Project Overview
Every student deserves to graduate from high school with a solid foundation for college and a career. But a shocking 40% of Black college students, 30% of Latinx college students, and 32% of Pell students attending a community college are required to complete remedial coursework before enrolling in college-level math and English classes — adding time and expense to their postsecondary education.
Education nonprofit Blue Engine demonstrates how K-12 classrooms can become more engaging places for all students to learn so that students are prepared for the rigors of post-secondary education. Blue Engine optimizes how teaching teams work together to individualize instruction so that students enter college academically prepared, no matter their race, income level, or learning style. This way, students can avoid taking and paying for additional prerequisites before enrolling in college courses
Working with Blue Engine has shifted the classroom and the way students learn. They love it, and we love it because we get to plan and facilitate learning.
Richard Puentes, Teacher, DeWitt Clinton High School
How it Helps
To address students’ diverse needs, many school districts across the country have added staff to their classrooms, creating teaching teams. Currently, over 10 million students in the U.S. are learning in classrooms with two teachers. But adding staff alone doesn’t automatically improve student outcomes. Teachers have been trained for years to work in a more traditional, solo-taught classroom. They need support and structures to work effectively in high-functioning teaching teams.
Blue Engine supports student achievement by improving teacher quality. Its evidence-based model distills mindsets, frameworks, and practices that enable teaching teams to leverage their full capacity to design and instruct for students who are traditionally left behind. Blue Engine coaches teachers and instructional leaders on how to create learning experiences for young people that are relevant and meaningful.
Through curriculum-aligned coaching, co-teachers and instructional leaders are equipped to effectively collaborate, build relationships, and use data to individualize instruction for every student. Blue Engine’s model accelerates learning, particularly for students on the margin, to ensure they are on the path to complete high school and are adequately prepared to attain a college degree.
Performance and Results
Students in Blue Engine classrooms experience learning environments that enable them to thrive. For example, algebra students in Blue Engine-designed classrooms gain the equivalent of six additional months of learning in a single school year when compared to non-Blue Engine classrooms. This translates to 15 months of learning in a 9-month period. Teachers supported by Blue Engine consistently say their collaboration with co-teachers has improved and they are better able to reflect and act on data to meet their students’ needs.
Over the next three years, Blue Engine is poised to drive significant impact for high school students in Louisiana, New York, and Washington, D.C. The organization will expand its reach tenfold to support 15,000 students and partner with at least 20 school systems, leading to meaningful, sustainable impact for students and their teachers.
