School of One in New York City: An Implementation Guide

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School of One in New York City
An Implementation Guide
Summer 2015

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Introduction
School of One (So1) is a rotational blended learning model for personalized middle school
math instruction. It re-imagines what math instruction looks like, by turning math classrooms
into laboratories where students engage with several learning modalities to deepen their
understanding of essential math concepts. School of One aims to meet students where they
are and accelerate their learning by considering each student’s math proficiency as data to
create personalized pathways to ensure that students have the foundational skills necessary
for advancing their math practice.
In this guide, we will highlight the enabling conditions, promising practices, and challenges
associated with the implementation of School of One, in hopes that schools will be better
equipped to make decisions about bringing School of One and similarly innovative personalized
blended learning programming to their school communities. This guide was developed based
on findings from a post-implementation evaluation as well as analyses of research completed
since the program’s inception (for more on the methodology, see the appendix).

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“The biggest benefit of School of One is that it’s
truly an individualized program, where students
are experiencing different modalities of learning.”
SCHOOL OF ONE ADMINISTRATOR

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History of School of One
School of One, co-created by the NYC Department of Education (NYCDOE)’s
iZone and New Classrooms Innovation Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to
creating new models for effective instruction, was initially piloted in three
New York City middle schools as a summer program for personalized math
instruction in 2009. After the summer pilot, and a subsequent trial as an
after-school offering, the model was introduced as a replacement for math
instruction during the school day.
During the 2014-15 school year, School of One was operated in five New
York City schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Staten Island. These schools
range in size, demographic makeup and historical academic performance
(for school profiles, see appendix). The program was also offered at eleven
middle schools outside of New York City. New Classrooms expects to double
the number of schools using School of One in the 2015-2016 school year.
Note: School of One is known as Teach to One: Math outside of New York City schools.

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What is School of One?.....................................................................................................6
School of One and the NYCDOE Framework for Great Schools..............................7
School of One’s Modalities...............................................................................................9
The School of One Classroom........................................................................................11
Teaching in School of One..............................................................................................13
What Works?....................................................................................................................15
Spotlight: Educator Critique of the School of One Curriculum..............................17
Key Considerations..........................................................................................................18
Staffing School of One.....................................................................................................18
Selecting Teachers for School of One..........................................................................18
Building an Effective Support Team.............................................................................19
Spotlight: Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
as a Measure of Student Progress .............................................................................. 22
School of One’s Technology Needs............................................................................. 23
Creating Space for School of One................................................................................ 25
The Student Cohort......................................................................................................... 27
Class Composition in School of One........................................................................... 27
Student Norms and Behaviors...................................................................................... 28
Spotlight: Transitions in School of One......................................................................29
Scheduling.........................................................................................................................30
Spotlight: School of One and State Assessments.................................................... 32
Teacher Evaluation..........................................................................................................34
The School of One Checklist......................................................................................... 35
Implementing School of One........................................................................................ 37
Orientation........................................................................................................................ 38
Support from New Classrooms.................................................................................... 39
Key Takeaways.................................................................................................................40
Methodology.....................................................................................................................41
Table of Contents

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School of One is a rotational blended learning program
that targets middle school math.
School of One uses an individual rotation model; it
assigns students to different learning modalities based
on their individual playlists. The playlists are created by
the program’s proprietary algorithm, which factors in
students’ prior performance, as well the modalities that
students were recently encountered.
What is a rotational blended learning
program or model?
The Clayton Christensen Institute defines a rotational
blended learning model as:
“A course or subject in which students rotate on a fixed
schedule or at the teacher’s discretion between learning
modalities, at least one of which is online learning. Other
modalities might include activities such as small-group or
full-class instruction, group projects, individual tutoring, and
pencil-and-paper assignments. The students learn mostly
on the brick-and-mortar campus, except for any homework
assignments.”
What is School of One?
“The biggest benefit of School of One is that it’s truly an individualized program,
where students are experiencing different modalities of learning.”
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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF SCHOOL OF ONE
This video, created by the New Schools Venture Fund, one of New Classrooms’ funders,
depicts a day in the life of Edgar Ventura, a student at one of the School of One schools:

SPOTLIGHT
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Supportive Environment: The So1 classroom allows students the opportunity
to learn from and work collaboratively with their peers as they strengthen their
math practice.
Rigorous Instruction: New Classrooms curates content from leading providers
for its scaffolded approach to math instruction and creates content when quality
materials cannot be found elsewhere. So1 also provides teachers with individual-
level data so they can target areas where students may need more assistance.
Teachers also draw from their own expertise to supplement instruction when necessary.
Collaborative Teachers: Teachers in So1 become a tight-knit community due
to shared space and frequent Common Planning Time meetings.
Effective School Leadership: So1 requires and promotes strong goal-setting and
guidance from school administration.
Strong Family-Community Ties: Families have opportunities to engage in their
child’s learning by accessing the portal to track their child’s progress.
Trust: School of One reinforces strong relationships, due to shared accountability
and a sense of purpose about the work.
School of One and the NYCDOE
Framework for Great Schools

