The Architecture, Construction, Computer Science, Engineering and Robotics Academy (ACCER) is dedicated to providing a lifelong commitment to a rigorous, cohesive and integrated curriculum designed to assist our students in preparing for careers or continuing education in any of the above fields.The ACCERAcademy will retain a commitment to students to prepare them for college and/or future careers.
The ACCERAcademy will set several goals for students to accomplish including developing critical thinking skills, analyzing issues, positive and effective communication skills. Students will be able to use a scientific methodology to think, analyze, and make decisions. Students will address issues affecting them personally and globally. Our trained faculty will assist students by providing challenging and relevant curriculum and encourage parental involvement.Advisory members will also be encouraged to participate within this small learning community. Ultimately, our goals include producing successful, high-achieving students, while maintaining high student interest therefore ensuring a 100% graduation rate.
Our curriculum will integrate Academic and Career Technical education empowering students to make wise career and life choices.ACCER faculty will provide opportunity for students to acquire skills needed to adapt to technological changes and economic developments that will impact future job markets.
The broad career focus will allow students to concentrate on subjects that they are interested in and provide exposure to many career paths. The primary challenge we face as we try to implement our vision is to offer unique thematic electives that meet state standards, and match the interests of the students, and for which we have qualified personnel. ACCER will work collaboratively as a faculty to build opportunities for our parents and the community to participate in the development and implementation of our vision and help us continuously evaluate and improve our programs. We have a strong group of teachers in the core curriculum and we will research and develop electives and internships in the fields of Architecture, Construction and Computer Science, and Engineering.
2. RIGOROUS STANDARDS-BASED CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT
The ACCER academy will provide a rigorous, standards-based education for all its students with the goal of developing lifelong-learning skills and habits.Our unwavering expectation for ACCER is that it will provide a challenging, high-quality education for each student who enters.We will align course offerings to LAUSD A-G requirements, university admissions standards, and provide the support and intervention services necessary to ensure that all students pass the California High School Exit Exam and are well prepared for post-secondary education.We will align our curriculum with the California State Standards and Frameworks to help assure that all students will become proficient in meeting State content and performance standards.In addition, we strive to prepare students for future roles in architecture and construction, computer science, engineering and robotics.
All stakeholders are responsible for holding students to a standard of academic excellence.A focused learning environment is maintained by the many stakeholders, enabling each student to work toward academic excellence, career goals, and personal goals.Establishing high expectations will empower each student to overcome negative peer pressure and the traditional barriers that stifle the learning process.
All core courses within ACCER are standards-driven and planned to provide support and instruction prior to and after District Assessments.The data provided by these assessments will be used to analyze individual student needs and to drive instruction planning, personalize materials and information as much as possible. The Academy will establish and support uniform rigor in all core subjects and thematic electives. ACCER faculty will have appropriate CLAD credentials, along with professional development activities in Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English to support our ELL students. Sheltered classes will provide added support to special populations in our community. .Professional Developments will be in concert with the WASC, Single Action Plan, and SAIT action plan.It is also understood that department professional developments will be held to analyze periodic assessment data and other district initiatives as warranted.Professional Development time will be equally divided between the needs and desires of the Departments and the Small Learning Communities.
The faculty team of ACCER uses a variety of techniques to assess student achievement.Among the modalities employed to access student progress are essays, student-led oral presentations, school district periodic assessments, standardized testing such as the CAHSEE and the California Standards Tests, benchmark assignment rubrics, service learning projects, and portfolios.
Standards-based District assessments will be addressed at weekly meetings and during common planning periods. During these meetings, we will analyze the results of data from standardized tests and district assessments to modify our lessons and to fortify our curriculum.Grade level and vertical planning between all ACCER teachers creates our unique curriculum map, which will be strengthened by our team teaching and collaboration.Subjects and lessons taught at one level are enhanced and reinforced throughout the small learning community.In addition, teachers in all subject areas across the curriculum are in communication to create thematic units which incorporate all of the disciplines and career pathways.
