Appendix C: Summary of the Mission and Educational
Program of the NCS charter petition
Inherent
to the constructivist philosophy is the involvement of professional staff in
the
Our
commitment to a constructivist perspective on learning is not limited to the
children who will be entrusted to our care. We believe that instructional staff, guided by locally and
nationally recognized standards, and focused on research-based instruction,
must play an integral role in the development and implementation of our
vision. Our decision to utilize
the Atlanta Public School’s curriculum as the initial foundation that
will help guide instruction was a direct outgrowth of this perspective. On the one hand, we wanted our
professionals to join with our Zoo Atlanta and Alliance Theatre sponsors to
initiate unique learning experiences for our students, on the other hand, we
wanted to be certain that this process would begin within the safety net of an
established curriculum.
We
recognize that building a conservation focused, constructivist program that
incorporates brain-based learning and the dramatic arts is a demanding, though
exciting, undertaking. We strongly
feel that this determination to create a unique inner-city constructivist
school, while assuring instructional stability during the process, reflects a
clear understanding of the seriousness of our task. It is not, however, our expectation that the talented
educators whom we hire will be inherently equipped to fulfill the mandate given
to them. Educators will be
expected to participate in extensive training that includes, but is not limited
to, constructivist pedagogy, differentiated instruction, informal assessment,
and diversity training. We expect
that all professional staff will utilize the Quality Core Curriculum, the
standards of the National Science Foundation, International Reading Association
and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics to guide and inform
instructional strategies and focus.
Instructional
staff will be expected to assist in the development of an educational program
that incorporates an in-depth understanding of the role of conservation in the
health and stability of our world and equips students with the strategies to
solve, not only scientific and mathematical problems, but real-life problems as
well. Professional staff will be
expected to be skilled in differentiating instruction to assure that the needs
of all learners are address within the classroom (and beyond, as specific needs
may require). While many schools
state that teachers should differentiate instruction, training them to
effectively do so has not, to our knowledge, been part of any local,
system-wide initiative. Nor are we
aware of any school in Georgia (or elsewhere) that has chosen to implement a
constructivist program across the curriculum within a public city school. The
constructivist approach allows children who yearn for challenging educational
experiences the opportunity to pursue them, while assisting struggling students
in the establishment of the background/experiential learning they so
desperately need. We strongly
believe that by implementing a constructivist program within an inner-city
public school, and complimenting instruction through the use of dramatic arts,
the Neighborhood Charter School has outlined a unique program that will evolve
within high standards of academic performance.
The
charter proposal outlines the use of both informal and formal assessment to
guide the instructional strategies for each child. In addition, study groups to “examine content areas as
well as effective pedagogy” are part of the expectations for professional
practice outlined in the charter.
Funding will be allocated to provide for visits from educational
consultants to evaluate instructional strategies and performance. The expectation of the NCS is that
swift, informed evaluation of students and a research based instructional
response will be an integral part of each educator’s
responsibilities. It is the
expectation of the NCS that the educators entrusted with the implementation of
our mission will utilize informal assessment throughout the school year and
will document student strengths and weaknesses and the effectiveness of the
responses chosen to address them.
In addition, as indicated in the charter, specific formal tests will be
part of the assessment strategy.
Beyond the
assessments outlined in the charter proposal, it is also the expectation of the
NCS initiators that, prior to the first instructional day, instructional
materials for mathematics and language arts that reflect the constructivist
philosophy will have been chosen.
These purchased programs, enhanced by additional staff strategies and
integration of subjects as appropriate, will be the backbone of the mathematics
and language arts programs. Each
program will include additional tests and assessments that will enhance understanding
of student progress.
A
constructivist based mathematics program will be in place in all
classrooms. This will require that
the principal and a committee of teachers will meet to evaluate programs and
choose one that best reflects the constructivist philosophy. At present NCS proposes that one of the
programs to be considered by staff is the Everyday Mathematics program
developed by the University of Chicago.
Preliminary review of the U.S. Department of Education’s
Mathematics and Science expert panel report (Exemplary and Promising
Mathematics Programs), coupled with suggestions by panelists at a recent
Association for Constructivist Teaching conference suggest that this program is
one worthy of consideration.
Several of our professional contacts also suggested the program
Investigations in Number, Data and Space.
Both programs utilize the standards of NCTM, engage students in their
own learning and have high expectations for student performance.
As
outlined in the original charter application, NCS will adopt the criteria for
reading instruction outlined by the International Reading Association. Inherent to successful implementation
of the complete literacy criteria is the availability of reading material at
the instructional level of each student.
To meet this need, NCS will purchase leveled reading collections for
each classroom. We will propose
that staff choose, again, prior to the first instructional day, a selection of
at least three leveled reading collections for each classroom that include a
variety of genres. Currently, one
such instructional package that NCS will suggest for staff consideration is the
Guided Reading Program by Professor Gay Su Pinnell. Each leveled collection includes books and teaching
materials that feature a variety of guided reading strategies and diagnostic
tools for educators. In addition,
as noted in the charter, NCS will seek funds to purchase non-fiction, leveled
reading books to enhance science instruction. These materials, or a comparable
choice, will be part of the complete literacy program supported by NCS and the
IRA.
While it
was our expectation that the Elementary Science Education Partner’s kits
would be included in the materials provided to the West/Slaton facility, we
realize that this may have been a misconception on our part. If the agreement is not reached between
the Atlanta Public Schools and the NCS regarding access to the kits, the NCS
will maintain its commitment to inquiry based science instruction and will seek
additional funds to secure kits for classrooms. These materials, or comparable ones, will be an integral
part of a developing science program that will incorporate Zoo Atlanta as well
as the surrounding communities as resources for science instruction.