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“It’s an ongoing focus group. Since this schedule has been built to accommodate a lot
of meetings, there’s a continuous refinement of teaching strategies, approaches to
assessment and then reflection that re-informs teaching strategies; it’s like an ongoing
think tank to improve instruction for the entire year.”
SCHOOL OF ONE TEACHER
“I feel like [School of One] really takes into consideration where the students are in their
needs, whereas I don’t have to do a lot of background work, it’s done for me in a sense,
and then I can really get into the instructional part and really work with the kids based
on where they are.”
“In School of One, each kid is being tracked in what he needs, so if he needs to pair up
with seven kids because he needs a percentage lesson, that’s what happens.”
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School of One’s Modalities
School of One encompasses seven modalities that are assigned depending on their level of understanding and familiarity with math concepts. These modalities
include teacher-led, collaborative, virtual and independent instruction. Students also participate in multi-day task sessions that allow students to explore their
newly developed math skills in engaging group projects.
“The seven modalities are the truest form of differentiation.”
SCHOOL OF ONE EDUCATOR
School of One Modalities
Teacher-Led
Live Investigation
Collaborative Virtual Independent Task Sessions
Small Group Collaboration
Peer-to-Peer
Coached Virtual
Instruction
Virtual
Reinforcement
Independent
Live Practice

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The School of One school year is divided into three-week periods, called rounds.
During each round, students cycle through most, if not all, of the modalities.
School of One aims for students to have the foundational skills necessary for
higher-level math before they encounter it. Students begin the school year by
completing an assessment, the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) test,
that measures student mastery of math concepts and identifies gaps in student
learning (see Spotlight on page 18 for more information). The algorithm then
analyzes students’ strengths and weaknesses based on their results and uses
that analysis as the student’s entry point into the program. Students enter
School of One with a range of abilities and the model honors that diversity
by offering support for every student who enters the program, whether that
student needs to work on second or tenth grade math concepts.
Content for the program is curated by New Classrooms from top textbook
and web resource providers. The materials are mapped to corresponding
math concepts and delivered to students depending on the assigned mode
of instruction for the lesson.
At the end of each class session, students are tested on the skills learned during
the period in a short quiz called an exit slip. Student performance on exit slips
is used to determine the skills students will focus on the following day.
WHERE DOES THE CONTENT IN SCHOOL OF ONE
COME FROM?
New Classrooms collaborates with a host of print and digital
providers to deliver content. These partners include:
BuzzMath
Carson-Delloso Publishing
Continental Press
Curriculum Associates
Destination Math
ETA Hand2Mind
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
I Can Learn
LearnZillion
Manga High
MathXL for School
TheMcGraw-HillCompanies
Queue
Sophia
TenMarks
Virtual Nerd

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The School of One Classroom
Students move through the modalities in a learning laboratory (typically
called a math center) that is several times the size of a traditional classroom.
In this environment, known as a walls-down classroom, students interact
with two modalities and complete an exit slip over the course of a double
block period. These three segments are overseen and facilitated by School
of One teachers. Typically, an entire grade cohort occupies the space at once.
The classroom space is separated into manageable sections for teachers by
whiteboards, bookshelves and cubbies.
School of One Classroom Versus Traditional Classroom
TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM REDESIGNED CLASSROOM
Whiteboard/BookshelfSmartboard
WHAT ABOUT WALLS-UP?
For some schools, building a math center for School of One is
not feasible because of cost or construction constraints. To test
an alternative approach, one of the five middle schools currently
running So1 is offering a walls-up program. The school uses the
same curriculum and modalities in traditional classroom spaces.
In this guide, we’ll highlight some of our observations on the
differences between the programs.

“I think it is the culture, it’s the clear expectations that you set:
that this is what we’re doing, this is going to be instructional,
planning is going to be a part of it, we’re building capacity in
instruction in math and technology. [It also] comes down to
your teaming, your collaboration and empowerment of teachers.
We never told them what it was, we told them what it could be.”
SCHOOL OF ONE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
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Teaching in School of One
Teaching in School of One can feel markedly different from what a teacher experiences in a
traditional math classroom. Teachers in a School of One classroom share space with the other
educators in the program and switch stations up to three times in one double block class period.
Teachers in School of One also plan differently; teachers are given their assignments—including
a list of students, modalities and materials—each night before the next day’s session. The program
provides the curriculum in order to allow teachers more time to focus on their instructional
strategies. Based on our research there appear to be several characteristics can that influence
whether a teacher might thrive in a School of One environment. These traits include:
Belief in the Model: School of One is a departure from traditional math instruction in many
ways. Teachers who believe that the model enriches the experience of learning and are excited
about the model’s potential will be more comfortable teaching within the School of One classroom.
Flexibility: Teachers in School of One receive assignments daily, share space, and oversee instruction
in different modalities. In order to do this successfully, teachers should demonstrate a willingness
to do what the program requires at any given moment.
Domain Expertise: School of One’s content spans from second-grade math concepts to Algebra
in order to meet the needs of diverse learners. Teachers in the program should have broad subject
matter expertise and be comfortable teaching concepts across a range of levels.
Strong Classroom Management Abilities: Being able to keep students on task in an open
environment is an essential duty for School of One educators.
“It’s not the technology that is teaching. It’s how you’re utilizing it and it’s really the teacher
in there that facilitates [learning], making sure that there’s discussion and questioning and
things like that.”
PLANNING IN SCHOOL OF ONE
Planning in School of One is fundamentally
different from what teachers experience in
a non-School of One environment. Planning
shifts from preparation of entire units to
planning individual lessons. Teachers in School
of One receive e-mails the night before each
class (typically between 4:00pm and 9:00pm)
prompting them to enter the portal to check
their assignments, which are prepared using
the School of One algorithm. Teachers can
then review the lessons, supplementing and
tailoring them as necessary. Teachers typically
oversee two lessons during a double-block period,
which are approximately 35 minutes each.

