EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

EDUCATIONAL APPROACH ECA HAS A STRONG CURRICULAR FOCUS ON LANGUAGE AND LITERACY, GIVEN THE TREMENDOUS IMPACT OF EARLY LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ON NEARLY ALL OTHER ASPECTS OF ACADEMIC GROWTH. INSTRUCTION IS BASED ON THE EARLY LEARNING STANDARDS FOR PREKINDERGARTEN AND ON THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATH COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE THREE. EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL HAS SELECTED THE APPLETREE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION INNOVATION'S EVERY CHILD READY PROGRAM AS ITS INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL FOR PRE-KINDERGARTEN AND THE HMH INTO READING, INTO MATH, AND INTO SCIENCE PROGRAMS FOR KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE THREE. SOCIAL STUDIES INSTRUCTION IS PROVIDED BASED ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS. EVERY CHILD READY IS AN EVIDENCE-BASED, COMPREHENSIVE, PRESCHOOL INSTRUCTIONAL MODEL THAT DRIVES WHAT TO TEACH, HOW TO TEACH, AND HOW TO TELL CHILDREN ARE LEARNING. EVERY CHILD READY IS CURRENTLY IMPLEMENTED IN 4 STATES OR DISTRICTS ACROSS THE U.S. APPLETREE INSTITUTE IMPLEMENTS A RESEARCH-TO-PRACTICE MODEL TO INFORM REVISIONS TO THE MODEL TO SUPPORT CHILDREN, TEACHERS AND LEADERS. HMH INTO READING INSTRUCTION IS IMPLEMENTED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE EVIDENCE-BASED SCIENCE OF READING RESEARCH. IT IS DIFFERENTIATED BY DESIGN TO OFFER LITERACY INSTRUCTION, SUPPORT TEACHERS IN DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF LEARNING AND GROWTH, AND HELP ALL LEARNERS BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF "I CAN." HMH SUPPORTS TEACHERS IN TRANSITIONING STUDENTS BEYOND EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION AND INTO SELF-ACTUALIZED LEARNING. HMH INTO MATH USES AN APPROACH FOCUSED ON A GROWTH MINDSET FOR STUDENTS AND REAL FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS TO DRIVE GROWTH FOR EACH LEARNER. HMH INTO SCIENCE DELIVERS A MANAGEABLE, STREAMLINED, ENGAGING CURRICULUM THAT COMBINES HANDS-ON LEARNING WITH ELA-BASED SCIENCE INSTRUCTION. THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 3 INCLUDE FOCUS ON "MYSELF AND MY COMMUNITY", "WORKING AND BUILDING TOGETHER", "THIS WIDE WORLD", AND "GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY, AND CULTURES OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA". THE STANDARDS PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH A PERSONAL CONNECTION TO SOCIAL STUDIES LEARNING. ASSESSMENT ECA BELIEVES THAT THE PURPOSE OF ASSESSMENT IS TO INFORM INSTRUCTION AND ASSESS STUDENT PROGRESS. THROUGH IMPLEMENTATION OF A VARIETY OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL ASSESSMENTS, TEACHERS OBTAIN USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT EACH CHILD'S KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND PROGRESS BY OBSERVING, DOCUMENTING, ANALYZING, AND REVIEWING WORK SAMPLES OVER TIME. TEACHERS AT EARLY CHILDHOOD ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL MEET IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES WEEKLY, TO ANALYZE DATA AND USE IT TO INFORM INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING. BASELINE AND BENCHMARK FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR PREKINDERGARTEN INCLUDE THE EVERY CHILD READY ASSESSMENT PROVIDED BY THE APPLETREE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION INNOVATION. PREKINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENTS ARE ALSO EVALUATED USING THE CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT SCORING SYSTEM (CLASS). FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE THREE STUDENTS ARE ADMINISTERED USING THE NORTHWEST EVALUATION ASSOCIATION MEASURES OF ACADEMIC PROGRESS (NWEA MAP) AND THE DYNAMIC INDICATORS OF BASIC EARLY LITERACY SKILLS (DIBELS). IN THE SPRING, THIRD GRADE STUDENTS ALSO COMPLETE THE DC COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENTS OF PROGRESS IN EDUCATION (CAPE), WHICH IS THE REQUIRED STATEWIDE ASSESSMENT. DATA FROM THESE ASSESSMENTS INFORM PLANNING AND INSTRUCTION FOR ALL STUDENTS AND SERVE AS A CRITICAL PART OF THE SCHOOL'S EVALUATION OF ITS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. DISCIPLINE ECA SEEKS TO CREATE AND MAINTAIN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT THAT IS NURTURING, CHILD-CENTERED, AND CULTURALLY SENSITIVE THROUGH THE USE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL LEARNING (DC SEL). THE DC SEL INCLUDES ESSENTIAL SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, INCLUDING HOW TO MANAGE EMOTIONS, ACHIEVE GOALS, MAINTAIN SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKE RESPONSIBLE AND CARING DECISIONS. DC SEL PROVIDES TEACHERS WITH STRATEGIES THAT ENABLE THEM TO DE-ESCALATE SITUATIONS IN WHICH STUDENTS ARE HAVING CONFLICTS AND TO APPROPRIATELY ADDRESS STUDENTS IN CRISIS. DC SEL SUPPORTS TEACHERS IN PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH A NURTURING ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH THEY ARE TAUGHT TO USE WORDS RATHER THAN ACTIONS TO EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS AND TO UNDERSTAND RULES AND LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES. ECA DOES NOT BELIEVE IN OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS AND IMPOSES THEM ONLY IN RARE SITUATIONS OF EGREGIOUS STUDENT BEHAVIOR. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ECA BELIEVES THAT HIGH-QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ONGOING FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT FROM ADMINISTRATORS AND EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONALS PROVIDE TEACHERS WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS NEEDED TO PROMOTE CHILDREN'S LEARNING. THEREFORE, EACH YEAR, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PRINCIPAL, LITERACY SPECIALIST, AND COACHES DEVELOP A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR BASED ON THE ASSESSED NEEDS AND EXPLICIT FEEDBACK OF TEACHERS. THE PLAN ARTICULATES GOALS, ACTIVITIES, RESOURCES, AND EVIDENCE OF SUCCESS. EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELDS ARE CONTRACTED TO SUPPORT HIGH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN ELA AND MATH. THIS YEAR, ECA IS RECEIVING CONTRACTED COACHING SUPPORT FROM APPLETREE INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION INNOVATION AND ONGOING TRAINING ON THE SCIENCE OF READING WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL'S LITERACY COACH AND RESOURCES PROVIDED BY THE OFFICE OF THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION. PARENT INVOLVEMENT ECA IS DEDICATED TO ENCOURAGING STRONG AND CONSISTENT PARENT INVOLVEMENT IN ALL ASPECTS OF THE STUDENTS' EDUCATIONAL, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. ORIENTATION MEETINGS ARE HELD EACH SUMMER, DURING WHICH PARENTS RECEIVE PARENT HANDBOOKS AND SIGN A "SCHOOL-PARENT COMPACT" OUTLINING THEIR RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE TEACHING/LEARNING PROCESS. PARENT COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING WRITTEN PROGRESS REPORTS AND INDIVIDUAL PARENT MEETINGS ARE HELD AT LEAST QUARTERLY TO DISCUSS EACH STUDENT'S GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND PLAN FOR CONTINUED LEARNING. PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS MEET WITH THE SCHOOL MULTI-DISCIPLINARY TEAM REGULARLY TO UPDATE IEP GOALS, DETERMINE THE IMPACT OF SERVICES PROVIDED, AND ASSESS THE APPROPRIATENESS OF EACH STUDENT'S INDIVIDUALIZED PLAN. A NUMBER OF PLATFORMS ARE UTILIZED, INCLUDING THE SCHOOL'S WEBSITE, CLASS DOJO, LED DISPLAY ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS, ROBOTEXTS, AND THE SCHOOL'S SOCIAL MEDIA SITES, TO ENSURE THAT PARENTS ARE INFORMED OF PERTINENT SCHOOL INFORMATION. ALL PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE SCHOOL'S PARENT ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE AND SCHOOLWIDE PLANNING COMMITTEE, WHICH MEET QUARTERLY TO PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ON THE USE OF FEDERAL FUNDING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF ACADEMIC RESOURCES AND PROGRAMS.