Educational Philosophy
High Academic Achievement - Leadership
College Prep - Curriculum & Instruction
High Academic Achievement
Smith Leadership Academy's school community is safe, orderly, supportive, and focused on academics. Rigorous curriculum, high standards, and strong core values characterize Smith Leadership Academy's academic culture. We offer a combination of unique academic programs that enable our students to attain high academic achievement.
To ensure they are prepared for the academic demands of the Academy, incoming students may be required to attend a summer mathematics institute. Our students receive single-sex math, science and gym courses. Our rationale stems from national research on education shows that inner-city boys and girls thrive in single sex math, science, and gym classes. In contrast, we offer co-ed English and social studies classes to ensure that students gain exposure to diverse male and female perspectives that enrich their intellectual tolerance and empathy. The Academy also offers a number of support services that include Saturday math program, after-school tutoring, homework hotline, and preparation for the ISEE and SSAT tests.
Leadership (Character, Interpersonal Skills, & Service)
Smith Leadership Academy students do more than learn: They LEAD. Students' learning becomes meaningful as they apply their content knowledge and skills to act on and resolve "real world" issues. We cultivate students' leadership potential in three primary ways: 1) linking classroom instruction with service-learning projects; 2) engaging students in ethics courses that help them identify, understand, and appreciate the principles of morality and acceptable conduct; and 3) educating students in dispute resolution and consensus building to lay the foundation for responsible community and national citizenship.
College Preparation
We prepare and guide students to succeed in New England's best private high schools, charter high schools and public exam schools, at the nation's top colleges and as leaders in their own communities. After leaving the Academy, our graduates will be prepared to enter and excel in a college preparatory high school. Our partnerships with Steppingstone, A Better Chance, Concord Academy, and numerous other schools prepare our graduates to attend top-notch high schools so that they will be prepared for college. In our first graduating class, more than 80% of our graduating students have been placed in private high schools, public charter schools, the METCO program, or one of Boston's exam or pilot schools.
Curriculum and Instruction
Smith Leadership Academy's curriculum and instruction focus on developing advanced mathematics, reading, writing and rigorous oratorical skills for all of our students. The Academy integrates leadership skills and character building within all aspects of the curriculum. Our courses include leadership classes that include service learning with a concentration in business/economics, ethics and conflict resolution. The curriculum is based on the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS), the Boston Citywide Learning Standards, as well as the specific components as delineated in our school charter.
At Smith Leadership Academy we share several core beliefs that are grounded in practices that have proven to be effective:
- Students have diverse learning styles and favor different modalities for learning. We continue to prepare and focus on preparing teachers to explore and utilize differentiation methodologies. Our professional development for teachers focuses on strategies that will help them use a wide variety of teaching strategies to meet the needs of all students' learning modalities:
- visual learners benefit from diagrams, illustrations, overhead transparencies, videos, flip charts and handouts
- auditory learners appreciate class-wide discussions, debates, and cooperative learning strategies
- tactile/kinesthetic learners will enjoy hands-on learning through the use of manipulatives and project based learning
- Single-sex classes in math, science, and physical education to offer girls and boys the opportunity to excel in these areas.
- Teachers meet and plan for interdisciplinary learning and real-world application of content knowledge and skills within their classrooms.
- Students learn practical applications of academic skills (e.g. calculating sale discounts and tips, writing cover letters and resumes) and practical skills (e.g. time management, daily calendars, and "to do" lists).
- Students experience school and community learning projects that expand upon classroom learning and provide opportunities. Students use academic and social skills to resolve real world problems faced by public and private sector organizations.
- Critical thinking skills are developed through problem-solving experiences.
- All courses are extended and are scheduled for 65-minute periods.
- Tutoring and enrichment sessions offer all students the opportunity to revisit and clarify concepts that they did not understand in class and to discuss varied applications of these concepts.
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