Several new initiatives are being implemented this academic year at Tidioute Community Charter School.

The first is an enhancement of the school’s reading curriculum with the McGraw Hill Study Sync program. “Study Sync is a digital reading series that is closely aligned with Pennsylvania’s Common Core Standards. The reading series is cloud based and accessible through any mobile device,” according to a statement from the school. “Not only will this program allow teachers to educate based on evolving curriculum requirements, it will enable educators to adapt to varying levels within their classroom without making students feel singled out due to level or skill.

“This will lead not only to and increased understanding of the curriculum, but to greater classroom interaction and discussion.”

But it’s not just the software; it’s the hardware, too.

“TCCS will also be implementing the use of Chromebook computers on a 1:1 level; every student in grades 6-12 will be issued a computer,” the school said. “We at TCCS realize that Internet can be a problem in our area, so students that are restricted by Internet or data usage are able to print all components of Study Sync.”

Additional assessment tools will also be incorporated this year.

“TCCS is also unveiling new NWEA MAP assessments for grades K-12,” they said. “This assessment will provide us with data that will help us to measure a student’s academic achievement and allow us to determine individual academic growth.

“MAP permits us to know where students are performing at this moment in time at their level as it is a computerized adaptive test, meaning that as students work through the test, it adapts to their ability level, giving them easier or more difficult questions in order to gauge what they truly know in relation to the state standards. In addition to using NWEA MAP assessment data to guide day to day teacher led classroom instruction, we are also rolling out an intervention piece this year that pairs with NWEA to provide a digital intervention solution to students in grades K-12. We have adopted Pathblazer and My Path, both Edgenuity products that will automatically receive data from NWEA to place students in lessons and activities to remediate or enrich students on skills that have been introduced by their teachers in the classroom.

“TCCS is confident that these advancements will keep them on the cutting edge of education.”