La-Sala Goettler: Agency is a huge part of what every teacher at Browning encourages in student work. We are constantly creating pathways for our students to dig into their own learning journeys and getting a sense of what skills are needed to help them succeed on that path. What makes our Distinction Program different is that it's a place for students to pursue a specific passion of interest with purpose, and with independence.

The seniors engage in a collaborative process with other scholars or professionals in the field, wherein they conceive, design, and develop a comprehensive proposal for the project, ultimately defending it. They come up with that entirely by themselves from two or so years of reflective work and conversation with their advisor. I can’t think of a better embodiment of independent agency of learning.

Grill: We want to acknowledge and celebrate students who consistently surpass expectations and demonstrate unwavering passion for their work. 

We have students who showcase exceptional creativity in their written assignments for humanities classes. Additionally, there are those who exhibit a keen interest in robotics and rocketry, taking the initiative to establish and lead their own clubs. Furthermore, we have a senior, Nate Long, who is driven by a passion for sound system creation but lacked a suitable club to join, dedicated his Distinctions Program to enhancing the school's sound system. In all these endeavors, the faculty advisors serve as invaluable partners, supporting these students in their pursuit of scholarships and mastery in their respective fields.

Ting: Our approach follows the model of a graduate school thesis and defense, characterized by its multi-year commitment and pursuit. Capstone projects typically involve students exploring subjects they are genuinely curious about, but what I ask my students to think about when they start is if their project aligns with our core values, which are honesty, curiosity, dignity, and purpose. So not just curiosity on the topic, but also what purpose is it serving and can it be used to benefit society at large.

Bancroft: What truly sets this program apart is the exceptional level of student involvement and autonomy it offers. Students have complete control over every aspect of their projects, from finding time to work on them to determining the project's very nature. This program not only provides flexibility but also recognizes and empowers students to achieve a nearly professional level of creation. By granting them full ownership of their projects, it fosters a sense of responsibility and ownership that is truly remarkable.

La-Sala Goettler: College and university level learning requires students to do more with less and less hand holding. Our program prepares a student to not be intimidated by that process, where they know the professor or the faculty advisor is available for questions, but that the onus is still that of the student’s. That's where the joy is and it doesn't happen unless it's coming from the student.

Ting: Many of the skills we utilize when embarking on a research project closely mirror those taught in higher education. In our distinction programs, we delve into the art of formulating research questions. This particular skill proves invaluable for college students as they confront the task of crafting their own theses. Furthermore, they receive instruction on effectively communicating research to non-experts. We emphasize making complex information accessible and readily available to diverse audiences.

Grill: One of the advantages of our smaller environment is that students feel more at ease approaching others to ask questions. This extends beyond relationships with adults; even their interactions with peers foster a culture of peer learning and mutual growth. For instance, we currently have several juniors taking the lead in the rocketry club, collaborating with younger students. Through this teamwork, they not only share knowledge but also gain valuable insights as they work together to launch these devices.

Ting: The boys value their independence in their projects but also recognize when they need additional support. They form partnerships with experts in their respective fields who can assist them on their journey, combining their own autonomy with the guidance and help of others. What I find truly enjoyable is the opportunity to delve into their passions and immerse myself in their world. The students have the chance to share something they are genuinely enthusiastic about, which is not a typical occurrence in other school settings.

La-Sala Goettler:  A key pillar of this program is that it transcends the traditional grading system. There are no pass/fail assessments or letter grades. Instead, the focus lies in demonstrating proficiency and showcasing exceptional understanding. The student-teacher relationship goes beyond pursuing the highest grades or merely completing assignments. It revolves around fostering a deep passion for learning within a specific field, where joy and intense focus coexist. 

When my student, Yushi Liu, who will be Browning’s inaugural humanities distinction recipient, engages in discussions with me about the essence of being a humanities scholar, our shared quest is to continually uncover more meaning, understanding, and excitement for the study of the field.

Bancroft: Another unique aspect of our program is the emphasis on publicly sharing the knowledge acquired. We expect our distinguished scholars to engage in open conversations and discussions about their projects with the wider community. This not only showcases their expertise but also demonstrates the advanced level of learning taking place. It can be likened to a dissertation defense, where the student is well-prepared, knowledgeable, and presents their work to a committee.

The ongoing conversation continues with more questions and a genuine interest in understanding the origins of this situation. What are your current thoughts? Where does the next revision stand? How can we enhance this further, not just to achieve a higher grade, but because it holds significance? This aspect of the program holds particular importance, especially as our seniors approach its conclusion.

