U.S. impact

Built in real schools. Studied across the nation.

ARIE's national impact grows from decades of designing schools, leading educators, strengthening instruction, and proving that authentic project-based learning can deliver rigorous, measurable results.

Explore the School Models View the Impact Map

33+Years of educational leadership

ARated campus with every distinction

USANationally recognized leadership

Practitioner credibility

Ideas tested through implementation.

ARIE does not ask educators to adopt theories its team has never implemented. Its approach was developed through the work of building schools, leading classrooms, designing curriculum and assessment, coaching teachers, responding to accountability, and improving outcomes for students.

School design became practice. Practice became evidence. Evidence became professional learning.

A rare record in school design

Success created, sustained, and proven across two generations.

Steven Zipkes founded and led two distinct, globally studied schools from idea to sustained, measurable success. Both have welcomed visitors from across the United States and around the world who came to study, learn from, and adapt their designs.

Manor New Technology High School

Founded under Steven Zipkes' leadership as a rigorous, 21st-century transformational school serving a diverse community. Manor New Tech became a nationally recognized and independently studied model of project-based learning, integrated technology, interdisciplinary instruction, authentic assessment, and college preparation.

Founded and led from idea to sustained results
Project-based learning across the curriculum
Served as a University of Texas at Austin UTeach field site for preservice educators, project-based instruction coursework, field experiences, and interns
Independently studied by leading researchers
Presidential and federal recognition

Cedars International Next Generation High School

Created as a next-generation continuation of the work, CINGHS demonstrates that authentic PBL, strong relationships, academic rigor, and measurable accountability can reinforce one another.

A-rated Texas campus
Every available distinction earned
Currently serves as a University of Texas at Austin UTeach field site for preservice educators, project-based instruction coursework, field experiences, and interns
Strong state assessment performance
College, career, and military readiness

A proven 21st-century educational model

Innovation documented through implementation and results.

Independent university, research, and national organizations examined Manor New Tech's school design, culture, instruction, and student outcomes. Their findings show that the model moved beyond a promising idea and produced measurable evidence in a diverse, economically disadvantaged community.

100%

Graduation rate

Reported for Manor New Tech's first graduating class and again for the 2011-2012 cohort.

97%

Attendance rate

Documented alongside virtually no dropouts and a 97 percent annual student return rate.

91%

Science performance

In 2011, compared with 76 percent for the district and 83 percent for the state.

84%

Mathematics performance

In 2011, compared with 77 percent for the district and equal to the state result.

University of Texas at Austin

Charles A. Dana Center case study

Researchers documented successful implementation, strong student engagement, a culture of trust and responsibility, and project-based learning implemented with fidelity.

Peer-reviewed research

Journal of Research in Science Teaching

Manor New Tech was selected as one of eight exemplar inclusive STEM high schools and documented as an opportunity structure for students underrepresented in STEM.

Harvard Achievement Gap Initiative

How High Schools Become Exemplary

The school was included for its innovative instructional program and impressive early achievement gains compared with demographically similar schools.

International Center for Leadership in Education

Model School case study

The study documented rigorous learning, authentic assessment, technology integration, personalization, college preparation, and measurable student outcomes.

Historical results are reported from the cited studies and reflect the cohorts and accountability measures examined at that time.

Measurable results

Innovation must improve outcomes.

ARIE's school models are grounded in the belief that meaningful learning and measurable achievement belong together.

Campus rating

CINGHS earned an A rating based on state assessment performance, student growth, and college, career, and military readiness.

100%

Core EOC success

Students achieved 100 percent passing results in Algebra I, Biology, and U.S. History during the reported assessment cycle.

All

Available distinctions

CINGHS earned every available academic distinction, confirming performance across multiple accountability measures.

National recognition

Recognized at the highest levels of American education.

2013

President Barack Obama

President Obama visited Manor New Technology High School, recognized the work led by Steven Zipkes, and highlighted the school as an example of a different approach that was working.

2010

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

Secretary Duncan identified Manor New Technology High School as a model for reaching underserved students through project-based learning and technology integration.

White House

High School Redesign Leadership

Steven Zipkes brought the experience of building and leading Manor New Technology High School to the White House conversation about high school redesign. That practitioner foundation continues to shape ARIE's work.

See the evidence

National recognition and schools that work.

Explore original video and federal resources documenting the school models, leadership, and practices behind ARIE.

President Barack Obama

Recognition of Manor New Technology High School

Watch President Obama discuss the PBL practices and results at the first school Steven Zipkes designed, created, and led.

