Is Our School Ready?
Schools are ready to apply for the credential when they can demonstrate:
strong implementation of the EL Education Core Practices
excellent and equitable impact in all Three Dimensions of Student Achievement
Prior to submitting an application, please confirm that your school meets the following eligibility benchmarks:
Implementation Review (IR). Confirm with your EL Coach that your school has anoverall score of 90 or higher, and both of the following:
average score of 3.5 or higher across Character items from the 2025-2026 school year
average score of 3.5 or higher across Instruction items from the 2025-2026 school year
School is in good standing with its authorizer.
To demonstrate impact in CHARACTER, your school will be asked to:
Share an overview of your 2026-27 priorities for Character & Crew culture in context, including progress monitoring structures and equity considerations.
Submit summary results of any current or historical data your school uses to monitor progress in Character for all students and across groups of students (walkthroughs and surveys, focus groups, performance assessments, etc).
Administer a five-question student character survey provided by EL Education during fall 2026 or winter 2027 to students in Grades 4-12, and share results & a completed reflection template with EL Education at least six weeks in advance of your site visit or renewal presentation.
Site visit/renewal presentation demonstrates behaviors that evidence ethical people, effective learners, & contributing to a better world
To demonstrate impact in HIGH-QUALITY WORK, your school will be asked to:
Share an overview of your 2026-27 priorities for fostering high-quality work that has complexity, craftsmanship, authenticity, including your use of HQW attributes in classroom instruction, progress monitoring structures, equity consideration.
Sampling of 4-6 examples of student work products. Include completed products, rubrics and feedback samples. Select samples from students representative of your school population and/or those that were examined in a recent High Quality Work Protocol.
Submit at least three student work samples to the EL Education Models of Excellence project for review by October 30st, 2026.
Site visit/renewal presentation demonstrates complexity, craftsmanship, and authenticity in student work
To demonstrate impact in MASTERY OF KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS, your school will be asked to provide:
An overview of your 2026-27 priorities for Deeper Learning, including progress monitoring structures and equity considerations.
Disaggregated data by student subgroup that demonstrates, in comparison to your state or district, either:
Overall Student Proficiency
Student Growth, or
School Growth
Site visit/renewal presentation demonstrates learning conditions supportive of deeper learning and academic success
All applicants must submit the MKS data worksheet along with their application.