THE NHLI BEST FRAMEWORK
Defining the Critical Skills for Student Success
A developmental pathway detailing how students learn and demonstrate collaboration, communication, creativity, and self-direction across all grade bands.
Collaboration
We empower students to work purposefully in teams, teaching them to respect diverse perspectives, share responsibilities, and solve complex problems collectively. True innovation requires a collaborative mindset that bridges the classroom with real-world community challenges.
Self Direction
To give students a true voice and choice in their education, we must cultivate agency. We teach learners to take the initiative, set personal milestones, monitor their own growth, and develop the intrinsic motivation needed for lifelong learning.
Communication
Essential learning happens when students can express complex ideas clearly, listen actively, and adapt their message across digital, written, and verbal mediums. By sharpening these skills, we ensure graduates can advocate for themselves and articulate value in any professional setting.
Creativity
Tomorrow’s challenges require visionary thinking. We design learning environments that encourage students to think expansively, challenge assumptions, iterate through failures, and engineer novel solutions to unscripted problems.
The Growth Continuum
How the NHLI BEST framework tracks student progress from early instruction to autonomous mastery.
Extending | Emerging Experts
Learners independently apply, synthesize, and refine essential skills in complex or unexpected contexts. They anticipate obstacles, evaluate systemic dynamics, and actively model high-level mastery while mentoring peers.
Applying | Strategic Learners
Learners independently initiate strategies, navigate challenges, and achieve goals in familiar settings. They select appropriate tools, make purposeful mid-task adjustments, and value diverse perspectives to improve their outcomes.
Developing | Advanced Beginners
Learners execute tasks with structured guidance and routines. They demonstrate basic skill application, remain open to feedback, and rely on explicit criteria and teacher modeling to monitor their progress.
Emerging | Beginners
Learners build initial awareness through direct instruction and persistent support. They follow step-by-step prompts, explore foundational concepts, and build initial confidence with frequent feedback.