Easton Country Day School

EDU 505 FVE Case Study

Laura Lennon
Post University

ECDS Mission

Easton Country Day School is an

independent, private co-educational
school for Pre-K through Grade 12.

Small classes (6:1 student teacher
ratio)
Employment of highly qualified
teachers
Vertical integration studies with a
hands-on approach
Maintaining standards of conduct to
promote an active partnership with
parents
Multicultural community
Nonsectarian spiritual environment

Students are taught to reach their

full academic, moral, creative and
physical potential. (Easton Country
Day School, n.d).

Technology

Easton Country Day School currently implements:

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD): Students are to supply and bring their own devices to school on
a daily basis. Personalized technology allows students to feel more comfortable in the classroom
(Johnson, Adams Becker, Estrada & Freeman, 2015).

Personalized Learning: Students are provided with individualized learning programs through
online assessments, bi-monthly parent teacher meetings and grade level meetings. Students are
vertically integrated into classes that suit their academic levels and not just grade level placement
(Abwai, 2015, p. 49).
Project-Based Learning: Teaching through project-based teaching reaches multiple intelligences
and schools of thought (Public Broadcasting System, 2011). Allows teachers to design their own
curriculum based on abstract concepts and take part in a Social Studies Fair.

Scenario Building
Planning for the future in a proactive manner
will result in becoming the catalyst for
connecting people to relevant knowledge and
disciplines (Sobero, 2004).

Scenario planning allows preparation to
think ahead in a 10-year time span and
prepare individuals to recognize uncertainties
that lie ahead and how to fix them.

Careful scenario building must take place to
better the needs of the student body and
staff.

Scenario building must consider all
components of the institution to understand
how each affect one another.

Scanning
Scanning provides the evaluation of the
data obtainable from scenario building.

Using scanning technology allows for
monitoring the environment, analyzing
assumptions, creating scenarios, writing
issue briefs and assuring staff are ready
to address changes (Sobero, 2004).

Scanning the environment includes
observational and research based data.

Effective futuring with scanning leads to
decision making and effective time
framing for program priorities.

Educational Technology Trends

Project-Based learning has been a core piece of curriculum based units being used at
ECDS in many recent years.

Literacy is defined by technology as a tool, (Public Broadcasting System, 2011), and teaching
through project-based teaching reaches multiple intelligences and schools of thought.
Students explore real-world problems and challenges while using cross-curriculum skills.



Each classroom focuses on student
centered learning technology and
designing curriculums that best fit the
culture of the class.

Utilizing the creative space of the
classroom, students feel supported,
allowing student centered learning to
flourish.

Economic Public Policy Trends

ECDS relies exclusively on tuition and
donations and has currently been faced with
the question of raising the tuition costs to
maintain the stability.

Private institutions may be headed on its way
out or headed for dramatic shrinkage and
kindergarten through twelve enrollments are
shrinking 13% from 2000 to 2010 (Chester,
2013).

ECDS currently remains a thriving
establishment by promoting individualized
learning for a more challenging, multicultural
community of students by teaching
acceptance of all student regardless of
differences.

Demographic Trends
The population of this country has doubled since 1950
and there is a developing need to proper healthcare.
(Shrestha & Heisler, 2011).

Due to the high cost for insurance coverage, families
coming from low-income communities are choosing to
not provide their children with the proper health care,
which put large groups of students at risk in schools.

Immigration is an important component of population
growth in the United States and continues to rise as
12.5% of the population now belongs to foreign-born
individuals, with one-third living illegal, proving a
flawed system (Shrestha & Heisler, 2011).
Roughly 22% of Hispanic students and 11% of African Americans are not
completing high school. This leaves institutions to provide proper assistance and
educational tools in an attempt to fix the crisis of failing educational.

Vision Plan
Through scanning of current educational and economic trends, ECDS must
incorporate several movements to further the progression of the institution. Specific
technology must be integrated to support the individualized needs of each student.

Accessible programs and a faster Wi-Fi system must be installed to support this
wider use of technology.

