This October, 5 of the 9 schools that have been awarded the PACSP Grant will present at the 2023 Annual Conference of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools. The conference takes place Tuesday October 3 through Thursday October 5 at the Wyndham Lancaster Resort. Here's a list of the sessions presented by PACSP Grant recipient schools:
Igniting the Imagination of Black Boys Through STEAM Education and Culture Literacy For All Making the Phrase All Students Mean ALL and Developing Students for Life
Moving Your Charter School to Model School Status: Developing and Implementing a Successful Schoolwide PBIS Model with Fidelity The Secret Sauce
Igniting the Imagination of Black Boys Through STEAM Education and Culture
African American males are at the bottom of every academic stat. The founders of LIFE Male STEAM Academy believe that accomplishing high levels of academic achievement for underrepresented males is both possible and necessary.
We believe a STEAM-focused curriculum equips scholars with the academic skills needed to compete globally in the 21st century workforce. A STEAM-focused curriculum addresses the critical need to educate scholars from underrepresented groups on how to use technology creatively and critical thinking skills to solve real world problems.
Young men respond consistently and favorably to school environments that promote a culture of high expectations, while implementing curriculum and instruction that result in high levels of academic engagement. We achieve this goal using a STEAM-focused curriculum and by promoting a culture of high expectations for all scholars.
Presented by leaders from LIFE Male STEAM Academy, a recipient of the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program Grant.
Literacy For All
Whether a student has dyslexia, or reads in a hyper-lexic manner, literacy is a civil right and evidence based practices are required. This session will provide a high level overview of screening and assessing students for at risk literacy deficits, as well as provide practical "must do's" for teachers to allow students to be successful accessing general education material. Specific assistive technology and study skill recommendations will be discussed.
Presented by leaders from Provident Charter School West, a recipient of the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant.
Making the Phrase All Students Mean ALL and Developing Students for Life
Pursuing Instructional Equity
Differentiating and customizing instruction to meet the needs of all learners can be an evasive target. Teachers have long been encouraged to treat students differently from one another and to move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to teaching lessons. However, teachers must be shown how. Instructional systems that support the needs of students who require learning gaps to be filled while simultaneously enriching the learning experience for students who reach standards mastery earlier than others during a unit of study allows for effective differentiation. We are excited to share an instructional approach that includes aligning learning targets to the four levels of Marzano’s taxonomy so that students can travel through a systematic learning progression during every unit and students can be flexibly grouped to adjust to their individual needs. While creating and utilizing monitoring tools, teachers and students track students’ learning progression and instruction is driven by student data collected within units and individual lessons. All students in a single classroom can work to demonstrate mastery of learning targets that sit on varying levels of Marzano’s taxonomy and can be provided the differentiated that they require to eventually reach the level of student achievement called for by the standard and beyond.
Developing Students for Life
The most effective student disciplinary systems are designed to move beyond consequences with a commitment to changing students’ behavioral choices for the better. We learned from Dr. William Glasser’s research on, “Choice Theory,” that we can guide students to reflect and learn from mistakes and to revise their thinking when confronted with similar circumstances a second time that led to negative behavior choices. We’ve also learned that applying a restorative approach to discipline helps students to become more culturally competent and socially and emotionally mature as empathy is developed. We are excited to share how our school not only designed our student disciplinary system around best practices but also designed a proactive system that includes a social emotional curriculum that all students receive and the addition to a social emotional coach whose sole responsibility is supporting students with social emotional needs in the moment as well as providing small-group and individual counseling sessions to promote social emotional growth in students who need it most.
Presented by leaders from Midland Innovation & Technology Charter School, a recipient of the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant.
Moving Your Charter School to Model School Status: Developing and Implementing a Successful Schoolwide PBIS Model with Fidelity
Join us to learn about Positive Behavior Interventions and Multi Tiered Systems of Support, how to structure and implement these tiers from the ground up, how to sustain building wide buy in, and how to incorporate game changing supports to meet the needs of all students.
Creating a successful and supportive SWPBIS program in your school will create a positive community that stretches beyond the school walls. Participants will reflect on best practices to improve social, emotional, and academic outcomes for all students and discover organizational techniques for data collection, collaboration and implementation, moving your school towards SWPBIS Model School status.
Presented by leaders from Seven Generations Charter School, a recipient of the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant.
The Secret Sauce
Discover the "Secret Sauce" to school culture and understand how the Pennsylvania Steam Academy of Harrisburg PA, and the Hyde School of Bath Maine have partnered to share ideas and build innovative, culture changing schools.
Pennsylvania STEAM Academy is a recipient of the Pennsylvania Charter Schools Program (PACSP) Grant.