students work onpublic speaking skills through their quarterlyexhibitions, and demonstrate their skills invarious ways including: presenting at theirinternships, speaking about The Met at confer-ences, and helping to recruit new students andstaff. This year, Met students’ public speakingincluded:

• Boston, MA – African-American collegesand schools

• Boston, MA – education conference

• Brown University, RI – advisor recruitment

• Cambridge College, MA – advisor recruitment

• Chattanooga, TN – educators group onCivil Rights tour

• Coalition of Essential Schools – education conference

• Corea - Alternative Schools Conference

• Federal Way, WA – new Big Picture School

• Harvard Graduate School of Education, MA– advisor recruitment

• Indiana – conference on family engagement

• New Hampshire – school groups interested in The Met

• New York City, NY – Schools Conference

• Providence Center, RI – Campere program

• Providence City Council – WWFPresentation

• Providence middle schools – studentrecruitment

• Providence Poetry Slam, RI – performedpoems

• RIC Education classes, RI – advisor recruitment

• Teachers College, NY – advisor recruitment

• Textron Chambers, RI – teenage pregnancy

• The Met – tour guides for visitors

• The Met 5th Anniversary Celebration – welcome

• Washington, DC – education conference

Outdoor Education

Formal outdoor education experiences chal-lenge Met students to develop communication,teamwork, planning, and leadership skills,while enhancing their self-esteem. This yearMet students participated in several OutwardBound trips, including a backpacking expedi-tion in Maine. In addition, we continued theOutdoor Leadership and ExperientialEducation Program (OLEEP), a partnershipbetween The Met and Brown University whichoffers challenges, academic support, and ongo-ing mentoring to Met students. ThroughOLEEP, Met students went backpacking onMt. Greylock in Massachusetts; did a ropescourse at Camp Hazen in Connecticut; wentcamping at Camp Becket in Massachusetts;and, went backpacking on Bear Mountain inConnecticut.

Technology

The real world is wired, and so are The Metschools. This year our student to computerratio was maintained at 2 to 1, and every com-puter was networked to a file server and hadInternet access. We also upgraded our Internetaccess to T1 lines this year for faster connec-tions.

Through a grant from the Rhode IslandDepartment of Education, The Met establishedvideo conferencing capability at both the PeaceStreet and Shepard campuses. This was the sec-ond year RIDE gave awards in this area, a pro-gram made possible through the federallyfunded Working Wonders program. Eachrecipient receives a Polycom videoconferencingunit, TV monitor and cart, as well as the start-up costs for the network connection requiredto effectively use the videoconferencing equip-ment. The Met is now one of 31 video-enabledschools in the state, allowing for rich opportu-nities for collaboration among schools bothwithin the state and throughout the world.

20

Learning in the Real World: One Student at a Time (continued)

“I wonder what kind of

cool stuff is back home

that I never take the

time to appreciate.’ I

love times like those,

because not only do

they make you think

whatever your revelation

was, but they give your

brain a kick-start, a seri-

ous kick-start, like

jumper cables from a

Mac truck.”

from a senior’s writings on

his study abroad experience


The Met regards assessment as a learning toolthat is woven throughout the teaching andlearning process. The main goals of assessmentare to help the student reflect on his or herwork, create strategies to improve, and develophis or her own internal standards. Evaluationprocesses should be learning experiences with-in themselves, strengthening the quality ofstudents’ work and their understanding ofthemselves as learners. The use of multipleassessment tools is vital to determining a stu-dent’s progress and finding creative solutionsto help students build on strengths andaddress gaps. The whole student must beassessed, looking at each project and activity inlight of the student’s personal Learning Plan.Met students learn to reflect on their workwith the question, “Is it good enough?” Thework is measured against the standards of thereal world held by the mentor and LTI work-site, as well as the exhibition panel. Everyoneinvolved in the student’s life and learning -including their family, peers and mentors - isasked to participate in the evaluation process.

The Met’s key elements for student assess -ment include: exhibitions; portfolios; narra-tives; and, transcripts.

Transcript Innovations

This year, students in all grades presented atranscript at the end of the fourth quarter. Inprevious years, only cumulative transcripts hadbeen used as part of the college applicationprocess. Beginning to use The Met’s uniqueone-page transcript earlier will give studentsan additional view of their portfolio of workand how it can be presented and what gapsneed to be closed.

