The Da Vinci Instructional Program

 

The mission of the Da Vinci Charter Academy is to prepare students in grades seven through twelve to excel in the information-based, technologically-advanced society of the 21st century. The combination of Project Based Learning (PBL), student collaboration, technology, and Common Core Standards-based curriculum, which is built upon the foundation of college and career readiness, is a highly productive way for students to be engaged with school and become prepared for a multitude of post-secondary career and educational opportunities. This dynamic is best achieved under the following conditions:

  • When the High School Campus school is limited to an enrollment of 400 students and the Junior High Campus is limited to an enrollment of 300 students;
  • When the English and Social Studies curriculum are integrated and opportunities for cross-curricular instruction are maximized;
  • When current technology is used as an integral tool in the learning process;
  • When students work in small teams on authentic projects;
  • When strategies are employed to encourage students to become life-long learners as well as responsible, competent, and self-motivated citizens with a strong sense of community.

DVCA encourages students to learn through collaboration and partnerships with family, businesses, and the community. The goal of the DVCA educational program is to produce an educated person in the 21st century who is able to find appropriate information, synthesize, evaluate, and analyze that information for relevancy and accuracy, and report that information to a variety of audiences across a range of formats while working meaningfully in diverse settings. The goals of the DVCA program are captured and expressed through our Graduate Profile, a list of knowledge, skills, and dispositions that we hope students possess upon successful completion of the program. The Graduate Profile identifies the following skills, dispositions and knowledge (A full description of the Graduate Profile can be found under the Instruction Menu Tab):

  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Learning Mindset
  • Critical Thinking
  • Citizenship
  • Self-Management
  • Technological Literacy

Since its inception, DVCA has been a member of the New Tech Network of Schools, an organization that partners with districts and schools to implement and sustain school reform. Originally, the New Tech Network provided DVCA with guidance in developing its curriculum and school culture through in-person and virtual support. The results of their support helped shape the foundations of the educational program described in the preceding paragraphs. DVCA continues to receive support from the New Tech Network through the use of its Learning Management System, Echo, access to resources across the 200-school network, and opportunities for professional development.