Academic Design In- Depth
Going In-Depth on the Academic Design
KNOVA Learning Reynolds Public Charter School (KNOVA) is implementing a best-practices academic design that is specifically formulated to prepare every student for success in college-preparatory high school programs. This page provides a more in-depth description of key aspects of this design:
More Learning Time
On a typical school day, KNOVA admits students at 7:00 am and dismisses them between 4:30 and 5:00 pm. By operating an extended day, KNOVA is able to immerse students in a rich, varied learning environment where they can develop strong academic, social, behavioral and intellectual aptitudes. We are also able to accommodate full-time working parents, who can pick up and drop off their students before and after the start of a full work day.
KNOVA is open for 200 days every year, which is at least 4 weeks longer than most surrounding public schools. By operating on an extended calendar, KNOVA seeks to minimize student loss of valuable concepts and skills, which frequently occurs during long summer breaks.
Meeting Every Learner’s Needs
KNOVA implements research-based programs in reading, language and mathematics. Through over 35 years of research and assessment, these programs have been proven to equip every student with a strong, comprehensive literacy foundation. The instructional methods that KNOVA uses are outlined below:
· At the start of the year, every student is tested so that they can be placed into an instructional group that is appropriate to their performance level.
· During reading, language and mathematics periods, every available teacher instructs a group so that the average student-to-teacher ratio is below 15-to-1.
· Lessons are organized so that students learn new knowledge and skills in a way that continuously builds on previously learned knowledge and skills.
· Student mastery of instructional content is checked every 5-7 lessons, and students are retested periodically throughout the year.
· When students test into different groups, they are placed into those groups so that they are continuously learning at their performance level.
· KNOVA is committed to organizing its instructional programs so that it can reach all students at their academic level no matter how high or low they perform.
Through these programs, KNOVA is able to meet every student where they are and enable them to progress at a speed that is optimal to their educational development. There are no shortcuts in this process. If students test below their grade level, KNOVA takes the time to place them at their level and advance them through its programs in a sequential fashion. Because of this commitment, all KNOVA students build a strong, comprehensive literacy foundation instead of being saddled with critical gaps in their knowledge and skills, which is a common problem at schools that use lesser programs.
Learning in Different Modalities
KNOVA is committed to providing students with a multi-modal learning environment. All students spend a significant period of each day learning:
· Individually through self-paced instruction;
· In small groups using research-based lessons;
· In whole classes with teacher-developed learning projects and activities;
· In multi-grade assemblies that emphasize school values and community holidays.
Multi-modal learning increases student mastery of important knowledge and skills. It works because students retain more knowledge and demonstrate greater concept proficiency when they are learning with all of their senses (touch, sight, sound, smell) and intellectual capacities.
Greater Teacher Ownership & Opportunity
KNOVA seeks to recruit the best and brightest teachers from the communities that we serve. Once a teacher proves to be responsible, committed and effective, KNOVA provides many leadership and promotional opportunities.
To make the time that teachers commit to the school more manageable, KNOVA pairs up members of its faculty to co-teach in every classroom in grades K-8. One co-teacher arrives at 7:00 am and departs at 3:30 pm. The other co-teacher arrives at 8:30 am and departs at 5:00 pm. By working a staggered schedule, the co-teachers are able to provide students with the longer day that they need while working a more manageable schedule.
Kindergarten also has a longer day than the surrounding districts. However, they are a half day at KNOVA. Kindergarten students arrive at 7:00 and are dismissed at 1:00 daily.
KNOVA expects its teachers to take greater ownership for student learning. We hold our teachers accountable for student achievement. In return for this accountability, we provide teachers with a number of benefits, including:
· Over 4 weeks of full-day training in the academic design during the summer
· High-quality professional development seminars every week
· Frequent classroom observation and real-time coaching
· Support with lesson planning, parent communication and continuous improvement.
KNOVA’s goal is to provide the best and brightest teachers with a satisfying career including rewarding professional growth, sustainable compensation, and upward mobility into leadership roles where they can take great pride in their impact on student learning.
These are just 4 of the 8 principles that form the framework for the educational design that is being implemented at KNOVA Learning Reynolds Public Charter School. Our team is continuously adapting and improving this design so that we can fulfill our mission of preparing all students for “competitive colleges and advanced careers.”
