Throughout the history of education, our government, community, parents and educators alike have been striving to develop an educational system that positively shapes young learners.  Their goals have been to invigorate student learning while simultaneously discovering new ways of doing so.  MOXI Elementary Charter Academy will do just that.  We have developed an innovative approach to providing education to our students that will not only help them to grow academically, but will mold them into positive and influential members of society and help them to understand, direct and become confident in their academic abilities.  We will provide our students with the faculty, resources and environment in which to explore their academic interests so as to further their passion for learning.  At MOXI Elementary Charter Academy we believe it is our responsibility as an educational provider to promote academic prowess, emotional well being, social compassion and an excitement for learning to each of our students. 

PART I
Section A: Our Purpose

1.       We will heighten levels of student learning

a.       By allowing students to have a role in determining what they will learn, and how they will learn it, learning levels will dramatically increase (Motschnig-Pitrik & Holzinger, P. 1)  Each student at MOXI Elementary Charter Academy will complete a survey assessing their academic interests, and their teachers will prepare a curriculum specifically for them, focused around a subject that the student has the highest interest in and relaying it in a format that helps the student to recognize its relevancy within our community.  The teacher will then integrate the information that we feel each student should have a mastery of without teaching the information in fragments, but rather by weaving them into the material the student desires to learn.

                                                               i.      This will inspire students’ enthusiasm to learn by allowing them to have a direct involvement in their education, helping us to shape successful and contributing members of society.

b.      By providing careful support and guidance by teachers who have industry experience in their respective subject area we are ensuring that each student will be rewarded with a comfortable and supportive environment in which to learn.

2.        We will increase learning opportunities for all students

a.       Our campus and teachers will be equipped with the resources necessary to supplement learning for students of all learning types.  We know the importance in providing a learning climate that is diverse in its ability to fulfill the needs of each student.  Our teachers will keep these needs in mind when deciding upon the instructional methods they use to teach their students.

b.      We will provide additional support to students with special needs, including but not limited to, after-school programming, one-on-one assistance throughout the day provided by special-education staff.

3.       We will encourage the use of different and innovative teaching methods.  By nature of establishing a school around a student-centered approach to learning, our teachers will be encouraged to develop a curriculum that encompasses the academic needs, interests and desires of each student, essentially requiring them to employ innovative teaching methods.

a.       We will provide our faculty with workshops and materials that encourage implementing the latest teaching techniques and strategies

b.      Each department will be expected to plan out and integrate field experience for students to provide them with a unique opportunity to witness and participate in diverse practical applications of current curriculum content.

4.       We will develop innovative ways to assess our students

a.       As each student requires individual focus in regard to the path to take on their quest for knowledge, each student also requires individually unique styles of assessment.  Our school will be built upon a foundation that believes there is no one “single” way to assess student achievement, and that the best assessment is one that is an authentic representation of a student’s knowledge.  According to Archbald and Newmann (1988), “informative assessment of authentic achievement can invigorate teaching, learning, and public support” (p. 11) Therefore;

                                                               i.      We will measure student achievement in the form of an individual Learning Portfolio, which will provide a comprehensive and tangible look at a student’s progress in all subject areas (Sadker, 1988).

                                                             ii.      Students will be responsible for completing self-reflective evaluations as a measure of their intrapersonal interpretation of their progress (Sadker, 1988).

5.       We will have innovative methods for measuring the accountability of our school

a.       Holding our teachers accountable

                                                               i.      Our teachers will find it necessary to work together to create a curriculum for their particular subject area that complements the lessons created by their peers.  They will then assess the connectivity between the different subject areas and will present their evaluations and ideas for improvement to one another at faculty meetings.

                                                             ii.      Administrators will complete ‘classroom’ visitations where they will be provided an opportunity to assess the teaching strategies implemented and learning climate.

6.       We will provide our faculty with professional opportunities within and beyond the classroom

a.       Teachers will be responsible for the learning program of their students

                                                               i.      Develop individual curriculums that encompass the individual interests and learning styles of each student, while incorporating the content necessary to meet the learning benchmarks set forth by our school

                                                             ii.      Provide guidance, suggestions and constructive criticism as feedback to students to further their academic progress

b.      Teachers may become involved in administration and/or department committees

c.       Become involved in extracurricular programs provided after school hours

d.      We will provide our teacher with travel opportunities (domestic and abroad), to research possible programs to implement within our school.