New Requirements for

Senior Institute Gateway

Senior Institute Gateway was created to givesophomore students the time and resources toidentify what their strengths are and whatgaps they need to close before entering SeniorInstitute (junior and senior year). This year,every member of the school staff and studentcommunity was assigned to a student’s panelwith each student having 2-3 students andstaff on their panel. Students then presentedtheir Gateway Exhibitions to these panels whothen determined their readiness for SeniorInstitute. This innovation was developed tobring more rigor and relevance to the process.

21

“So now I’m in charge of

my own learning, and I

love it. Sometimes there

are bumps in the road,

but I manage to over-

come them, whether it’s

by meeting with my

advisor or taking things

one at a time. At the Met

we are allowed to learn

at our own paces and

that’s what makes the

school successful (along

with other things). This

school is setup in an

unusual way, but it is

cool.”

Excerpt from a student’s

application to Senior

Institute

Assessment:



This year, the Gateway Portfolio at the10th grade, 4th quarter exhibition was expect-ed to include:

Project Work:

• revised project cover sheets

• all 4th quarter project work

• Gateway contract

• Six previous Learning Plans

• 4th quarter Learning Plan (including drafts and advisor comments)

Reflection:

• rough draft and final draft of reflective essay (including advisor comments)

• vacation narrative (including drafts andadvisor comments)

• book reflections

• all personal and advisor narratives

Preparing for the Future:

• first and second draft of resume

• first draft of transcript

• recommendation forms

22

Assessment: One Student at a Time (continued)

pa rent re s po n s e s :

How do you feel about

this school?

This is a very good

school


This year we celebrated the 5th anniversary ofthe life of The Met and broke ground for ournew campus of four small schools. These twomilestones presented unique opportunities forus to engage families in the education of theirchildren as well as the growth and expansionof the school and to engage the community inthe excitement about the opening of our newcampus. Our vision is to be a true communityschool which improves the quality of life forour students, their families and the entire com-munity. “We enroll families.”

Whole School and Campus Events

The increase in parent participation from lastyear was 8% (from approximately 77% to85%). This means that of the ten whole-schoolevents families could attend, each family wasrepresented at eight events. This year, ourwhole school events meant to increase familyengagement included our traditional OpenHouse and the four exhibition weeks through-out the year.

This was the second year that each Metcampus had its own “First Night” event, withparents appreciating the chance to get to knowtheir child’s building, meet advisory groups,and get acquainted with school staff on theirown turf. Attendance at the two “First Night”events increased from 87% last year to 92%this year due to better communication throughthe “What’s Happening at The Met” newslet-ter and follow-up telephone calls.

This year’s whole-school events included thefollowing traditional events:

• International Night

• College and Financial Aid Night

• Information Sessions on AdolescentDevelopment

• End-of-the-Year Celebration

• Thanksgiving Feast

• Thanks to Senior Advisors Night

• Graduation

The events of September 11, 2001 and themurder of one of our students two weeks laterput a strain on our students, their families andour staff. We did cancel our Family Skills andTalent Fair but continue to provide otheravenues for parents to share their careers andhobbies with Met students. One parent provid-ed a 6-week financial training workshop forstudents and another gave a sewing class forstudents which culminated in a student-produced fashion show.

Specific Grade Events

This year, events for special parent groupsincluded Learning Plan and ExhibitionTraining for 9th grade families; GatewayExhibitions for 10th grade students and theirfamilies; a senior picnic; valedictorian speechesby seniors with parents there to sign the diplo-mas; and, Empty Nest Night for parents ofMet alumni.

Family Engagement Committee

The Family Engagement Committee serves asour parent/school organization. Many of ourprograms and activities are initiated and facili-tated by the work of this group of dedicatedparents and school staff. Periodically, studentsare also involved in the meetings. The FamilyEngagement Committee also serves as our statemandated School Improvement Team whichworks with staff to identify areas of concernand assist staff in rectifying those issues. TheCommittee met each Monday of this schoolyear and was staffed by the Director of Familyand Community Engagement, Elayne Walker-Cabral.

