Curriculum
In December of 2006 the New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce released a report calling for the largest changes in the American educational system in over a century. While many of the changes they call for have been controversial, the report reflects a deeper issue that resides at the heart of America’s educational position. Groups such as the National Center on Education and the Economy, The Partnership for 21st Century skills, the Stanford Center for Innovations in Learning, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and many others are pointing to similar problems within the education system and calling for answers.
As the world transitions into a global economy and America itself continues to experience vast changes in the demographic make-up of its citizens, both from a cultural standpoint and a socio-economic standpoint, the education system needs to create changes if the nation is to produce citizens that can integrate into the new economic structures and help build the American global economic engine. In the report the New Commission put out, many factors are listed as contributing to our lack of globalized, creative students, ranging from lack of quality adult education and improper funding, to poor teacher recruitment and compensation. Beyond these factors were three influential pieces that seem to find their way into many of the different reports: the lack of ability to motivate students to take difficult courses, lack of academic rewards for innovation and creativity rather than solely for traditional, routine work, and the inequality of family incomes.
With those factors in mind, Summit Christian Academy has placed an emphasis on practical application components and hands-on interactions within the classroom program design. Student motivation is fueled by the environment the teacher provides. Our kindergarten program encourages observation, investigation, and experimentation through activities such as watching caterpillars transform into butterflies, putting on puppet shows for class, or traveling to Albertson’s to learn about what it takes to run a store.
Our first and second graders are placed in an environment based on the Integrated Thematic Instruction model. Plants and classroom pets create a home-like environment while inspiring scientific inquiry, life skills are incorporated with academic subjects to help character development become a practical application piece, and the subjects are woven together to allow students to understand the intricate interaction between knowledge areas in life.
Students in grades three, four and five are transported to the middle ages as they walk into a room that has physically been turned into a middle ages castle with the help of a set designer from Denver. Each realm is responsible for actions that build leadership, community, service, and social skills. Students develop and implement community service projects for both local and global impact. All areas of curriculum flow in one common direction to help focus students on values and success in academics.
As students enter grades 6-8, academic skills and subject areas are consistently interwoven with citizenship through community service and life application trhough a heavy emphasis on career education. Whether learning about engineering, mathematics, and athletics while touring facilities at the University of Utah, learning about geology and forest service occupations at Silver Lake, or learning about running a small business from local business owners, students get to have experience seeing professions up close. As students attach classroom assignments to “real-world” experiences, motivation increases.
This effort is paying off. In 2007-2008, The Sutherland Institute, which gives rankings for Utah schools, placed Summit Christian Academy at a rank of 13th out of 491 schools for elementary academics. Not only was this an honor based on the ranking itself, but in addition, this was given to a SCA during years where about 50% of the student population qualified for reduced lunch programming, based on the number of low income families being serviced by the school. To take the scenario one step further the school had a strong diversity advantage as well. About 40% of the student population was Hispanic, 10% African American, 15% Polynesian, and 35% Caucasian with around 33% having English as their second language. In a time when many want to point fingers at minority groups and low income families, claiming they are unable to reach the same academic levels as high income families and Caucasian students, this was a wonderful affirmation to our mission and beliefs.