ARISE S.T.E.M. and Pathway courses provide grade level, rigorous instruction and academic supports to all ARISE students to both remediate gaps in S.T.E.M. skills and knowledge, and emphasize critical thinking and problem solving. All S.T.E.M. courses at ARISE are aligned to either Common Core or NGSS standards. Each S.T.E.M. course aims to be grounded in cultural relevance and provides scaffolds and differentiation for any unfinished learning that students may need. Through this work, each ARISE student will see themselves in their S.T.E.M. classes as: scientists, health professionals, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, or researchers and empower themselves to transform their communities as agents of change.
ARISE Humanities courses provide grade level, rigorous, culturally relevant and responsive instruction that emphasizes the 5 Cs (Warrior Intellectual Skills) of the Graduate Profile (critical thinking, communication, collaboration, community transformation, and critical consciousness), while empowering students to grow into agents of change in their communities through Gold Standard project-based learning and collaborative action research. Knowledge, skills, and agency build over time from 9th through 12th grades to prepare students for college-level coursework and professional careers. Academic supports and differentiation create opportunities for all students to successfully access Humanities courses and help remediate gaps in literacy skills and knowledge.
Warrior Intellectual Skill Rubrics
The 5 C’s of the ARISE Graduate Profile
Academic Departments
Instructional Core Observational Rubric
6 Elements of Excellent Instruction at ARISE
Living out our instructional vision
Teaching & Learning at ARISE
To support ARISE’s mission to empower ourselves with the skills, knowledge, and agency to become highly educated, humanizing, critically conscious, intellectual, and reflective leaders in our community, we believe that (1) teachers must be active collaborators in developing our school, and (2) teachers must be actively supported to develop their teaching craft.
To do this, we have 4 primary professional learning structures: Coaching, Teacher Leadership, Professional Learning Communities (PLC), and Professional Development.
1-on-1 Coaching
+ Learn More
We believe that excellent classroom instruction, school operations, and a culture of adult professionalism are the most important element of our success and the realization of our Mission and Vision at ARISE. We believe that a coach’s purpose is to support teachers and staff through their instructional growth. In order to do this, they must build relationships that foster trust. They must create a climate for growth and provide a safe space in which adults can be honest and vulnerable. Coaches at ARISE communicate openly and consistently about expectations, deadlines, schedules, etc. Support teachers in meeting deadlines around instructional agreements including: completing lesson plans, unit plans, and Performance Assessments, PowerSchool, grades, etc. Coaches approach the coaching experience with a growth mindset and willingness to adapt to teacher needs.
Teacher Leadership
+ Learn more
Team Freire: Team Freire is our instructional leadership team at ARISE. It consists of the Head of School, the Deans of Instruction, and four teachers from different disciplines who lead each grade level. Team Freire is responsible for designing, planning, and leading professional development at ARISE, including ensuring PD is aligned to both our Mission and Vision and our school goals. Team Freire will meet on a regular basis to monitor teaching and learning in classrooms in order to continually reflect and revise professional development. Team Freire Grade Level Leads are also responsible for designing and facilitating Academic Familia meetings for all teachers in their grade level. This includes leading studnet support conversations, facilitating cross-content collaboration, leading grade level common expectations and alignment, and modeling and sharing best instructional practices for teachers.
Professional Learning Communities
+ Learn more
ARISE teachers also engage in Professional Learning Communities focused on various areas of teaching such as "New Teacher Development" and "Supporting Newcomer Learners." PLCs work in small groups to deepen their practices in targeted areas
Professional Development
+ Learn more
We are always being, but also in process of becoming. ARISE believes that what lies at the heart of student achievement are teachers who are highly skilled at their craft. As such, Professional Development holds great value and importance at ARISE. While the ARISE Instructional Core is the framework by which teacher development centers around (see above), there are 6 central structures by which ARISE mediates that development:
- 1 on 1 coaching and formative evaluations of teaching
- Critical Inquiry Groups (CIG)
- Whole Crew Professional Development
- Department Meetings
- Academic Familia (grade level teams)
Learn more about Academics at ARISE:
