1. Expeditions
   The school curriculum is organized around learning expeditions; they are central to the instructional design. Teachers plan and teach learning expeditions alone or in teams, using topics, questions, and learning goals informed by district and state standards and by student and teacher interests.
2. Reflection and Critique
   Throughout a learning expedition, student work is continually critiqued and revised to promote higher levels of excellence. And the expedition itself is continually reviewed, to raise the standard of teaching. This reflects a culture of reflection, revision, and collaboration that goes beyond traditional testing and assessment. This approach acknowledges that the first time is not necessarily the best, and that learning and improvement are paramount. Student work is also assessed through portfolio reviews, which show teachers what students know and how they learn, and provides them with information on how to improve instruction and curriculum. And portfolio work, taken over time, also shows what matters most to students as individuals -- beyond what may be expected of them in class.
3. School Culture
   The culture of a school -- its shared beliefs, values, and practices -- has a tremendous impact on the learning and daily experience of the students. Shaped by a conscious application of the design principles, the environment of an ELS school is respectful, compassionate, engaging, and physically and emotionally safe. School structures and policies support a place where adults and students are free to take risks and move beyond their perceived limits. Teachers appreciate the ideas of students and encourage students to not only solve problems, but to pose them. And family members also help shape school culture, playing their own role as partners.
4. School Structures
   An ELS school requires specific structures to support the design principles and the expeditionary model. These structures relate to the scheduling, student grouping, teacher teams, and leadership required. For example, schedules must provide longer and more flexible blocks of time for project-based learning, fieldwork, team planning, and community-building activities. A structure of shared leadership also extends responsibility for excellence throughout the institution.
5. School Review
   Assessment is both a tool for improvement and a measure of accountability. Schools create benchmarks to analyze performance and use them for an annual self review of school progress and a periodic peer review to hear outside critiques. The benchmarks reflect a shared vision of where the school wants to go, how the school is developing over time, and priorities for improving performance. The results of school review offer the most accurate snapshot of the school’s status and the information to create a comprehensive school-improvement plan.

This is a continuing process and teachers at RBCS take part in a demanding program of professional development, including intensive summer workshops and ongoing staff training days over the school year. This process continues for several years, as the curriculum and school culture is developed and supported.

In a truly dynamic educational setting, students and teachers quickly learn that reaching one set of goals always reveals another. This creates the process of growth, development, and achievement that the ELS model supports -- and that the learning community of RBCS has taken to heart.