The
instructional materials noted above are offered as examples of specific
instructional materials that compliment the constructivist perspective of
NCS. We expect staff, guided by
research and the recommendations of educational experts, to make the final
decisions.
The
student population outlined from a geographic perspective includes a diversity
of cultures, abilities and learning styles. Specifically, the student population will include a majority
of African American children who qualify for the federal government’s
free or reduced lunch program as well students traditionally referred to as
E.S.O.L.
NCS has
outlined a determination to incorporate the advise of experts, the assessments
of classroom educators and the implementation of differentiated instruction to
help address the needs of diverse learners within the regular classroom
setting. Part of our commitment to
staff development in differentiated instruction and constructivism is directly
related to this determination. For children who continue to struggle within the
regular classroom, despite the development of strategies to address their
needs, we have outlined a commitment to follow the Student Support Team
process. To this end, the
Instructional Specialist, assisted as appropriate by the Reading Specialist,
will confer with classroom teachers to outline additional strategies that will
help the student to progress in a non-isolated setting. In addition, we will develop strategies
for communicating effectively with parents to help engage them in the education
of their children.
We have
referred frequently to differentiated instruction as part of our staff
development program. It is our
understanding that differentiated instruction does, by definition, respond, not
only to the needs of struggling and so-called “average” students,
but to gifted and talented students as well. Although we are aware that students in at risk situations
require special strategies to help them advance academically, we are also aware
that the assumption that gifted students are learning simply because they
achieve acceptable standards on state assessments is an unrealistic one. Because such students routinely score
high on tests, they are at risk of establishing a pattern of underachievement. Gifted students require a challenging
curriculum to assure that their educational needs are met. In addition to following the Atlanta
Public Schools’ Gifted and Talented Program Multiple Criteria
Identification Process to identify gifted students, NCS staff will respond to
all students who exhibit high levels of achievement, mental ability, creativity
and/or motivation via the following methods:
Compact curriculum: Gifted/talented students will be given
opportunities to demonstrate what they already know to receive full credit for
content they have already mastered, and to spend instructional time on
challenging activities that accelerate and enrich the regular curriculum.
Alternative content: As appropriate to the student, learning
may extend beyond grade-level standards or may be connected to areas of special
interest to gifted students.
Alternative products: Gifted/talented students can be
challenged to produce products that demonstrate the student’s learning at
an advanced level. Such products
may be presented to audiences in addition to class members.
Alternative learning
environments: In addition to
modified learning within the regular classroom, gifted/talented students may
work more independently on self-directed or collaborative projects outside the
regular classroom setting.
Alternative audience/discussion
group: Gifted/talented students
need opportunities to discuss/collaborate with their peers. The NCS staff will facilitate
collaborative projects and discussion groups among gifted/talented students.
As special
funding/grants allow, NCS will establish a schedule for staff development in
gifted education training for all instructional staff. In the interim, classroom teachers will
implement the above criteria with the assistance of the instructional
specialist.
As indicated
in the charter application, the new school will include a new student body and
faculty. It is our expectation
that newly hired staff, assisted by insights gained through staff development
and analysis by consultants, will establish school-wide expectations for
implementation of assessment strategies, differentiated instruction and
incorporation of the conservation focus of the school into instruction. At this point in the process, we feel
it is reasonable to await data secured during our first year before further
delineation of an improvement plan.
However, having outlined the strategies for excellence, we would also
assume the following general goals:
During the
inaugural year of the Neighborhood Charter School the instructional staff and
governing board, assisted by consultants and sponsors (where applicable) will:
Implement
a staff development program that includes training for professional staff in
the basics of constructivist strategies, differentiated instruction,
alternative assessment and the components of a complete literacy program. It is the belief of NCS that this will
have a direct effect on the reduction of the percentage of students in the
lowest quartile in reading and mathematics. It is also our belief that the strategies for instruction
outlined in the charter will increase the number of students in the highest
quartile for reading and mathematics.
It is difficult, at this time (without data outlining the specific
strengths and weaknesses of the student population of the school) to state what
percentage of students will achieve this goal. Our immediate goal is to have all students reading at or
above the fiftieth percentile in reading and mathematics.
Establish
a procedure for evaluating and responding to discipline issues;
Establish a process for decreasing student absences;
Develop
strategies, informed by parental input, to engage student families in the
activities of the school;
Establish
a training program, assisted by the Alliance Theatre, to train teachers in the
use of dramatic arts to enhance instruction;
Implement
an environmental/conservationist theme at each grade level;
Expand
existing language arts materials to include leveled reading collections for
each grade level;
Purchase
a constructivist based mathematics program to be implemented at all grade
levels;
Utilize
baseline assessment data to evaluate student needs and differentiate
instruction in response to identified needs;
The policy
of NCS regarding assessment is that it must be varied, consistent across all
grade levels and based on instruments recognized by educational experts to be
effective for the purposes they are to be used. NCS has outlined the type of informal assessments that must
be used by all staff, but has not chosen the specific instruments. It is our understanding from research
in school reform that the more professional decisions that staff is permitted
to make, the more likely they will embrace their implementation. To this end, we have withheld the
specific name of informal assessment instruments until staff has an opportunity
to decide which ones will be chosen for school-wide use. We are confident that professional
staff, with input from research, will find specific assessment instruments that
match the categories of assessment outlined in the charter.