The Dearborn Academy takes a proactive role in the education of all its students. Integrated and cross-disciplinary learning experiences are carefully designed so that students must use and build conceptual understanding of academic content and social development. Students are encouraged to use higher level thinking skills and to apply problem-solving skills in their daily learning experiences at school. When students do not learn, timely systematic interventions are applied to prevent failure. All students are required to be active participants in their learning process. All educators are required to be proactive in their approach to continually assess student learning and respond with interventions when necessary.

Founded in 1997 and authorized by Central Michigan University, The Dearborn Academy serves students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight who come from nine surrounding districts in the metropolitan Detroit area. The Academy was established with the specific purpose of serving the diverse needs of the Dearborn community and surrounding areas which host a population of approximately 90,000 residents. This population is comprised of individuals and families from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures.

A large percentage of students who attend the Academy are of Middle Eastern and Hispanic descent. Many of the students who enroll at the Academy are new or recent immigrants. Frequently, the parents, do not speak English. As a result, the Academy strives to communicate with the home in the student’s native language period.

Pursuant to Applicable Law and the Terms and Conditions of this Contract, including Article VI, Section 6.3, the Academy shall implement, deliver, and support the educational programs identified in this schedule.

The Dearborn Academy (“Academy”) is designed as a kindergarten through eighth grade public Academy serving the Dearborn, Michigan community. Authorization was received from Central Michigan University in 1997. The Academy was established with the specific purpose of serving the diverse needs of the Dearborn community and the surrounding areas which host a population of approximately 90,000 residents. This population is comprised of individuals and families from various ethnic backgrounds and cultures. Dearborn has one of the largest populations of Arabic speaking residents in the United States.

The Academy serves students in kindergarten through grade eight who come from nine surrounding districts in the metropolitan Detroit area. A large percentage of students who attend the Academy are of Middle Eastern descent. Many of the students who enroll at the Academy are new or recent immigrants. Frequently, the parents do not speak English. As a result, the Academy strives to communicate with the home in the student’s native language.

The Dearborn Academy is a unique charter school serving a multicultural community through individualized, focused instruction allowing each student to achieve academic excellence and exhibit social responsibility.

The Dearborn Academy is a unique charter school serving a multicultural community through individualized, focused instruction allowing each student to achieve academic excellence and exhibit social responsibility.

The Dearborn Academy is a unique charter school serving a multicultural community through individualized, focused instruction allowing each student to achieve academic excellence and exhibit social responsibility.

As an emerging PLC, the Academy takes a proactive role in the education of all students. Periodic cross-disciplinary, Project-Based Learning (“PBL”) experiences are carefully designed so that students must use and build conceptual understanding of academic content and social development. Students are encouraged to use higher level thinking skills and to apply problem-solving skills in daily learning experiences. When students do not learn, timely systematic interventions via the Response to Intervention (“RtI”) process are applied to prevent failure. All students are required to be active participants in the learning process. Similarly, all teachers are required to be proactive in continually assessing student learning and responding with interventions when necessary.

A strong partnership between the Academy and home is critical to the individual success of each student. The Academy has established programs and practices to enhance parent involvement and reflect the specific needs of students and families. The programs established by the Academy include an evolving parent organization (i.e., Parent Involvement Committee (“P.I.C.”)), translation services to ensure effective communication between the Academy and home, and English as a Second Language (“ESL”) classes to help parents and students learn theEnglish language. In addition, the Academy distributes a student-parent handbook, provides automated school outreach communications, as well as organizes annual events and activities (i.e., open house, career day, readers are leaders, and reading bingo) to further develop school-home relationships. Quarterly parent night and parent night satisfaction surveys and increasing parental involvement in the school improvement planning process are other methods the Academy uses to strengthen relationships.

The Academy has a role in the creation of a college bound culture that ensures secondary, post-secondary, or world-to-work readiness. Middle school students create Educational Development Plans (“EDP”), and participate in Outreach activities to learn about and participate in a variety of community services. Students are able to apply the skills developed at the Academy to the requirements of high school, university, and work. The 21st-century learner has to become skilled at facing the challenges of the 21st century as “the job of today’s young people, or the ‘Transition Generation,’ will be to get humanity through the coming period of chaos, peril, and opportunity” (Martin, 2007).

