EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

 

CHANCE Academy is committed to providing the best academic experience for our students. To that end, the curriculum will always be subject to review and revision as determined by new opportunities, partnerships, or other pertinent academic information that becomes available.

Educational Program

CHANCE Academy offers an arts-integrated college preparatory academic program that is both multifaceted and tailored to individual needs. By offering students choices that allow them to have a voice in their education and by providing a supportive yet demanding environment, we believe the students will develop proud ownership of their learning. As a college preparatory school, CHANCE Academy is dedicated to promoting independent and critical thinking, providing real-life opportunities to apply scientific principles, and stimulating the creativity of students through a variety of arts-integrated programs.  Because the program is college-preparatory the students will also be involved in visiting college campuses, speaking to college students and faculty, and encouraged to see themselves succeeding as college students themselves.  By incorporating the arts as an integral part of the curriculum, we seek to foster their creativity and to encourage them to find both joy and meaning in their arts and their academic work.   CHANCE Academy will also take advantage of the many educational programs throughout the District of Columbia that will give the students hands-on, experiential academics, thus illustrating a direct connection between classroom learning and real life.  Finally, through a strong advisory and community outreach program, CHANCE Academy looks to offer an environment that feels comfortable and nurturing for both students and parents.

 

Admissions Process and Class Size

Each grade will be comprised of approximately twenty students.  There will be grouping for math and Spanish according to student proficiency.  Students and their families will fulfill a series of admissions processes to apply to the school.  Students will be asked to provide writing samples, two teacher recommendations, a personal reference, and their elementary school transcripts.  Students and their families will participate in a brief preliminary admissions interview.  If the admissions committee determines that the student is a strong candidate for the Academy, students and their families will participate in a second round of more extensive interviews and the students will have a reading and math comprehension assessment.   The goal of this process is to ensure that students, parents, and the Academy enter into a mutually agreeable and supportive partnership.

Notice of nondiscriminatory policy as to students:


CHANCE Academy admits students of any race, color, gender, affectional orientation, and national or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded to or made available to students at CHANCE.  CHANCE does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, affectional orientation, national ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Promotion Requirements and Graduation

It is expected that CHANCE Academy students will pass all classes in which they are enrolled in their grade in order to be promoted to the next grade.  For students with struggles in a specific or related set of subjects, the mentoring/tutoring time of 4:30 – 6 PM will be dedicated to helping the student in those areas of difficulty.  CHANCE Academy is committed to ensuring that all students who desire to succeed achieve their goals.  Those students who successfully complete grades nine through twelve will participate in a graduation ceremony.

 

Daily Schedule


In order to accomplish its educational goal of including many hands-on experiences and tutoring/mentoring time, the CHANCE Academy school day will begin at 8:30 AM and end at 2:30 PM.  The students will have academic classes until 4 PM, then a thirty minute break followed by intensive tutoring and/or mentoring from 4:30-6PM Monday – Thursday.  On Fridays, the school day will end at 4 PM. We will follow a modified modular schedule that allows flexibility according to programmatic needs.