SEABROOK PILOT

Following Learning Across Subjects

SchoolWorks is developing a pilot with sixth-grade teachers at Seabrook Middle School in New Hampshire. The work will examine whether evidence gathered in English language arts and social studies can provide a more complete longitudinal picture of student learning.

The pilot will also study whether Pathfinder can strengthen teacher decision-making while reducing the burden of organizing and documenting classroom evidence.

Current stage: Pilot design with participating educators. Initial classroom work is planned for 2027.

Middle school provides a very different research environment.

Students encounter multiple subjects, assignments, assessments, digital resources, classroom conversations, and learning experiences — often within relatively short instructional periods.

Our work at Seabrook focuses on sixth-grade English Language Arts and Social Studies, where teachers can investigate learning through student writing, discussion, revision, analysis, projects, and other classroom evidence.

What We Are Investigating:

Can meaningful evidence be captured within the normal rhythm of a class period?

Can evidence from different learning experiences reveal patterns across time?

Can student portfolios help learners recognize changes in their own thinking?

Can teachers gain useful information without creating another documentation burden?

Research Focus: Teacher Workload • Learning Patterns • Student Portfolios • Professional Judgment

Updates & Findings

The SchoolWorks Lab will share pilot updates, emerging observations, research reports, and findings as this work develops.