Purpose
Interdisciplinary, project-based
curriculum - Student learning and
academic achievement originates with the learner themselves. We are all learners from the moment we
are born. Learning stops when we
have lost our desire or motivation to assimilate new ideas and information.
The educator Jerome Bruner maintained that a child can learn any concept
if it is presented in language that the child can understand.
He forgot to add, "If they want to". The key to improving learning in children is to teach them
what they want to learn. Allow
them to develop their interests and passions with relevant real world situations
and hands-on involvement. A child
that is learning what they want to learn is focused, engaged and productive.
ABLE will improve student learning and academic performance by providing
creative and challenging project opportunities for students that spark the students'
interests. The core academics will be taught in conjunction
with and applied to the thematic inter-disciplinary units. All subject areas are interrelated and
every project demands multiple skills and foundational knowledge that the students
must acquire. Students learn in
different ways and at different speeds. A thematic curriculum allows students to progress at the pace
and in the way that is most appropriate for them.
Individual Learning Path
(ILP) for all students - Each student
will have an ILP to provide them with a "roadmap" showing them where
they are, where they want to go and how to get there. The ILP will be an electronic document containing student,
parent and teacher input. Students
will list their interests and passions, their hopes and fears and their expectations
and evaluations. Teachers will
document the students' past and present academic performance, their evaluations
of the students' skill acquisitions and skill deficits and observations in areas
of leadership, character development and civic responsibility.
Parents will input health information, their child's home conduct, observations
and expectations, and chronicle their own participation in their child's education.
Inclusion of Parents and
Community into Learning Process -
Students do not begin learning when they get to school or stop learning when
they leave at the end of the day. Learning
is a continuous process that involves all levels of the student's life.
What happens at home greatly affects a student's learning at school. ABLE will maintain close contact with parents to better gauge
the conditions and influences that make up the child's environment and provide
parents with suggestions and assistance for improvements. We will also invite guest speakers from
the community, recognized in business and leadership to share their wisdom,
expertise to provide students with meaningful role models. A mentor program will match the students
will acceptable parent and community volunteers to provide additional assistance
and advise to the children. Mentors
will make contact with the students on a weekly basis to support the children
in their learning process.
Utilize Technology to Enhance
Student Achievement - Computers and
other technology are foundational in our concept of improving student achievement.
We will employ wireless technology, which will allow students to access
the World Wide Web anywhere and anytime.
All students will be trained in computer applications and will develop
a web presence with both personal and project-based websites.
High Speed wireless connections will allow students to research topics,
exchange information and conference with other students and educators worldwide.
Students will learn to be accomplished and responsible Internet users.
Multi-Level and Multi-Age
Classrooms - "The best way to
learn is to teach what you know."
Our multi-level, multi-age project areas will allow students to assist
in the learning process of fellow students.
Responsible leadership means not only being responsible for your own
learning, but also that of your team and fellow classmates. The unique and flexible structure of our
curriculum affords many opportunities to provide low-performing students with
additional support. Older students
will challenge and encourage younger students to excel.
A Unique and Flexible Project
Curriculum - Our curriculum is designed
to provide multiple learning opportunities for all students. Each project-based staging area will be
grounded in a different thematic and aligned with the "Career Cluster"
concept. Career clusters are broad
categories that encompass virtually all occupations from entry through professional
levels. The sixteen different
clusters can be further distilled into six basic areas:
Each project staging area
will have a different theme and students will rotate through the project areas
throughout the school year. This
will allow students to experience multiple career-based areas to discover their
inherent interest and abilities.
Strong Reading Curriculum - Special emphasis will be placed on reading in every
project area. While all teachers
will stress reading accomplishment, each project area team will have one teacher
designated to assessing and improving student reading abilities. There will be no conventional textbooks
for students, but each project area will utilize relevant written material in
the form of current paperback publications, periodicals and newspapers. Relevant on-line information will also
provide students with incentives to read.
Each project areas with make frequent use of the community public libraries.
Tutoring Program - The school will provide a tutoring program to assist
students to make up deficits in learning. The program will use other students, volunteers and mentors
for tutorial instruction.
ownership of the learning program at the school site
Teacher Collaboration - Teachers will work in three or two person teams in
the project staging areas or Pods. Each pod will be autonomous to a large extent
in their curriculum design, their selected projects, the grouping and direction
of students, and the expenditures and accounting of their respective budgets.
Each teacher-team will have a teacher to serve as a teacher/administrator,
who will conference with the other teacher/administrators weekly or as needed
to discuss problem areas, evaluate student performance, and propose necessary
program adjustments. Teacher/Administrators will receive a
stipend for their additional services.
