The Dimensions of Learning (DOL) Academy in Kenosha, Wisconsin is the only school that bears the Dimensions of Learning name. “There has never been another school that has implemented the program to the level that we have,” said Diana Pearson, director and founder. “We believe in DOL. We model it. We walk the talk.”

Pearson first learned about DOL and McREL when she was examining research on thinking skills programs. She soon realized that she had found a curricular and instructional model that had the research base, data, resources, and staff development that the Kenosha Unified School District was seeking.

Dimensions organizes all the thinking skills and practices that students need, and it contains a performance assessment element. Additionally, she discovered that the McREL trainers had the knowledge base and comfort level to deal with questions from practitioners in the field.

The district adopted DOL and formed a team to launch the organizer for their 1,000+ teachers and nearly 20,000 students. They scheduled training of trainers, attended conferences, networked, and, of course, relied on McREL’s support. The district continues to use DOL today, but Pearson has taken the model even further at a charter school that she opened three years ago. Enrollment in the DOL Charter Academy is approaching 200.

At the DOL Academy, things are done differently. “It’s not about personal philosophies, here. We use a common instructional framework on a daily basis and speak a common language,” said Pearson. For example, every morning begins with an all-school (grades K–8) assembly, and Pearson spends a few minutes discussing an aspect of DOL.

Teachers take comfort in knowing there is a foundation and criteria for decision making,” said Pearson. “They think it is great for everyone to be on the same page.” From teachers to students to parents, the school’s culture is infused with the vocabulary of the DOL model. “Our community knows that we’re about lifelong learning. It’s posted all over the school, and our report card reflects it,” said Pearson.

Pearson sees the different Dimensions playing out in the lives of students. For example, Dimension 1 focuses on positive attitudes and perceptions about learning, and Pearson regularly hears comments from others about the school culture.

The friendliness is apparent as soon as you enter the school, students easily interact among grade levels, and students know that they are responsible for their own learning and for helping others feel comfortable. Even on the playground, the kids know the boundaries and rules and can solve problems for themselves.

Dimension 2, Acquiring and Integrating Knowledge, is where standards and benchmarks come into play. Parents get a complete list of standards and benchmarks every year, and students know which assignments tie back to them. Students also know about declarative and procedural knowledge, and that they are learned differently.

“We actually embed the learning about learning,” said Pearson. Dimensions 3 and 4, Extending and Refining Knowledge and Using Knowledge Meaningfully also are integrated into assignments and appear on students’ report cards. Dimension 5, Productive Habits of the Mind, are assessed at least once a year to determine if all students are at grade level.

Pearson and others at the DOL Academy have learned that it is possible to build a school around an instructional framework. “To align everyone’s understanding and expectations around a framework is tremendously powerful because it provides clarity,” said Pearson.

Initially, it seemed so complex, she admits, but put into practice, the framework saves time and is very helpful in validating decisions. And the curriculum, instruction, and assessment alignment is possible because DOL is standards-based.

“When you build a school around anything, you assemble a group of people who care about education and kids,” said Pearson. If you are standards-based, you have the data to be able to improve student achievement. Student test scores on the same standardized test used by the district reveal that Academy students are in the top third of almost every category in all grades.

Pearson also conducts action research, and she recently noted a significant decrease in the number of middle-school students who had been receiving two or more Fs. After recognizing the problem, Pearson used the DOL framework to guide students and teachers toward correcting it. The result is improved student achievement.