Academy for Character Education The door to building strong character in your children's lives

1. Ctrl-L Full Screen Academy for Character Education The door to building strong character in your children's lives

2. Character

3. Home-Linked

4. Personalized

5. Classical

6. Join us for this overview of our K-12 charter school featuring unique & time-tested components

7. What are Charter Schools? Charter schools are innovative public schools providing choices for families and greater accountability for results.

8. “Charter schools provide many children with a first-class education, and they have gained national recognition for their accountability standards, innovative programs, and success with young people. The high expectations they set and the opportunities for development they create help students attending charter schools realize their potential and achieve their dreams.“Quote by the President of the United States of America, George W. Bush during National Charter Schools week 2003.http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/04/20030425-2.html

9. What makes a quality education? • Upscale school buildings? • Computers & technology? • Top-notch sports program? • Latest educational theory? • Career training?

10. We believe we have the answer! • The 4 pillars of ACE Learning: Character • Classical • Personalized • Home-Linked

11. #1 – Character Emphasis Character education is ACE's priority. Because inner character drives all areas of a person's life, a student who is trained to focus on motives rather than outward actions will consequently perform at his/her highest ability level. Regular attendance, superior scholastic achievement, polite classroom behavior, courteous treatment of peers, and good citizenship will all result from helping pupils to understand, form, and practice core ethical values.

12. #1 – Character Emphasis “Clearly achievement is no accident. It takes personal responsibility, self-discipline, initiative, perseverance, organization, effort, problem solving, and cooperation.” [Taylor,Ella. ODE Evaluation Reports: Character Education Partnership Grant. Western OR U, 2004. p.1]

13. #1 – Character Emphasis ACE students will be part of a school culture where character is modeled, taught, expected, celebrated, and practiced daily.

14. #1 – Character Emphasis During the 2004-2005 school year, a group of Lane County home-school parents were surveyed to determine which character traits they considered critical for their children’s success. Ace’s 4 year character program reflects those survey results.

15. #1 – Character Emphasis

16. #1 – Character Emphasis The following 3 slides are a sampling of our Character Assembly covering a monthly character trait

17. Character Assembly This Month’s Character Trait is: Determination

18. Character Assembly Purposing to accomplish the right goals at the right time, regardless of the opposition Definition

19. Character Assembly Determination • I will set goals • I will make sure my goals are right • I will ignore distractions • I will not be discouraged by others • I will face problems head-on I Wills:

20. #1 – Character Emphasis ACE’s character education includes: Weekly instruction from Character First curriculum incorporating object lessons & examples from literature & history.

21. #1 – Character Emphasis Memorization of monthly trait’s definition & distinguishing points

22. #1 – Character Emphasis Literature, history, composition assignments linked to monthly character trait

23. #1 – Character Emphasis Opportunities for student presentations highlighting student’s own character development

24. #1 – Character Emphasis ACE funded, year-end projects founded on character trait of student’s choosing

25. #2 – Home Linked Research on parents as partners in education concluded that evidence is consistent, positive, and convincing: families have a major influence on their children’s achievement in school and through life. When schools, families, and community groups work together to support learning, children tend to earn higher grades, perform better on tests, enroll in higher level programs, pass their classes, earn necessary credits, attend school regularly, and graduate to go onto post-secondary education. [Henderson, Anne. T. & Mapp, Karen L. A New Wave of Evidence: The Impact of School, Family and Community Connections on Student Achievement. 2002. p.7]

26. #2 – Home Linked • How will parents team up with ACE? • Mentoring for families new to the concept of home education. • Student’s parent/family collaborate with an ACE Academic Dean to set student’s Academic Instructional Marks (AIMS) • To reach AIMS, students attend 3 to 7 hours of weekly group classes, 1-2 hours per week of ACE provided in-home tutoring, & then w/ family assistance complete their assignments. • ACE sponsored family & teacher in-service classes covering wide range of topics.

27. #2 – Home Linked ACE provides families with curriculum, guided placement, accountability, & opportunities for appropriate & supervised socialization

28. #3 – Personalized Placement • During AIM meetings, parents & ACE staff will view placement assessments & determine appropriate level & rate for each student in language arts & math • Although group classes are generally divided by grade level (Grammar Stage = 1st – 4th; Logic Stage = 5th – 8th; & Rhetoric Stage = 9th – 12th), parents may request alternative placement to accommodate student’s particular needs

29. #3 – Personalized Placement During AIM (Academic Instructional Marks) meetings, all students in grades one through twelve and their parents/families will be encouraged to discuss the student’s interests, talents, and dreams for the future. Subsequently, staff will present specific suggestions to the parent/family and student about possible enrichment opportunities to develop these areas.

30. #4 – Integrated Classical Curriculum What is a Classical Education? This instructional system was born in ancient Greece and Rome, spread throughout Europe during Medieval times, and by the 16th century was the accepted method of scholastic training throughout the Western world. The majority of the philosophers, scientists, and leaders, including America's founding fathers, were educated under this system of learning.