23

“The Met is doing such

good work encouraging

students to continue to

discuss issues of racism

and classism…To create

a safe place to talk

about our differences,

even if we don’t agree, is

valuable and The Met

gives our families a

chance to do this.”

A Met parent

Family Engagement:

One Family at a Time


Parents who represented advisories on theFamily Engagement Committee volunteeredthis year to help with whole-school events. Inaddition 32 parents volunteered to help withthe recruitment of new families for the expan-sion of the school.

In response to our need to engage the com-munity in the development of our new cam-pus, the Family Engagement Committeeformed the South Providence Task Force thisyear. The group is made up of parents, staffand community members who are workingtogether on several projects to help educate thecommunity about The Met during the con-struction phase of our new facilities in SouthProvidence. The Task Force met twice permonth and created murals depicting The Met’sphilosophy that were then hung on the fenceoutside the construction site.

Family Nights

Made possible through a partnership with theSwearer Center for Public Service at BrownUniversity, an intergenerational learning envi-ronment called Family Nights in which over235 families participated was created this year.These were families from The Met, CVSHighlander Charter School, and the communi-ty at large. The majority of participants arerecent immigrants to the U.S. and come fromthe following countries: Bolivia, Colombia,Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala,Mexico, Peru and Senegal.

Family Nights were held Monday andWednesday evenings from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.for three 8–week courses. We offered the fol-lowing classes: English for Speakers of OtherLanguages (3 levels); Spanish for EnglishSpeakers; a Children’s Literacy program (3 lev-els); Computer Literacy (2 levels); and, GEDclasses.

FamilyNet

Funded, in part, by the federal government,FamilyNet is a project that seeks to supportstudent learning by providing an on-line learn-ing environment in which parents, teachers,principals, and mentors work as partners toimprove student learning. FamilyNet consistsof an integrated, customizable set of Web-based tools that facilitate the exchange ofinformation and coordinate school and com-munity activities, all with a focus on student

learning. From the 9th grade through senioryear transcripts, continuing through college,this web system collects data on each and everystudent, allowing us to look at progress longi-tudinally rather than just from specific stan-dardized assessments. The talents, interests,service, choices exhibitions, and test data canthen be analyzed to see which are useful indi-cators of success.

Last year we piloted the program with 10parents and one principal from each of the Metcampuses, CVS/Highlander and the CharlesFortes Elementary School. The parent trainergroup was trained last year on using technolo-gy, facilitating both training sessions and focusgroups for feedback on the use and value of thetechnology tools. This year, the group met sev-eral times during the year to participate in thedevelopment of the interactive web-basedtools.

The FamilyNet program also put computersand printers in our families’ homes, as well asin the hands of some of our alumni. Duringthe school year 2001-02:

• 23 CVS Highlander Charter School familiesreceived computers and printers

• 36 Met families received computers and printers

• 17 Met alumni received computers and printers

• 2 Charles Fortes Elementary School familiesreceived computers and printers

• 7 Parent/Trainers from the first year ofFamilyNet assisted in training all of thefamilies who received computers this year.

Family Engagement Innovations

This year, we included Learning Plan andExhibition Training in our orientation on thenight before school started, thus lessening thedemand on parent’s time so they were able totend to family obligations during eveninghours. This may have increased participation inour other whole school events.

We also revised our Student-Parent-SchoolContract to clarify expectations upon enteringthe school community for each group. Parentsare now asked to volunteer in the school 10hours per year or 1 hour per month.

“I greatly appreciate the

staff at The Met’s will-

ingness to communicate

about difficult issues

that impact kids. They

are hanging in through

some big bumps in the

road for us as a family. I

feel heard and support-

ed. It is such a huge con-

trast from other schools

my children have attend-

ed. Thank you so much!”

A Met parent

24

Family Engagement: One Family at a Time (continued)


Other than through


do you have contact





lowing items?

Information and

Activities To Increase

Parent Involvement


A positive and supportive community based onrespect, personal safety, intellectual stimula-tion, and responsibility is integral to a stu-dent’s academic and personal growth. The Metcultivates community through small schoolsize, small advisories and teams, Pick Me Ups,shared decision-making, and communityevents.