Differentiated Staffing - Teacher teams will be staffed using a differentiated
staffing method. This means that
each team will consist of a team leader, a veteran teacher and a beginning teacher
or educator. Student teachers, parent volunteers and adjunct instructors
will supplement the team as deemed necessary. The school governance council will determine recommendations
for instructor qualification.
Teacher Bonuses - Teachers will receive additional bonuses and credit
for any site-based project areas that they develop and effectively market. They may also be entitled to participate
in the supplementary income produced through the commercial business outlets
developed in the project staging areas. The participation will be awarded as bonuses
determined by the collective faculty and student body.
Teacher Training - Teachers will receive ongoing training in technology
and software applications. All
teachers will be encouraged and supported in the acquisition of new skills and
knowledge in area of business and leadership.
Teacher knows best - Teachers are full of ideas on how to enhance student
learning. Providing them with the
resources and the opportunities to teach innovatively will produce the desired
results. Each project staging areas
has numerous learning and teaching possibilities. Learning and teaching are dynamic processes
that are only limited by the imagination. Project pods will be small schools within a school operated
and directed by the teaching teams. The
faculty, students and parents will collectively assess the effectiveness of
the pod programs.
Business Outlets - The students and teachers of each project staging
area will design and operate at least one commercial enterprise. The business proposals will be reviewed
by business experts and follow all of the rules and regulations of a normal
business. Students will learn about
all levels of business, which will promote problem solving and critical thinking
skills, teamwork, as well as foundational knowledge. The school and the business collective
will share profits produced by the business equally. School funds will be added to the general operating budget
and the rest will become part of the Project Pod working capital.
Contemplation and reflection
- Goethe said, "If you want to understand the world, you must go inside
yourself. If you want to understand yourself, you
must go into the world." Students
and teachers need time during the day to pause and reflect. Reflection and contemplation reduces stress
and provides us with insights into ourselves. Everyday students will begin the day with check-in meetings
to clarify the goals, objectives and activities for the day. At the end of the day they will have a
checkout meeting to share their experiences, thoughts or problems. Relaxation techniques will be taught,
as a regular part of the curriculum and teachers and students will utilize these
techniques on a daily basis.
Innovative learning
methods - Everything about this
school will be innovative, the decentralized school and governance structures,
the project and business applications, the student-centered learning approach,
as well as the significant involvement of parents and community. We believe that the purpose of
education the to help young people create the lives they truly want to create.
Participation in the State
assessment program - All eighth grade
students will take the State prescribed FCAT. The results from this test will be compared to other public
school results to assess the comparative learning achievements of our students.
Training and preparation for the FCAT will be an ongoing process.
Student Portfolios - Students will maintain portfolios of accumulated works.
Most of the content of these portfolios will be electronic and will be
accessible to all stakeholders. Portfolios
are extremely useful for measuring student progress by allowing comparisons
of past and present student accomplishments.
Certification Requirements - Each project area will establish benchmarks or certifications
to measure the students' mastery of the required skills and knowledge.
Advancement will be measured by the successful completion of the required
certifications through oral or written presentation, and by demonstration of
the associated skill levels. Students
will be allowed to demonstrate mastery at any time.
Project Presentations - All students will be expected to present their project
areas to the general public once a month.
These will be evening presentations, which will host students, parents
and community members. Judges will
assess student projects and offer suggestions for improvement. Awards will be presented in different
categories of accomplishment.
6. Create innovative measurement tools
Certifications in skill/knowledge
areas - Each Project Pod will develop
and institute certification areas and criteria for all students.
Certifications will be attained by the student's demonstration of mastery
of the appropriate knowledge or skill levels of certification.
Multiple and varied assessment methods will be incorporated to determine
mastery and students may elect to test for mastery at any time.
Project Development - All students will be involved in one or multiple projects
areas. Each project will be closely
monitored and supported and assessed. Projects will be presented and defended before peers, teachers
and parents at monthly intervals.
Competitive Events - Interested
students will be encouraged to compete against students in other schools in
community and state events, such as the Science Fair.
Participation will not be mandatory, but encouraged.
Innovative Teaching Practices
- The increased teacher autonomy and the systems approach to learning will generate
many worthwhile and effective teaching and learning models.
Many of these improved models of education can be taught and incorporated
into other public schools, thereby benefiting all students.
School of the 21st
Century - It is hoped that the Charter
school will become a prototype for the kind of school necessary in this Century.
Expandability and Flexibility
- The project pod concept provides the school with increased flexibility and
expandability over traditional public schools.
Adding extra project staging areas with different thematic topics can
accommodate increased enrollment.
Curriculum Enhancement - Emphasis on the development of business and
leadership skills will provide the county public school system with additional
curriculum and avenues for student advancement and career orientation.