• By end of Grade 9: Students sign up for the program

• Grade 10: Individual meetings to review competencies and set up portfolio

• Grade 11: students work to complete portfolio and accompanying reflections

• Grade 12 Seminar

  • Independent Distinction Thesis

  • Public conversation with committee of professionals (alumni, faculty, parents)

  • Presentation of Distinction Dissertation

The Data Science Distinction Project will serve as the opportunity for students to apply their competencies to an independent research project for their senior year. The specifications for the project will be contingent upon student interest and proposal. Students will be required to submit a thesis abstract and proposal at the beginning of the year outlining their learning objectives, research partners and sources, data analysis tools, and rough schedule of milestones. In addition to preparing for the long-form written piece, students will be expected to connect their work with a purpose that addresses the needs of the greater community.

A Data Scientist that has met proficiency in the core competencies of the Data Science Distinction program will be well prepared to complete a capstone project of this magnitude. We expect the data scientist to:

• Design a research question with purpose

• Develop analytical steps to gather data

• Utilize statistics to find patterns in data

• Tell a story with data using visualization software or graphics

• Read and research to gain a wealth of knowledge on the topic to explain data visualizations

• Present findings for diverse audiences

Agency

The ability to independently create a timeline for a large-scale research project.

• Organization: Identify long-term and short-term goals and organize deadlines to ensure project completion

• Project Development: Plan the development of the project using an iterative process that includes reflection on and modification of the plan, taking into account key features, time and resource constraints.

Design

The ability to create, plan and organize data that is necessary to answer the research question.

• Data Design: Ability to recognize limitations of data and redesign based on those limitations

• Data Collection: Design ways to gather data to answer the main research question presented including data aggregation and filtering data including the use of software if necessary

• Data Organization: Select, sort, organize and gain insight from large data sets

Data Analysis

The ability to extract, analyze and evaluate data to answer the main research question including the ability to name the bias involved in the data set and fill in missing pieces from a large data set.

• Data Extraction: Extract common features from a large data set

• Data Evaluation: Evaluate existing data sets with the appropriate software with the ability to convey meaning to data

• Statistical Analysis: Possesses an understanding of statistics in relation to research design including issues of validity, reliability and power calculations.

• Bias: Ability to identify biases in datasets and explain this in the models generated

Data Visualization

The ability to create different ways of presenting data in a form that is easily understood.

• Visualization: Ability to create multiple visualizations with the understanding that each visualization has its limitations

Research

The ability to go through the entire research process including the development of a research protocol.

• Purpose: Understand the purpose, concept and topic of the study with the ability to design a research question that encompasses all of the above

• Protocol: Develop a protocol for gathering, analyzing and communicating findings

• Sources: Understand the different sources of data (primary and secondary) and recognize when each can be used

• Lit Review: Develop a background knowledge sufficient for describing the trends seen in the data.

• Communication: The ability to present the full research findings in a way that is understandable, including the explanation of each step of the research process

• Documentation: Ability to document each step of the research process

• Presentation: Ability to present a final thesis which includes every step of the data science process using appropriate terminology consistent with the intended audience and purpose

To achieve mastery of an outcome, candidates for the Data Science Distinction will write a 300-500 word reflection after each stage of the project.

• By end of Grade 9: Students sign up for the program

• Grade 10: Individual meetings to examine competencies, and set up portfolios

• Grade 11: Portfolio submissions and reflective writing

• Grade 12 Seminar

  • Independent research project/Design Project

  • Submit Project

  • Presentation and Defense with alumni/faculty/parent panel

The Engineering Distinction Design Challenge will be an opportunity for students to apply their competencies to an independent project for their senior year. Student design topics currently include robotics and rocketry. Other engineering disciplines will be considered based on student interest and school resources. Students will be required to submit a project proposal at the beginning of their senior year outlining their learning objectives, methods of investigation, deliverables, and a schedule of milestones. Thorough documentation of the engineering design process is required. Applying technical skills such as designing CAD drawings and GitHub code snippets will be routine deliverables. Additionally, students in this program will be expected to connect with the STEM community and promote the love of engineering through outreach events and volunteering in the broader community.

