Goals and Objectives to Improve Student Learning

Learning is a non-linear process. It does not follow a straight path, however well conceived that path may be. Students learn at different speeds and in different ways. Howard Gardner's "multiple intelligences", have opened our eyes to the various ways that students best learn. Incorporating all of the eight intelligences into a teaching style is extremely difficult, but involving them in student learning is natural to each individual child. Curriculum needs to be student centered, instead of teacher centered. A project-oriented curriculum appears to have the greatest potential to provide students with a learner-centered environment. Projects need to have real-life relevancy as well as provide students with the skills and knowledge they will need. Projects offer a unified purpose for student learning, incorporating all subject areas to solve both predictable and unpredictable situations. Students realize with projects that knowledge and skills are the necessary components towards the successful completion of their tasks, so the intrinsic desire to learn comes from within the student. Educators are there to give essential assistance to students to acquire those tools when they need them and when they are desired. Knowledge for knowledge sake is of little use to anyone!

All children learn, but before effective learning can take place, certain conditions must be met. Abraham Maslow formulated the "Hierarch of Needs". He claims that basic needs must be met before a person can move on to higher levels of expression. The most basic level involves satisfying a person's physiological needs. Sustainable food and shelter are necessary prerequisites for a child before effective learning can commence. Proper nourishment is instrumental to the development of thinking minds. Protective housing allows those minds to focus on things beyond basic survival.

The second fundamental need that follows is safety. Safe families, safe schools and safe neighborhoods provide a favorable environment for effective learning. Fear is not a compatible partner in education.

The third need is love. To learn successfully, children must have caring, loving individuals to guide them in an atmosphere of trust and support. A child models what it sees. Mahatma Gandhi said that, "We must become the change we wish to create." To teach love, we must be loving.

The fourth step to self-actualization is self-esteem. Self-esteem is the sense of belonging. It means viewing yourself as a necessary and integral part of the whole. Integrity, responsibility and tolerance are all products of self-esteem. Creativity, achievement and success are the results of how you see yourself. Self-esteem is integral to the identity of self. "Know Thyself" and the world becomes a reflection of your own self-image.

The last level is self-actualization itself. At this level all things are possible. Here are the solutions to our problems and the awareness that we co-create our future. Self-actualization leads to the realization that you can make a difference. It means creating life-long learners and responsible world citizens. Creating a conducive environment for learning will lead to optimal achievement. That must be the top priority in any educational reform.

Parental participation and satisfaction also greatly enhance student learning. Active and supportive parents will give students a greater incentive to learn and more awareness of the importance of education. Parent volunteer hours, parent/teacher conferences, monthly public project presentations and parent mentorship will keep parents and students actively involved in the educational process.

Nothing can replace the student's own desire to learn as an objective. Without that internal motivation, all other factors become meaningless. The school curriculum will provide students with hands-on, relevant learning opportunities. It will benchmark student achievement through certifications, projects and portfolios and provide continual feedback as to the student's progress. An Individual Learning Plan (ILP) created by the student, parents and teachers will provide the roadmap for future achievement and pinpoint areas that need improvement.

All students will participate in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test or FCAT at the appropriate levels. These scores will be made public and the school will be held accountable for student achievement. The FCAT, however, will only present a small segment of the student's assessment.

Special Needs Students

The Academy of Business and Leadership Education is open to all special needs students in accordance to Federal and State laws. This includes students with physical and mental disabilities, exceptional students, as well as those with limited language proficiency. All students will be provided with an ILP, which will be expanded to an IEP for special needs students. Special Education professionals that are not provided for on staff will be contracted with the District or through private providers. The overall goal with special needs students will be to include them in all activities and in all groupings. Inclusion and not exclusion will be our basic tenet. Everyone is a genius in some area and our goal is to identify and promote those strengths.

Students with disabilities will be educated in the least restrictive environment and will be included in all activities, except where the nature or severity of their disability makes such participation impossible.

Exceptional students will be provided with supplementary learning enhancement programs and opportunities to involve themselves in advanced instructional programs (i.e. on-line classes).

Students with limited English proficiency will be provided for in accordance with the ESL and ESOL guidelines. Teaching teams in each POD area will have at least one teacher with ESOL certification.