• Knowledge and academic skills necessary for success in college and career
• Habits and skills associated with academic excellance , innovation, creative expression, problem solving and entrepreneurship
• Mastery of leadership, artistic and technological skills

Based on a nationally recognized and award winning model for secondary education, Envision Academy will open in the fall of 2006. It is the fourth Bay Area school opened by Envision Schools,  a nonprofit corporation that develops and sustains small, innovative and high-performing public high schools serving diverse student bodies. Envision Schools is one of two charter school management organizations in the country to be funded directly by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.      

Envision Academy will have a rigorous academic curriculum that will use art and technology to engage students in their learning. As an Envision School, Envision Academy will be dedicated to helping students achieve personal and academic success by using proven best practices for teaching and learning. In 2004, the George Lucas Education Foundation recognized Envisions' curriculum as an example of a "national best practice" and featured it on the Foundation's web site.

Envision Academy graduates will master:

·         Knowledge and academic skills necessary for success in college and the workforce

·         Habits and skills associated with academic excellence, innovation, creative expression, problem solving, and entrepreneurship

·         Leadership skills

Envision Academy will employ the following Best Practices to ensure student success:

Explicit Student Results

Envision Academy is about results for its students.  Faculty will measure student performance against California's academic standards frequently, using portfolios, projects, and class work, as well as standardized tests.  Students will graduate when they have demonstrated mastery in each of the targeted results. In addition, graduates will meet or exceed UC/CSU requirements for admission.

Rigorous and Relevant Curriculm
Along with academic content and mastery of state standards, Envision Academy's courses of study will incorporate the development of artistic, technological, and leadership skills, such as critical thinking, written and oral communication, problem solving, and teamwork. Learning will be contextual, active, and authentic. Core activities will be integrated and interdisciplinary. Project-based work and field studies, along with traditional academic work, will be the norm.

Personalized Learning

Envision Academy will be small, with 125 students per grade and a maximum enrollment of less than 500 students. The student-teacher ratio will be less than 25-1. The school will provide a highly personalized environment, where each student is well known, individual student abilities are honored, and close communication and mentoring characterize the student-teacher relationship. Teachers will remain with students for a period of two years and each student will work closely with an advisor for the entire four years of high school.

Integration of Technology

Envision Academy will thoroughly integrate technology into the curriculum, using it as a tool for creativity, innovation, and communication rather than as a stand-alone skill. All students will master the fundamentals of technology and learn to use the daily tools of the workplace. Advanced students will work according to industry standards in areas of engineering design, digital arts, environmental science, and media and communication.

Art as the Fourth "R" 

In a world that increasingly relies on design and creativity as a basis for success in nearly every profession, art is no longer a luxury or elective. All students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency in a field of art of their choice, such as music, painting and drawing, or computer design. Teachers will use creative and artistic methods in presenting all subjects.