An engineer that has met proficiency in the core competencies of the Engineering Distinction Program will be well prepared to complete a capstone project of this magnitude. We expect the engineer to:

• Demonstrate agency managing a large project

• Collaborate with others and engage the broader community

• Apply academic and technical knowledge to a project

• Utilize problem solving techniques

• Design innovative solutions with prototypes and technical skills

• Communicate and document findings with others

Agency

The engineer’s capacity to work individually and make their own choices to advance their own learning.

• Growth Mindset/Grit: The engineer understands that abilities can be developed over time and that perseverance is critical to success.

• Project Management: Ability to manage a project. Plans for long-term projects utilizing organizational methods that help move a project forward.

• Self Assessment and Initiative: The engineer is able to recognize what they don’t know so they can be an active participant in their own learning processes by taking initiative.

Collaboration and Engagement

The engineer’s ability to consider others and work with the community at large with gracious professionalism.

• Inclusivity and Gracious Professionalism: A way of working that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

• Community Connections: Connects and promotes with both the STEM community and the community at large. Actively outreaching to the broader community.

• Incorporates Feedback: Solicit and incorporate feedback from, and provide constructive feedback to, team members and other stakeholders.

Problem-Solving

The engineer’s ability to identify, analyze and solve complex problems using skills and dispositions.

• Identifies Problems: Identify complex, interdisciplinary, real-world problems that can be solved mechanically or computationally.

• Decomposition: Undertakes a complex task by breaking it down into manageable parts.

• Research Skills and Resourcefulness: Evaluate existing technological functionalities and incorporate them into new designs. Seeks assistance as necessary, and finds quick and clever solutions to overcome difficulties.

• Computer Science and Algorithms: The engineer can apply advanced computer science and algorithms along with advanced programming principles towards the engineering design process to solve problems.

Innovation and Design

The engineer’s ability to apply the engineering design process towards iterative improvement of prototypes.

• Engineering Design Process: Plan the development of a prototype using an iterative process that includes reflection on and modification of the plan, taking into account key features, time and resource constraints, and user expectations.

• Prototyping: Generating a number of different possible solutions, then evaluating potential solutions to see which ones best meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

• Iterative Improvement: Evaluate and refine a prototype multiple times to enhance its performance, reliability, usability, and accessibility. Failing early and failing often is a means to grow as an engineer.

• Physics and Design: The engineer can apply advanced physics and design principles along with CAD or orthographic sketching in the engineering design process.

Communication

The engineer uses communication skills document and share ideas and prototypes.

• Documentation: Use an engineering notebook and portfolio to show the underlying science and mathematics of designs and should show a clear understanding of the design process.

• Organized Communication in Media: Create organized and efficient communication and choose appropriate media channels when communicating.

• Presentation Skills: Speak publicly about an idea or prototype design in a way that is convincing, inclusive and articulate.

• By end of Grade 9: Students sign up for the program

• Grade 10: Students meet individually with teachers to review competencies and set up portfolio

• Grade 11: Students work to complete portfolio and accompanying reflections

• Grade 12 Seminar

  • Independent Distinction Dissertation

  • Public conversation with committee of professionals (alumni, faculty, parents)

  • Presentation of Distinction Dissertation

The Humanities Distinction Dissertation will serve as the opportunity for students to apply their competencies to an independent project for their senior year. The specifications for the dissertation will be contingent upon student interest and proposal. Students will be required to submit a dissertation abstract and proposal at the beginning of the Grade 12 year outlining their learning objectives, research partners and sources, deliverables and rough schedule of milestones. In addition to preparing for the long-form written piece, students will be expected to connect their work with a purpose that addresses the needs of the greater community.

We expect the Distinguished Scholar to:

• Read and synthesize a variety of texts to show critical engagement of ideas

• Produce long-form written work for designated audience

• Recognize perspective and identity to situate claims

• Utilize logic to organize and observe critical ideas

• Demonstrate agency managing this large-scale work

• Publicly communicate and present findings to others

Reading:

• Recognize the origins, varieties, and conventions of a wide breadth of literature and cultural artifacts.

• Synthesize and compare different texts or interpretations of texts to show critical engagement of ideas presented.

• Ask questions to connect to self, text, and the world inspired by collected data and observation from texts.

• Explore a question by gathering relevant information from multiple authoritative sources.

• Demonstrate strong media literacy by effectively navigating cultural artifacts, mass media, and digital media libraries and by understanding concepts of representation, bias, and information flow.

Writing:

• Produce short-form and long-form responses that explore bold claims of substantive topics.