31. #4 – Integrated Classical Curriculum ACE will employ an interdisciplinary classical curriculum of instruction. The classical method is a language and history intensive approach to learning that employs a three part process of training the mind known as the trivium -- grammar stage, logic stage, and rhetoric stage.

32. #4 – Integrated Classical Curriculum Classical training matches technique and subject matter to a child’s developmental phases.

33. Grammar Stage The “Grammar Stage” (grades 1 through 4), the building blocks, or grammar, of each subject is taught. The mind is ready to absorb information, thus students will memorize basic facts: rules of phonics and spelling, rules of grammar, mathematics facts, states and capitals, systems of the human body, presidents, famous poems, etc.

34. Logic Stage By fifth grade, students begin to think abstractly and analytically; they are less interested in learning facts preferring rather to ask “why?” Cause and effect, the relationships among different fields of knowledge, and the formal study of logic comprise the “logic stage” (grades 5 through 8) of the classical approach.

35. Rhetoric Stage The final phase of a classical education, the “rhetoric stage” (grades 9 through 12), is the culmination of the first two. Students learn to write and speak with force and originality drawing from their knowledge of the facts and the analysis techniques previously mastered.

36. Cross-Curricular Research findings assert the following: “cross-curricular studies help students apply skills, lead to faster retrieval of information and a unified knowledge base, encourage depth and breadth in learning, promote positive attitudes in students, and provide more quality time for curriculum exploration.” [Lipson, M.; Valencia, S.; & Peters, C. “Integration and Thematic Teaching: Integration to Improve Teaching and Learning”Language Arts 70/4. 1993. pp.252-264]

37. Cross-Curricular Using history as the framework, ACE will present the humanities in a cross-curricular manner enabling students’ minds to more easily store and retrieve facts and ideas.

38. Sampling of our 4-Year Rotating Schedule

39. Various multi-sensory instructional materials will be utilized.

40. “For the sole true end of education is simply this: to teach [students] how to learn for themselves; and whatever instruction fails to do this is effort spent in vain”. - Dorothy Sayers, The Lost Tools of Learning

41. There are two types of ACE students, Full-time and Part-time For those students ACE will provide: * Weekly group classes covering history, geography, art & music appreciation, crafts, science, literature, composition, vocabulary, & logic (FT) * In-home tutoring in math & homework help (FT & PT) * Student account to finance mentoring opportunities (FT & PT) * Books & supplies (FT & PT) * Educational field trips (FT & PT) *Resource Room (Priority Status) (FT) Check out our Enrollment Placement Diagram for more information on placement http://AceClassicalEd.org/forms/enrollmentplacementchart.pdf

42. Depending on his/her enrollment status & grade level, each student has a designated monetary amount in his enrichment account. This money is to finance classes or tutoring for that student in his areas of interest. Studying a foreign language, learning to swim or quilt, taking art classes or music lessons, attending basketball camp are examples of acceptable uses of a student’s account. All mentors operate as independent contractors and must agree to be fingerprinted & background checked &, in some cases, pass the Work Keys test. In addition to the financed activity, students will also complete related home assignments. How does the student account work?

43. How much time must a student invest in subjects paid for from his account?The Mentorship Handbook isa great place to start learning about ourMentorship program. Check out our website for further information.www.AceClassicalEd.orghttp://AceClassicalEd.org/forms/mentorshiphandbook.pdf

44. Full-time students: High school students:- $1,000 Grades 1-8: $800 Kindergarten: $500 Part-time students: All grades: $500 What are the monetary amounts available in student enrichment accounts?

45. ACE has rented space from the Cottage Grove Church of Christ located at 195 N. 6th (6th & Gibbs). Where does ACE hold classes one day each week?

46. In such situations, ACE will explain to you how to set up a group class but will not provide an instructor. What if I want to have group classes in my own home rather than at the ACE site?

47. If the parent of a full time student wishes to take an exemption for a required subject substituting curriculum of their choice, the parent simply completesACE’s Request for Exemption of State/District Required Program of Studyform & meets with staff to verify content. Although ACE cannot provide instruction using religious materials, ACE parents may instruct their own students using the materials of their choice. What about curriculum exemptions?

48. Highly Qualified certified & registered teachers along with parents & community members who have passed the Work Keys test as directed by ACE & been fingerprinted & background checked. If you would like to teach for ACE, please complete our Instructor Information form. We encourage parents to work with us as homeschool family members generally have the unique & personal teaching style favored by our students. Who teaches for ACE?

49. May ACE students participate in sports in their home district? The South Lane School District welcomes participation in its sports program from its resident charter school students. Part-time ACE students who are registered homeschoolers may participate in their home district’s sports program as long as they test annually & score at or above the 23rd percentile. ACE full-time students who reside in other districts must request permission from the school district in which they reside in order to participate in the sports program.

50. Who governs ACE? As a non-profit corporation, ACE is run by a board of between five or seven persons. Parents whose children are enrolled in ACE nominate individuals to serve on this board. Employees may not serve on the board, but independent contractors can.