Studies

The overall school culture is synergistically aligned to the classroom culture. To ensure all students develop a sense of ownership and belonging, we use a research-based character education program that blends Stephen Covey’s Leader in Me program with the International Baccalaureate learner profile traits and approaches to learning skills. Students can speak to their progress that they document themselves in reflective binders that help students develop core ethical values, social-emotional competencies, and motivation to be lifelong learners.

Cultural Arts Academy Charter School at Spring Creek is authorized to provide the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. As an IB world school, CAACS shares a common philosophy--a commitment to promoting agency, international mindedness, collaboration, and the skills, values, and knowledge to create a better and more peaceful world.

Our school's curriculum is aligned to the New York State Common Core Learning Standards. The Cultural Arts Academy Charter School instructional program includes:

Differentiated Learning (Shell Education)
Pearson Scott-Foresman Reading Street (Grades K-2)
Teacher’s College (Lucy Calkins) (Grades 3-5)
Full Option Science System (Core Knowledge)
Spotlight on Music Program from McMillan-McGraw-Hill
Houghton Mifflin: History and Geography Series
The Muzzy Second Language Acquisition Curriculum
The Spark Physical Education Program
The Project Wisdom Character Education Program

English Language Arts

The English Language Arts program at Cultural Arts Academy is designed to provide a rigorous learning experience and develop a community of life long readers and writers. It is our belief that reading and writing is the foundation of learning and an essential component of the learning experience.

Literacy

Each day begins with D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything And Read) time where all adults and children in the school model a passion for literature. The entire school reads for fifteen minutes from 8:45-9:00am each day.

Throughout the day, scholars are actively engaged in a variety of literacy-based activities in both their general class and special classes. During literacy instruction scholars interact with authentic texts and participate in a balanced literacy model based on components of word study, reading instruction and writing instruction. Running Records are used to assess literacy growth throughout the school year and students and teachers track and can speak to the student’s progress. Guided Reading is strategically implemented to challenge students at their level, give them access to high interest books, and allow for mastery practice of common core standards.

Strategically selected trade books are read aloud to students to provoke interest in new units of inquiry. The nonfiction section of our library in our Makerspace is utilized for students to read at length as they are taught how to research both printed text and online resources. The nonfiction books provided are selected to promote in depth inquiry.

Writing

Using the Writers Workshop all scholars are able to work at their ability level in highly engaging learning experiences. Students learn the writing process of prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each inquiry unit has a writing component as a part of its summative assessment which are assessed with rubrics. Teachers incorporate free writing, reflective journal writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and writing strategies throughout their daily lessons. Students express themselves through reflections, poetry, dramatic skits, narratives, summaries, book reports, persuasive essays, informational research papers, memoirs, and argumentative essays.

Speaking

Fourth and fifth graders participate in debate class on a weekly basis and compete in annual debate tournaments. They learn important speaking skills like voice projection, standing still, eye contact, hand gestures, pacing, and pronunciation of multi-syllable vocabulary words. Presenting is one of the approaches to learning skills that is directly taught and practiced throughout the inquiry units in every grade. This includes Kindergartners who speak and present their projects and show and tell items with the class.

Mathematics

At Cultural Arts Academy Charter School, we allocate 1.5 hours daily for math instruction, and this time is often integrated into the program of inquiry. Standard foundational grade level math skills are taught at every grade level. The IB program brings the critical added layer of math explored through the lens of the inquiry units. Stand-alone math classes cover grade-specific math skills, while the PYP provides real-world applications of these learned skills. Math at CAACS exists as an essential readily applied skill.
Every grade level has at least one inquiry unit in their program of inquiry that requires them to apply math-related skills to create their formative and summative assessments and projects.
Cultural Arts Academy uses Engage NY as the core curricula for mathematics. As a supplementary resource, we also utilize Math in Focus (i.e., Singapore Math). In alignment with the Common Core Standards and International Baccalaureate Scope and Sequence, this program is focused on providing scholars with a rich learning experience that meets their individual needs. Daily double blocks of mathematics provide scholars the time necessary to learn the core elements of the subject and develop their critical thinking skills through guided math centers, games, flashcards, manipulatives, and computer software.

