As Aim High gears up for its 24th summer, the Teaching and Learning department is unveiling new measures to ready low-income Bay Area middle schoolers for bright futures.
This summer, Aim High is working to boost achievement in math, deepen students’ connection to the environment through science education, and make college more accessible.
The need for great education programs at the middle school level has never been more apparent. Recent research indicates that students’ preparedness for academic challenges at the middle school level is a significant indicator of success in college and careers.
According to a 2008 study published by ACT, “the level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that happens academically in high school.”
Sandra Korison Lee, Aim High’s first Director of Academics and Program Evaluation, notes that Aim High is uniquely able to address the need for strong support in the middle school years, with a model that balances youth development and academic enrichment, designed specifically for this age group to thrive.
“Aim High is a community that encourages students to make social and academic connections that spark a love of learning,” she says. “The positive attitudes and habits that students form during middle school can propel them towards success in dramatic ways.”
This year’s Teaching and Learning improvements center on 9th grade science curriculum, career and college awareness, and math skills.
Deana Scipio, a veteran teacher at Aim High’s Headlands Environmental Home (AH-HEH) Program, is working with Lee to integrate environmental science and stewardship into 9th grade science curriculum.
All Aim High 9th graders from San Francisco campuses attend one week of environmental education at one of Aim High’s three Environmental Home sites in the Marin Headlands. This year’s curriculum improvements will help connect that week-long experience, which many students consider to be the most memorable and transformative of their Aim High years, to classroom lessons exploring the environment and sustainability.
Aim High will also increase its focus on college awareness and career preparedness with new curriculum for Issues and Choices classes.
Sylvia Gillies, a lifelong educator with deep experience helping students plan the path to college, has tailored career and college activities to the unique Issues and Choices curriculum, which gives students the opportunity to explore leadership, personal development, and community in a classroom setting.
Lessons for 6th and 7th graders explore why college is important and how it is possible for all students; 8th and 9th graders will learn how to choose high school classes, apply to the schools that fit their needs and interests, and find financial aid.
Aim High sites will integrate the new lessons into their already strong programs of college awareness activities, including college tour field trips, guest speakers, college panels, and college preparedness workshops.
Funding from the GAP Foundation enabled Aim High to tackle this crucial topic.
Finally, new math curriculum will be introduced at four Aim High campuses in a pilot program that helps students develop the core skills to support Algebra readiness for the 8th grade. Research show that success in Algebra is a key predictor of success in high school and college.
With support from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Aim High has purchased a proven curriculum that prepares students to meet California state standards for math and tailor it to Aim High’s educational model.
Lee is working in collaboration with Wendy Ginsburg, a veteran middle school math teacher and site director at Aim High’s ER Taylor/SF Community site, to launch the pilot.
Ultimately, Lee hopes to make the most of Aim High’s model and network of educators to support what schools do during the academic year. “This year’s strategic planning process has shown us how we can have a greater impact on students’ academic trajectory.”
“We’re focused on improving teacher training, piloting curriculum, and further developing our online resources for teachers, helping all sites put their students on a path for success in school.”
From the archives: April/May 2009
As Aim High gears up for its 24th summer, the Teaching and Learning department is unveiling new measures to ready low-income Bay Area middle schoolers for bright futures.
This summer, Aim High is working to boost achievement in math, deepen students’ connection to the environment through science education, and make college more accessible.
The need for great education programs at the middle school level has never been more apparent. Recent research indicates that students’ preparedness for academic challenges at the middle school level is a significant indicator of success in college and careers.
According to a 2008 study published by ACT, “the level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that happens academically in high school.”
Sandra Korison Lee, Aim High’s first Director of Academics and Program Evaluation, notes that Aim High is uniquely able to address the need for strong support in the middle school years, with a model that balances youth development and academic enrichment, designed specifically for this age group to thrive.
“Aim High is a community that encourages students to make social and academic connections that spark a love of learning,” she says. “The positive attitudes and habits that students form during middle school can propel them towards success in dramatic ways.”
This year’s Teaching and Learning improvements center on 9th grade science curriculum, career and college awareness, and math skills.
Deana Scipio, a veteran teacher at Aim High’s Headlands Environmental Home (AH-HEH) Program, is working with Lee to integrate environmental science and stewardship into 9th grade science curriculum.
All Aim High 9th graders from San Francisco campuses attend one week of environmental education at one of Aim High’s three Environmental Home sites in the Marin Headlands. This year’s curriculum improvements will help connect that week-long experience, which many students consider to be the most memorable and transformative of their Aim High years, to classroom lessons exploring the environment and sustainability.
Aim High will also increase its focus on college awareness and career preparedness with new curriculum for Issues and Choices classes.
