Explorations: Making Curiosity Part of the Curriculum

Several years ago, school leaders in Poway Unified School District put out an open call to educators to “change the way we do school.” Inspired by the directive, a team of teachers worked with administrators, parents, and area residents to create a brand-new school—the district’s 39th—hashing out everything from pedagogies and bylaws to architecture and furniture. Design 39 Campus, a K–8 public schoolwith an emphasis on design thinking, collaboration, and personalized learningopened in 2014.

Currently serving 1,011 students in Poway, a suburban community about 30 minutes outside San Diego,Design 39 is committed to putting students and teachers at the center of everything the school does. With the backing of a memorandum of understanding with the teachers’ union, teachers forgo their morning prep period for dedicated time each day to collaborate with colleagues.

Grades are paired—e.g., second and third graders learn together—and students are frequently broken into smaller, mixed-grade groups depending on their strengths and weaknesses, which helps teachers tailor instruction and support each child’s academic growth.

Both students and staff are encouraged to pursue special interests through a myriad of enrichment offerings and electives. And parents are regularly brought into the school to support their children’s learning.

The school building—funded through a local property tax—fosters Design 39’s key practices.Glass walls facilitate openness and transparency; flexible seating and writable surfaces encourage student and colleague collaboration; and easy-to-move furniture allows adaptability of the space over time.

Proof Points

• Ranked as the highest performing middle school in its district in 2018.
• Surpassed the district on every key indicator of school climate and student well-being in 2017.
• Presented school model and design as an exemplar to the U.S. Department of Education in 2018.