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Strong Organizational Skills: School of One assigns students homework packets each week
that must be manually graded by teachers. Given the homework, worksheets and other assignments
that are tracked, teachers with strong organizational skills will be better prepared to stay on top
of grading.
Basic Technical Capacity: Given the program’s reliance on technology, teachers who are capable of
performing basic troubleshooting activities are better able to quickly resolve tech-based challenges.
The Ability to Analyze and Interpret Data: School of One provides daily reports of student-level
data in the portal. Teachers who are able to interpret that data quickly to provide targeted
instruction are better positioned to serve the needs of their students.
TEACHING IN A WALLS-UP ENVIRONMENT
As previously mentioned, the walls-up implementation of School of One has classrooms
that resemble those in a traditional school; each teacher has his or her own classroom.
This change was implemented after an attempt to have the teachers switch rooms
was deemed too cumbersome for teachers and too inactive for students. In terms
of teacher practice, there were several notable differences observed in the walls-up
setting, including:
• Teacher-to-teacher interactions are limited to Common Planning
• Teachers feel more ownership of their individual spaces
• Fewer modalities may be run on occasion due to physical constraints

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What Works?
There are a number of benefits to using School of One including:
Differentiated learning for all students, including low-performers:
“I would that say that probably what we have seen is the greatest benefit is that if students are behind, it’s
a program that fills in the gaps of where students are so that we don’t necessarily see at the beginning of
sixth grade that there’s a jump in scores, but you do usually see it later on for students that are behind.”
“It’s less embarrassing for [low-performing students]. They can work on the grade level that they’re
at and no one really knows that they’re learning those skills.”
“I would say that the main positive is the differentiation that is built into the program, but it also gives
you the experience to know how to apply differentiation when we are not running School of One. All
of the different modalities give you lots of ideas and strategies to help.”
Inspiration to embrace technology and blended learning to supplement instruction
across content areas:
“I think we’ve learned a lot in terms of blended technology, moving that into various classrooms, and
[our principal] was wonderful with getting us technology in all subject areas, so the ELA department is
now using iPads and have a special learning program that they are using in literature.”
“School of One was the catalyst for other programs to come to our school. I think it created
a lot of excitement about utilizing technology in blended learning environments.”

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“When School of One came in it might have been the new kid on the block in terms
of blended learning, but it wasn’t a have and have not, like you’re in this wonderful
space and we aren’t so we’re not in it. If anything, it inspired the other teachers to
build their own capacity and look at different models of blended learning. I think
that’s what really spread throughout the school.”
SCHOOL OF ONE PRINCIPAL
The rich dataset of student-level data the program provides, which
teachers can use to target their interventions:
“There’s very specific pieces of data that I look at every single day, and that’s class tries,
how students do in the exercises...I will see what trial they’re on and how they did in
their previous exercise. If they’ve had one try and they got a two or three on their exit,
sometimes I’ll let them go a little bit. But if they’re on try two or three and they got a
zero, I’m going to target them, and I’m going to prioritize the kids in that way.”
“The [non-School of One] teachers at the school use [popular data tracking tool] as
their data tracking tool, and they don’t look at individual students...they look more at
how to progress from their assessments and make decisions at [the class] level. It’s not
a day-to-day thing where each try helps inform you of what you’re going to do next.”
SCHOOL OF ONE MATH DIRECTOR
What Do We Still Need Evidence For?
Although most of the School of One schools have made gains in math performance
on state exams, current research commissioned by the NYCDOE has not
concluded that School of One is necessarily the cause of the gains. That said,
many teachers and administrators report that the program has made positive
effects in their school communities. As administrators assess whether their
schools would benefit from School of One, there are a few factors that should
be considered before making a decision. These considerations are discussed
in detail in the next section.

SPOTLIGHT
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Teachers may need to supplement or alter materials:
“We sometimes just change the lesson or the skills because we know that’s
impossible to cover everything that [New Classrooms] wants us to cover in the
37 minutes that we have with the students. So we can alter what we’re doing
to an extent. You know, we make it our own.”
“The most glaring weakness is the quality control issue. You get things that aren’t
thought of from the perspective of the user that come out illegible or inaudible;
things that don’t make sense.”
Students may need more opportunities to practice skills:
“For systems of equations, maybe in March of his 7th grade year, a student passed
the exit slip. But now it’s March of his 8th grade year and he hasn’t been exposed
to it since then. He needs a refresh but School of One doesn’t do that.”
School of One educators appreciate the School of One curriculum by and large, but made a few comments that are worthy of consideration:
And teachers would appreciate a way to visualize student scaffolds more
easily and have insight into how the algorithm works, because some of the
processes do not feel transparent.
Despite these criticisms, educators across schools say that New Classrooms
is responsive to their feedback.
“I think the School of One team has been very responsive to us. When we have
ideas or feedback for the portal, the tool, or the content, we’re free to give those
ideas back. It’s a great relationship.”
Educator Critique of the School of One Curriculum

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Key Considerations
School staffing, student norms and behavior, scheduling, technological capacity, assessment
and evaluation are all factors that must be examined prior to acquiring School of One or a
similarly atypical mode of instruction. In this section of the guide, we will dive into each these
themes, while providing opportunities to reflect on how the program should operate during
implementation and strategies current School of One schools have used to troubleshoot issues
and ultimately enhance their experience with the program.
Before delving into each of the considerations, it is important for school leaders to understand
that while School of One can benefit a school community, it also has the potential to exacerbate
issues. If a school struggles with organizational or behavioral practices, School of One will be
more challenging to implement.
Staffing School of One
According to School of One administrators and educators, the success of the program is
influenced to a large extent by the teacher team and support assembled to operate the program.
In building a team to operate the program, administrators should take a holistic approach to
assigning responsibilities.
Selecting Teachers for School of One
Having teachers who support of the vision of School of One and exhibit the traits described earlier
in the guide is fundamental to implementing the program.
Things to consider:
Some teachers prefer traditional classroom environments. Others may not believe that the program
will work for the students in their particular school. Teachers who believe in the program’s potential
and have the characteristics of promising School of One teachers will ease the school’s transition
to the program.
“I feel like we’re juggling a million different roles, which as teachers you do, but here we teach a skill in
37 minutes and have to be a tech person and be a supervisor—the whole grade is up here.”
Read Teacher Aaron Kaswell’s thoughts on School of One at:
http://izonenyc.org/on-the-ground-school-of-one-at-ms-88/.

