Senior Year Reimagined: Innovating Competency-Based Education for Real-World Success
Join the team from Nashville Big Picture High School as they share insights from their groundbreaking "Senior Year Reimagined" initiative. NBPHS is proud to be a pillar of innovation within the Big Picture Learning international network of schools. As a non-traditional, student-centered school recently awarded the TN Innovative Schools Model Grant, Team NBP has traveled the country exploring best practices and innovation in education. In this session, attendees will explore how Nashville Big Picture High School is transforming senior year through Competency-Based Education, reducing classroom seat time, and expanding real-world learning experiences. The efforts and outcomes of Senior Year Reimagined are ultimately preparing students to be "Ready Grads" by increasing access to Early Postsecondary Opportunities (EPSOs), prioritizing impactful relationships, and fostering practical skills for a meaningful life beyond high school. Attendees will gain an inside look at the redesign process and leave with practical ideas and action steps for their own schools.
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Jackson AB, Gaylord Opryland
Panel Discussion
Presented by
Dual Executive Principal, MNPS Virtual School and Nashville Big Picture High School
Brenda Diaz, Ed.D., is the dual executive principal for Nashville Big Picture High School and Metro Nashville Virtual School in Nashville. A graduate of Rust College, she holds advanced degrees and endorsements from the University of Mississippi, University of Memphis, and Union University. She has been honored as the 2022 Big Picture Learning Ted Sizer School Leader of the Year, 2023 Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) High School Principal of the Year, and MNPS 2018 Out of the Box Leader. She’s also an MNPS 2019 Women Who Overcome Challenges in Educational Leadership recipient. Diaz serves on the Knowledgeworks Leading Change Network Steering Committee and the MNPS Principal Advisory Committee. During her tenure as executive principal, Nashville Big Picture High School was recognized as a State of Tennessee 2023 Reward School for academic achievement. Diaz is passionate about creating personalized learning environments where all students know they are loved and that nothing is impossible with passion and support!
Assistant Principal
Nashville Big Picture High School
I am a passionate, energetic, innovative educator. I understand the power of relationships and impactful experiences to shape and change a life. It is this understanding that drives my passion for education and my commitment to create meaningful opportunities for young people to connect with caring adults, experience support and success, and know their value, in and beyond the classroom. I spend most of my time as a school leader at Nashville Big Picture High School and occasionally serve as a school design coach with Inspiration Innovation LLC. (Founder), Big Picture Learning, and We Do It 4 The Culture.
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Jackson AB, Gaylord Opryland
Panel Discussion