ACUSHNET — Superintendent Dr. Paula Bailey, Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Angela Ruggeri and Principal Michelle Silvia are proud to announce that Albert F. Ford Middle School (FMS) has received grant funding and the opportunity to participate in a one-year institute to expand student access to Applied Learning opportunities.
FMS has secured a spot in the 2025-26 Applied Learning Leadership Institute (ALLI).
ALLI is a program of the One8 Foundation that offers leading school teams the opportunity to collaborate to integrate Applied Learning into the school’s instructional vision. Amidst a competitive pool, FMS was awarded this grant in large part due to the instructional vision put forth by the leadership team and the quality of its existing Applied Learning offerings.
“We are incredibly proud of our leadership team at Ford Middle School for securing this grant funding and landing a spot in the next Applied Learning Leadership Institute,” said Superintendent Dr. Bailey. “Principal Michelle Silvia and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Angela Ruggeri have been leading the way on this initiative. A lot of hard work has been poured into this effort, and the students at Ford Middle School will greatly benefit from our team’s dedication.”
Launched in 2023, ALLI offers school leadership teams the opportunity to receive grant funding to run new pilot programs that advance Applied Learning.
“At Ford Middle School, we believe in finding innovative ways to reach our students,” said Director Ruggeri. “By the time they’re off to high school, we will have provided them with the tools they’ll need to succeed as they work toward higher education and successful careers.”
At the core of Applied Learning is the idea that schools can accelerate student learning by orienting coursework around real-world meaningful problems, while emphasizing many of the soft skills that are critical in the modern labor market, such as collaboration, communication, iteration and persistence.
“Applied Learning has been making a real impact in our middle school,” said Principal Silvia. “Our educators are enthusiastic about our upcoming attendance in the 2025-26 Applied Learning Leadership Institute. The instruction we’re set to receive will help us implement applied learning throughout the Ford Middle School curriculum. We’re using real-life examples to bring the learning process to life for our students. And we’re seeing evidence of the results each and every day.”
Across the Commonwealth, there are a number of examples where using this type of instructional approach has improved student achievement while increasing student satisfaction with their school experience.
“Students are hungry for experiences that allow them to tackle real-world, meaningful problems,” said Joanna Jacobson, President of the One8 Foundation. “Expanding access to Applied Learning that really puts the thinking work back on students can deliver academic gains while building the soft skills students need to succeed in our rapidly changing high-tech world.”
FMS will use grant funds to visit and learn from other schools similarly focused on Applied Learning and to pilot new strategies to expand Applied Learning across an increasing set of grade levels and academic content areas. FMS will have access to coaching support and support from peer schools also engaged in the ALLI 2025-26 cohort.
“In these challenging budget times for our district, having the support of the One8 Foundation is both timely and impactful,” said Director Ruggeri. “The ALLI grant allows us to bring high-quality, applied learning opportunities to our students by implementing free, open-source curricula that align with our instructional vision. This partnership, in addition to structures we have built in the district, supports a sustainable model, one that equips our educators with tools and training. We’re proud to be part of this forward-thinking initiative.”
About the One8 Foundation
The One8 education team identifies, supports and scales high impact programs and approaches that help schools and teachers prepare students for success in a rapidly changing, data-rich world. One8 imagines a future where high-quality Applied Learning opportunities that make learning relevant, stimulating and rewarding are a regular part of the student experience driving impact for all students. Learn more at www.one8.org.
About the Applied Learning Leadership Institute (ALLI)
The Institute allows cohorts of school leadership teams to collaborate and expand opportunities for students to experience high-quality Applied Learning that shifts the cognitive demand to students. School teams engage in a series of facilitated sessions and visits to other schools showing strong Applied Learning practices. Teams, led by the Principal, identify a local problem of practice, work through cycles of designing, piloting, and iterating a set of strategies that respond to the problem, and analyze student impact data. In addition, teams participate in school visits designed to spur creativity and new thinking.
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