Curriculum

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I am a parent of a 4th grader, Jordan who has attended ISM since preschool. ISM is certainly part of our family. As a parent it is the neatest experience to walk through the school and realize that almost every teacher knows your child by name. As a parent this tells me that she can turn to any adult at and get what she needs. THAT IS AMAZING. It also speaks to the high level of commitment the staff and teachers have at ISM.
Carrie Schinas - ISM Parent - March 4, 2009

Now that I am at university, I've realized how much ISF paid off in the long-run and I want to thank you and all my teachers for what they have done for me. It was certainly a struggle with many worries to receive my high school diploma and AP's; nevertheless, almost 30 credits saving me 2 semesters at university really made me appreciate the effort it took to achieve these goals. In addition, I was extremely well prepared for college level work by ISF and so far got very good grades in all courses I took, which almost suprised me considering I was one of the students that had to study hard to achieve good grades in high school. Again, thank you and all other teachers that have taught me for their effort and influence on me!
Ronnie Wein, ISF Graduate - March 08

It was a great visit. I hope you are terribly proud of that school. We saw the SABIS® educational system working on all cylinders... In the rooms we visited, across the grades, we saw consistently strong instruction delivered by able teachers who are deeply committed to the SABIS® methods, to the school, and to each other. We also saw perfect behavior throughout the day. We were amazed by the longevity of teachers there--several we met had been there nearly since the school opened--unheard of in charter schools, and persuasive evidence of the unique sustainability and scalability of the model.
Steven Wilson following a visit to SICS, Springfield - January 2008

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The backbone of the SABIS^® Educational System is a rigorous and sequential curriculum that meets world-class standards. Supported by time-tested methods, this curriculum emphasizes a well-balanced body of knowledge, skills, and experiences.� A critical review of the curriculum by SABIS^® Academic Development Department is ongoing to ensure that it remains dynamic, comprehensive, and suited to the needs of a rapidly changing, global society.

In addition to the core subjects of English, mathematics, and world languages, the SABIS^® curriculum is designed to provide knowledge of a broad range of subjects including science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education, and computers. It is designed to develop a balanced, well-rounded, college-preparatory experience.

The first step in the SABIS^® curriculum development process is the identification of all concepts and skills for a given class, followed by their classification as essential and non-essential.

Essential concepts are those needed for future learning and not formally taught after initial mastery. For example, the concept of converting from decimal to percent is not an essential concept for fifth grade. It becomes essential in sixth grade because it is needed for future grades and is not taught in later mathematics classes. Expectations in terms of mastery allow for differences in student abilities and efforts. All students must master essential concepts at 100% accuracy to advance to a higher grade level.

Non-essential concepts are those that do not interfere with future learning but are part of the curriculum. All students must master a set amount over and above the minimum requirement and will tackle some areas more extensively. It is within this body, over and above the essential, that the amount and depth of knowledge that students achieve varies.

The body of knowledge-the facts and skills-that makes up the content of a course will not be learned in its entirety by all students. Even the most structured learning, such as mathematics, is not strictly linear. One of the strengths of the SABIS^® curriculum is its identification of essential and non-essential knowledge.

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