Overview

When COVID-19 closed schools in March 2020, Compass faced a specific design challenge: its instructional model — project-based learning, competency-based assessment, student-directed Venture Projects, advisory relationships — had no ready-made remote equivalent.

I co-designed and produced a seven-document communication and learning system, each piece targeting a distinct audience and purpose. The system was built for the actual learners: families navigating job loss, health concerns, and technology gaps; students trying to stay motivated in isolation; staff designing remote experiences in real time.

The result was greater student growth in math and literacy than in either of Compass’s two prior years — mid-crisis, mid-year, with a fully novel delivery model.

Key Outcomes

• Produced seven documents across three audiences (families, students, staff) in parallel under crisis conditions

• Designed each piece for a different register: warm and acknowledging for families, direct and navigable for students, structured for rapid staff reference

• Included video tutorials for remote learning systems alongside print materials

• Outcome: greater student math and literacy growth in year three than in either previous year, despite full mid-year transition to remote learning

What This Demonstrates

• Multi-audience instructional design

• Crisis communication and rapid deployment

• Designing for equity and real-world learner constraints

• Document design across audiences and modalities

• Systems thinking under pressure