Massachusetts Charter Public Schools: Best Practices in Curricular Innovation. White Paper No. 141

Autor/in	Candal, Cara Stillings
Institution	Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research, Center for School Reform
Titel	Massachusetts Charter Public Schools: Best Practices in Curricular Innovation. White Paper No. 141
Quelle	(2016), (22 Seiten) PDF als Volltext kostenfreie Datei Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Monographie
Schlagwörter	Charter Schools; State Legislation; Educational Innovation; Teaching Methods; Public Schools; Traditional Schools; Educational Quality; Elementary Schools; Middle Schools; High Schools; Honors Curriculum; Science Instruction; Mathematics Instruction; Curriculum Development; Alignment (Education); Massachusetts + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Charter school; Charter-Schule; Landesrecht; Instructional innovation; Bildungsinnovation; Teaching method; Lehrmethode; Unterrichtsmethode; Public school; Öffentliche Schule; Traditioneller Unterricht; Quality of education; Bildungsqualität; Elementary school; Grundschule; Volksschule; Middle school; Mittelschule; Mittelstufenschule; High school; Oberschule; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht; Mathematics lessons; Mathematikunterricht; Curriculum; Development; Curriculumentwicklung; Lehrplan; Entwicklung; Master-Studiengang
Abstract	The ongoing push to raise or eliminate the charter school cap in Massachusetts provides an opportunity to reflect upon the purpose of charter schools. When the legislature created the Commonwealth's charter school law, as a part of the 1993 Massachusetts Education Reform Act (MERA), it clearly stated a main reason for these new schools was innovation. Charters were expected to provide new curricular and pedagogical options and even experiment with existing school structures, such as grade configurations and the length of the school day and year. This paper highlights two Massachusetts charter schools that offer curricular opportunities rarely available in other public schools in Massachusetts. Both of these schools enable students to achieve exceptional results in comparison to their peers in traditional district schools. The Mystic Valley Regional Charter School (MVRCS) consistently ranks among the best schools in Massachusetts and the country. It offers two distinct but complementary curricula--the Core Knowledge Curriculum at the elementary and middle school levels and the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum at the high school level. At the Advanced Math and Science Academy (AMSA) in Marlborough, MA science and math are the "driving forces" behind much of the curricular content, but students are exposed to holistic and rigorous content in all subject areas. The curriculum is horizontally and vertically aligned and follows a logical, chronological sequence of content from grade to grade, enabling students to make intellectual connections not just within but also among and between content areas. In the current policy environment, understanding some of the important innovations that charter schools offer to students and families can productively inform the debate. The schools profiled in this white paper are providing high caliber educational opportunities and interesting curricular options to students and families in the communities that they serve. (ERIC).
Anmerkungen	Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research. 185 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA 02110. Tel: 617-723-2277; Web site: http://www.pioneerinstitute.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2020/1/01