360 History: from East Side to South Prov

By Isabel Holguin

           At the start of the 2017-18 school year, 360 High School opened its doors in the Juanita Sanchez Education Complex (JSEC). For a school that has only been open for three years, 360 has already had two locations in Providence. First opened in Hope High School on the third floor with five classrooms and only a freshmen class, 360 has expanded to JSEC with three floors, three grade levels, and almost two dozen teachers.

360 began in September 2015 after Providence received $3 million in funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. They wanted to support a learning experience where students could be innovative and have different pathways to success from one another. “School needed to be different so we wanted to shake it up” said Saskia Levy Thompson, Program Director from the Carnegie Corporation.

           The ideas for 360 and its sister school, Evolutions, located at Mt. Pleasant High School, were developed by a design team of community members, Providence students, and future staff of 360, including Principal Tuttlebee and English Teacher James Deignan.

           The design team focused on how they could create a learning environment that allows students to have multiple pathways to graduation.

Because 360 was designed to be a smaller school, it allows students to have closer relationships with teachers.Classrooms are different than many traditional high schools because there is blended learning, which combines online digital media with traditional classroom methods.

           Also, 360 does not have a traditional grading system. Mastery-based learning is a 0-4 scale, which shows if a student was able to master a skill or topic rather than receiving just a A through F. Student voice and choice is a primary part of 360, as well. Students in 360 can give their input if there is something they would like to change or add. Student leadership is heavily emphasized at 360, including the student reps who receive input from their classmates.

360 has unique activities, including walking field trips, outside learning opportunities, after school programs, to name a few. Overall 360 is an opportunity for students to have unique learning experience.  Now that 360 has opened its doors in a new (hopefully permanent) location, 360 can focus all its attention on innovation, instead of a move.