Small Size

Although The Met will eventually grow toapproximately 700 students, the plan is tomaintain groups of 110 students per school,each with eight advisories, two of each grade.Small groups ensure that students and staffknow each other well and that an appreciationand acceptance of diversity is fostered.

Demographics 2001-02:

• 39% Hispanic, 37% Caucasian, 22%African American, 2% Asian

• 52% males, 48% females

• Over 50% qualified for free and reducedlunch

• 75% lived in Providence, 25% lived in 16other towns and cities across the state

• 42% lived in homes where English is a second language

Cross-Campus Communication

This year we continued with our vision to bal-ance the spirit and rich resources of a largerschool, while taking advantage of the personal-ized learning only possible in a small school.We utilized the same methods for cross-cam-pus communication as in past years, including:advisory visits across campuses; monthly full-day, whole-school staff retreats; cross-campusgrade teams; sharing of staff newsletter

(TGIF); contributing to the What’s Happeningat The Met newsletter for staff, students andfamilies.

Pick Me Ups

Each Met campus begins the day with awhole-school gathering called Pick Me Up. Itis an opportunity to showcase individual andgroup projects and invite outside speakers tobroaden our awareness of people, events andactivities in the real world.

Sample Pick Me Ups from this year:

• Poetry Slam

• Black Repertory Theatre

• Hip Hop Workshop

• Drums

• Lion Dance

• Senegal America

• Video Conferencing in Corea

• Sea Devils

• South Africa

• Tae Kwon Do demonstration

• Planning for next year – furniture and facilities

• Student skits

• Jerry Mintz

• Gas Company representatives – labor issues

• Chess

• Neuroscience students – viewing of ahuman brain

25

Building a Community:




this school?

The teachers care about

my teen.


Community Events

The whole Met community includes students,staff, families, mentors and friends. Varioustraditional community events provide opportu-nities for all of us to come together to play,learn and celebrate.

This year’s events included:

• Open House

• Freshman Orientation Camping Trip

• International Night

• College and Financial Aid Night

• Information Sessions on AdolescentDevelopment

• End-of-the-Year Celebration

• Thanks to Senior Advisors Night

• Annual New York Trip

• Thanksgiving Banquet

• Annual Mount Monadnock Trip

• Empty Nest Night

• Graduation

The Met’s Fifth Anniversary Celebration

This year, The Met marked its 5th Anniversarywith an exciting and inspiring celebration heldat the Peace Street school on the evening ofOctober 23rd, 2001. The event began with aspeech by one of our graduates and a poem bya current student. Then, Dennis and Elliotshared their memories and thoughts about thisimportant milestone in The Met’s history.Afterwards, the guests were invited to mingle,watch our Emmy Award-winning public serv-ice announcements on education, and chatwith Eliot Levine, author of the new bookabout The Met, One Kid at a Time: Big Lessonsfrom a Small School.

Spread throughout the school were fourthemed rooms where students, advisors, alum-ni and parents displayed artifacts and sharedtheir experiences of The Met in action. Guestsheard students tell of their travels to suchplaces as Alaska and Costa Rica; witnessed thediversity of internship sites and projects overthe last five years; listened to parents talkabout their experiences as valued members ofthe school community and their children’slearning teams; and, learned about the success-es of our graduates as they pursued careers andfurther education in life after The Met.

Shared Decision-Making

Students are personally invested in The Metbecause what they say and do matters. Asrespected and valued members of the commu-nity, students again participated this year indecisions about their own learning, as well asdecisions about the operations and culture ofthe school. Examples of shared decision-mak-ing this year included:

• student participation in determining advi -sory budget expenditures

• student participation in advisor and studentrecruitment

• student contribution to the design andplanned programs of the new Public Streetcampus

• student voice in Town Meetings regardingschool policy

Community Response to the Events of

September 11th

Along with the world, The Met mourned thetragedies and losses of September 11th. To healand learn from the experience we shared in avariety of activities. Soon after the event weinvited professors from Brown University andProvidence College to discuss the political,economic and social ramifications in a Pick MeUp followed by individual advisory discus-sions. Other activities included:

• poetry readings

• sidewalk drawings

• volunteer workers came in to counsel stu-dents

• collected supplies and mailed them to sur-vivors and victims’ families

• numerous students traveled in groups toNew York to see Ground Zero, interviewlocal high school students, take photos, andreflect on the events

26

Building a Community: One Student at a Time (continued)



this school?

I feel welcome at the

school.



Coming Together to Remember Joseph Hector

The Met community lost an important mem-ber this year, senior Joseph Hector. In responseto his death, students and staff came togetherto honor his memory and share our love withhis family. We…

• Invited grief counselors to the school

• Produced art projects

• Raised money for the family’s funeral costs

• Created an in-school memorial of storiesand memories

• Designed Raku pottery tiles for a perma-nent wall display in his memory

• Attended and spoke at the funeral

• Held a community event four months laterwith a fundraiser for the family

• Created the Joseph Hector MemorialScholarship

• Worked with the RI victim’s advocacy support community

• Continued work on Joe’s senior thesis project on lead abatement

Community Building Innovations

This year The Met received an award from theRhode Island Foundation to bring together ourstudents and an international musical group,World Rhythms. World Rhythms includesmusicians from America and Senegal, WestAfrica and travels to different locations provid-ing entertainment and promoting culturalawareness. Performances and educational work-shops were held for Met and CVS Highlanderstudents throughout the day around music andthe culture, history and socialization ofSenegalese musicians. The Met also partneredwith the International Gallery who broughtlocal community members to the evening per-formance, which included an internationalpotluck dinner supplied by Met families, a tal-ent show showcasing cultural dance and song,and a final performance by World Rhythms.

27



this school?

This school has an active

parent organization.


At The Met, teachers rotate leadership roles atthe grade, team, and whole-school levels. Thestaff takes an active role in analyzing andupdating the school’s principles and practices.Staff are encouraged to pursue their own pas-sions, reflect on their work, and represent TheMet at national education conferences.

Staff Profile

In 2001-2002, The Met staff consisted of 2 co-directors, 2 principals, 2 assistant principals, 1aspiring principal, 16 advisors, 2 Title 1Specialists, 2 college planning counselors, 2LTI coordinators, 1 technology director, 2office managers, 1 support staff, and 1 fiscalmanager. Our part-time staff included 2 driv -ers, a special education director, a school nurse,a psychologist and many volunteers.

This year’s full-time staff was:

• 53% male and 47% female

• 64% Caucasian, 22% African American, 6% Hispanic, 8% Asian

Conference Presentations

Met staff members are often asked to be pre-senters at conferences and to share The Met’sphilosophy and practices with educators andeducation leaders across the country. Wheneverpossible, Met staff bring one or more studentsas co-presenters. In 2001-2002, Met staff andstudents presented at the following confer-ences:

• American Institute of Architects, MA

• ASCD Conference, WA

• Brown MAT/UTEP Conference

• Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum

• Digital Educational Marketplace Conference

• Gates Foundation Model SchoolsConference

• Harvard University Education Forum

• National ASCD Conference, TX

• National Association of Black SchoolEducators

• National Educational Facilities Designs,Newport, RI

• Small Schools Conference (Seattle, WA,Estes Park, CO and Denver, CO)

• The International Conference of Mayors,Seoul, Corea

• William Daggett Conference, NY

Staff Meetings

Staff meetings this year included once-a-weekfull staff meetings, once-a-week all advisormeetings, and once-a-week grade level meet-ings. Also, grade levels from Peace andShepard met as a group once per month. Thisyear, considerable staff meeting time wasdevoted to exploring ways to integrateQuantitative Reasoning and EmpiricalReasoning into student projects.

Staff Retreats

Full-day professional development retreatsagain were held once a month. This year’sretreat topics included:

• Assessments based on modeling, draftingand critiquing student work (Ron Berger)

• Community Health

• Diversity

• Highlander/Met connections

• Learning Through Internships

• Making learning visible (Reggio Emilia)

• Quantitative Reasoning

• Role of advisor

• Student/Advisor recruitment

• Technology28

Professional Development:

A Culture for Change



this school?

My teen talks about

school at home.



Principal Residency Network (PRN)

In 2001-2002, a third center of the PrincipalResidency Network started at Keene StateCollege in New Hampshire, joining the twoexisting centers in Rhode Island and GreaterBoston. This year PRN created two recruit-ment videos to attract people of color to theprincipalship. Most significantly, two of ourown aspiring principals – R. Wayne Woodsfrom The Met and Arienne Clark from CVSHighlander - graduated from the program in2002.

Lifelong Learners

Several Met staff continued their educationalpursuits in 2001-2002, including:

• Amy Bayer received her EdD in Educationfrom Johnson & Wales University

• Nancy Diaz received her Master ’s degree inSchool Administration from CambridgeCollege

• Jill Homberg was enrolled in the Johnson & Wales Education Leadership DoctoralProgram (ABD)

• Elliot Washor received his EdD inEducation Administration from Johnson & Wales University

Support Of New Big Picture Schools

This year was the first year that The Metserved as the laboratory school for The BigPicture Company’s Gates-funded initiative todevelop similar small, personalized schoolsacross the country. The first Big Picture Schoolprincipals spent this year being trained inpreparation for opening their schools in the fallof 2002. The year was thus dubbed TYBO(The Year Before Opening). The principals-in-training included: Pam Morris-Stendal fromFederal Way, WA; Matt Spengler fromOakland, CA; and, Carole Purvis from ElDorado, CA.

Met staff and students donated considerabletime and energy to the TYBO principals andsupported their training by welcoming theminto everything from Pick Me Ups to advi-sories to Learning Plan Meetings to LTI sitevisits. Several Met students were trained astour guides for Met visitors this year and theyspent extra time discussing their experienceswith the TYBO principals.

29



this school?

This school is known for

trying new programs.


As our third class of graduates heads off to col-lege, they take with them abilities and person-al insight that they will use far beyond highschool. The Met and its support systemsremain accessible to our students even afterthey graduate.

This year, the College Team and The BigPicture Company created The Alumni SupportTeam, putting greater emphasis on alumnisupport, events, and research.

Alumni Support and Events

• An Empty Nest Night was held for parentsof Met graduates in the fall of 2001.Parents shared how their child was doing atcollege and worked with Met staff to makecare packages for all alumni.

• Two Alumni Reunions were held duringthe 2001-2002 school year. The first justbefore Thanksgiving and the second atgraduation time.

• During the 2001–2002 school year, fiveMet/Big Picture staff members formed theAlumni Support Team. They visited alumniat college and made support calls to themthroughout the year.

• In January 2002, the Met hosted The BigRed Thing – the first annual AlumniRetreat. During the day-long retreat, alum-ni discussed goal-setting and attendedworkshops on issues like saving money, jobopportunities and training after highschool, and how to survive lectures at col-lege.

• The first annual Alumni/Senior Breakfasttook place in June 2002.

• During the 2001-2002 school year, eightMet alumni worked part-time at The Metand/or at The Big Picture Company, withthe requirement that they maintain enroll-ment in at least one college course persemester.

The Longitudinal Study

While we are proud of how Met students havefared according to traditional measures, we arecertain that the impact of our school lies inmore than high school graduation and collegeacceptance alone. With funding from theNellie Mae Foundation, in 2001-2002 webegan to design a 12-year study of Met gradu-ates. This study will inform the dialogue aboutthe longitudinal effectiveness of small schoolswith a personalized approached to teachingand learning as well as create a model systemthat any high school can use to keep in touchwith its alumni. Dr. Karen Arnold fromBoston College is the principal investigator forthe study. We are currently seeking funds tosupport this research.

30

Leaving the Nest:

Supporting Met Graduates



this school?

This school views

parents as important

partners.


One Kid at a Time by Eliot Levine

In November 2001, Eliot Levine’s book aboutThe Met, One Kid at a Time: BigLessons from a Small School , waspublished by Teachers CollegePress. Every Met student andstaff member received a compli-mentary copy. The book broughtincreased attention to The Met’swork and philosophy, and wassold at every event, conferenceand advisor recruitment presen-tation throughout the year. InMay of 2002, the first printing

of 5000 sold out and a second printing had tobe made to meet the demand.

You may order your copy by calling Teachers

College Press at 1-800-575-6566 or going

to www.amazon.com.

Big Picture Schools Materials Development

This year The Big Picture Company, in collab-oration with The Met, developed new printmaterials to help new students, advisors, par-ents, principals and mentors to implement theMet design. Students and staff across the coun-try will use these new materials to help thembuild strong Learning Plans, plan amazing LTIprojects and create caring, personalized com-munities. Parents, students, advisors and prin-cipals all contributed to the creation of thesematerials, which have been evolving since theMet first opened in 1996.

