Koan School: Facilitating Learning Through the Nurturing of Growth

Nurturing, growth, and persistence are those things which are needed for us to pursue our dreams and achieve our goals. During this pursuit, we undergo changes, some of which may lead to some level of discomfort. We may appear confident, even though we do not feel that way. We may be sure, yet aware of those unknown variables that may hinder us. We might even have a bit of trouble settling into our new selves, or a whole new way of being, altogether. Consciously, we may be doing so many things right, and heading in the right direction, while subconsciously, we are excelling, thriving, and doing better than we thought, or knew. The good thing about nurturing, growth, and persistence working in tandem is that someday, at some unknown time, our conscious mind will catch up. Then we will be able to go boldly, confidently into those new frontiers and achieve heights which we thought, or were certain, could only be achieved in our dreams.

A Unique Place to Learn

Based in Denton, Texas, Koan School is an accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit, pre-K through 12th grade, independent, private school. In their mission to provide “a more affordable alternative to private education” that would meet “the unique needs of diverse learners,” the school began with four middle school students. According to school administrators, they said, “there weren’t many options for middle and high school students.” When it came to the school’s inception, a group of families discussed “the need for affordable alternative education here,” because traditional education programs weren’t working for their children. Administrators said, “Our first group of middle [school] students started at Koan in January of 2013. We expanded to elementary in the fall of 2013, and we added high school in the fall of 2015.”

The school is a schoolhouse that was “converted from a single-family home,” and stands on a 15-acre farm. The farm comes “complete with animals, ponds, and woods for exploring.” When describing the students, administrators said, “Our students are quirky and creative. They want to engage in learning that feels meaningful. Our staff all come from different backgrounds but share a love of learning and of student-centered pedagogy. We are committed to providing a working environment for teachers that values their professional skills and actively engages in inquiry and collaboration at all levels.”

Koan School and the Role of Progressive Education

According to the editors at Encyclopedia Britannica, progressive education is a “19th century movement that took hold in Europe and the US as an answer to traditional education.” A main objective of progressive education is to see a child’s physical, emotional, and intellectual growth. One of the main ideas behind progressive education is that “a child learns best by actually performing tasks associated with learning.” When asked about the role that progressive education plays at Koan, administrators said, “We are not dogmatic in our approach. However, many of our pedagogical choices line up with those of the Progressive Education movement.”

They continued by stating the goals of progressive education, which were: “be engaged and proactive members of a global community, be prepared for jobs of the future, possess independent problem solving and critical thinking skills,” and “have sustained interest in lifelong learning for the sake of learning rather than as a way to earn rewards.” They went on to state ways in which they go about accomplishing those goals: “provide a hands-on learning environment and opportunities for active learning, rather than always giving students the ‘right’ answer, we provide them with access to materials that will help them learn more about the world around them, give students time to expand their knowledge on their own areas of interest, use collaborative and cooperative group work to increase confidence as a learner and mentor, encourage entrepreneurship, incorporate service-learning opportunities, individualize learning goals with an emphasis on mastery, focus on understanding and participation as opposed to just rote knowledge,” and “use technology as a teaching and learning tool, assessment is formative and on-going, and often the natural result of learning objectives.”

The goal for students while they are in school is that they “master material before they move on.” This allows for students to learn at their own pace, instead of being graded on their knowledge of the material. Students are also given feedback and “opportunities to revise or complete new, related assignments until they’ve demonstrated mastery of a concept.” If a student is struggling, however, they do have a support system in place, so that a struggling student can get the help they need to continue moving forward. In addition to that, administrators said, “We do conduct brief assessments periodically to ensure students are making academic progress, but we don’t participate in state standardized testing.”

Koan does offer dual credit. They have partnered with Texas Woman’s University for several years, and they have recently partnered with North Central Texas College. “We have worked with some of the faculty at NCTC as well, and our students have benefitted from having access to all of these experts,” the administrators said.

Betwixt and Between

In their being situated between the University of North Texas and TWU, Koan has been able to work with both students and faculty from both universities. “We typically hire undergraduate and graduate students from TWU and UNT to work in our classrooms and after school programs each year. Some college students also complete internships and practicum at Koan School,” the school’s administrators said. “Others complete community outreach hours required for their degrees, like the students from the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at UNT who host a Girls’ Engineering Club on our campus. Our students have danced at TWU, and university students have toured Koan School to learn about alternative models of education. Some university students also develop and run educational research that benefits our students, themselves, and their field of study.” In Fall 2017, the school did participate in mindfulness research that was conducted by students and faculty from the UNT Department of Psychology. In addition to that, per the school’s administrators, “Graduate students in the Department of Philosophy and Religion at UNT conducted Philosophy for Children classes and camps at Koan for several years.”

When it comes to university graduates going on to become educators themselves, Koan doesn’t see many come through their doors to complete their student-teaching hours. When asked about future educators coming to Koan, administrators did say, “Most pre-service teachers are probably looking to go into the public school system after they graduate. It is probably also easier for university education departments to partner with the ISDs who are going to be able to accommodate more student teachers than our tiny school can accommodate. We would love to have more interaction with the TWU and UNT education departments, though.”