Instructional programs

Eureka Math (Engage NY)
Singapore Math (Math in Focus)

Physical Education

At Cultural Arts Academy Charter School, we emphasize enjoyable involvement in all physical activity. Through our Health and Physical Education program, Scholars will develop the knowledge, attitudes, motor skills, behavioral skills, and confidence needed to adopt and maintain a physically active and healthy lifestyle. One of our big goals is to inspire children to develop positive attitudes about themselves and about health and physical education so that they will choose a healthy lifestyle and be physically active throughout their lives. In order to create a lifelong passion for health and physical fitness, we encourage all members of our learning community to strive to help our Scholars develop the physical, social, and emotional competence that enables them to participate in health enhancing physical activity successfully. We provide exciting, inviting, developmentally-appropriate learning opportunities using a differentiated approach where all scholars achieve success. Scholars acquire and integrate knowledge as well as develop individual skills through the use of critical thinking, technology, and practical application.

English Language Learners (ELL)

The purpose of the CAACS ELL Program is to facilitate our scholars’ english language development as they acquire content area knowledge. In order to accomplish these goals, the CAACS ELL program has been designed to utilize a combination push-in and pull-out model with instruction being aligned to our research-based curricula and Common Core Standards.

The pull-out model enables scholars to have individualized instruction in a small group environment. During the sessions, each student is able to engage in listening, speaking, reading and writing as facilitated by the ELL teacher. A guided reading book is selected to align to each theme.

In the push-in model, scholars are provided with support as they experiment with newly acquired language skills in a larger group while engaging in their classroom activities.

Aligning the ELL curriculum strategies and methodologies with the general education curricula enables English Language Learners to "make sense" of what is being taught in their classrooms. The utilization of songs, poems, hands-on activities, "English Language Learner friendly" content based literature, and proven second language learning strategies and methodologies make the content of the classrooms more accessible. Scholars develop their skills in all four modalities: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Special Education

CAACS offers a ICT/CTT Special Education model. Students with disabilities who receive Integrated Co-Teaching(Collaborative Team Teaching) services are educated with age appropriate peers in the general education classroom. ICT/CTT provides students the opportunity to be educated alongside their non-disabled peers with the full-time support of a special education teacher throughout the day to assist in adapting and modifying instruction.

As described in the NYC Continuum of Services for Students with Disabilities, Integrated Co-Teaching (CTT) “ensures that students master specific skills and concepts in the general education curriculum, as well as ensuring that their special education needs are being met, including meeting alternate curriculum goals.” The title of the services was changed from Collaborative Team Teaching to Integrated Co-Teaching when the service was incorporated in the New York State continuum of services. The state requires all schools to use the terminology

“Integrated Co-Teaching” so that the level of services being provided to a student is clear and consistent.

Physical Therapy
Speech/Receptive Language
Occupational Therapy
Counseling

World Languages (Spanish)

Throughout out our primary language program scholars will be learning language through the cultures of eight Spanish speaking countries. The objective of the program is to introduce scholars to Hispanic and Hispanic American Culture, to foster a positive attitude towards language learning, and to provide a solid foundation for basic communication skills. The capstone project of our primary language program provides scholars the opportunity practice what they have learned, as they take an international trip to Spain. Following the completion of their primary language strand, each scholar will have to opportunity to choose from a variety of languages to specialize in.

Extended Learning Experiences (ELE)

A 21st century education demands that students have an understanding of other people and cultures; the ability to work in a team, critical thinking, strong communication skills, decision-making skills, are multi-lingual, high-tech and well-traveled. Extended learning refers to the acquisition of knowledge and experience that can be gained beyond the classroom experience. Extended learning experiences build the foundation that will allow our students to succeed in a global society. Going to Radio City Music Hall, Carnegie Hall or Lincoln Center to see a band, orchestra, or chorus competition, clinic, or concert gives students the opportunity to learn how to perform. When students visit Albany, New York or Washington, D.C. and see legislation debated or meet with an elected official, they see the real face of government. CAACS students have traveled to the Hayden Planetarium, the Schomburg Museum, Green Meadows Farms, the NY Hall of Science, Mickey's Magic Show at Madison Square Garden, the Brooklyn and Queens Botanical Gardens, and more.

Extended Learning After-School Program (ELASP)

The CAACS Extended Learning Afterschool Program offers tremendous educational benefits to our students outside of the core content areas. It is designed to provide enrichment, academic instruction, and focused recreation. Children are encouraged to learn new skills (martial arts, chess, playing the violin or recorder, sculpting etc., and develop positive relationships.