Catalpa™ Project Sites

Watch the Video: Learn more about the implementation of PBI in real-world examples

The following sites are important examples of Practice-Based Inquiry® at work.

State Accountability: Rhode Island — SALT
The School Accountability for Learning and Teaching (SALT) is the most ambitious application of Practice-Based Inquiry. SALT is a 10 year initiative of the Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE). SALT is part of Rhode Island’s state-wide comprehensive plan for accountability and school support. The project is now part of the Office of Support and Progressive Intervention.
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Individual Schools: Chicago Schools Alliance
In the summer of 2004, fifteen new schools in Chicago joined together in the Chicago Schools Alliance to strengthen their practice as innovative public schools and to bring their proven practices into the mainstream of public education in Chicago. Alliance schools serve as learning sites and potential models for beginning new schools. The Alliance is organized by Business and
Professional People for the Public Interest (BPI) and the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS).

Catalpa has worked with the Alliance since its founding to help provide significant support for sustaining new schools. By June 2006, Catalpa will have designed and led school visits to six member schools. An important outgrowth of the visits is a pilot project with one of the schools to conduct an "in-school visit."
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Program and Policy Evaluation: Chicago Public Education Fund and The Spencer Foundation
In 2005, the Spencer Foundation and the Chicago Public Education Fund sponsored two Catalpa projects that applied Practice-Based Inquiry® principles to program and policy evaluation.
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Accreditation: NEASC
Under the auspices of the Lab at Brown, Catalpa conducted a thorough review of how the high school commission of the New England Schools and Colleges (NEASC) conducted the self-study, school visit and Commission review that led its decision to accredit or not accredit 95% of New England's public high schools.

This study resulted in major changes in the conduct of the high school visit in New England. It was also important to the development of Practice-Based Inquiry.
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International Projects
Since professional peer visits have been used in many diverse countries around the globe for over a hundred years, Catalpa Ltd. continues to build working, and networking, relationships with a number of relevant projects in other countries.
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