Rhinebeck showcases inquiry-based learning and student capstones under strategic plan goal 1

District leaders presented work tied to Strategic Plan Goal 1 — increasing students’ critical thinking and problem-solving capacity — and described how the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) has been adopted districtwide.

Presenters said staff began QFT training last March and continued the work during superintendent conference days and early-release professional learning. "This course offered a tool to harness engagement as opposed to compliance," a presenter explained while describing grade‑level and interdisciplinary implementations.

The board watched brief classroom clips. In one elementary example at Daniel Warren students used QFT to develop questions about new fish in a hallway tank, then categorized questions and formed inquiry groups. At Effie Bellows, 4th‑grade students used QFT to plan a Native American artifact museum; one student described how the process helped “find what material we needed to make what our project that we’re making.”

Middle- and high-school examples included a pen‑pal project pairing 8th‑grade Spanish students with upper‑level students to build language skills and cross‑grade mentorship, and senior capstone projects. Seniors described a capstone called Creative Ives, "a festival of the arts" meant to showcase student work and invite community artists.

Presenters tied these classroom examples to broader district initiatives: a shared language K–12 around inquiry, milestone indicators posted on the district strategic-plan resources page, and forthcoming discussions about Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations such as the portrait of a graduate and capstone pathways.

The presentation concluded with a request that the community view the full clips and artifacts on the district resources page and with a plan for a February early‑release sharing day where staff will present their trial projects and reflections.