• Integrate information into the text selectively to maintain voice and the flow of ideas, following a standard format for citation and relying appropriately on a variety of sources.

• Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, in pursuit of a more effective approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

• Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research to engage the reader.

• Make use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

Worldview and Ethics:

• Develop historical and cultural knowledge and language that affirm and accurately describe membership in multiple identity groups.

• Recognize traits of the dominant culture, home culture, and other cultures and understand how people negotiate identity in multiple spaces.

• Express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others and can exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.

Logic:

• Generate understanding from newly organized content or dialogue.

• Establish understanding by observing iterations (change over time, limitation, or different framework).

• Generate questions based on input for further study and exploration.

• Select the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic to develop the inquiry.

• Undertake a complex task by breaking it down into manageable parts (decomposition).

Agency and Inquiry:

• Identify, frame, and appropriately structure a response to a problem through research.

• Propel research by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue

• Clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions

• Promote divergent and creative perspectives.

• Conduct sustained research projects

Innovation and Design:

• Create and explore various styles of presenting ideas

• Choose and produce the proper modality for sharing ideas and bold new claims

• Demonstrate resilience to effectively manage setbacks, challenges, and changes to your research findings.

Communication:

• Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

• Listen thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task.

• Use a range of tools to articulate ideas and understandings

• Uphold and hold others accountable to inclusive discussion norms.

• Publicly present a final project.

To achieve mastery of an outcome, candidates for the Humanities Distinction will write a 500-750 word reflection.

• By end of Grade 9: Students sign up for the program

• Grade 10:

  • Individual meetings with an art teacher

  • set up portfolio

    • begin breadth portfolio

• Grade 11

  • continue breadth exploration portfolio

  • monthly independent artwork

  • decide on a concentration

• Grade 12 Seminar

  • Independent research: Concentration portfolio, monthly artwork, and artist statement

  • Submit project

  • Presentation and Defense Exhibition, walk-throughs with artists

Create:

• Apply a variety of techniques and material approaches (bravura, flat color) fluently to meet the needs of the concepts.

• Create abstract artworks, figurative artworks and combine abstraction and figuration as it suitsconceptual needs.

• Independently arrive at ideas for artworks and develop work in process.

Respond:

• Construct evaluations of a work of art or collection of works based on differing sets of criteria.

• Analyze differing interpretations of an artwork or collection of works in order to select and defend a plausible critical analysis.

• Recognize and describe personal aesthetic and empathetic responses to the natural world and constructed environments.

• Explain how the method of display, the location, and the experience of an artwork influence how it is perceived and valued.

Connect:

• Synthesize knowledge of social, cultural, historical, and personal life with art-making approaches to create meaningful works of art or design.

• Appraise the impact of an artist or a group of artists on the beliefs, values, and behaviors of a society.

• Create an artwork that tells a specific story, illustrates a point, or describes a situation either from my life, literature, history, or the world today.

Community:

• Construct evaluations of a work of art or collection of works based on differing sets of criteria.

• Analyze differing interpretations of an artwork or collection of works in order to select and defend a plausible critical analysis.

• Recognize and describe personal aesthetic and empathetic responses to the natural world and constructed environments.

• Explain how the method of display, the location, and the experience of an artwork influence how it is perceived and valued.

The Visual Arts Distinction Course will be an opportunity for students to apply their competencies toward building an artistic practice in their senior year. The course specifications will be based on how working artists create and present bodies of work. Students will be required to submit a text by the beginning of senior year which outlines their concentration project. Thorough documentation of the creative process and applying technical skills in painting, drawing, sculpture, and printmaking students will build a portfolio. Additionally students in this program will be expected to connect with the visual arts community in New York and promote the love of visual art through visiting exhibitions in the broader community.

An artist that has met proficiency in the core competencies of the Visual Arts Distinction program will be well prepared to complete a visual arts portfolio. We expect the artist to:

• Demonstrate a mastery of a variety of technical skills and concepts to make art including linear perspective, drawing from observation, the elements and principles of art, color theory and rendering 3D objects with highlights and shadows.

• Purposefully select and uses materials in a way that supports the concept of his work.

• Identify his affections and make work that is inspiring, honest and relevant to his life.

• Demonstrate an awareness of the context of his work as it relates to our society, art history and visual culture.

• Fluently discuss and analyze the work of other artists.

• Discuss his work orally and in writing through the creation of an artist statement.

• Curate and exhibit his artwork for public presentation.