ACCER lead teacher and counselor along with the Data coach will develop a comprehensive Student profile to facilitate student success. Data will include student classes, attendance and current eligible services and all relevant assessments from school records. Teacher collaboration with profiles directed to guiding student success will allow for useful discussions and proper academic interventions .In addition all students in ACCER will explore careers and options using Matchmaker assessment an on -line program offered by LAUSD. This will allow students to develop job-related skills and discover which areas they need strengthen to prepare themselves for careers. Included will be exploration of the Career Cruising feature to examine programs of study available at colleges, junior colleges and career schools.
The ACCER staff will discuss content and instructional strategies with the Ninth Grade House to make sure we are not re-teaching content but are instead reinforcing lessons learned in the students’ ninth grade year.This aligned path, in addition to their instructional pathway, will make the high school experience more coherent, relevant, and rigorous for all students.
The success of an SLC is based on its students’ academic performance.Much of that success hinges upon teachers collaborating to address students’ academic and behavioral needs.By embracing a common vision, teachers will create a cohesive environment that supports student achievement.Therefore, we feel that common planning time and professional development is essential to student achievement and the development of our SLC.
Computer Skills are essential for success in the modern work environment, especially in careers related to architecture, construction, engineering, computers science and robotics.Technological literacy is a key job skill that ACCER students will need; therefore, technology training and practice will be integrated into core classes as well as specialty classes.Professional Development will include regular web updates and software training for staff. We will utilize existing schoolbook purchases that have accommodations for tech training included with the purchase.
The teachers and students of ACCER have access to a wide variety of computers including Macintosh and PC’s as well as other technology and media to enhance instruction and learning.The Title I Lab provides students and teachers computer stations to access data based research sites and other instructional tools.Mobile computer carts equipped with broadband LAN and WiFi internet connectivity are also available.
Every teacher in the SLC uses an LCD projector and/or smart boards to guide instruction through power point presentations, navigating the web for research and reporting attendance electronically on ISIS.Grade reporting for every student is done electronically using Easy Grade Pro or ISIS’s electronic grade book.Lesson plans including homework are posted on GardenaHigh School’s website for student access. ACCER is in the process of creating its own website to be posted within the comprehensive site.
3. Equity and Access
All students are welcome and encouraged to join the ACCER SLC. Every student will participate in a rigorous quality curriculum that is culturally relevant and linguistically responsive to their unique learning need, thereby eliminating achievement gaps between groups of students.
ACCER will consist of approximately 700 students from grades 10-12 and include all types of learners (sheltered, gifted, etc.) of diverse backgrounds. Any and all students will be accepted into ACCER when they apply regardless if the students come from local or traveling communities.
We will highly encourage parental environment and based upon API/AYP information, we plan to use data to drive our curriculum. All students will have access to various options in their class schedule such as Advanced Placement classes.
ACCER will maintain a high standard to teach culturally relevant and linguistically responsive curriculum. Teachers will retain high expectation for students’ outcome. Any students who require intervention will be addressed accordingly and resources will be provided for such students. Above all ACCER will maintain a safe and productive environment which will promote the highest level of academia possible.
4. Personalization
ACCER will fulfill a goal of sustained and mutually respectful personal relationships where every student is well known by a group of educators who will advise and/or advocate for them and work closely with them and their families over time. The size of the SLC is appropriate to its vision and mission, generally ranging from 550-700 students.
Faculty will use techniques, such as prior knowledge, within instruction in order to personalize lessons which will incorporate their personal experience and diverse cultures. Instruction will be based upon diverse learning styles and multiple intelligences. Curriculum will be challenging for each level of learning whether the class consists of sheltered, mainstreamed, or gifted students.
ACCER will implement strategies to help freshman transition into our SLC. ACCER strategies will support all students academically, personally and socially with an emphasis to succeed. ACCER proposes to serve a population of 550-700 students based upon intensified teacher and/or adult interaction with students.