.


ECDS must implement a better
solution to the healthcare dilemma
and provide better benefits to
current personnel

Additional support staff needed
with skilled training and
foundational background to meet
the needs of the current population.

Plan For Change

Evaluation of classroom atmosphere and
technology currently placed in each room.
Evaluation of the fiscal system for healthcare
and benefits.
Assessment process to assure support is provided
to each student before attendance.
Placement of a promoting ECDSs name and
mission on social media and in the community
to further revenue and donations.
Mandatory professional development on
individualized learning, technology
advancement and project-based models.

Call For Action

Administration and organizational leaders must agree to make changes to see success in
growth of the framework of ECDS and must understand the growing concerns to meet
the needs of a sustainable system where all components, including students and staff,
are balanced.

Replacing a full Wi-Fi

school-wide system.


Implement better
technology: updated Smart
Boards, designated desktops,
for game-based curriculum,
and assistive devices.
Take in donations and/or
raise tuition to provide this
technology

Training sessions throughout
the year on technology
advancements.

References
Abawi, L. (2015) International Journal Of Pedagogies and Learning. Inclusion from the gate in: wrapping
students with personalized learning support, Vol. 10 (No. 1), p47-61
Backlund, F & Chroneer, D. (2015). Project Management Journal. A Holistic View on
Learning in Project-Based Organizations. 46(3), 61-74
Boyd, L. (2011). Green Teacher, Exploring Alternate Futures. (94), 35-38.
Bruder, P. (2014) Education Digest. Gadgets Go To School: The Benefits and Risks of
BYOD, Vol. 80 (Issue 3), p15-18
Chester, F. (2013). The Atlantic. Why Private Schools Are Dying Out. Retrieved from
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/why-private-schools-are-dying-out/275938/
Clardy, A. (2011). Six Worlds of Tomorrow. World Future Review (World Future Society), 3(2), 37-48.
Commission on Institutions of Higher Education. (2011). New England Association of Schools and
Colleges. Standard for Accreditation. Retrieved from:
Standards_for_Accreditation.pdf

https://cihe.neasc.org/downloads/Standards/

References
Easton Country Day School. (n.d.) Easton Country Day School: Praxis, Community, Responsibility, Integrity.
Retrieved from: http://eastoncountryday.org
Ford, D. Y., (2015). Gifted Child Today: Multicultural Issues. 38(3). 187-191.
Glenn, J. C. (2014). Our Global Situation and Prospects for the Future. Futurist, 48(5), 14-20
Gonzales, L. & Young, C. (2015). Leadership. Delivering the WOW-redesigning learning environments. 45(2), 28-32
Irby, B., & Koch, J. (2002). Research on Women and Education: Defining and Redefining Gender Equity in Education. 1.
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education
Edition. Austin Texas: The New Media Consortium
Leer, R., & Ivanov, S. (2013). Rethinking The Future Of Learning: The Possibilities And Limitations Of Technology
In Education In The 21st Century. International Journal Of Organizational Innovation, 5(4), 14-20.
Mietzner, D., & Reger, G. (2005). Advantages and disadvantages of scenario approaches for strategic foresight.
Int. J. Technology Intelligence and Planning, 1(2), 220239.
Retrieved from http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1736110

References
Original Play Promotion Center, (2008) What is "Original Play" - Original Play Promotion Centre.
Retrieved from: http://www.originalplay.eu/what-is-quotoriginal-playquot,4
Public Broadcasting System (Producer). (2011). Digital Media-New Learners of the 21st Century [Video file].
Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/20018135
Shrestha, L. B. & Heisler, E. J. (2011). The changing demographic profile of the United States [Electronic version].
Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service.
Sobero, P. (2004) The Steps For Futuring. Journal of Extention, 42 (3). Retrieved from
http://www.joe.org/joe/2004june/comm2.php
Yates, J. R. (2008). Demographic imperatives for educational reform for culturally and linguistically diverse
students. Multiple Voices For Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, 11(1), 4-12.

*All photos taken by Laura Lennon.