Section B: Improving Student Achievement

MOXI Elementary Charter Academy will not only provide diverse learning opportunities to its students, but will do so by integrating a progressive philosophy of education throughout the classroom consequently invigorating student learning.  This has led us to design our school environment around a belief that the most effective learning takes place where the education is centered upon the student and has relevancy in the real world.  As Mostchnig-Pitrik & Holzinger stated (2002):

Students who are given the freedom to explore areas based on their personal interests, and who are accompanied in their learning by a supportive, understanding facilitator, not only achieve superior academic results, but also develop socially and grow personally (p. 1).

We will implement these beliefs by holding our staff accountable for developing their curriculum along with their students.  By hiring staff that have professional experience in their subject area beyond teaching they will be able to derive an educational plan for each student that involves the specific interests of their students as well as hold relevancy outside of school.  We also expect our teachers to incorporate active exploration to allow students to investigate their school and surrounding communities to discover ways to apply the knowledge they have acquired in a socially effective way.  This process is an integral part of providing students with an educational experience that is meaningful and will concurrently raise the level of achievement throughout our school.  

To make certain our student achievement levels remain high we will evaluate the progress of our students through authentic assessment.  Together with their teachers, students will develop their individual learning portfolio to showcase their individual progress as it relates to a curriculum they have created.  Students will be involved in deciding the projects and work they wish to show as a summary of what they have learned in each subject area, as well as work alongside their teachers to create personal academic goals.  As they reach these academic milestones they will write a self-reflective evaluation to share with their teacher.  This meeting between student and teacher will occur once every month and teacher and student alike will be able to assess the progress that has occurred as well as gain insight into the student’s self awareness of their academic strengths and weaknesses as was described by Howard Gardner (Sadker, 1988).  Most importantly, our faculty will organize community service opportunities for students as a practical application of knowledge.  We truly believe there is no greater way for our students to display their academic achievement then to apply their knowledge to better our surrounding communities.

PART II

MOXI Elementary Charter Academy will be a standout option for education in our area.  Our potential 250 students will be surveyed using Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences upon admission to discover the academic interests of our students (Sadker, 1988).  Classes of 25 to 30 students will be designated, consisting of students who shared similar results on the survey.  Each class will then have access to two teachers, one of which has professional experience specific to the common interest of the class, as well as another teacher who has teaching experience in special education.  The classes will then rotate through three of our five campus learning centers along with their two teachers each day, attending each for 140 minutes, providing them with ample time to explore and develop their expanding world of knowledge.  The ‘class-time’ itself will be open for a variety of activities.  Teachers will provide their students with necessary instruction, students will complete various academic stations, they will have the option of doing individual work and will also have unlimited and open access to all resources (these resources will accommodate students who are auditory, visual, kinesthetic learners and all of those in between), provided at our learning centers.  The five centers of learning on our campus design are;

1.      Center of Science

2.      Mathematics Center

3.      Center for the Arts

4.      Center for Social Awareness

5.      Fitness Arena

Each center will also have two learning facilitators who remain at their respective center for the duration of the day and will be equipped with a learning lounge which will include a media center, climate controlled private workspace for students, learning stations that hold materials relevant to subject matter as well as a traditional classroom space.  In addition our campus will be home to a culinary cafeteria, indoor auditorium, gymnasium and outdoor amphitheater which will also be available for exploration by our students.  The possibilities are endless for cultivating the minds of our students; our large campus and vast amount of subject-specific resources will allow our students imagination, creativity and academic ambition to blossom. 

We also believe that with careful support from parents and guardians, a child’s possibility for greatness is fool proof.  As it is an integral part of their education, our students will have the opportunity to design, organize and provide academic fairs and productions for the adults in their life in which to showcase their talents.  We also hope to have parents who are professionals in any of the subject areas our students have interest in, come in to share their experiences with us.  We also believe that there will never be too many volunteers at MOXI Elementary and we hope to encourage parent involvement in the form of field trip chaperones, campus monitors, learning center aides as well as assisting their student’s teacher if needed.  There will also be opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities with the school including becoming part of the school board or parent-teacher committees.  Just as our students will have an extensive freedom to become involved in their own education, their parents and guardians will have the opportunity as well. 

In conclusion, our ideals shape our aspirations for our prospective students and their effect upon our community.  We strongly support the commencement of this school in order to give students a unique learning opportunity that will allow them to be the creative force behind their education.  We hope to provide our students with teachers who not only have creative professional minds but teachers who also share a love for learning which will help build a foundation for our students’ emotional well being.  With our emphasis on academic excellence, secure mind and body and active discovery, MOXI Elementary Charter Academy is truly the only option in education.