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Teachers in the program must also be willing to be highly collaborative with
their fellow teachers. Sharing a space, structure and students, teachers in the
program appear to function best when they are open to supporting their fellow
teachers, co-developing and enacting norms and protocols for the classroom,
sharing responsibility for student behavior and outcomes, and asking for help
when necessary.
“The program is only as good as the teachers you have and the people running
it. When you are going to have this program, you’ve got to think, “Do I have the
right people?”
Things that are affected:
Schools with teachers who do not believe in the School of One model or do
not embrace the spirit of collaboration will likely have high teacher dissatisfaction.
One teacher, who stated that she was a better teacher in a traditional classroom,
was very unhappy to teach in a School of One environment and missed being
able to manage her own classroom. Other teachers we spoke to thrive in the
School of One environment; they appreciate the cooperative model and the
varied experiences the program provides. Administrators should have a sense
of how well their teachers work together and the extent to which they exhibit
the traits necessary to operate the program effectively. School leaders should
also allow teachers to voice their opinions on how they believe School of One
will affect their ability to teach prior to making the decision to implement.
Building an Effective Support Team
In addition to teachers, the program relies on support from a number of
staffers who are not a part of the teaching team. These support personnel
include administrators, Math Directors, Teaching Residents, and Operations
Technology Associates:
Administrators of the program should plan on being involved with the
program during the early stages of implementation. Several current School
of One administrators stated that they participated in Common Planning
Time, led teacher development, and worked closely with New Classrooms
at the beginning of the implementation process. Those responsibilities were
typically handed over to the Math Director completely once the program was
up and running.
New Classrooms recommends that each school has a dedicated Math Director.
The Math Director should serve as the primary point of contact with New
Classrooms, and should be a full-time administrator of the program. It also
helps if the Math Director is familiar with middle school math concepts.
Teachers who are not supported by dedicated Math Directors tend to have
a more difficult time managing the day-to-day operations of the program
and advocating for themselves to New Classrooms and their administration.
Teaching Residents (TRs) are typically student teachers or paraprofessionals
who assist teachers with instruction and classroom management. TRs can
monitor students and answer their questions as work they individually and in
small groups so that teachers can focus on their assigned tasks. Each school
hires its own TRs.
The Operations Technology Associate (OTA) provided by New Classrooms
is responsible for staging the program. He/she makes sure that all of the
day’s materials are prepped and delivered to teachers and oversees some
of the technical components of the program. Schools should consider hiring
an additional tech person to support the program as well, especially if they
have or are planning to bring in additional hardware or software for other
programming.
New Classrooms also provides each school with an Instructional Coach who
will assist each school as necessary. Members of this team should be highly
communicative, collaborative and flexible.

Team Roles and Responsibilities
Operations Technology
Associate (OTA)
Teaching Resident (TR)Math DirectorAdministrator
• Provide leadership on the
goals of the program
• Offer professional development
opportunities
• Support teachers and other
staff as necessary
• Co-develop norms and
protocols with teachers
• Provide instructional guidance
and support
• Assist with planning
• Supervise OTA and other
support personnel
• Liaise with New Classrooms to
provideprofessionaldevelopment
and to manage program
• Support teachers as needed
• Provide instructional
assistance to students
• Monitor student behavior
• Support teachers as needed
• Oversee daily operational tasks
• Manage the distribution of
worksheets and other materials
• Troubleshoot technology
issues as necessary
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Things to consider:
In addition to the core School of One team, teachers outside of the program
should be familiar with the model for several reasons, including:
• If a School of One teacher is absent, having other members of the staff who
are familiar with the program and can teach effectively within it is a boon to
the other teachers.
• Teachers outside of the program may not understand the unique processes
and needs of School of One. Building familiarity of the program across sub-
jects may help mitigate issues with School of One teachers feeling isolated
from their colleagues.
Having adequate staffing and a clear delineation of roles can affect how the
program is organized and managed and can ultimately ease the workload of
the teacher team.
“I think administration really needs to understand that it’s not a 30:1 ratio of teacher
to students, that this program requires a much larger staff, including administration
for support.”
Note: Small schools will have to think more critically about staffing resources.
MAKING THE MOST OF THE MATH DIRECTOR
The position of Math Director is a critical one. Teachers and
administrators stressed the importance of having a dedicated Math
Director to oversee the program. In addition to the responsibilities
outlined above, here are a few strategies recommended by current
Math Directors to go above and beyond:
• Math Directors are on-hand when School of One is in session
to assist teachers with instruction and classroom management.
• Math Directors coordinate and oversee Common Planning Time.
• Math Directors help teachers develop supplemental curriculum
when necessary.