Community-Based Curriculum

Koan places a particular importance on their student’s community engagement and involvement. Since community service was built into the very foundation of the school, teachers and administrators wanted to pass that along to the students. The reason for that is because it is something the faculty values and is “a big part of the responsibility we have as members of a democratic society.” When asked about what organizations the school and its students have worked with, they said, “In addition to helping organizations that have reached out to us directly for support, our students have researched local organizations with missions that line up with their own personal interests. Students have planned and completed drives for Lovepacs, Our Daily Bread, Keep Denton Warm (a clothing drive through Friends with Benefits), Linda McNatt Animal Shelter, and more. We’ve participated in local sustainability programs, such as Keep Denton Beautiful and Denton Sustainable Schools.” 

When asked about how crucial community involvement was to the school’s curriculum, school administrators said, “We always knew we wanted our students to be involved in the community, because that is where the most authentic learning happens. After all, what is knowledge without action?” In the past, the school received awards and grants for their “agricultural and sustainable programs,” and are “working with a community partner to build an aquaponic garden on campus so that we can grow more food for the North Texas community.” Another part of why the school places an emphasis on community engagement by working it into the curriculum is because the school wants to make it clear how important it is “for students to know that they can contribute to their communities in meaningful ways, and finding ways to make work, living, and learning more sustainable are more important than they’ve ever been.”

Independent Schools at a Glance

According to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), an independent school is a “close-knit” institution that provides its “students with individualized attention.” These schools “challenge students to stretch their minds and go beyond academics to develop responsibility, independence, and community orientation.” Independent schools are independent in that each school “is driven by its own unique mission” They are also “governed by an independent board of trustees and each is primarily supported through tuition payments and charitable contributions.” Another feature that lends to the independence of independent schools is “they are accountable to their communities and are accredited by state-approved accountability bodies.” Independent schools vary in size. Some are religiously affiliated, and some are boarding or parochial schools. A through-line in schools such as these is they have small class sizes which allow instructors to provide an individualized education experience for their students, “without state mandates or curriculum, textbooks, and testing.”

According to NAIS statistics taken from Stats of Interest come from 2019-2020 NAIS National Table and 2019-20 Facts at a Glance, “More than 700,000 students were enrolled in NAIS schools in 2019-20,” and “median day-school tuition was $26,866.” For seven-day boarding schools, the median tuition was “$60,600, including room and board.” Since every family cannot afford to pay for private school, financial aid is offered. In 2019-2020, 24.5 percent of students at day schools received financial aid, while 46 percent of boarding school students received financial aid. The average grant to students at day school who received financial aid was $11,500, while the average grant received by boarding school students was $24,787. When it comes to diversity in independent schools, non-white students made up 33.3 percent of independent school enrollment, while international students made up 3.5 percent of independent school enrollment.

Impacts, Goals, and Prospects

When students attend private school, some begin their academic careers in such institutions. For others, however, that may not be the case. There are students that attend private school, starting in the middle of their schooling. There are students that attend private school in that final run before they go off to college or vocational school. Those students may be there to sharpen some skills, be they social or academic. Perhaps traditional education has become monotonous, and a change of pace could be the very thing they need. “We do have students who return year after year, but private school is a financial burden for most families,” administrators said. “Many students come to us at a point in their school journey where they just need something different for a little while.” Whatever the case may be, be it for a little while, or longer, the smaller class sizes that private schools provide can help students with certain struggles they may be dealing with.

Smaller class sizes in smaller schools do also yield to closer bonds that grow tighter over time. These bonds lend themselves to growth and development, within children, that aren’t always as obvious in some traditional schooling environments. The administrators continued, “For returning students, we love to watch their interests and skills grow over time. It is always nice to feel like part of a familiar community, and we feel lucky to have the opportunity to get to know our students and their families so well.”

At Koan, high school students have gone on to accomplish great things, but not before they graduated. Prior to graduating from Koan, high school students have served on Denton’s Teen City Council, among many things. “We’ve also had students intern at a local radio station, Japan-America Society of Dallas/Fort Worth, Denton public libraries, Rose Costumes, and a veterinarian’s office. One of our students was invited to participate in an ACLU Summer Institute in Washington D.C.,” administrators said. They continued, stating that “One of our students spent their senior year at a French-speaking school in Senegal through the YES Abroad Program, and one of our students was accepted into the Youth Ambassadors Summer Program in Chile last year. Both programs, through the U.S. State Department, sponsor student travel and learning. We’ve also had extended study abroad opportunities in Japan and France.”

With private schools being smaller, having an average size of 166 students in Fall 2015, the student/teacher ratio was 11:9. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), when it comes to private school enrollment, the number of students in schools with grades ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade decreased from 6 million students in Fall 1999 to 5.8 million students in Fall 2015. A similar trend was seen in pre-K through 8th grade, with the number of students decreasing “from 4.8 million students in fall 1999 to 4.3 million students in fall 2015.” Enrollment was higher, however, in 9th through 12th grades, however, with 1.2 million students enrolled in fall 1999 increasing to 1.4 million students enrolled in fall 2015.” 

