Accountable Independent Study (AIS) Students without a WBL placement (internship) are dismissed at 1 pm on Wednesdays to continue accountable independent learning at home.  Teachers engage in collaborative planning and professional development during this time block.

Beacon The competency-based learning management platform designed by Building 21 that students use to house their portfolios, receive ratings and feedback on portfolio artifacts, track their growth toward competencies and toward graduation requirements.  It includes both short- and long-term data on everything from attendance to state test scores to work-based learning hours.  Parents, teachers, and administrators also access Beacon data dashboards to track and analyze student progress.

Community Action Projects (CAPs) Students choose from a selection of rigorous, teacher-led, interdisciplinary projects that match their interests or help them meet competency requirements. CAPs are usually driven by a problem or issue in the Annapolis community, often through our partnership with the City of Annapolis and result in an authentic final product presented to an audience beyond the school.

Community Advocate Each student has a community volunteer as part of their Navigation Team.  This person may be selected by the student, crew leader, or school administration. They agree to attend quarterly Navigation Team meetings and to support the student’s success through their 4 years of high school and beyond, much in the way an aunt or uncle would look out for a niece or nephew’s success, providing advice, connecting them to their networks, and building a trusting relationship that students can leverage now and in the future.

Competency One element of the skills, mindsets, and knowledge we want students to demonstrate before they leave high school.  Competencies can be rated across all learning experiences and all four years of high school, giving students the opportunity to show progress and growth. Competencies are standards-based but function differently from standards. Click here to access the Building 21 Competency Framework.

Continuum The progression of learning on each skill within a competency. At each level on the continuum, there are indicators describing what students need to do to earn the rating for that level. The same continua are used every year, across all learning experiences, so that progress and growth on each skill can be measured over time. The continua are at the center of teaching and learning. They are used by teachers to design rigorous learning experiences and performance-based assessments, to give timely and actionable feedback to students, and to rate students on their performance-based assessments. They are used by students to self-assess, give feedback to other students, and understand what they need to do to reach a higher level of mastery.

Crew  Robust advisory structure that anchors our school community – 12-14 students with one adult Crew Leader (usually also a content teacher).

Essay Block  One hour per week in which each student chooses a topic related to CAPs, skills, or interest topic to write or revise a five-paragraph (or more) essay each week, to be given feedback by a peer AND crew leader or content teacher.

Gateways  Students pass through Gateway 1 and become Gateway 2 students once they have met specific criteria – in particular, meeting CCR readiness criteria (as defined by state assessment requirements and credits) often at the end of 10th grade, and begin shifting focus to specific college or career pathways.

Lit Labs Whole class (15-30 students) book/poetry/drama discussion groups aligned to CCSS standards, building discourse and literary analysis skills.

Lunch Prep and Crew Closeout  Students and staff rotate the responsibility for prepping and cleaning up lunch and for preparing the building for closing together in crews – cleaning, sweeping, vacuuming, and replenishing basic supplies.

Math Labs Whole class (15-30 students) discourse-rich, math problem-solving challenges based on high-ceiling, low-threshold tasks. Students in flexibly grouped math cohorts work together to apply math skills and debate strategy.

Navigation Team An individual student’s support team – helping the student plan and reflect on purposeful learning goals and holding them accountable to their progress each quarter. The student presents their portfolio each quarter to their Navigation Team – the student’s Crew Leader, parent(s) or other family member, work-based learning mentor, a volunteer community advocate, and a peer coach.

Navigation Plan The learning plan each student develops with their Navigation Team to guide their daily work toward their long-term goals.

Pick Me Up  Weekly time block in which two structures alternate: whole school assemblies and mentor/mentee crews – 11th with 9th and 12th with 10th.

Practical Skills Block Weekly time block where Crews learn personal health and wellness, self-defense and sewing, design and construction skills, and take on more in-depth school-based chores and repairs, and engage in other crew-selected activities in preparation for adult life.

Restorative Justice  Our approach to addressing interpersonal conflict or behaviors that negatively impact our community. This student-led process is carefully designed to give participants an opportunity to be heard, to examine the impact on affected parties, and to create an opportunity for any mistakes or harmful acts to be repaired so all can move on in a positive way.

School Council  An afterschool, weekly meeting in which interested students, staff, parents, and community members can contribute to school decision-making and express concerns, as well as discuss issues brought by school leaders to solicit stakeholder input.

Skills Workshops Students select skills they need to work on with teacher support, through online instruction, independent work, small group sessions, or whole group Labs, to pass state-mandated assessments and prepare for college or career.

Studio A self-paced learning module contextualized in high-interest content that supports students to build skills and products to meet specific Competencies required for graduation. Studios are designed by Building 21, our Competency-based learning partner, and carefully back-mapped to Competency progressions and standards.

VOMP An acronym that describes NVA’s go-to, one-on-one conflict resolution process. The letters stand for Voice (express concerns), Own (your part in the conflict), Moccasins (take the perspective of the other), and Plan (ways to resolve the conflict together).

Work-Based Learning (WBL) Students are out in workplaces throughout the community learning through internships, apprenticeships, or sometimes community college credential-earning coursework.  Students who are not yet ready for internships stay with their Crew to engage in fieldwork, community service, career readiness and exploration activities, job shadowing, or other real-world learning, on- or off-campus.