SPOTLIGHT
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MAP is an adaptive assessment that measures students’ growth in understanding
over the course of a school year. New Classrooms uses MAP to evaluate the
program’s efficacy in each of its schools. Every spring, each school receives a
report of student results revealing trends across the tests and comparing their
scores to national norms. MAP scores can help schools better understand
how well School of One is preparing students for grade-level or advanced math.
While some states use MAP as a data point in assessing school performance
and quality, New York does not.
Learn more about MAP and its alignment with New York’s standards here:
https://www.nwea.org/assessments/standards-alignment/new-york/
Measures of Academic Progress (MAP)
as a Measure of Student Progress

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School of One’s Technology Needs
School of One relies heavily on the use of technology; students receive their
daily assignments through the School of One portal and often learn through
modalities that require access to the internet.
Things to consider:
Administrators should be aware of the hardware and internet requirements
for the program:
Hardware
• It is recommended that schools running School of One maintain a 1:1 student-
laptop ratio for each cohort.
• Thinkpads and ChromeBooks have been popular choices for schools.
Purchasing additional laptops for emergencies is a worthwhile investment
for times when technology breaks.
• Students should receive training on technology care at the start of the program.
Many schools have up to three students using a computer in a day (if grades
6-8 are all scheduled for instruction in the same day); acquiring technology
with long battery lives and a technology cart that allows for rapid charging
between classes or during lunch is important.
Long-term planning for technology refreshes should begin at the outset, so
that there is a plan for procuring new machines when obsolescence sets in.
Internet
• Schools must have the infrastructure to accommodate an entire cohort
using the internet at once.
• Students will be able to access websites beyond what is required; it is
important to identify preventative measures that can be taken if necessary. Some
schools use software that blocks students from using outside sites (though one
administrator suggested this may be an issue at co-located schools).
• Internet failure may occur at some point; teachers may want to play out
various scenarios to develop strategies to use if there are internet issues.
Software
• Portal glitches will occasionally happen; having a backup plan that includes
materials that do not live within the portal will be beneficial.
• The portal has many features for students to interact with; students should
learn how to use all of the portal’s resources at the beginning of the school
year to maximize their learning time.
Schools should also think about ways in which they can leverage technology
to support the program. Many School of One teacher teams have developed
systems for sharing resources and data using various web and mobile tools.
Teachers at one school, for example, have a long running group text message
to exchange insights before class sessions.
“Just like any program, we reassess the technology each and every year.”
Administrators must have a strong sense of the cost and maintenance
requirements of the program. School leaders must budget carefully after
taking an audit of their technology needs and plan ways to fund necessary
technology purchases for the future.
It is also important for schools to plan for issues that may occur during
implementation prior to the start of the program. To mitigate tech-related
issues in their schools, some of the current School of One sites have technology
hubs in their math centers that are equipped with printers and desktops with
wired connections, a strategy that can decrease lost instructional time when
technology fails.
THE DIIT “HEALTH CHECK”
The Division of Instructional and Information Technology (DIIT)
offers schools the opportunity to get their technology evaluated
in a “Health Check”. With a “Health Check” request, DIIT will
work with the school, listen to their issues and analyze their
infrastructure usage. To request this service, call the DIIT
Helpdesk at 718-935-5100.

“Students are very tech savvy, so they already have the knowledge
of technology. Now all you’re doing is have them use it.”
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Creating Space for School of One
Space plays a critical role in the implementation of School of One. The School
of One math center typically spans the space of four to six traditional classrooms
and is divided into smaller sections by portable whiteboards, bookshelves and
cubbies. New Classrooms works closely with each school to determine the
best layout given the facilities they have available.
“To have a space designed that celebrates academic achievement, at the same time
as openness and malleability with the floor plan, it really inspires in people that
there are these characteristics that you want to get out of them, from their input.
[The School of One space] really does foster a sense of open communication and
a sense of support. If you’re a visiting parent, or if you’re a student, or if you’re a
teacher, you have so many people around you that are there to just help you along
your journey.”
Things to consider:
Four of the current School of One schools created math centers in their existing
facilities by knocking down walls.
It is worth noting that noise can be problematic in a space as large as the
School of One classroom. Selecting a space that might have noise canceling
features, like heavy carpeting, or bringing in resources that might assist in
keeping noise levels low is important. One school purchased a speaker set
and microphone so that administrators could quickly quiet students down
across sections, a purchase that an administrator at the school suggested
was the best idea they ever had.
Selecting the right space and furnishing it to minimize distractions and noise
is a large and essential undertaking. A space that fulfills the requirements
of the program while honoring each school’s needs will allow teachers and
students to inhabit a space that has minimal noise and distractions. New
Classrooms works with schools to plan the space appropriately, but schools
should be cognizant of potential noise issues and may want to identify additional
strategies to combat them.
If a school’s population grows or if there is too much noise pollution in the
classroom, it may be useful to contemplate the use of a spillover room to
ensure that all students have the appropriate atmosphere for learning.

“I felt that we could modernize our space [with School of One]
and also bring in an exciting program for the students.
I think it has enhanced our space significantly.”
ALLOCATING SPACE IN A WALLS-UP ENVIRONMENT
Setup for School of One in a walls-up environment may appear
simple at first glance, but there are several considerations that
administrators should think about when selecting space for the
program. New Classrooms recommends that walls-up classrooms
are located in the same hallway clustered to minimize the distance
students travel between spaces large enough to accommodate
stations for different modalities. To the right is a diagram of the
space allocated for the current walls-up school:
HALLWAY
CLASSROOM
1
CLASSROOM
2
CLASSROOM
3
CLASSROOM
4
26

27
The Student Cohort
Class Composition in School of One
The School of One classroom typically hosts all students in a grade level
cohort at the same time (i.e. all eighth graders are in the classroom at once).
Things to consider:
Most of the current School of One schools pull out the special populations
they believe may benefit from an alternative to the School of One classroom.
They may run an adapted version of the program for the smaller group or
use an entirely different curriculum for those students altogether. These
populations can include SWD, ELL students and students who may be
ready more advanced coursework. For example, some schools will have
two sections of students in ICT participate while a third section of students
with severe cognitive delays uses a different program. Administrators may
want to keep the needs of the different special populations in mind as they
think about programming students in School of One.
In addition to impacting the efficacy of the program, pulling students out
of the School of One environment may require additional space or staffing.
“We have a genuine community here, and
I think the students buy into that community
and they buy into knowing this [program]
has value.”
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SWD) IN SCHOOL OF ONE
School of One’s curriculum supports students who are able to
comprehend concepts from the 2nd to 10th grade levels. Students
with disabilities who are able to complete coursework for those
levels may benefit from School of One. At one current school,
SWD students participate in School of One at the same time in
a separate classroom to ensure that the students are properly
supported. Other schools use paraprofessionals in the grade
cohorts to support SWD students in the program.