According to NAIS, “Graduates of independent schools have a greater likelihood of completing a bachelor’s or graduate degree.” When it comes to students that graduate from Koan, most wind up attending four-year universities, according to administrators. This works very well for advanced placement students who graduate because of the amount of college credits accrued prior to graduation. “We’ve had students attend The New School, Georgetown University, Mount Holyoke College, Lewis & Clark, Beloit College, University of North Carolina - Asheville, Hendrix College, University of Dallas, University of North Texas, & Texas Woman’s University. They are majoring in Japanese, English, Studio Art, Nursing, Engineering, Biology, Environmental Science, Political Science, Psychology, and more. All of our college-bound graduates have received generous scholarship packages,” an administrator said.

The school does have special programs for students to learn skills that will benefit them after graduating from high school. While not all graduates attended a college or university after graduating, some attended vocational schools. For instructors and administrators at Koan, another thing they also look forward to is what their students do after they graduate from college. Administrators added, “One of our first part-time high school students graduated recently from Swarthmore and has been working as an advocate for The Friends Committee on National Legislation, which is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan Quaker organization working to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship.” They continued, “Our first graduating class (2018) will be graduating college soon, and we can’t wait to see what they do next!”

Onward and Upward

Moving forward always comes with a rather taxing upward climb. As Koan continues to help students become citizens who are part of their community, and the world, altogether, like their students, the school also faces challenges. While a good amount of revenue for private schools comes from tuition, for Koan and other independent schools like it, fundraising plays a key role in, per administrators, meeting the needs of the school’s staff, students, “and their families.” The challenge of raising funds for the school comes with its own set of challenges, “because the needs of the community [are] so much greater and funding sources are quickly depleted.” There are times when raising funds for the school is particularly difficult, because there are times when it feels “inappropriate to take resources away from people who desperately need it.” 

Administrators said, “As a private school, fundraising can be even more challenging because the perception is that private schools are a luxury that extract wealth from public schools and add to growing socio-economic inequality. We understand and share that concern. We believe that public schools should exist and be fully funded. But we also know that some students, for myriad reasons, are not successful in traditional educational programs. We want to provide a soft landing place for those students to decompress, reprioritize, and grow. Most of our students come from middle-class families who are already struggling to pay for tuition and after school care, or who are receiving financial support from extended family members to cover the cost of private schooling.” Administrators also said while there are families who participate in fundraising, most of the families of students that attend Koan cannot pay more than they already do. They added, “We rely on gifts from the community to make up the difference between our income and our expenses.”

Another reason for fundraising is that Koan’s current facilities need major upgrades. Specifically, what they are looking to do is build a new facility on their property. The challenge here is, because of increased construction costs, they need to raise more funds to achieve this goal. “In our fundraising dreams, we would have enough money to build a new building, expand our agriculture and animal programs, provide more specialized academic support, provide counseling services for our staff and students, provide scholarships for students from low-income families, and to provide more opportunities for enrichment, physical activity, and community building,” administrators said. They continued by adding, “Our goal has been, and continues to be, to provide a more affordable alternative to private education that meets the needs of diverse learners in our community that also provides a decent standard of living for our teachers and their families. We have big dreams about what is possible in education, and we feel so grateful for the help we’ve received from our community that allows us to continue to pursue them.”

If you want to help fund Koan and their projects, donate books or other supplies, and/or volunteer, click here for information on how you can make a difference.

Sources:

Koan School

Koan School. Koan School homepage. https://www.koanschool.org/

Koan School. Koan School About Page. https://www.koanschool.org/about

Koan School. Koan School Profile (.pdf version). https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5895faafc534a54c9c3f057d/t/61562f9e86b8fe1a2471bf60/1633038241670/KoanSchool_SchoolProfile_20212022.pdf

National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)

What Are Independent Private Schools? https://parents.nais.org/learn/what-are-independent-private-schools/.

The Independent School Advantage. https://parents.nais.org/learn/the-independent-school-advantage/

Stats of Interest. 2019-2020 NAIS National Table. 2019-20 Facts at a Glance. https://parents.nais.org/learn/stats-of-interest/

City of Denton

City of Denton. Teen Council. https://www.cityofdenton.com/en-us/government/departments/parks-recreation-(1)/activities-programs/teen-council

Encyclopedia Britanica

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (October 22, 2021). Progressive education. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/progressive-education

National Center for Education Statistics

Fast Facts. Public and Private School Comparison. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). School Choice in the United States: 2019 (NCES 2019-106) https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=55

Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Pedagogy. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved October 22, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pedagogy

Email Responses

Heather Barahona, Previous Director; Grace Chalker, Administrative Assistant; Greg Gullion, Current Director; and Amanda Newton, Board President and Middle School Facilitator, via email on October 1, and October 4, 2021

*photo from koanschool.org