Culture & Curriculum

Mission and Vision

The mission of Citizens Academy is to produce learners who exemplify academic excellence and responsible citizenship.

Our vision is for every student to graduate from college and become a productive and civically engaged member of society.

School Culture

Citizens Academy has developed a transformative school culture that is the foundation of our success. The Citizens Academy Way (The CA Way) is a set of high academic and behavioral expectations that promote a sense of ambition, personal responsibility, and a ‘no excuses’ attitude in all of our students. Students are expected to come to school on time, in uniform, and prepared to learn, and to treat themselves and others with respect at all times. We teach students that their behavior is their choice and that all choices have consequences. Positive choices earn positive consequences and negative choices earn negative consequences. We give consequences in a nurturing manner to teach each student that we want them to succeed and are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that they succeed. Monthly citizenship assemblies culminate in the Citizen of the Month awards ceremony, where students who have exemplified good citizenship are recognized.  The CA Way lays a strong foundation for our students to succeed in high school, college, and beyond.

Watch this video to learn more about our school culture:

Unique Elements

Citizens Academy incorporates a number of innovative programs to meet the individual needs of our students.

Home Visits
Teachers visit each student and family at home in the days before school begins. These visits help develop relationships and set mutual expectations early. Watch this short video about our Parent & Family Engagement Program, including our Home Visit Program:

MAPs – My Achievement Plans
Every student receives an individualized academic plan detailing strategies for success. Plans are updated with input from parents throughout the school year.

Extended Day
Citizens Academy’s school day is from 8:00 am to 3:50 pm. This extended day (196 instructional hours above the state standard) allows for two hours of daily literacy instruction and two hours of daily math instruction.

Instructional Blocks
Citizens Academy has five different levels of instruction for literacy and math ranging from enrichment to intervention.  Class size varies to support learning styles.

Watch this video about how we value EVERY minute of school!

Enrichment
Citizens Academy offers a variety of programs to students in our higher math and literacy blocks to extend their creative and critical thinking skills.  Such programs have included:

• Destination Imagination - A state-wide competition where students are presented with challenges to be solved.  Students spend months finding creative solutions to these complex problems.
• Lego Robotics -  Students build robots from Legos and learn to program them to move and speak.
• C.S.I. – Students solve a mystery by conducting a series of forensic tests.  Students learn about genetics, the judicial system, and a variety of math and science skills.

Intervention

Additional literacy and math is provided for students who have not yet demonstrated mastery of material.

Watch this video to see how one of our teachers is “Breaking it Down” with students:

Before and After School Program

The Before & After School Enrichment Program provides enriched activities that promote our students’ emotional, physical, and cognitive development. Programming is offered before school (6:30 am – 8:00 am) and after school (4:00 pm – 6:00 pm). Activities include: Chess Club, Science Club, Spelling Bee, Citizens Academy Talent Showcase, Tai Chi, and African Drumming and Dance.

Kindergarten Readiness

All incoming Kindergartners are given a Kindergarten readiness screening in the spring. Children in need of academic or social skills development are enrolled a 5-week summer program.  Children and families will receive instruction on academic and social readiness from Kindergarten teachers.

Academic Curriculum

Citizens Academy’s academic curriculum is designed to prepare our students to succeed in college and beyond. Our “Assess, Plan, Teach” model uses data to drive differentiated instruction and meet the individual needs of all of our students. Teachers currently use Harcourt Trophies for Literacy, Everyday Math, McGraw-Hill Science, and Harcourt Social Studies as the basis for instruction. In addition to daily language arts, math, science, and social studies instruction, students receive weekly instruction in music, the visual arts, and physical education.  Citizens Academy is in the process of transitioning to the new Common Core and reviewing text books best designed to support this change.

Citizenship Curriculum

Seven virtues – responsibility, respect, perseverance, honesty, generosity, courage, and loyalty – form the basis of Citizens Academy’s approach to citizenship development.  Students study the CA citizenship curriculum during homeroom focusing on one virtue each month.  Citizenship is integrated throughout the day:
Responsibility=Completed Homework
Perseverance=Not giving up on a hard math problem
Loyalty=Standing up for a friend being bullied
Courage=Rosa Parks (students read during literacy)
Respect=Learning about the need to recycle during science class

Assessments

Citizens Academy uses multiple assessments throughout the school year to improve and individualize student instruction, including the Ohio Achievement Assessments (OAA), Scantron Performance Series (a computer adjusted, nationally-normed assessment), internal short-cycle assessments, DIBELS, Diagnostic Reading Assessment, and Kindergarten Readiness Screening. Assessments are used to:

• Demonstrate individual student progress toward meeting state standards
• Guide individual and class instruction
• Evaluate the effectiveness of teaching methods and the curriculum
• Identify students with special needs
• Measure the effectiveness of academic interventions
• Inform our program development and strategic planning processes