Case Institute

The Case Institute for Curricular Innovation and Excellence was founded in 2008 to help Maret meet key strategic goals for our faculty, students, and curriculum. The Institute’s mission is:

  • to nurture innovation and collaboration among our teachers
  • to enable our teachers to integrate the best educational research and practices
  • to ensure that Maret students obtain essential skills for success in the 21st century

Maret is committed to sharing the methods and work from the Case Institute with other educators, expanding the reach of the Institute beyond the Maret campus.

The Program

The Case Institute is a vibrant program that capitalizes on Maret’s entrepreneurial spirit in order to transform our curriculum. This unique opportunity provides time and resources for faculty (K-12) to work collaboratively over the summer, drawing on collective experiences and research to enhance and create programs at Maret.

FAQs

  • Faculty submits project proposals for work spanning 2-4 summer weeks
  • Faculty are compensated for summer work
  • Selected projects must advance Maret’s curriculum goals
  • Most projects are implemented the following school year
  • Participants must submit final project reports and evaluate their work during the implementation stage
  • Participants share results with Maret's faculty, parents, and/or through presentations at conferences

Summer 2012 Highlights

Forty-eight teachers participated in 11 projects this summer, including:

  • Bridging Lower and Middle School Literacy Curriculum
  • Humanities: Grade 7
  • Technology, Research, and Media Literacy, Grades 3-4
  • Deepening the Discussion on Race
  • Integrating Technology into the Curriculum
  • Java: A Blended Learning Course
  • Lower School Science Scope and Sequence
  • Lower School Spanish Program
  • Math Department: Upper School Core Curriculum Development
  • Nature-Based Curriculum in the Lower School
  • Developing Pedagogy and Implementing Teacher Support

Contact Information

For more information about the Case Institute for Curricular Innovation and Excellence, please contact Director of Academic Affairs, Kathy Sweeney-Hammond at ksweeneyhammond@maret.org, or 202-939-8829.

Institute Founding and Partners

Teachers at Maret make decisions every day about what to teach and how best to teach it to the wide variety of students in their classroom. In a highly successful school, like Maret, there is no status quo and the faculty are engaged as lifelong learners.

Read more

Maret’s overarching goals for curriculum and faculty are clearly articulated in the 2007 Strategic Plan: Framework for the Future. Director of Academic Affairs Kathy Sweeney-Hammond and the Board Education Committee led the effort to create a dynamic professional development program that would have a far-reaching impact on the curriculum and provide faculty with increased compensation and time to collaborate, create, improve their courses and teaching methods. Modeled in part on The Park School in Baltimore’s FACA program, the Case Institute for Curricular Innovation and Excellence was designed specifically to optimize the energy, talent, and culture of Maret’s faculty. The model, however, is one that can be successfully replicated at other schools and we welcome the opportunity to discuss this program with any and all educators.

The Institute was launched in the summer of 2008 with 5 projects and 21 teachers, funded by seed money from a few donors, including a faculty member and a 2009 grant from The Edward E. Ford Foundation. In 2010, with a lead matching challenge gift from Steve and Jean Case, the School was able to raise the needed endowment to fully fund this program, thanks to the generosity of several members of the Maret community.
CaseLogoFINALweb.jpg

Don't see a video? Download the latest version of Flash Player or enable JavaScript to view the video.