Big Picture Learning: Spreading Relationships, Relevance, and Rigor One Student at a Time. Deeper Learning Networks Series

Big Picture Learning is a school network that is driven by a singular vision: to engage every student in individualized learning experiences that focus on their interests and curiosities. To this end, the network partners with schools and districts to transform teaching and learning environments in ways that ensure students will graduate from high school with the knowledge, relationships, dispositions, and abilities that make them more likely to thrive in college, career, and civic participation. Big Picture Learning nurtures learning environments that are centered on students and their varied needs and interests. In doing so, they meet the holistic needs of a diverse student population and cultivate school cultures grounded in relationship building, personalization, and student voice. This report highlights how Big Picture Learning has instantiated its approach across varied settings. The report begins with a description of the network's approach and how it designs its schools to implement deeper learning. The report then describes the systems and structures that have enabled Big Picture Learning to spread its learning approach in a high-quality manner. In describing these findings, the report highlights how Big Picture Learning and its leaders have consistently been responsive to communities and local conditions, allowing network-affiliated schools to take on a distinct character while maintaining fidelity to its deeper learning focus. The authors find that: (1) Big Picture Learning maintains a vision for deeper learning and equity that guides all aspects of school design, practice, and culture and supports schools in spreading its approach in high-quality ways; (2) Big Picture Learning collaborates with stakeholders to implement deeper learning, ensuring that its approach is feasible, sustainable, and engaged with the community; (3) Big Picture Learning has developed and implemented multifaceted and experiential professional learning supports to build the capacity of leaders and educators to implement deeper learning; and (4) Big Picture Learning is a learning organization that has evolved its practices and structures to improve the quality of its approach and the spread of deeper learning.