Project CHILD (Changing How Instruction for Learning is Delivered) recently announced the selection of two National Demonstration Sites for the 2014-15 school year.
For the fourth year in a row, Western Academy Charter School in Royal Palm Beach has been selected as a role model school for the program. The sites will host visitors to showcase innovative methods for school improvement and reform.
National Demonstration Sites are schools that have been successfully implementing CHILD as a school wide model for at least three years. These schools have documented success with student achievement and school reform indicators.
Project CHILD is a 21st century research-based instructional model for K-5 schools. The focus is on professional collaborative teaming, teacher instructional expertise, differentiated learning, student engagement and technology infusion.
The schools have demonstrated positive results with CHILD in the following areas that are aligned with 21st Century Skills: documented academic success for students, high degree of student involvement using technology and hands-on learning, professional leadership by highly qualified teachers and administrators, collaborative team teaching, strong focus on core subjects, and positive student behavior and accountability. The model uses a multi-sensory approach that taps into the type of learner a student is and allows for them to use their strengths to be successful.
“We have been doing CHILD since 2003 when we opened,” said Linda Terranova, principal of Western Academy Charter School. “Our students are truly taught how to think for themselves and how to work cooperatively with others to solve problems and create solutions. We love CHILD and how it transforms our classrooms. It is a hands-on model that puts the students in control of their learning and provides many activities and opportunities for them to think, question, explore and problem-solve in the learning process.”
Western Academy serves 425 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. The school is located at 650 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Suite 300, in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 792-4123 or visit www.westernacademycharter.com.
ABOVE: Western Academy students in a science class.