Big Picture Online

A new suite of web-based tools was designedand will be implemented throughout The Metand the Big Picture School Network. This siteallows students, advisors, parents, principalsand mentors to securely log on to use onlinetools. The site contains tools such as an inter-active Learning Plan, calendar, forums, portfo-lio system and opportunities database. It alsocontains web versions of all our print materi-als. The site is expected to be fully operationalby January 2003.

31

New Projects



this school?

The community supports

this school.


This year’s most exciting event was theground-breaking for the new Met site onPublic Street in South Providence onNovember 19, 2001. After seven years of plan-ning and politics, construction began on thefour small Met schools on what was formerlyan 8-acre empty lot. This unique high schooleducational center is a striking example ofinnovative educational programming support-ed by innovative architectural design.

Rather than classrooms, the new Metschools will have meeting rooms, researchareas, collaborative and individual work spaces,project labs, and quiet study rooms. To sup-port the pursuit of a variety of student inter-ests, and the school’s family and communityengagement initiatives, the site will also housethe following: a Performance and Media Centerwith Black Box Theater; an Internet RadioStation; a Television Studio; a RecordingStudio; a Bookstore Café; a Fitness Center withGymnasium, Free Weights, CardiovascularMachines, Rock Climbing Wall, and Juice Bar;a School Based Health Clinic; and a CulinaryKitchen.

The aesthetics and design of The Met facili-ties reflect the needs and desires of the diversegroup that is the Met community. Since thebeginning of the design process in 1996, TheMet responded to input from public communi-ty, staff and student design meetings. Studentswere involved in all phases of the project, fromdesign through construction. In fact, severalstudents had LTIs with the architectural andconstruction firms working on the project. ThePublic Street Met Center will be as much acommunity center as it is a school. The build-ings will host a myriad of evening events, pro-grams and classes for students, parents andcommunity members.

Building Milestones and Unique Qualities

• Special meetings were held with currentMet staff, students and families to answerquestions and receive input on the design.Information was given to future Met stu-dents and families at three RecruitmentOpen Houses.

• Peace Street students and staff went out asstreet teams into South Providence toannounce and deliver flyers on the Januarycommunity informational meeting aboutthe new campus.

• An unprecedented 42% of the constructioncontracts were awarded to Minority orWomen-owned Business Enterprises(M/WBE).

• The Met looked beyond traditional schoolfurniture to create an environment that sup-ports the specific features of the unique Metprogram. The furnishings are fundamental-ly flexible, high-quality and durable whilefostering different types of learning envi-ronments for different types of learningstyles and projects.

• Some of the Met’s needs could not be satis-fied by the existing furniture market. Alocal, Minority and Woman OwnedBusiness, Muchi Muchi, was brought onboard to create innovative pieces designedspecifically for the needs of the Met.

• The schools were designed with flexiblewalls that allow them to change the shapeand size of rooms as needed.

32

Campus Expansion:

Growing the Met Family



this school?

This school is one of the

best schools for student

and parents.



• The entire campus was designed to physi-cally integrate with the community bykeeping the scale of the buildings consis-tent with the surrounding neighborhood.The perimeter of the site is intentionallyopen, without fences or barriers that wouldliterally and symbolically separate The Metand the community.

Development of the School Based

Health Clinic

During the past year, the School Based HealthClinic Advisory Board, which is made up ofparents, students, staff, and mentors, met everymonth to strategize about how to secure fund-ing for the Met’s proposed School BasedHealth Clinic. Working in collaboration withthe Providence Community Health Center,The Met applied for a federal grant throughthe Bureau of Primary Health Care. In order tomake the grant more competitive, a Met seniordeveloped a Senior Thesis Project surveyingMet staff, students, and parents to determinethe exact health needs of the Met communityand what services they want to see offered inthe clinic. During the past year, The Met alsoreceived technical guidance from the Annie E.Casey Foundation on how to establish a strongworking relationship between The Met and theProvidence Community Health Center.

