Higher Order Thinking (HOT) schools inspire lifelong learning in, about, and through the arts in a democratic community celebrating each child’s unique voice.

Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Schools are sustainable, vibrant learning communities with a shared vision that inspires critical, creative and innovative thinkers, and sparks joy in teaching and learning. Educators of all disciplines regularly and confidently collaborate to create arts and arts integrated learning opportunities that stimulate learning across subjects. Each school’s unique climate and culture provide opportunities to cultivate leadership, voice, choice, participation and responsibility. Schools fully immersed in the HOT Approach foster curiosity, social and emotional development and risk taking as essential learning and life skills.

The HOT Schools program, established in 1994, works with select Connecticut schools to build higher order thinking skills and to prepare students to be successful learners and contributors in the 21st Century through strong arts (standards-based arts education), arts integration, and democratic practice. In HOT schools, the arts are rigorous academic subjects, each with its own sequential curriculum that conveys knowledge not learned through other academic disciplines. HOT Schools teachers work collaboratively to structure interdisciplinary curricula that promote deep learning of subject matter, higher order thinking, creativity and teamwork by strategically linking learning in the arts to learning across the curriculum. HOT Schools cultivate a democratic school culture to which all members of the school community contribute and in which individual leadership is emphasized.

The HOT APPROACH to teaching and learning has emerged through a strong network of participating urban, suburban and rural HOT Schools, serving thousands of students in over 47 Connecticut public schools in all congressional districts and reaching over 100,000 students.

It has been adopted and adapted by state, national and international educators, whole schools, arts organizations, individual teaching artists, local arts agencies, and state arts agencies nationwide who are interested in understanding  and facilitating school culture change, curriculum integration, and arts-infused program design.