28
Student Norms and Behaviors
Student readiness is an important factor in the implementation of School of
One. Administrators should be confident that students can handle movement
around the space and take ownership of their own learning.
Things to consider:
Students in School of One rotate through up to three stations over the course
of a double block session. In order to facilitate smooth and efficient transitions
between sections and maximize time for student learning, School of One
students should be normed around the practices and protocols the school
has established for the program. Those norms should be set prior to student
orientation to the program and reinforced as necessary.
Students are also called on to take greater responsibility for their learning
in School of One. Students who are self-motivated and exhibit self-control
will thrive in the program. The School of One classroom can provide many
distractions for students; students who are willing to ignore those distractions
to focus on the task at hand and follow direction from teachers about the
different behaviors that they believe are most conducive for learning in each
modality are at an advantage in the program. They also help create a better
environment for learning for their peers.
There are also certain skills that students should have prior to implementing
the program, including the ability to take notes, stay organized, and use and
care for technology. Having these skills prior to the start of School of One
will make it much easier for both the teachers and students to focus on the
curriculum.
When it comes to student behavior, a student in School of One who acts
out disrupts more than his section. Students may view School of One as an
opportunity to socialize with friends or antagonize other students; it is usually
the only time apart from lunch when most (if not all) of the students in the
grade are together. Transitions may be more time-consuming when students
misbehave, which cuts down on instructional time.
“Some of the kids will see [the open environment] as an opportunity. They will do
stuff that they wouldn’t do in a traditional classroom, like get up and walk around
or go through different areas [of the classroom] .”
If students do not have note-taking, organizational and technology skills,
teachers will have to find ways to build those skills during orientation and
over the course of the school year.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOL OF ONE
Successful classroom management in School of One looks a lot like
effective management in a traditional classroom setting. That said,
there were a few strategies that seemed share-worthy, including:
• Displaying mementos of high student participation and performance.
• Signage to encourage positive behaviors.
• Developing clear rules for each modality.
• Teachers moving in to support their colleagues when they overhear
tricky situations.

SPOTLIGHT
29
Time is a precious commodity in any classroom, but it is especially so in
School of One. Class sessions are double blocks where students transition
between up to three spaces in a single class. In order to maximize learning
time, transitions need to happen quickly. As soon as the notification to switch
goes off (typically a fun song selected by students or staff), students and
teachers move immediately to their next station. Here are a two great pointers
picked up from current School of One schools on making the transitions as
smooth as possible:
Control traffic flows: One school has students enter and exit through the
door closest to them or where they need to be (instead of walking inside of the
space) to help keep the noise down. Another has specific flows for each cohort
to either enter or leave the space. Locking doors or creating specific routes
for students can be hugely beneficial in discouraging students from taking
circuitous routes to their assigned stations.
Have additional staff monitor transitions: If additional staff is available,
having a few extra personnel on-hand to oversee students’ movement can
help quicken the pace of transition. More eyes and ears on students as they
transition can help teachers focus on organizing the class for their next lessons
quickly as well.
Transitions in
School of One
TRANSITIONS IN WALLS-UP
Transitions in walls-up environments differ from those in walls-down
spaces in that they require more student movement. Attributes of a
walls-up transition include:
• The existence of the hallway as a ‘third space’
• Isolation of noise and disruption to individual classrooms and
the hallway (unless students feel they can move freely between
classrooms)
• A potentially heightened need for support staff to oversee transitions
29

30
Scheduling
Scheduling is a critical component of the School of One model. The program
requires that students participate in class sessions that are the length of a
double block (about 90 minutes each) at least four days a week.
Things to consider: In addition to the instructional time requirement, New
Classrooms also recommends daily Common Planning Time, dedicated time
for teachers to assemble and discuss students and strategies.
While schools can modify the program to meet their individual school
community’s needs, administrators may have to revisit how the school day
is programmed.
Things that are affected: Scheduling for School of One can affect how the
rest of the school is run. In most School of One settings all students of a grade
are programmed for math at the same time; a departure from how most
schools schedule. Additionally, meeting the time requirements may be difficult
for schools to figure out. Several schools stated that they had to rework their
schedules more than once to get it right.

