Our goal of meeting the educational needs of all students includes providing programs to serve our more highly capable learners.
Parents, staff members and interested community members have emphasized the importance of such programs and have offered helpful suggestions and recommendations in this key area.
In our efforts to expand and strengthen highly capable student program offerings, the Quincy School District will be providing support during the 2009-10 school year for the implementation of The Academy program for students in 4-8th grade. The Academy's mission will embrace two goals established in the District Improvement Plan: 1) All students will show growth on state and district assessments; 2) gaps involving poverty and language barriers will be eliminated. The Academy, like every class in the district, will embrace these goals and aspire to provide a challenging and progressive education for district students.
The vision of The Academy is to engender a program that provides challenges and empowerment to student in the form of critical thinking and writing activities. Students in The Academy will help craft their education by taking risks, struggling with tough challenges, and serving their community. Problem-solving will be a part of the daily class routine as we acknowledge that a big part of life is being able to be a problem solver.
The first year of the program will have a Language Arts emphasis; serving one class section of students at each grade level. Parents, students, community members and staff are encouraged to recommend students for inclusion in The Academy.