The atmosphere and daily experience within a school are
essential to achievement. EdisonLearning schools empower students
to shape the culture of their school and the quality of their
experience; to recognize and develop their unique personal
strengths; to see themselves as valuable contributing members of
their communities; and to strive for and attain high levels of
success.
Organizing schools for the success of every student
Even with very large student populations, the EdisonLearning™
organizational model delivers a small-school experience through our
unique House and Academy structure. Our students are organized
first by academy: Primary Academy for grades K-2, Elementary
Academy for grades 3-5, Junior Academy for grades 6-8, Senior
Academy for grades 9-10, and Collegiate Academy for grades 11-12.
Academies are distinct programmatically and organizationally.
Students are further grouped into “houses” of 100-180 students,
which are the basic units of student and teacher organization. Each
house is taught by a team of teachers who support one another on
behalf of the students in their house. This organization ensures
that students are supported by adults they know well and who know
them well.
A school culture anchored by core values
EdisonLearning’s Eight Core Values – Wisdom, Justice, Courage,
Compassion, Hope, Respect, Responsibility, and Integrity – are the
foundation of the school learning environment and provide the
framework for our character education program, which is an integral
part of supporting and developing lifelong learners and
contributing members of our society.
Structures that support student success: “Our Meeting”
EdisonLearning’s traditional daily class meeting – “Our Meeting”
– is a time dedicated, to building relationships between teacher
and students and among students themselves, and to instilling more
deeply the EdisonLearning Core Values. Guided by a structured
curriculum, Our Meeting helps set the tone for respectful learning
and establishes a climate of trust.
Family and Student Support Team
Each EdisonLearning partner school also has a formal model of
student support, the Family and Student Support Team. The team
operates in close connection with the school’s house team to
identify early students who need additional support, ensuring that
any issue that might affect a student’s performance gets noticed
and responded to immediately.
Student Learning Contracts and Conferences: A shared
commitment
The Student Learning Contract is an essential element, serving
two important purposes: first, it summarizes the progress that each
student is making relative to state academic standards; and second,
it formalizes the commitment that the student, family, and teacher
make to improve progress over the coming quarter.
This document, which requires the signatures of all three
parties, identifies a particular achievement-related goal for the
coming quarter and sets forth a specific plan for how the student,
teacher, and parent or guardian will support that goal.
Communication is further enhanced through regular Student
Conferences that involve parents, teachers and students.