31
PERIOD MINUTES MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
1 43
7TH
GRADE
So1 MATH
8TH GRADE
So1 MATH
2 42
7TH GRADE
So1 MATH
8TH GRADE
So1 MATH
7TH GRADE
So1 MATH
3 43
4 42
6TH GRADE
So1 MATH
6TH GRADE
So1 MATH
8TH GRADE
So1 MATH
7TH GRADE
So1 MATH
6TH GRADE
So1 MATH
5 45
6 49
7 48
8TH GRADE
So1 MATH
6TH GRADE
So1 MATH
8 43
Note: Common Planning Time typically occurs during one of the free periods each day.
Common Planning Time

SPOTLIGHT
32
New Classrooms’ philosophy on math instruction is based on the premise that each student should have mastery over basic math concepts before moving on
to more advanced topics. While many administrators and teachers agree with New Classrooms’ values, schools are tasked with preparing their students for state
assessments, tests that measure students based on grade level benchmarks established by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). School of One schools
are faced with the task of developing ways to minimize the tension between the desire to build foundational skills for their students and the need to expose
them to the grade-level content they would encounter on the test. All of the schools institute some system for test prep, using different approaches, including:
School of One and State Assessments
Preparation between
Rounds
Intensive Assessment
Preparation
School of One closes down
completely one month before the
state exams and either teachers
or an external test-prep provider
gives high-dosage test prep.
Schools that use this strategy
make time between rounds to
focus on test prep.
Off-line Days
Schools that use this strategy
program School of One for four
days each week and use the fifth
for test prep.

33
Some schools target skills that their students performed less well on the previous
year, while others try to map concepts that students have learned to the standards
that are tested on the assessment.
In deciding which strategy is most appropriate for your school, it is important
to think about what the adjustment will be like for the students. Here are a
few questions to ask/consider:
• How will you identify which concepts to focus on for your test prep system?
• How will your structure for test prep look different from what students
encounter in School of One?
• How will you help students adjust to the change, if necessary?
• What is the best way to utilize your teaching team to support the
instruction of tested skills?
• What resources can you leverage to demonstrate the concepts?
• How will you create opportunities for students to practice skills?
33

34
Teacher Evaluation
Schools and even staff within schools disagreed on what teacher evaluation
under School of One looks like. Some comments on teacher evaluation
reflected some teachers’ and administrators’ discomfort with how School
of One fits within the DOE’s teacher evaluation framework. An example:
“It sometimes is difficult in terms of observations. With Danielson, you’re looking
for certain things in terms of discussion and making sure that students are having
discussions. But, if that modality doesn’t lend itself to it, and I’m observing, I can’t
really observe fairly at that time. So I look to see what the teacher has for the day in
terms of modalities; I look for certain modalities that I think would really be a more
fair assessment of how they’re performing.”
Others claimed that teacher evaluation under School of One was simple and
straight-forward:
“Quite honestly, it may be easier at times because we ask teachers, what’s the stan-
dard that you’re focusing on today, and the teachers will tell us and if the
Assistant Principal or I come in, it’s so transparent.”
“What you’ll notice is that the teacher makes a tremendous impact on the culture of
the School of One program, so you’re still listening for good question and discussion
techniques, so in that sense it hasn’t changed. How is the teacher pushing students’
thinking? How is she meeting the students? Whether it’s task or an independent
practice, students still have to engage with the content and the teacher’s role is still
to facilitate and question.”
Things to consider: Administrators should have a discussion with teachers
before implementation about what evaluation will look like for them to as-
suage fears about unfair assessments. Additionally, administrators thinking
about evaluation may want to work with New Classrooms to determine what
the best course of action is for planning observations.
Having a conversation about evaluation with teachers could help with staff
morale and commitment.
Things that are affected: Disagreement among staff about what evaluation
looks like can influence teacher satisfaction. It can also shape how superin-
tendents and QR evaluators assess School of One. District staff who evaluate
schools have different levels of understanding School of One and blended
learning more broadly, and school leaders have an opportunity to model ways
to approach evaluation in a blended learning classroom. New Classrooms has
developed expertise in helping schools prepare for evaluations, but schools
may also want to think about how their attitudes about evaluation can and do
shape how they are viewed by external evaluators, and adjust accordingly.

35
This checklist is intended to help principals determine if their school is ready for School of One or similarly
innovative programming. The more items checked, the more prepared your school is to launch School of One!
VISION
c Does School of One align with your educational vision?
c Are you willing to commit extra time and effort to overseeing
and managing the program in its first year?
STAFFING
c Are your teachers interested in and excited about School of One?
c Are you confident about your teachers’ classroom management skills?
c Are you confident about your teachers’ domain expertise?
c Do your teachers work well together?
c Are your teachers comfortable with planning the night before
each lesson?
c Do you have a staff member in mind who could be a dedicated
Math Director? If not, are you willing to hire for the position?
c Do you have the budget and resources to bring on Teaching
Residents?
c Do you consider you and your staff to be flexible?
c Do you consider you and your staff to be highly communicative?
c Do you have a large enough student cohort to support the program?
STUDENT BODY
c Do you believe that your students can self-regulate in
a way that would allow you to operate the program?
c Do you believe your students can handle the program’s
call to move between three modalities quickly?
SCHEDULING
c Are you willing to change your schedule to accommodate
the program?
TECHNOLOGY
c Does your school have the infrastructure and bandwidth to
accommodate an entire cohort of students on wireless at once?
c Are you confident in your ability to implement a new technology
program?
ASSESSMENT
c Do you believe in New Classroom’s philosophy despite its
conflict with state requirements?
c Are you willing to explore ways to co-teach School of One
and skills needed for standardized tests?
The School of One Checklist

36
New Classrooms will work with individual schools over the course of the
school year to determine the fit with School of One and partner with the
schools to determine specific details for training implementation. Typically,
there are three main activities that occur prior to implementation including:
In addition to these activities, schools should do their own due diligence by
sending administrators and/or teachers to visit schools that have already
implemented the program to see what it is like in action.
Note: Schools interested in implementing School of One should be in touch with
New Classrooms in the fall of the year before they want to implement so that there
is sufficient time to work through program details.
Implementing School of One
“It’s very different than any other program. When you talk to someone about it, they look
at you like you’re a crazy person. You can show someone [the space], but they don’t really
understand it unless there are kids here and they can see it themselves.”
SITE
VISITS
SPRING
SIMULATION
PRE-SERVICE
TRAINING