The Academy operates within a framework involving all stakeholders in decisions impacting the education of Academy students. The Academy Board serves to set and enforce policy. Each member of the Academy Board is appointed by Central Michigan University. The Academy Board includes members from the community, the education community at large, and the business community. In addition to board members, Academy’s parents are routinely surveyed to provide insight on decisions. Parents are welcome to join the P.I.C. and attend meetings. During the meetings, the P.I.C. explores opportunities to support student learning such as fundraising ideas and facilitating special activities for students and families. Other groups that assist in the decision-making process are the school improvement planning and strategic planning teams. Team representation is comprised of support staff, teachers, parents, students, board members, and administration. Important issues and decisions facing the Academy are reviewed and deliberated collaboratively between these stakeholders. Discussion, research, and recommendations guide the decision-making process for all school improvement processes.

The Academy utilizes the Common Core State Standards (“CCSS”) as a guide for the development and revision of the written curriculum in English language arts (“ELA”) and mathematics. The Academy uses the Michigan Curriculum Framework (“MCF”) and Grade Level Content Expectations (“GLCE”) for curriculum development and revision in science and social studies. Extensive use of the Oakland County Common Core Initiative and Scope Curricula, housed online within Atlas Rubicon, offers a CCSS-based mastery curriculum for ELA and mathematics and a GLCE-based mastery curriculum for science and social studies. The Academy will transition to and implement the New Generation Science Standards and the College, Career, and Civic Life (“C3”) Framework for Inquiry in Social Studies Standards.

The key foundational elements the Academy’s has put into practice include a daily schedule, scope and sequencing documents, positive teacher-student interaction, assessments, and active learning ingredients. A daily schedule with consistent routines (e.g., morning announcements, calendar time, and assignment notebooks for middle school students) assists in establishing expectations and boundaries. In the classroom, the daily routine comprises of posted learning objectives, whole and small group instruction, student-initiated activities, and learning centers serving to reinforce concepts.

Core and non-core area content is guided by year-long scope and sequencing documents. The year-long documents are used by staff for instructional planning. To ensure consistency amongst grade levels, unit plans, lesson plans, and resources are found in the scope and sequencing materials. A variety of pedagogical strategies (e.g., Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (“SIOP”), guided mathematics and reading, differentiated instruction, and formative assessment practices are used to deliver the content. To engage students in learning, the Academy promotes positive teacher-student interactions by working together to create a safe and orderly learning environment. Teachers support and extend students’ learning by engaging students in instructional dialogue. In addition, teachers share control with the student by allowing students to have some input in the learning process (e.g., co-creating rubrics for assignments). Students are also supported through intrinsic motivation and by positive notes or contacts with parents each quarter.

Criterion-and norm-referenced tests are used to assess student achievement. In addition, teachers use formative assessment practices to monitor student progress during daily lessons and throughout units of instruction. These include activities such as student observations, anecdotal records, and strategic use of questioning. The analysis of assessment results assists teachers in planning lessons and adjusting the curriculum.

Active learning ingredients include appealing materials (i.e., manipulatives, hands-on learning, demonstrations, realia, and ELMO) and opportunities for adult support (i.e., reading/mathematics interventionists, Tier II Interventionists, 31A specialist, and ESL teachers). In addition, teachers differentiate instruction based on the individual student’s needs. The SIOP framework is also used to bridge gaps between teachers and English Language Learners (“ELL”). SIOP supports instruction using evidence-based teaching methods to incorporate reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

The Dearborn Academy is dedicated to educating students in a safe, nurturing, educational environment while preparing them to be independent lifelong learners in a global society. It is our goal to encourage each student to reach their maximum learning potential in all subject areas. Our proactive instructional setting provides a standardized curriculum, state of the art technological services and promotes bilingual education.
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Core and non-core area content is based on the Michigan Academic Standards (https://www.michigan.gov/mde/Services/academic-standards).

The Dearborn Academy is proud to be a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) and Leader in Me school. These programs develop staff and students as leaders and thereby transform the culture and performance of the school. TDA integrates leadership development into daily curriculum, activities, and systems and creates a culture where every student is encouraged to set and achieve meaningful goals, be a positive influence on others, and use his or her individual gifts to better the world.

The Academy’s kindergarten through eighth-grade core curriculum is designed to include learning experiences in reading, writing, spelling, phonics, speaking, listening, handwriting, mathematics, social studies, science, technology, foreign language (Arabic), art, and physical education. Activities that promote character development, health education, and career awareness are also integrated into the core content curriculum areas.