DIGITAL PIONEERS ACADEMY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL

EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2018, DIGITAL PIONEERS ACADEMY (DPA) ENTERED INTO A FIFTEEN-YEAR CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD (PCSB). IN 2022-2023, DPA UNDERWENT ITS FIVE-YEAR CHARTER REVIEW WITH THE PCSB. IN 2023-24, DPA SERVED 599 6TH - 11TH GRADERS, DPA IS A COLLEGE PREPARATORY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL THAT WILL ULTIMATELY SERVE 6TH - 12TH GRADE STUDENTS FROM WARD 7 AND 8 IN WASHINGTON, DC. WHILE ADDING ONE GRADE PER YEAR, DPA PROVIDES A UNIQUE, PERSONALIZED EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE THAT INTEGRATES BEST PRACTICES FROM SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, PREPARING STUDENTS TO BE INNOVATORS AND ACTIVE CITIZENS IN OUR TECHNOLOGY-DRIVEN WORLD. THE FIRST CLASS OF STUDENTS WILL GRADUATE IN JUNE 2025. DPA'S LEARNING MODEL LEVERAGES A CURRICULUM BUILT AROUND TRADITIONAL SUBJECTS WITH THE CRITICAL INCLUSION OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AS A CORE CONTENT AREA. THROUGH CORE CLASSES AND PERSONALIZED, PROJECT-BASED WORK, STUDENTS WILL DEVELOP COMPUTATIONAL THINKING SKILLS, A SET OF CAPABILITIES THAT CAN BE FLEXIBLY APPLIED TO SUCCEED IN A FOUR-YEAR COLLEGE AND IN A VARIETY OF FIELDS. IN ADDITION TO RIGOROUS ACADEMICS, DPA'S INNOVATIVE APPROACH FOCUSES ON CHARACTER BUILDING, DIVERSE ATHLETIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR EXPERIENCES, AND DEVELOPING THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL CAPACITIES OF STUDENTS. COMPUTER SCIENCE IS NOT JUST ABOUT TEACHING STUDENTS TO CODE. AS THE FOUNDATION FOR ALL COMPUTING, COMPUTER SCIENCE IS DEFINED AS "THE STUDY OF COMPUTERS AND ALGORITHMIC PROCESSES, INCLUDING THEIR PRINCIPLES, THEIR HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE DESIGNS, THEIR APPLICATIONS, AND THEIR IMPACT ON SOCIETY." THROUGH HELPING STUDENTS UNDERSTAND WHY AND HOW COMPUTERS WORK, COMPUTER SCIENCE PROVIDES THE BASIS FOR A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF COMPUTER USE AND THE RELEVANT RIGHTS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND APPLICATIONS. COMPUTER SCIENCE BUILDS ON COMPUTER LITERACY, EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY, DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY.