CAPCS Curriculum

Middle States Accreditation
CAPCS received its formal accreditation from the Middle States Association for Schools and Colleges in November 2003 signifying it had successfully completed a rigorous examination by the accrediting body.

Core Knowledge Curriculum
As a public charter school, CAPCS has greater flexibility in the selection of its curricular program. We have built upon the curriculum models and "best practices" that best meet the needs of our students. We continue to refine our academic offering on an on-going basis.

We use the well-regarded Core Knowledge curriculum, integrating it with the standards-based curriculum framework developed by the National Center on Education and the Economy that we have used for several years. The Core Knowledge curriculum helps students acquire essential knowledge across disciplines, which allows students to develop a cultural literacy that provides a firm foundation for learning and understanding their world. Core Knowledge places heavy emphasis on going beyond standards to challenge students and enhance their skills. It is expansive enough to provide opportunities for those needing remedial help as well as those ready to stretch their minds. CAPCS also continues to use the principles of the Responsive Classroom curriculum in our classroom management strategy and for promoting character development.

CAPCS students are grounded in the core academic subjects, including Language Arts, Social Studies, Math, Science, Health/Physical Education. In addition, the youngest students and those at the elementary and middle school level receive instruction in Visual Arts. We believe that second language competency is important. Spanish is taught at all grade levels.

Integrated Technology
In today's world, a child who is not computer literate is not fully educated. We strive to integrate technology throughout the entire program, aided by computers in every classroom and the use of instructional software that is both effective and engaging with children. To find out more about our educational technology plan, click here.

Reading Intervention
CAPCS participates in the Reading First Initiative which implements scientifically-based reading research instructional practices on why children fail and, most importantly, what to do about it. The goal is to have all students reading at or above grade level by 3rd grade. CAPCS uses the Voyager Expanded Learning intervention program to help increase reading skills and strategies among those struggling students who have tested below basic in reading. For more about our literacy efforts click here.

Special Education
CAPCS has a strong Special Education department that provides a range of services to children who have been identified as having learning disabilities. If you think your child may require special services, please visit the Special Education page.

Smaller Class Sizes
Class size is an important consideration. Smaller classes allow teachers to offer more individual attention and help teachers identify and take steps to ameliorate developing problems. The student-teacher ratio is 10:1 for Pre-school-K; 15:1 in 1st grade; 20:1 in 2nd and 3rd grade; and 25:1 in 4th grade through 8th grade. Teaching assistants provide support to classroom teachers.

Quality Instructional Staff
CAPCS seeks out teachers and teaching assistants who are willing to commit to CAPCS' mission and is dedicated to finding a way to reach and teach every child. We have developed a model to help our teachers reach a high level of proficiency and emphasize professional development throughout the school year. We encourage collaboration and sharing among our teachers not only to promote a sense of fellowship, but to help teachers understand their students more fully. At least part of every staff meeting is devoted to some aspect of professional development. Each teacher is given planning time within the school day for teaming with other teachers and building up their teaching craft. As part of their contracts, teachers must present a personal professional development plan that leads to certification by the DC school system and works toward satisfying the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act to have highly qualified teachers. CAPCS provides professional development opportunities both on and off campus.

Academic Coaches
We are most proud of our coaching model as a way to move our teachers to a level of excellence. Our academic coaches provide support, guidance, and helpful recommendations to teachers based on classroom observation. They are there not as judges or critics, but as a support system and a resource. This is invaluable to new or less experienced teachers.

Testing & Assessment
CAPCS academic program is data driven. Our Testing and Assessment Program is designed to provide teachers with the information they need to identify areas of strength and weakness of classes and individual students. Data derived from test scores (both from regular classroom tests and standardized tests), class participation, responsiveness of students, and informal observations are used to make student assessments which form the basis of a teacher's instructional unit plan. Did each student understand the lesson? Do I need to reteach the lesson? Are students ready to move ahead to the next concepts? Which students need individual help?

Community Partnerships
CAPCS constantly seeks out partners to strengthen our academic program. We have worked with Howard University School of Education's Center for Research on the Education of Students Placed at Risk (CRESPAR). CRESPAR has developed highly successful reform models for turning low performing schools into high performers and intervention strategies that move low achieving students to a level of high academic achievement and abilities.

These intervention strategies include Pathways to Reading to give teachers an additional tool in their instruction designed to improve literacy, a primary goal of CAPCS. The Step by Step Math Process is a tool used to help students who are having trouble keeping up with the mainstream in math instruction. CRESPAR representatives also help teachers devise additional strategies for classroom management.

A highly successful partnership with Wolf Trap's Institute of Learning through the Arts brought performing artists directly into early childhood classrooms where they worked with teachers in students in demonstrating how learning can be facilitated by incorporating arts into the curriculum.

A world-class academic program has two main requirements: a quality curriculum and a first-rate instructional staff starting with the school head and continuing down to the teaching assistants. CAPCS gives equal focus to maintaining each of these elements. We also put strong emphasis on helping children to develop and demonstrate values that make them happy and contributing members of their school and the community at large. All students are required to participate in community service each year through a structured service learning program that matches areas of interest with community partners and opportunities to serve.

CAPCS Curriculum