KNOVA Learning Reynolds Public Charter School (KNOVA) is implementing a best-practices academic design that is specifically formulated to prepare every student for success in college-preparatory high school programs. This page provides a more in-depth description of key aspects of this design:
More Learning Time
On a typical school day, KNOVA admits students at 7:00 am and dismisses them between 4:30 and 5:00 pm. By operating an extended day, KNOVA is able to immerse students in a rich, varied learning environment where they can develop strong academic, social, behavioral and intellectual aptitudes. We are also able to accommodate full-time working parents, who can pick up and drop off their students before and after the start of a full work day.
KNOVA is open for 200 days every year, which is at least 4 weeks longer than most surrounding public schools. By operating on an extended calendar, KNOVA seeks to minimize student loss of valuable concepts and skills, which frequently occurs during long summer breaks.
Meeting Every Learner’s Needs
KNOVA implements research-based programs in reading, language and mathematics. Through over 35 years of research and assessment, these programs have been proven to equip every student with a strong, comprehensive literacy foundation. The instructional methods that KNOVA uses are outlined below:
· At the start of the year, every student is tested so that they can be placed into an instructional group that is appropriate to their performance level.
· During reading, language and mathematics periods, every available teacher instructs a group so that the average student-to-teacher ratio is below 15-to-1.
· Lessons are organized so that students learn new knowledge and skills in a way that continuously builds on previously learned knowledge and skills.
· Student mastery of instructional content is checked every 5-7 lessons, and students are retested periodically throughout the year.
· When students test into different groups, they are placed into those groups so that they are continuously learning at their performance level.
· KNOVA is committed to organizing its instructional programs so that it can reach all students at their academic level no matter how high or low they perform.
Through these programs, KNOVA is able to meet every student where they are and enable them to progress at a speed that is optimal to their educational development. There are no shortcuts in this process. If students test below their grade level, KNOVA takes the time to place them at their level and advance them through its programs in a sequential fashion. Because of this commitment, all KNOVA students build a strong, comprehensive literacy foundation instead of being saddled with critical gaps in their knowledge and skills, which is a common problem at schools that use lesser programs.
Learning in Different Modalities
KNOVA is committed to providing students with a multi-modal learning environment. All students spend a significant period of each day learning:
· Individually through self-paced instruction;
· In small groups using research-based lessons;
· In whole classes with teacher-developed learning projects and activities;
· In multi-grade assemblies that emphasize school values and community holidays.
Multi-modal learning increases student mastery of important knowledge and skills. It works because students retain more knowledge and demonstrate greater concept proficiency when they are learning with all of their senses (touch, sight, sound, smell) and intellectual capacities.
Greater Teacher Ownership & Opportunity
KNOVA seeks to recruit the best and brightest teachers from the communities that we serve. Once a teacher proves to be responsible, committed and effective, KNOVA provides many leadership and promotional opportunities.
To make the time that teachers commit to the school more manageable, KNOVA pairs up members of its faculty to co-teach in every classroom in grades K-8. One co-teacher arrives at 7:00 am and departs at 3:30 pm. The other co-teacher arrives at 8:30 am and departs at 5:00 pm. By working a staggered schedule, the co-teachers are able to provide students with the longer day that they need while working a more manageable schedule.
Kindergarten also has a longer day than the surrounding districts. However, they are a half day at KNOVA. Kindergarten students arrive at 7:00 and are dismissed at 1:00 daily.
KNOVA expects its teachers to take greater ownership for student learning. We hold our teachers accountable for student achievement. In return for this accountability, we provide teachers with a number of benefits, including:
· Over 4 weeks of full-day training in the academic design during the summer
· High-quality professional development seminars every week
· Frequent classroom observation and real-time coaching
· Support with lesson planning, parent communication and continuous improvement.
KNOVA’s goal is to provide the best and brightest teachers with a satisfying career including rewarding professional growth, sustainable compensation, and upward mobility into leadership roles where they can take great pride in their impact on student learning.
These are just 4 of the 8 principles that form the framework for the educational design that is being implemented at KNOVA Learning Reynolds Public Charter School. Our team is continuously adapting and improving this design so that we can fulfill our mission of preparing all students for “competitive colleges and advanced careers.”