The Academy of Irving I.S.D.

Narratives

Architect Narrative

The Challenge:

To develop an innovative instructional model incorporating rigorous academic expectations with specific awareness of career goals for 1300 FTE nine-twelve grade students.

The District recently shifted from a largely homogeneous student population to one that has great diversity, with fifty-five percent of its student population identified as economically disadvantaged and over seventy percent minority. The project goal was to attract enough students across the District, both voluntarily and proportionately, to address the future growth issues within the District while enriching the educational experience of all students through an innovative instructional model.

As each of the students will graduate from one of the three comprehensive high schools of 2000-2100 students, these “home” schools will also provide all of the traditional inter-scholastic activities. The challenge was to create a place of choice blending students from three schools into a cohesive energized learning community.

The 23-acre site rose 50 feet from the street and was approximately 50% outside of the district’s boundary, thus limiting the buildable area.

The Solution:

The Academy learning framework is organized around five areas of specialization where each student has an opportunity to pursue a diploma major that includes in-depth learning, an integrated curriculum, and real world experiences.

A three-story atrium spine, or “Main Street”, features public spaces of the academic specializations including medical/dental offices, courtroom, conference center with pre-function areas, distance learning lab, food court, art gallery, library, store and commons.

The design of the facility reflects the district value of the corporate work place as a stimulating environment for learning as the facility feels like a “dot-com” or a galleria.

The site was acquired at no cost through a 50-year ground lease with the community college in exchange for shared use and dual credit opportunities.

Multipurpose use by district, community college, corporations and community results in 16-hour daily utilization, including on-site fee based conferences integrated into the academic program.

Every student is issued a personal laptop computer supporting the technologically enriched curriculum.

Results Achieved:

The authentic learning educational program has encouraged interaction with the business community and has resulted in increased student internships, participation in professional events, and scholarships.

The utilization of the facility by outside corporate and district groups has resulted in the approval for hiring an activities director to coordinate these activities and enhanced student learning opportunities.

The Principal reports after the initial year of operations:

• Smaller learning communities provide a sense of belonging for both students and teachers.

• Very high teacher job satisfaction.

• Students have pride and respect for their building. No vandalism was reported in the initial school year of 2001-2002.

• The 900 enrollment applications for 2002-2003 exceeded the 500 additional openings available.

How It Impacted Learning:

There has been a higher retention rate of 9th graders in The Academy compared with the traditional comprehensive high schools.

With the success in this initial year of creating smaller learning communities around specializations at the Academy, the district is expanding this instructional strategy into areas of the three comprehensive high schools, including issuance of individual student laptop computers.

Educator Narrative

The Academy of Irving ISD

What if a school didn’t look like a school? What if students learned by doing? What if learning could be relevant, useful and limitless? What if we broke all the traditional rules when we built our next school?

These are just some of the questions that school leaders and architects asked themselves again and again while focusing on how to develop students into lifelong learners poised for success in study, in careers, in citizenship and in life.

We dream of a school where students are expected to work, equipped to succeed, and challenged to achieve - where students can study in safety, grow in knowledge, and revel in discovery.

Academy students choose from five areas of specialization where they get hands-on instruction and real-world job experiences. Using the latest techniques and technologies, students pursue a diploma that represents in-depth learning, broad understanding, and specialized expertise. Through internships, job shadowing partnerships, and an integrated curriculum, many Academy students gain valuable, marketable skills before they leave high school, including college credit.

With state-of-the-art facilities and educational best practices, the Academy experience is designed to open opportunities for higher education and for rewarding employment. When a student graduates from their home school, the goal is for each to have experience working in their career field, certification in that field, or college credit.

The Academy experience is open to every IISD student in grades nine through twelve, and all Academy students maintain a relationship with one of the district’s three large comprehensive high schools where they can be involved in clubs, athletics and other extracurricular activities.

If applicants outnumber the school’s 1300 FTE capacity, then invitations to attend the Academy are issued at random. The Academy is not a school for an elite class of students. It’s an elite school for every student.

Each student is issued a laptop computer for use at home and in the wire-less classroom labs. Students e-mail course work to their teachers and check for assignments on class websites. Classrooms look like business meetings complete with conference tables and PowerPoint and, like a business, students are responsible for their work, their computers, and their schedules. There are no bells at the Academy.

The Academy of Irving ISD is an asset for the community. Assisting in the development of well-rounded, well-educated students for the local workforce, the school involves parents, neighbors and the business community through advisory boards, shared facilities, shared equipment, and shared human resources.

Forward-thinking curricula. Visionary architecture. Real-world experience. Relevant learning. We dream of a school where the best of the business and educational worlds meet - where young minds are challenged and equipped. Our dreams are coming true.

The above was adapted from District promotional material for The Academy.