CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS TO WATCH

The seven-period instructional day allows for students to have two intervention classes or two enrichment electives allowing students to access the Project Lead the Way classes that lead to four-year integrated pathways in high school.

All students have a three-day hands-on science experience relevant to the curriculum of each grade level. In 6th grade, earth science with the Pali Institute; in 7th grade, life science with the Catalina Island Marine Institute; and in 8th grade, physical science with AstroCamp.

All English learners have an adult advocate who monitors progress, provides primary English instruction for growth, and supports students’ needs as they arise in any disciplines.

Using thinking maps as a tool for writing and note taking, all classes actively engage in discipline appropriate writing strategies following the school instructional focus of “write here, write now.”

All students are issued a take-home Windows 10 Laptop to access technology as a learning tool. In addition to the use of technology in all core classes and STEM classes, students all learn introductory computer coding skills in science at all grade levels. All students may also access the Project Lead the Way classes that lead to the high school pathway developing integrated math, science, engineering, and robotics skills in an applied technology curriculum.

Teachers collaboratively design and score cross-curricular writing to assess student skills for writing within the disciplines. Working with “Focused Schools” the school has adopted a school-wide focus on writing.

School-wide well established PBIS program includes Tiers I, II and III interventions and provides for desirable and consistent rewards and recognition.

Frequent and focused instructional walk-throughs by site administrators, district personnel, and outside consultants monitor the students’ ability to verbalize the objectives of a lesson and the reason for learning it.

With a robust Project Lead the Way Program, a digital media/television journalism class and the use of electronic platforms by students and teachers in virtually all aspects of their teaching and learning, Traweek is a computer science immersion magnet school.