SPOTLIGHT
37
In addition to providing an orientation for students, schools may also want to
figure out ways to introduce parents to the program.
For some parents, School of One is a major selling point:
“We want to attract students to our school and parents look to see if the school
offers this type of program.”
An administrator at another school agreed, but said:
“We do have some parents that still miss having that teacher in front of the classroom.”
All parents, regardless of their initial reactions to the program, should know
what it encompasses. Involved parents will be interested in knowing the
program’s benefits and in using the portal to monitor their student’s progress.
Others may just want assurances that their students’ educations are not
suffering as a result of being a part of the program. Current School of One
schools build this awareness among parents in several ways, including:
• Hosting parent workshops
• Using time during parent/teacher conferences to demo the program
• Providing an overview during Back to School Night
Bringing Families into School of One

38
Orientation
Because of the differences between School of One and traditional instructional
practice, building orientation activities into the beginning of the year is
extremely important in helping students and teachers norm around the
program. Here are some of the practices that the School of One schools
use to orient their students and teachers:
• Create a clear message about School of One’s benefits and expected
outcomes to share with students, parents and other interested parties.
• Host a series of workshops and planning sessions for teachers and support
staff to design and align on processes and protocols for the program.
• Prep students prior to the beginning of the school year by sending them
materials about the program.
Develop an orientation schedule that allows sixth-grade students enough
time to learn the program’s structure and expectations. Seventh- and eighth-grade
students should be scheduled time to receive a refresh on program policy
and protocols.
“A welcome and introduction to what the culture is built on, the rules, consequences
and procedures--those were all explicitly taught to the student population to say
you’re now a part of a community where there’s rules and regulations. It’s continuously
reinforced and re-expressed to students, the idea that these are the expectations
on you.”
Portal UseBasic Computer SkillsStudent Behavior
• How students should retrieve
technology
• Modality-specific behaviors
• How students will be
disciplined
• How students will be rewarded
• How to turn a computer on/off
• How to enter a username
and password
• How to use the internet to
support School of One
• How to restart a computer
• How to get assistance with
technical issues
• How to enter the portal
• How to use virtual modalities
• How to find the skills library
• How to find individual
progress reports
• How to fill out exit slips
When the school year begins, orientation at current School of One schools focuses on three main topics:

39
Support from New Classrooms
New Classrooms provides each school with a number of instructional
supports over the course of the school year. Instructional Coaches will visit
schools that need more assistance two or three times a week. Professional
development provided by the Instructional Coaches centers on helping
teachers reach the next level of their instructional abilities within particular
modalities. When New Classrooms makes a change to the portal, each
school’s instructional support will come in to train teachers on the updated
site. The coaches may also help teachers with their classroom management
techniques when necessary.
As previously mentioned, New Classrooms works to be as attentive and re-
sponsive to schools’ needs as possible. Having a primary point-of-contact, like
a Math Director, who can serve as a conduit for information can strengthen
this communication. Transparency and open communication with New Class-
rooms will ensure that the organization is aware of how to better assist schools
operating the program.
“We had to do a lot of practice in the beginning, writing down the username and
password and not losing it, and just going through everything with them. How to
restart the computer if they have internet issues. We have gone through all of that
with them and we do it constantly, whenever they have a problem.”
Orientation may take place over the course of several weeks of intensive
training in these skill areas. At least one of the School of One schools also
hosts a kick-off assembly to welcome students to the program.
STRATEGIES FOR CREATING AN ENGAGING
ORIENTATION PROGRAM
Creating an engaging orientation plan can be extremely difficult for
educators as they prepare to start a new school year. In addition to
the practices outlined here, one school decided that a scavenger hunt
would be a great way to introduce students to the School of One portal.
“The portal is not overly complex, but there’s lots of bells and whistles
and little features. At the beginning of this year, we did a scavenger hunt
asking students to find this part or that part of the portal.”
For additional tips, check out teacher Aaron Kaswell’s videos on
his school’s orientation and classroom management strategies at:
http://betterlesson.com/user/38610/aaron-kaswell/strategies.

40
Key Takeaways
Administrators and teachers who are considering School of One and similarly
radically different programming should consider a number of factors, including
budget, space, personnel, technology and more. While New Classrooms (and
other vendors) will work with schools to create implementation plans that
are specific to each school’s context, it is also important for administrators
and teachers to begin to ask questions and surface potential challenges and
solutions before going to the table. School of One and other personalized
learning programs require different investments in terms of human, financial
and resource capital at different times, and planning for the short- and long-term
viability is important. With the themes discussed in this guide, we hope that
school leaders can begin to think critically about their school’s needs and how
they can incorporate new and potentially effective modes of instruction in
their schools.
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT SCHOOL OF ONE?
Visit http://teachtoone.instapage.com/ to learn how to become a
school partner!

41
Methodology
Four out of the five New York City middle schools that used School of One
in the 2014-2015 school year. School of One participated in the qualitative
portion of the research for this study. On-site observations, administrator
interviews and teacher focus groups were conducted at each school. The
principal investigator sat in on School of One affinity group sessions (monthly
convenings for current and former School of One educators to share lessons
learned and promising practices on the program and blended learning more
broadly) and Common Planning Time meetings to supplement the classroom
visits and conversations. Interviews with New Classrooms were held to
understand the perspective of the organization that developed and continues
to refine the program. Prior research on the implementation of School of One
was also consulted and analyzed for the creation of this guide.

School of One in New York City: An Implementation Guide

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