Curriculum and Instruction: The instructional and design teams for the Engineering Academy at
Doherty have completed their mission, vision, expectations, habits of mind, and
student contract documents for the fall roll out. The team has completed interdisciplinary outlines for the first
ten weeks of the fall quarter, concentrating on engineering as an overall
theme. Links are presently being made
in the literacy and numeracy areas of content instruction. In conjunction with their outlines, team
members have been writing V.E.S. documents to support their units in each
discipline. Electronic portfolios are
being developed for the academy students. The portfolios are scheduled to be in
use for the first quarter of the next school year. The instructional and design teams plan to meet for one week in
the summer to finish the first quarter writing and outline the second quarter
units.
Professional Culture: The
schedule for the ninth grade team has been completed. Included in the schedule is the ability for the team to use
flexibility when needed to team-teach and extend periods when necessary for
labs and projects. The teachers have also been scheduled for common planning
time. The curriculum for the ninth
grade is being developed jointly among the teachers as well as reflecting the
state and city bench- marks. Training
for test whiz will take place in the fall for the Action Plan Facilitator and
Literacy Coach. Analysis of student
work and teacher “ best practice” planning times will be implemented in the
fall. Doherty plans on using Critical
Friends Groups and joint examination strategies to analyze and examine both
student and teacher work.
Small Learning Communities: The design for The Engineering Academy at Doherty is well
underway. As stated the mission,
expectations, vision, and habits of mind documents have been completed. The governance council structure has been
discussed, but has not been implemented.
Business and higher education partners have been identified. Community
partners, parents and students will be brought on board at the beginning of the
school. A tenth grade team of teachers
will be needed early in the next year to develop the curriculum for the tenth
grade. Advisories have been included in
the schedule for the ninth grade team.
AV.I.D. strategies will be implemented at the start of the school year
as well as the A.V.I.D. elective course.
Students who are participating in A.V.I.D. have been identified and
scheduled accordingly.
Youth Development: Plans are being developed to include students in
the development and implementation of the Academy. Students are expected to become part of the governance council,
curriculum teams and site council.
Discussion has taken place to link the engineering students with
incoming freshman at the middle school level as mentors and/or student
tutors. Networking has taken place with
our higher education partners resulting in current mentors from W.P.I. working
with students already taking the engineering courses at Doherty.
Family/Community Involvement: The Academy has met with the Worcester Education Partnership to
formulate ways to bring in key constituency groups from the community in the
fall. At the present time the Academy
plans an outreach meeting for the beginning of the school year.