Academics
Curriculum | Paideia | Science Fair
Challenge To Excellence has a custom designed curriculum that combines the best of many curriculums to deliver a personalized education plan for each child. In addition to the Districts core subject, C2E emphasizes science and technology.
Our Curriculum
Our curriculum stresses math, science, and applied technology to prepare our students for the demands of a technology-based future. We were established in 2001, and have a state-of-the-art building, science lab, large telescope, interactive music lab, and much more.
Curriculum Philosophy
The charter school will meet or exceed any student proficiencies and performance standards of Douglas County School District and the State of Colorado's Content Standards. C2E's curriculum will be standards-based utilizing the best resources available.
The curriculum is not identical to anything currently being used by any public or charter school as far as C2E knows from its research. The combination of elements is unique. It includes elements developed by Curriculum Consultants, some borrowed from Douglas Country public schools, schools in other districts and other charter schools around the country. For example, it will include time-proven phonics programs, an emphasis on science labs and a newly developed technology plan.
The curriculum will continue to evolve, as necessary, based upon student assessment and learning research, which C2E plans to participate in on an ongoing basis. Recent assessments indicate that there is significant room for improvement in mathematical learning and performance among students in the nation as a whole. The flexible environment of a small, new school that includes a focus on math is conducive to the development and implementation of strategies to improve this performance that could then be shared. In addition to the District's core subjects of math, reading and social studies (as stated in Douglas County School District's Strategic Plan Objectives), C2E plans to add an emphasis in science to enhance student learning. C2E's technology plan is based on incremental additions for each year, which will address student learning. It will also address teacher development through training on more effective uses of technology to using technology for professional development, by networking and participation in national forums.
In addition to the fundamental disciplines of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, social studies, science and math, the charter school will provide instruction in a second language and physical education. The technologies will be incorporated throughout the curriculum. Art and music will be included as permitted.
Paideia
Challenge To Excellence founded a number of its curriculum principles on Paideia. According to the National Paideia Center in the Declaration of Paideia Principles: "All children can learn…therefore they all deserve the same quality of schooling, not just the same quantity…the quality of schooling to which they are entitled is what the wisest parents would wish for their own children, the best education for the best being the best education for all". The three types of teaching that will occur in our school are didactic teaching of subject matter (lectures and textbooks), coaching that produces the skills of learning (exercises and supervised practice), and Socratic questioning in seminar discussion (active participation in discussion).
www.paideia.org
Science Fair
The students at C2E in grades 4-8 will participate in a mandatory school science fair. Grades 3 and under MAY do a project to share with their class, but it is not required. The reasoning for participating in a science fair is that students learn more through the process of developing and running an experiment that is of interest to them. For more information and to obtain the Science Fair regulations and guidelines, please click on the link below.
C2E Science Fair 2009-2010 or http://lhornec2e.wikispaces.com
