To fulfill their mission, all Envision schools will employ the following instructional strategies that will enable students to achieve academic and personal success and become self-motivated, competent, lifelong learners:
Rigorous and relevant college preparatory courses:Graduates from each Envision school will meet or exceed all California state standards for high school graduation, as well as requirements for entrance into UC/CSU. They will demonstrate mastery and growth through standardized testing and performance assessments. Integration of arts and technology, and powerful use of project-based learning dramatically increases relevance of the curriculum for students.
Small and personalized learning environment: All aspects of the schools reflect a personalized environment where students are well known, individual student preferences are honored, and close communication and mentoring characterize student-teacher relationships. Research shows that smaller schools allow students and teachers to develop intensive, long-term relationships that enable better conditions for teaching and learning. Each school will have no more than 420 students, and individual classes will have fewer than 25. An advisory program with a ratio of 18:1 will ensure that students have a caring adult who knows them well, communicates with their parents, and will guide student progress throughout the four years of high school.
Direct and inquiry-based instruction:Teachers will use both methods. Direct instruction strategies include lectures, explanations and demonstrations through which students acquire concepts and information, learn to take notes, ask questions, and clarify ideas. Inquiry-based instruction strategies involve asking students to define problems, pursue information, pose and test hypotheses, draw inferences for themselves, and defend their thinking.
Integrated curriculum and thematic studies: To facilitate deep learning and connections across subjects (e.g., history, literature, science, mathematics, and digital media) teachers will integrate themes and concepts in designing classes. The core curriculum for grades 9/10 and for 11/12 will be integrated.
Project-based instruction: Projects create opportunities to apply learning to complex problems as well as to develop products that require written and oral expression, extended research, analysis and synthesis of information, planning, perseverance, and organization—all skills that are needed for success in college and the world beyond. Projects also link the curriculum content with students' real world experiences, making learning relevant and valuable to their lives outside of school.
Art: Art is an essential element in students' experiences at Envision schools. All students have multiple art electives throughout their high school career, ranging from dance and drawing to filmmaking and photography. Well-crafted arts experiences produce positive academic and social effects including increased creativity, more student engagement, better attendance, higher-order thinking skills, positive school climate, and key habits of mind (e.g., persevering, self-initiation, collaboration, leadership).
Technology: All students will master fundamental technological tools and develop technological proficiency in word processing, graphic design, spreadsheets, slide presentation, web site design, and Internet research. The ratio of students to computers in each school is 2:1.
Leadership Skills: Students at the four Envision schools will develop the following leadership skills. These skills will be explicitly taught and regularly assessed through exhibitions and classroom behavior.
Communicating effectively and persuasively
Managing projects effectively
Expressing creatively
Thinking critically
Solving problems resourcefully
Collaborating productively
Assessment: Student progress will be assessed in a variety of ways including portfolios, projects, and exhibitions, as well as state-required standardized tests. Each schools' assessments will explicitly address state standards, leadership skills, and essential habits of mind. (Please see Section C. Student Performance & Assessment for more detail.)
