P R O G R a M O F S T U D I
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PROGRAM OF STUDIES 2020-2021 Dear Families, Rising Tide Charter Public School (Rising Tide) offers a choice in public education to families. While Rising Tide has many components that families would expect in a middle and high school, there are also many unique aspects to the program at Rising Tide. Our school culture is centered around trust, honesty, respect and responsibility; our staff and students work together to create an environment that is safe physically, emotionally, and intellectually. Our teachers are devoted to creating the best education possible for all children, including those who have excelled in school as well as children who have struggled in school. At Rising Tide, the adults work hard to know each child. In such an environment, we are able to focus our attention on teaching and learning, where students can develop the self-confidence to take risks, ask questions, and work to find solutions. Central to the identity of our school program is our approach to teaching and learning. At Rising Tide, we use an inquiry and skills-based approach, for both personal and academic growth. The inquiry and skills-based approach is used to support personal growth by encouraging students to reflect, take ownership for their actions, and build skills to resolve conflicts. Questioning is at the heart of the inquiry and skills-based approach. When a challenging social or disciplinary issue arises with a student, the adult takes time to listen to and question the student about the situation. In this way, the student is given an opportunity to reflect upon the situation and is supported in the process of understanding and resolving the issue. Student mistakes are treated as teachable moments from which students may learn and grow. In a social or disciplinary setting, this approach encourages students to take responsibility, advocate for themselves, and develop an awareness of themselves and others. The inquiry and skills-based approach is used to support academic growth by encouraging students to think critically and ask questions. Teaching and learning at Rising Tide is approached as a process of exploration rather than a reporting of information and memorization of facts. In an inquiry and skills- based classroom, teachers and students engage in meaningful questions and discussions, collect and analyze information, draw conclusions, and communicate an understanding of the material. The inquiry and skills-based approach is not limited to project-based learning; the approach may be used in posing challenges where direct skill instruction is taking place, such as working with a piece of literature, a mathematical pattern, or a scientific problem. In this academic environment, a teacher acts as a facilitator for student learning, encouraging and leading the questioning, listening and directing student discovery, and constructively critiquing for better understanding or development of skills. At Rising Tide, each student is acknowledged as a critical thinker who brings valuable prior knowledge and experiences to the classroom. Students are expected to be active learners, and teachers are expected to help students build skills as well as navigate and make sense of the world. This Program of Studies provides an overview of the program at Rising Tide program. If you have questions, feel free to visit our school website, come to an informational Open House session, or call to schedule a tour. Sincerely, Michael O’Keefe Head of School TABLE OF CONTENTS Hybrid Model ....................................................................................................... 2 Curriculum Overview .............................................................................................. 3 Mission and Goals .................................................................................................. 4 Schoolwide Objectives, Benchmark Skills, and Guiding Questions ......................................... 4 Middle School Program ............................................................................................ 9 Upper School Program and Graduation Requirements ..................................................... 10 Academic Disciplines: Guiding Statements, Essential Questions, and Course Descriptions The Arts: Dance, Music, Theater, Visual Art ........................................................... 11 English ...................................................................................................... 19 Mathematics and Computer Science ................................................................... 22 Physical Education ........................................................................................ 27 Science ...................................................................................................... 29 Social Studies .............................................................................................. 33 World Languages: Classics, Modern World Languages ............................................... 38 Elective Courses Middle School Discover ................................................................................... 43 Middle School Exposition ................................................................................. 54 Upper School Electives ................................................................................... 62 Advisory Curriculum ............................................................................................. 79 Schoolwide Objectives and Benchmark Skills References ................................................. 80 Sources ............................................................................................................ 82 1 HYBRID MODEL Program Adjustments for the 2020-2021 School Year Due to the Covid-19 safety guidelines, Rising Tide began this year in a hybrid model. Students are assigned to one of four cohorts: Cohort A, Cohort B, Cohort 4-Day, or Cohort Fully Remote. Students in Cohort A access in-person learning on Mondays and Tuesdays, and students in Cohort B access in-person learning on Thursdays and Fridays. Some students access in-person learning four days a week, based on need, and other students elect to be fully remote. All students in the hybrid model access their courses at the scheduled time, no matter the setting. Teachers provide synchronous instruction to all students, whether they are at home on Google Meet or in person, for the opening of each class. After the opening of class, teachers may continue to provide live instruction to all students, or they may assign asynchronous assignments to the students at home. All teachers at Rising Tide have access to a variety of technology tools: GSuite Enterprise for Education, Kami, PearDeck Premium, Formative, Flipgrid, EdPuzzle Pro, Screencastify Unlimited, Parlay Ideas, and Brainpop. All students have access to a device and internet. MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM Courses Middle School students’ program of core courses remains the same. The schedule operates on a five day, fixed schedule. Core classes meet for 50 minutes, four days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday). On the days when core classes meet, students have Advisory check-ins twice per day and Academic Support each day for 30 minutes. Elective Period In the hybrid model, many elements of the elective period are changed or implemented differently. Advisory Curriculum and Skills Workshop occur on Wednesdays, fully remotely. In place of Discover and Expo, students utilize adaptive programming geared toward addressing lost learning time in numeracy and literacy. UPPER SCHOOL PROGRAM Courses Upper School students’ program of core courses remains the same. The schedule operates on a five day, fixed schedule, with four 85 minute periods per day occurring four days per week (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday). Courses meet twice a week, and students’ total course load is unchanged. On the days when core courses meet, students have a morning Advisory check-in and a half hour Academic Support block each day. Wednesday programming includes two sessions during which students utilize adaptive programs to develop literacy and numeracy skills and one Advisory Curriculum session led by school staff in the areas of Community Building, Future Planning, and ellness.W Graduation Requirements Graduation requirements and the program of core courses remain the same. Elective Block The elements of the Elective Block remain the same. Fitness class is being conducted fully remotely. The Senior Internship Course has been deferred to the spring semester. 2 CURRICULUM AT RISING TIDE CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOL At Rising Tide, the faculty designs the curriculum. Teachers work together with Curriculum Coordinators and School Leaders to develop courses that reflect our school’s philosophy, explore the central questions and ideas in each discipline, and align with state requirements. The curriculum at Rising Tide is guided by our Mission and Goals and by the four Schoolwide Objectives listed on the following page. By the time each student graduates from Rising Tide, he or she should feel confident in his or her ability to be an effective Communicator, Investigator, Self-Directed Learner, and Community Steward. Teachers use these Schoolwide Objectives to set expectations, design teaching and learning activities, and assess student progress in all school-related activities. The Schoolwide Objectives and Benchmark Skills remain the same across grades levels; however, as students move into higher grade levels, they are expected