Sylvia Gillies, a lifelong educator with deep experience helping students plan the path to college, has tailored career and college activities to the unique Issues and Choices curriculum, which gives students the opportunity to explore leadership, personal development, and community in a classroom setting.
Lessons for 6th and 7th graders explore why college is important and how it is possible for all students; 8th and 9th graders will learn how to choose high school classes, apply to the schools that fit their needs and interests, and find financial aid.
Aim High sites will integrate the new lessons into their already strong programs of college awareness activities, including college tour field trips, guest speakers, college panels, and college preparedness workshops.
Funding from the GAP Foundation enabled Aim High to tackle this crucial topic.
Finally, new math curriculum will be introduced at four Aim High campuses in a pilot program that helps students develop the core skills to support Algebra readiness for the 8th grade. Research show that success in Algebra is a key predictor of success in high school and college.
With support from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Aim High has purchased a proven curriculum that prepares students to meet California state standards for math and tailor it to Aim High’s educational model.
Lee is working in collaboration with Wendy Ginsburg, a veteran middle school math teacher and site director at Aim High’s ER Taylor/SF Community site, to launch the pilot.
Ultimately, Lee hopes to make the most of Aim High’s model and network of educators to support what schools do during the academic year. “This year’s strategic planning process has shown us how we can have a greater impact on students’ academic trajectory.”
“We’re focused on improving teacher training, piloting curriculum, and further developing our online resources for teachers, helping all sites put their students on a path for success in school.”
As Aim High gears up for its 24th summer, the Teaching and Learning department is unveiling new measures to ready low-income Bay Area middle schoolers for bright futures.
This summer, Aim High is working to boost achievement in math, deepen students’ connection to the environment through science education, and make college more accessible.
The need for great education programs at the middle school level has never been more apparent. Recent research indicates that students’ preparedness for academic challenges at the middle school level is a significant indicator of success in college and careers.
According to a 2008 study published by ACT, “the level of academic achievement that students attain by eighth grade has a larger impact on their college and career readiness by the time they graduate from high school than anything that happens academically in high school.”
Sandra Korison Lee, Aim High’s first Director of Academics and Program Evaluation, notes that Aim High is uniquely able to address the need for strong support in the middle school years, with a model that balances youth development and academic enrichment, designed specifically for this age group to thrive.
“Aim High is a community that encourages students to make social and academic connections that spark a love of learning,” she says. “The positive attitudes and habits that students form during middle school can propel them towards success in dramatic ways.”
This year’s Teaching and Learning improvements center on 9th grade science curriculum, career and college awareness, and math skills.
Deana Scipio, a veteran teacher at Aim High’s Headlands Environmental Home (AH-HEH) Program, is working with Lee to integrate environmental science and stewardship into 9th grade science curriculum.
All Aim High 9th graders from San Francisco campuses attend one week of environmental education at one of Aim High’s three Environmental Home sites in the Marin Headlands. This year’s curriculum improvements will help connect that week-long experience, which many students consider to be the most memorable and transformative of their Aim High years, to classroom lessons exploring the environment and sustainability.
Aim High will also increase its focus on college awareness and career preparedness with new curriculum for Issues and Choices classes.
Sylvia Gillies, a lifelong educator with deep experience helping students plan the path to college, has tailored career and college activities to the unique Issues and Choices curriculum, which gives students the opportunity to explore leadership, personal development, and community in a classroom setting.
Lessons for 6th and 7th graders explore why college is important and how it is possible for all students; 8th and 9th graders will learn how to choose high school classes, apply to the schools that fit their needs and interests, and find financial aid.
Aim High sites will integrate the new lessons into their already strong programs of college awareness activities, including college tour field trips, guest speakers, college panels, and college preparedness workshops.
Funding from the GAP Foundation enabled Aim High to tackle this crucial topic.
Finally, new math curriculum will be introduced at four Aim High campuses in a pilot program that helps students develop the core skills to support Algebra readiness for the 8th grade. Research show that success in Algebra is a key predictor of success in high school and college.
With support from the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Aim High has purchased a proven curriculum that prepares students to meet California state standards for math and tailor it to Aim High’s educational model.
Lee is working in collaboration with Wendy Ginsburg, a veteran middle school math teacher and site director at Aim High’s ER Taylor/SF Community site, to launch the pilot.
Ultimately, Lee hopes to make the most of Aim High’s model and network of educators to support what schools do during the academic year. “This year’s strategic planning process has shown us how we can have a greater impact on students’ academic trajectory.”
“We’re focused on improving teacher training, piloting curriculum, and further developing our online resources for teachers, helping all sites put their students on a path for success in school.”
