Statement of Educational Purpose

With the education of the individual child as the central focus,Joseph Sears School strives to provide an educational climate in which each child builds a core body of knowledge, masters key skills,and develops useful habits of mind, including familiarity with the creative process and superior critical thinking abilities. In addition, the school helps each child acquire self-knowledge and expects each child to learn social values and high standards, and to practice responsible citizenship within the broader community.

Against a background of growing social complexity and increasing world competition, Sears affirms its commitment to academic excellence and personal ethics in order to best prepare each student for the future. Specifically, while at Sears, each student:

Builds a Body of Knowledge

• Masters core subjects: Language, Math, Science, Social Studies.
• Connects ideas and concepts within and across appropriate areas of study and understands how they apply to everyday life.
• Thinks critically about current issues affecting the larger world in which the student lives.
• Acquires exposure and aptitude in the fine and applied arts and in foreign languages.
• Learns the principles of nutrition and fitness; the fundamentals of sports; and the discipline of sportsmanship.

Possesses Skills and Useful Habits of Mind

• Develops sharp listening skills in order to enhance all learning.
• Gains confidence and competence in presenting oneself and one's ideas orally.
• Attains a balanced proficiency with words and numbers.
• Masters the elements of good writing, including style,structure, clarity and originality.
• Learns how to conduct research using both standard and innovative procedures.
• Uses technology to capture, manipulate and communicate information and ideas throughout the curriculum.
• Grows in the ability to think critically in all disciplines by gathering, evaluating, and organizing information and ideas;recognizing patterns; testing hypotheses, and drawing conclusions.
• Plays with ideas and unique ways to express them in order to learn the creative process.
• Learns how to work effectively alone and cooperatively in a team.

Acquires Self-Knowledge

• Becomes self-directed, managing time and setting personal goals.
• Experiences satisfaction and self-esteem from setting high standards and meeting them.
• Gains the insight and strength that comes from learning from mistakes and failures.
• Grows in independence - emotionally and socially - as well as in responsiveness to others.
• Learns how to evaluate, take, and reflect on risks.
• Experiences a sense of fulfillment and fun in learning.

Demonstrates Solid Values and High Standards

• Works hard to understand right from wrong.
• Responds honestly to students, teachers, and staff.
• Shows respect for the rights and feelings of others.
• Learns respect for one's own strengths and limitations and accepts the strengths, limitations and differences of others.
• Tries to do one's personal best.
• Develops a personal code to help guide and monitor one's behavior.
• Accepts responsibility for one's actions and their consequences.

Practices Responsible Citizenship

• Recognizes one's role in one's family, school, community,country and world and accepts responsibility for making a positive contribution in each area.
• Thinks about how to create and maintain healthy habits,including a responsible attitude toward alcohol, drugs and sexuality.
• Builds supportive relationships by sharing ideas and concerns and by helping others face challenges and solve problems.
• Builds knowledge and develops appreciation of people from diverse backgrounds in order to participate effectively in a world enriched by social and cultural differences.

Adopted 2/19/96

Questions to be Asked in Evaluation of Educational Programs

Based on Statement of Educational Purpose

This document serves as a companion to The Joseph Sears School"Statement of Educational Purpose," translating the philosophy inherent in the "Purpose" into a series of questions which assists faculty members in the formation and evaluation of educational programs. Depending on the scope and purpose of a program being considered, not all questions will be pertinent.

1.     Is it IMPORTANT?

A.     What student learning is expected to occur or improve as a result of the program? Are the program objectives as important as other learning objectives already embodied in the curriculum?

B.     How will progress against the learning objectives be measured? In what ways will students and teachers be able to track student learning?

C.     Does the program possess the rigor necessary to master the concept or skill?

D.     Are the recommendations based on solid research and sound judgment?

2.     Is it RELEVANT?

A.     Are the body of knowledge and skills embodied in the program relevant to the needs of students in the years ahead? Are they more relevant than other programs?

B.     In what ways will students be shown the relevance of the learning to their own lives?

C.     Are the concepts or principles those which can be applied beyond the immediate context?

3.     Is it INCLUSIVE?

A.     Is every child able to benefit from the material and method of instruction? How is it applicable to all children, from gifted to those with special needs?

B.     In what ways does it allow for different learning styles?

4.     Is it INTEGRATED?

A.     In what ways does the program build on the learning accomplished in prior class work and provide a firm foundation for subsequent study?

B.     Does the program adequately prepare students for the academic requirements of high school?

C.     Does it integrate or reinforce the content and skills generally associated with other subject areas?

5.     Is it BALANCED?

A.     Does the program address the developmental needs of the child - intellectual, emotional, social,physical and ethical?

B.     Are the expectations for students rigorous yet suited to their developmental levels?

C.     How does the program promote citizenship, leadership, self responsibility, and the acquisition of self-knowledge?

6.     Does it INSPIRE?

A.     In what ways does the program inspire teachers and students to learn and to go beyond the assigned material?

B.     In what ways does the program inspire parents to cooperate and contribute to their children's learning?

C.     To what extent does it promote responsible risk-taking and encourage creative thinking?

7.     What is the COST?

A.     For the program's most successful implementation, what new resources - tools, time, space, staff - are required? What do they cost?

B.     Which of the program objectives can be realized without significant new outlays of resources?

8.     What OTHER CONSIDERATIONS do you believe should be taken into account in evaluating the proposed program?