Flex Wednesdays

ILHS opened in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Through most of that first 2020-21 school year, we taught and learned virtually, which included more time for student choice than is typical in a high school schedule. After returning to “normal” during the 2021-22 school year, students found they missed the flexible time and made a proposal to replace formal class meeting times on early-release Wednesdays with student-directed time. They worked with staff to hone their plan into what is piloted as Flex Wednesdays during the 2022-23 school year.

Flex Wednesdays consist of six sessions. The first session of the day is reserved for Crew. The last two sessions are reserved for clubs and interest groups to meet. One more session is set aside for students to meet with individual teachers for academic support. The remaining two sessions are used differently each week. They have includes times such as content-area academic support, project collaboration spaces, interest-area speakers, student forums, and more.

ILHS Teaching Styles

We focus on quality, not quantity.

We focus on depth, not breadth.

We focus on application, not memorization.

Mastery Learning at Innovation Lab

Innovation Lab opened in the fall of 2020. This is a place where students explore their passions while identifying their adult purpose. Students and teachers alike investigate new ways to engage in critical thinking, collaborate around interdisciplinary projects to creatively solve problems in their community, and share their learning with others. Additionally, students and teachers co-construct learning as students prepare for success in career, college and life. Based on the Expeditionary Learning model, students at Innovation Lab identify complex problems from the world around them, analyze those problems from multiple angles, and develop solutions, leading efforts to improve their community.

As society has changed, so have the needs for education. Once the most important thing was how much a person knew, however in an age where information is a free commodity, that is no longer the case. In today’s world it is all about what you can DO with what you know, which is a very different educational problem. Toward that end, Innovation Lab is leading the way toward defining what the future of education will look like in Washington State. As members of the first cohort of schools in the Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative, we are partnering with the State Board of Education in developing the best ways to implement mastery-based learning. Our Mastery Transcript is designed to communicate much more information to college admissions officers, allowing our students to paint a picture of who they are and what skills they have mastered. We are empowering our students with the tools and skills they need to lead and innovate.

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