Watch the President Obama video

George Lucas Educational Foundation

Edutopia: Schools That Work

See Edutopia's feature on Manor New Tech, the 100 percent PBL state-designated STEM school Steven started in 2006.

Watch the Edutopia feature

U.S. Department of Education

STEM Spotlight School

Cedars International Next Generation High School was recognized as a STEM Spotlight School by the Office of Educational Technology.

Explore the federal STEM resource

Schools and districts

Professional learning that reaches beyond one campus.

ARIE has brought practitioner-led professional learning to educators, schools, districts, and educational organizations across the United States.

Pinellas County Schools

ARIE supported educators in Pinellas County Schools through professional learning in authentic project-based instruction, rigorous learning design, student engagement, and classroom implementation.

Customized U.S. engagements

Work across the country has included PBL academies, curriculum and assessment development, leadership support, school transformation, instructional coaching, collaborative planning, and implementation support.

Growing national reach

Educator reach across the United States.

ARIE's impact extends beyond the states where academies were held. Educators traveled from across the United States to participate in ARIE professional learning. Select a state to see whether ARIE trained educators there or welcomed educators from that state to an academy elsewhere.

Training locationEducators represented

State educator reach

CACaliforniaTraining location

Redwood City: Sequoia Union High School District

NVNevadaEducators represented

Educators from Reno, Nevada participated in ARIE professional learning

WYWyomingTraining location

Rock Springs: Sweetwater County School District No. 1

NDNorth DakotaEducators represented

Educators from Bismarck, North Dakota participated in ARIE professional learning

SDSouth DakotaEducators represented

Educators from South Dakota participated in ARIE professional learning

COColoradoTraining location

Aurora Public Schools
Parker-area schools

TXTexasTraining location

Austin: Think Global PBL Independent School Summit at St. Andrew's Schools
Manor: Manor New Technology High School
New Braunfels: Comal ISD Think Global PBL Authentic Design Academy
Los Fresnos: Think Global PBL Valley Summit at Los Fresnos CISD
Corpus Christi: Promesa West College Prep Academy
Fort Bend Independent School District

OKOklahomaTraining location

Muskogee Public Schools

ARArkansasTraining location

Mena Public Schools
Pine Bluff: University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

LALouisianaEducators represented

Educators from Louisiana participated in ARIE professional learning

FLFloridaTraining location

Pinellas County Schools
Cocoa Beach: Think Global PBL Space Coast Summit at Brevard County Schools
Cocoa Beach: Think Global PBL Academy and Advanced Academy
Orlando: Timber Lakes Elementary, Orange County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County: Christopher Columbus High School

ILIllinoisTraining location

Chicago
ARIE professional learning academy
Educators attended from U.S. states and other countries

IAIowaEducators represented

Educators from Iowa participated in ARIE professional learning

INIndianaEducators represented

Educators from Indiana participated in ARIE professional learning

TNTennesseeEducators represented

Educators from Tennessee participated in ARIE professional learning

SCSouth CarolinaEducators represented

Educators from South Carolina participated in ARIE professional learning

WVWest VirginiaEducators represented

Educators from West Virginia participated in ARIE professional learning

VAVirginiaTraining location

Shenandoah County Public Schools

KYKentuckyEducators represented

Educators from Kentucky participated in ARIE professional learning

ALAlabamaEducators represented

Educators from Alabama participated in ARIE professional learning

OHOhioTraining location

Oxford: Miami University

PAPennsylvaniaTraining location

Pittsburgh: Think Global PBL Oliver Citywide School Academy

NYNew YorkTraining location

Nanuet: Nanuet Union Free School District Think Global PBL Authentic Design Academy

MDMarylandTraining location

Cecil County Public Schools

MIMichiganEducators represented

Michigan educators attended ARIE training in Chicago

Featured learning hub

Chicago welcomed educators from across borders.

ARIE's Chicago academy served as both a U.S. training location and an international meeting point. Educators traveled to Chicago to learn with ARIE from:

MichiganCanadaAustraliaSaudi Arabia

Why U.S. educators trust ARIE

Led by educators who know what implementation requires.

School leadership

Decades of responsibility for students, staff, culture, accountability, and results.

Classroom credibility

Strategies developed and refined by educators who have used them with real students.

Evidence of success

Sustained school models supported by measurable outcomes, independent research, and national recognition.

Implementation support

Training connected to design, practice, coaching, reflection, and organizational capacity.

Bring ARIE to your community

Strengthen teaching, leadership, and student learning.

ARIE can design professional learning and implementation support around the goals of your school, district, university, or educational organization.

Start a U.S. Partnership