All ACCER students will have the equal opportunity to work with one or more teachers for multiple years in a caring and supportive relationship. ACCER plans to implement the following to ensure such relationships:
1. Advisory Teachers
2. Mentoring Sessions
3. Dropout Prevention Classes
Recommendation forms will be available for students requiring attention. Students may recommend themselves if they need guidance. ACCER will encourage parental involvement to act as advisors and/or role models.
ACCER will also have college and career planning guidance from teachers and/or counselors which will include preparation of a written secondary course plan and postsecondary plan. An illustration of this would be at orientation students will be asked to fill out a form stating what their goals are before and after graduation. Students will meet twice a semester to review grades, goals, and discuss options. Parents will be encouraged to help keep students on track and be made aware of their students’ goals. Counseling will be for all students regardless of level of achievement.
Faculty and staff will guide parents to become involved in their students’ education. Parental involvement will reinforce support for students’ needs. Students will also have the opportunity to extend education past the traditional instructional day. Opportunities will include (but not limited) to: tutoring programs, dual enrollment college courses, internships and after-school programs.
5.Accountability and Distributed and Leadership
Members of the SLC work together, share expertise, and exercise leadership to ensure that student achievement is the intended result of all decisions. They retain primary responsibility, appropriate autonomy, and are accountable for making decisions affecting the important aspects of the small learning community.
All members will contribute equally to the SLC allowing for each individual a personal and collective responsibility to achieve the SLC vision. Our ultimate goal will always be success for all students and each member will be inspired to help our students attain this goal. Leadership will not be assigned to one person; leadership will concurrently be individual, collective, distributive, and active. Administrators will be confident that this SLC demonstrates strong, engaged and positive leadership. The entire school staff will be aware of the vision and plan for implantation in order to assist with helping the SLC produce successful students.
Our SLC members will be trained to use data to make and present informed decisions. ACCER will use all resources available to make decisions such as internal and external school and or student data.
The ACCER SLC plan will be consistently reevaluated and revised when deemed necessary. This schedule for review will be reasonable and workable with ongoing academic duties taken into consideration. The ACCER plan will also identify when assistance may be need to implement the SLC.
6.Collaboration and Community Engagement
All members of the ACCER SLC are viewed as critical allies and are significantly included in the school community (students, teachers, support staff, parents, administrators, business, and community partners). An ongoing partnership is aimed at supporting continuous improvement of student achievement. Authentic engagement leads to sustained participation in critical school decisions and implementation of school efforts.
ACCER includes a plan to showcase how to take advantage of partnerships with community members, employers, postsecondary institutions and others necessary to implement an SLC. ACCER plans to involve community partners, employers and businesses will be involved in the development of curriculum, activities and other components to support our SLC.
Parents will be key collaborators and contributing members to the ACCER SLC. Via meetings (group and/or individual), surveys, and volunteers information will be collected from parents in order to build our SLC with involvement from all. Schedules and locations will be flexible and reasonable for partners and parents to meet and minutes will be taken for those not able to attend.
Parents will be involved in decision-making for their students including SLC choice, curriculum planning, student activities and future plans.
7.Professional Development
SmallSchool Learning Communities demonstrate implementation of central and local district training and resources. Continuous professional learning is focused on improving practices and performance as a vehicle for school improvement and program coherence. This is accomplished through collaboration, reflection, the analysis of student work and data, and a review of pedagogy. Common planning time is provided for teachers to gain in-depth knowledge of their content standards to work on lesson design review student work and performance data. Professional development is monitored and assessed regularly for effectiveness and implementation to ensure continuous school improvement.
Meetings
·ACCER plans to hold meetings on a regular basis in order to discuss students, student work and to plan and implement SLC activities
·Such meetings will be integrated in the school’s schedule of professional development accordingly
·The ACCER team will be a collaborative and public “professional community of practice”
Goals During Professional Development
·ACCER plans to use professional development to support alignment of instruction with academic standards and accountability requirements
·Professional development will also support other, site-specific school improvement
·ACCER will use student data and assessment results presented during professional development to inform instruction and to make mid-course corrections in instructional practice
·ACCER will prepare teachers, counselors, and other staff to personalize the educational experience of students
