nC1L: 1he followlng documenL ls a provlslonal drafL based on crowdsourced lnpuL, elaboraLe analysls, and Lhe collaboraLlve

revlew and reflnemenL of nlne leadlng volces ln educaLlon and chlld developmenL. All are welcome Lo use Lhls documenL
Lo faclllLaLe conLlnued reflecLlon and acLlon, mlndful of Lhe poLenLlal for subsequenL revlslons based on conLlnued lnpuL.
!
Covenant to Help Inspire Learning and Development (C.H.I.L.D.)

lnsLead of sLandlng on Lhe shore and provlng Lo ourselves LhaL Lhe
ocean cannoL carry us, leL us venLure on lLs waLers [usL Lo see.
!
- lerre 1ellhard de Chardln

ln Lhe conLexL of a gaLherlng on november
10, 2012
*
, nlne leadlng volces on educaLlon
and chlld developmenL - Carol uweck,
8lchard Cerver, nlkhll Coyal, ken kay, Alfle
kohn, SLeven !ones, Wendy Mogel, ken
8oblnson, and ?ong Zhao - engaged more
Lhan 600 educaLors and parenLs from 123
prlvaLe and publlc schools ln reflecLlon on
our deepesL commlLmenLs Lo Lhe llves and
Lhe learnlng of school-aged chlldren aL
school and aL home. WhaL follows ls a
sLaLemenL of common prlnclples - shaped
by parLlclpanLs' lnpuL and Lhese leaders'
collaboraLlve reflecLlon and deslgn - LhaL
may help schools and famllles Lo deLermlne
how besL Lo supporL our hlghesL asplraLlons
for Lhe welfare of Lhe chlldren ln our care.

As Slr ken 8oblnson noLed ln hls
conLrlbuLlon Lo Lhe dlalogue, "Lhere are
many pracLlces Lo share, buL Lhe pracLlces
wlll all be dlfferenL. 1hey'll be vernacular ln
naLure. 1hey'll be cusLomlzed and crafLed Lo
local clrcumsLances." neverLheless, our
collecLlve efforLs, ln collaboraLlon wlLhln
and beLween our schools and our homes,
"should adhere Lo cerLaln common
prlnclples."

ln LhaL splrlL, we lnvlLe schools and famllles
Lo examlne whaL pracLlces mlghL
auLhenLlcally supporL Lhese prlnclples, and
whaL pracLlces mlghL predlcLably defy Lhem.
1hls covenanL, afflrmlng our common
commlLmenLs, mlghL Lherefore serve as "a
framework for collaboraLlve acLlon LhaL
could Lake us a very long way lnLo creaLlng
Lhe klnds of educaLlon sysLems LhaL we
need."

As educaLors and parenLs/guardlans, we
belleve LhaL we should develop a culLure of
learnlng deflned by lnLenLlonal pracLlces
LhaL expllclLly honor Lhe followlng prlnclples.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
1 nurLure each chlld's greaL curloslLy, lnLeresL, and poLenLlal Lo
achleve hlgh levels of success
2 Allow learnlng Lo develop aL a pace deLermlned by Lhe chlld's needs
and lnLeresL
3 Ponor Lhe volce of sLudenLs and promoLe self-awareness and
expresslon
4 Ponor chlldren's quesLlons and value Lhelr oplnlons
3 uevelop lndependenL LhoughL and self-efflcacy ln a communlLy of
engaged learners
6 rovlde expllclL opporLunlLles for unsLrucLured and unlnLerrupLed
play
CHARACTER & COMMUNITY
7 losLer lnLerdependence and collecLlve responslblllLy as members of
a learnlng communlLy
8 Lncourage reslllence, perslsLence, and responslblllLy ln Lhe face of
amblgulLy, challenge, or confllcL
9 romoLe eLhlcal declslon-maklng wlLh a balance of crlLlcal LhoughL
and compasslon
10 uevelop chlldren's culLural compeLencles Lo lnclude, respecL, and
supporL each oLher
DEEPER LEARNING
11 romoLe learnlng ln meanlngful conLexLs of experlence and 'real
world' challenges
12 uevelop chlldren's ablllLles Lo solve problems creaLlvely and
collaboraLlvely
13 SupporL crlLlcal LhoughL abouL lnformaLlon and medla Lo whlch
chlldren have access
14 romoLe lnLerdlsclpllnary learnlng wlLhouL comparLmenLallzlng
'sub[ecLs' and 'deparLmenLs'
13 ConnecL chlldren's learnlng Lo opporLunlLles Lo make a beLLer world
16 ulsconLlnue pracLlces and pollcles llkely Lo undermlne a chlld's love
of learnlng

* lrom "#S2012: 1LACPlnC Anu LLA8nlnC A1 PCML Anu A1 SCPCCL," hosLed by Lhe CenLer for Lhe luLure of LlemenLary
LducaLlon aL CurLls School (ClLL). lor more lnformaLlon, please see hLLp://cfee.me/S2012 or conLacL lnfo[CurLlsClLL.org