Pilot School Spotlight
Saugerties Senior High School(PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area A) shares tools they use when working on backwards assessment design with staff:
- Refining a Rough Draft Protocol, Saugerties' main tool for feedback cycles as teachers pitch PBLA tasks in various stages of completion. This protocol is based on the Tuning for Equity Protocol.
- PBLA Assessment Rubric, which teachers are encouraged to utilize throughout the design process to self-assess and “test” their PBLA task against the high-quality standards of PBL Saugerties aims to utilize.
"We host monthly half-day professional development sessions with our PLAN Pilot staff, rooted in design thinking and collaborative work, in which we use principles from PBL Works/High Tech High’s PBL design models to design, test, refine, and improve our assessment tasks. This also includes feedback cycles and looking at student work. This professional learning model has been highly successful."
For more on Saugerties’ PBLA journey, check out the and their 2025-2026 presentation on their progress and next steps.
Stanley G. Falk School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area A) on their visit to their Mentor School, Robert H. Gibson Technical High School in June 2026:
"On June 15, 2026, staff from the Falk School visited the Gibson Technical High School for a tour and to meet with key personnel who offered insights into organizing and supporting student internship opportunities. The Falk School is currently working to build a network of local businesspartnerships which could offer our students a glimpse into the world of work before graduation, allowing the young adults to try on a few careers for size before committing to a field. Many thanks to our gracious host, Principal Eric Papandrea, Work Based Learning Coordinator Joan Rogers, and CriminalJustice Teacher Amy Gillette for sharing their advice."
Check out Gibson's Showcase Video to learn more about Falk's Mentor School.
Following their visit to Gibson, educators from the Falk School joined other PLAN Schools and 51 staff in Albany to present an update to the Board of Regents on their implementation of performance-based learning and assessment. Watch the recording of the PLAN Presentation to the Board of Regents to learn more!
Brookfield Central School(PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area C) shares samples of performance-based learning experiences:
- Stock Market Challenge, a financial literacy and applied mathematics experience.
- High School Englishpilot samples, includingstudentsamples from a“Haunted House of Poe”life-mirrors-art activity,activity materials fora mock insanity trail, and an anticipation guidegallery walk forThe Crucible.
“Collectively, these experiences reflect our district’s commitment to authentic, interdisciplinary, performance-based learning that prepares students for college, career, and civic readiness.”
Irondequoit High School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area B) shares their mid-program progress update:
Read about Irondequoit's vision for implementing the Portrait of a Graduate and examples of what their students have accomplished as a result of all their curriculum work and PBLA design.
Binghamton High School(PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area C) highlights key elements of their journey as a PLAN Pilot School in this short video that recognizes the meaningful, student-centered work happening in their district:
Brentwood High School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area C) shares their mid-program progress update:
Read about Brentwood's journey from their first cohort meeting in October 2024 to January 2026 progress results that "proved to us what we already knew; this type of work benefits kids in multiple ways."
Wellsville Secondary School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area B) shares their mid-project update in this November 2025 presentation:
See how Wellsville is communicating this work to their Board of Education (BOE), read about their goals for the 2025-26 school year, and check out their "PLAN Pilot Newsletters" and draft "Portrait of a Lion" highlighted on the slides of their PowerPoint presentation.
Maryvale High School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area C) shares their mid-project update in this October 2025 presentation:
Learn about how Maryvale is using digital portfolios to facilitate project-based learning for all students, see samples of student projects, and hear about their pilot plan for the 26-27 school year in this 8-minute video presentation.
P-TECH at OHM BOCES(PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area B) shares their progress and action plan for the coming year in this October 2025 presentation:
Binghamton High School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area C) highlights the impactful work they've begun in collaboration with their Mentor School, Tech Valley High School, in September 2025:
"This spotlight captures how we’re beginning to implementPerformance-Based Learning and Assessment in the district. From early project launches to professional learning experiences and student engagement strategies, this work reflects our commitment to deeper, more authentic learning moving forward in the grant and beyond."
Check out the spotlight (pictured right) at this link:BCSD PLAN Pilot Spotlight
Johnson City High School (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area A) on their visit to their Mentor School, Thomas A. Edison CTE High School in May 2025:
"Members of the Johnson City High School PLAN Pilot team embarked on their first visit to their mentor school at Thomas A. Edison HS in Queens, NY on Thursday, May 1st, 2025. The team from Johnson City was welcomed by an impressive group of students from Edison HS who took on a leadership role throughout the day. Highlights from the day included:
- Visits to Edison's approved CTE program classrooms,
- Meetings with the school's Research and Development team to discuss innovative practices being implemented throughout the content areas, and
- Opportunities to learn from and ask questions of students, teachers, and school leaders.
Our team left Queens with many ideas of how to capitalize on this new partnership by bringing new possibilities for curriculum, instruction, assessment, and program opportunitiesto the students and staff of Johnson City High School. We are extremelygrateful to our new friends at Edison for their hospitality and generosity in sharing all aspects of their amazing high school!"
High School of Arts & Technology (PLAN Pilot School in Focus Area A) on their visit to their Mentor School, Thomas A. Edison CTE High School in March 2025:
“The visit was well planned! We had the opportunity to visit classes and hear first-hand from the students. Our students had the opportunity to also participate in mini PBLA lessons that incorporated essential skills. We are now looking at offering AP Seminar as an opportunity for students to build presentation skills.
This is indeed a great partnership and now we are sharing resources which include lesson plans. This visit was indeed helpful. We now have PBLA in motion for one of our AP Art courses!”