In addition to surveying The Met commu-nity about the need for a clinic, two Met stu-dents did an extensive asset mapping project ofthe South Providence neighborhood. They vis-ited businesses, nonprofits, and public serviceorganizations like schools and hospitals tolearn more about them and how The Metcould collaborate with them in the future.Then, they created a large map showing whereall of these organizations and businesses arelocated.

Student Recruitment

This year, student recruitment efforts weremultiplied as 168 9th grade spaces would openin 2002-03 with the completion of the fournew schools. This is a 300% increase, in addi-tion to several spaces that became available inthe 10th and 11th grades.

Notable facts about our student recruitmentprocess include:

• Approximately 60 current students andfamily members came to an expansionmeeting on January 30th to learn moreabout the new campus and how they couldhelp recruit new students.

• 32 Met parents volunteered and assistedwith student recruitment.

• Current Met students recommended poten-tial students who were contacted about theOpen Houses.

• Three Open Houses were attended byapproximately 225 families.

• Current students helped with the OpenHouses and Interview Nights by welcomingfamilies, and giving out information andforms.

• Met Alumni assisted with translation fornon-English speaking families at the OpenHouses and Interview Nights.

• Recruitment presentations were made forstudents at the Providence middle schools,Community Prep, The Gordon School, St.Bartholomew, San Miguel, ProvidencePublic Schools High School Choice Fair. AProvidence Journal advertisement was placedannouncing the new openings.

• Eleven 8th grade guidance counselorsattended a luncheon which included a tourby one of their former students, and conver-sations with our college team, special edu-cation staff, and LTI Coordinators.

• Over 300 students applied for the 9th, 10thand 11th grade openings.

• At the end of the recruitment drive, TheMet enrolled the following:

+ 168 9th graders – all who applied wereenrolled

+ 5 10th graders – 60 still on waiting list

+ 3 11th graders – 20 still on waiting list

33



this school?

This school is a safe

place.


Staff Recruitment

This year, recruitment presentations were madeat 10 area colleges and several education confer-ences. Hundreds of information packets weremailed out to teacher educators and collegecareer offices in Rhode Island and across thecountry. A special emphasis was placed onrecruiting teachers of color, and numerousminority networks were contacted. At the endof the recruitment process, 12 advisors and 11support staff were hired. Of the four advisorswho graduated their students this year, all

stayed with The Met or The Big PictureCompany. One returned to be a 9th grade advi-sor, one became a Met principal, one became anLTI Coordinator, and one became a coach forthe new Big Picture Schools across the country.

The new Met staff are diverse and include:

• 12 Caucasians (52%)

• 8 African Americans (35%)

• 3 Hispanics (13%)

34

Campus Expansion: Growing the Met Family (continued)


themetbreaks ground on the Public Street schools!

November 19, 2002

Met Shepard

80 Washington Street

Providence, RI 02903

401-277-5046

Met Peace

362 Dexter Street


401-752-3400

Met Public

325 Public Street


401-752-2600

www.metcenter.org

The Big Picture Company

275 Westminster Street

Suite 500


(401) 456-0600

www.bigpicture.org

“ ...my favorite high

school in the whole

country.”

The Providence Journal,

September 7, 2000

Tom Vander Ark, Executive

Director of Education, Bill

and Melinda Gates Foundation

announcing the $3.5 million

award to Met founders,

The Big Picture Company,

to create Met-like schools

in 12 other U.S. cities.

Stanley Goldstein

Chairman, Former CEO,

CVS Corporation

Keith Oliveira

Vice-Chairman,

Director of Charter Schools,

RI Department of Elementary

and Secondary Education

Mary Sylvia Harrison

President and CEO,

RI Children’s Crusade for

Higher Education

Herbert Cummings

Former Vice Chairman,

Citizens Financial Group

Gary Grove

President,

Pilgrim Screw

Fred Lippitt

Chairman of the Board,

The Providence Plan

Tom Sepe

President,

Community College of Rhode

Island

Balbina Young

Councilwoman,

Ward 11

The Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center The Met School Board of Directors

one student at a time · The Met Portfolio 2001—2002 The 2001-2002 Met Portfolio is the sixth...

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Transcript of one student at a time · The Met Portfolio 2001—2002 The 2001-2002 Met Portfolio is the sixth...