How to succeed
Inwood dA Academyd forf LeadershipL d hi isi a unique, independent, public charter middle and high school giving students the skills they need to succeed in school — and life. We spoke with Denise Canniff, the school’s development manager, about the benefits of Inwood Academy.
What grades does Inwood Academy serve and what is the application process?
Since we opened our doors in 2010, we’ve grown to serve more than 700 students, grades 5–10. By the 2017–18 school year, we will serve 1,000 students in grades 5–12.
Students are admitted annually through an admissions lottery that accepts students in all grades when we have open slots. Students are given a preference in the lottery if they are an English Language Learner and/ or live in the community school district in which we are located — CSD 6. Siblings of students already enrolled at Inwood Academy are also given a preference.
The 2016–17 application lottery is now open. There is no cost to submit an application or attend Inwood Academy — we are a free public charter school. The application deadline is April 1, and the lottery will be held on April 4. To apply online, visit www. inwoodacademy.org/admission
How is your school unique?
Inwood Academy was founded on the premise that to be happy and successful in life, we must educate the entire child — the social, emotional and cognitive skills — and teach students how to be responsible for the community in which they live. Our staff and faculty also believe that our school’s core valuesl of fh honesty,t i integrity,t it responsibility,ibilit caring and restraint are traits that contribute to well-rounded individuals who care, give back and lead. In living our core values, we are:
Defining an inclusive approach — em
l bracing immigrant families, filling vacant seats in all grades and welcoming special education students.
Setting high expectations — graduat
l ing 100% of our children by embracing data-driven decision making, using data and targets for each student and providing personalized and targeted instruction to meet the needs of all students.
Educating the whole child: the social,
l emotional and cognitive skills — teaching students how to be responsible for the community in which they live and creating personalized plans that will lead students to a path of success after high school.
l Preparing students for the 21st century — providing classrooms sets of Chromebooks at the middle school and assigning a laptop to each high school student.
In addition, 95% of our middle school and high school students re-enroll with us each year, we provide 400 hours of extra academic instruction and test preparation every year and have dedicated parent council members that help the school to maintain strong partnerships with our students’ families.
Please explain the instructional tech program?
One of the most important outcomes we believe our classroom technology will help us accomplishli h i is academicd i growth.th ThisThi growth occurs when students have access to personalized learning plans that utilize technology. We use Chromebooks that run Google Apps for Education (GAFE), which includes Google Classroom. This is a blended learning model of individualized instruction. In its most basic form, blended learning is part paper and part paperless classroom. In the paperless classroom, the teacher becomes a guide for knowledge, a resource.
In addition to academic growth through individualized learning, our goal is for students to be deeply knowledgeable about the use of technology in communication, collaboration and creativity. These are the very skills that will contribute to their college and career readiness.
Would you like to talk about the school’s STEM and science offerings?
This year, we are offering a computer science course called Harvard’s CS50. This is an adaption of a Harvard University course that is designed to prepare students for the new Advanced Placement Computer SS ci encei course. B Bothth midid d dle school and high school s students have attended t this class and they had the p privilege of participating in the annual CS50 Hacka athon NYC. We were just o one of nine schools invited t to participate in this Mic crosoft sponsored event. T This is also our first year p participating in Urban Advantage, ta middleiddl school science initiative where teachers receive resources and guided, science-based programs that provide a content-rich, structured discovery and learning environment for students. Urban Advantage, run by the American Museum of Natural History, partners with institutions, including the Botanic Gardens and city zoos, which also provide our students and families with vouchers to visit their institutions.