Miriam Hughey-Guy, retired Arlington County Public School Principal, is the energizing force behind Barcroft Elementary's innovative educational program, The Leonardo da Vinci Project. Her numerous awards include the 2001-02 Woman of Vision Award the 2002-03 Arlington Public Schools' Principal of the Year, the 2003 Washington Post Distinguished Leadership Award, and the 2003 Ebone Image Leadership Award from the National Coalition of 100 Black Women's Northern Virginia Chapter. She is recognized as an educational leader among organizations that call on her to speak, such as NPR, CNN, the Virginia State Reading Association, and the Alexandria and Arlington County school systems.

Ms. Hughey-Guy is the lead consultant to the Middleburg Community Charter School, the first charter school to be approved in Northern Virginia.

How did the Leonardo da Vinci Project first come about?

The Leonardo da Vinci Project, unique to Barcroft Elementary School, is a school-wide, staff-written curriculum designed using the principles of Teaching for Understanding, or widely known as Understanding by Design, advocated by Jay McTighe and Grant Wiggins in their 1998 book.

Barcroft chose Leonardo da Vinci because of his habits of mind: curiosity about the world, creativity, plus his interest and skill in the arts, science, history, and literature.

What is Understanding by Design?

Understanding by Design relies on "backwards planning." Teachers start by thinking through a lesson, determine what outcomes or knowledge they want the students to achieve or perform, then plan the curriculum, choosing activities and materials that facilitate learning. The learning environment should have high expectations and incentives for all students to come to understand the big ideas and answer the essential questions.