In Gilroy Prep's eighth-grade math class, there are no quiet rows of orderly desks facing an instructor. Instead, the room feels less like a classroom and more like the floor of a stock exchange, with the constant buzz of conversation as students sketch slopes and equations on tablets that project their stylus strokes onto nearby screens.
Despite the novelty, the students seem to appreciate the collaborative approach. 'At first, it was a little weird to me, but then I feel like it's better because we work together more,' said Daniel Lopez, a sixth-grader at Gilroy Prep.
School leaders say the Squads model at Gilroy Prep teaches important soft skills, improves interpersonal communication, boosts social awareness, and better educates students. It results in a greater portion of high scorers in state standardized tests and fewer absent students.
The Squads model is gradually expanding, with Navigator Schools, which includes Gilroy Prep, reaching out to 16,000 schools nationwide to share this collaborative educational approach.
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