Member Schools Chico Country Day

Attained Academic Performance Index (API) Growth Target in 2008-2009
Increased API school-wide growth score in 2008-2009 by 33 points to 861
Achieved all Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements under No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for 2008-2009

Administrative Headquarters
Chico Country Day School
102 West 11st Street
Chico, CA. 95928

Contact Information
Margaret Reece, Executive Director
email: margaret@chicocountryday.org
Paul Weber, Principal
email: pweber@chicocountryday.org
Phone: (530) 895-2650
Fax: 530-895-2646
Website: http://www.classicalacademy.com/

Education Overview
Chico Country Day charter school is a site-based charter school (full-time classroom learning model) with a Personalized Learning option for students.

Mission
Chico Country Day School is proud to be Fully Accredited by the Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. The mission of Chico Country Day Charter School is to provide a safe, joyful community where all learners are inspired to achieve their personal best.

CCDS is organized as a 501(c)3 not for profit public benefit corporation and provides parents and students with expanded choices within the public school system in Chico and surrounding counties.

CCDS offers a broad and enriched K-8 education, emphasizing integrated teaching based on the California State Teaching Standards. We use a method of teaching based on Integrated Thematic Instruction, or ITI, which weaves subjects together based on a thematic year-long theme and also emphasizing Lifeskills and Lifelong Guidelines. We offer music, including strings, band, and classroom music, art and drama, environmental science, an afterschool program, and a preschool.

Vision
The vision of Chico Country Day School is to create a school that:

Offers low class size in every grade, in comparison to other schools.
Offers a small community environment for both students and families.
Is committed to academic excellence
Implements the Integrated Thematic Instruction model
Provides a dynamic, interactive classroom environment
Develops a school‑wide theme for the entire year.
Provides a technology‑rich environment.
Grounds instruction in math, science and the arts.
Encourages parents to take an active role in the operation of the school.
Provides an after-school program for children to complement the academic program of CCDS.

Educational Program Overview
The educational program of the Chico Country Day Charter School is informed by research and highly respected philosophies regarding teaching and learning.

Our program is based upon what we know to be best teaching practices in a classroom we create and is referred to as a brain-compatible environment. Our approach to educating our students is based on the educational philosophy of The Basic School (Ernest Boyer) and our instructional model is based on Susan Kovalik’s Integrated Thematic Instruction.

From the Basic School model, we extract a few core beliefs that are at the heart of building a community of learners at CCDS:

getting to know each student well
leadership opportunities for our older students
cooperative learning for students and teachers
ongoing professional development
displaying student work through exhibitions, celebrations, and portfolios
focusing on creating an engaging curriculum that emphasizes depth and understanding of “essential” topics, rather than one that focuses on breadth of material covered.

Our use of challenging service learning projects, student learning based in study trips throughout our community, and the solving of real-world problems comes from embracing Kovalik’s instructional model Integrated Thematic Instruction.

From embracing Kovalik’s instructional model, Integrated Thematic Instruction, we extend our curriculum to include:

challenging service learning projects
student learning based study trips throughout our community
the solving of real-world problems

Much of the CCDS curriculum is planned and developed by teachers, and based on the California Content Standards for each grade level. CCDS teachers are trained to use the Integrated Thematic Instruction Model to plan, sequence, integrate, and structure the units of instruction. Teachers make their plans by integrating a large concept that is woven throughout the day, across all subject areas.

Their ITI training encourages planning developmentally-appropriate sequenced activities that build a “scaffolding” of understanding that connects learning across the various disciplines on a daily basis. Once this scaffolding is built, more and more conceptual teaching/learning may be added onto the basic foundation established early in the day/ week/ year. Children’s understanding begins to grow and connect, because all skills are taught in the context of meaningful engaging content, as opposed to skills or facts being taught in isolation.

The ITI curriculum planning and instruction model aligns with our educational philosophy and inspires teachers to create innovative and engaging hands-on curriculum based on student understanding of grade level content standards and skills. Building on our school culture of collaboration and accountability, CCDS teachers welcome the opportunity to gather at Professional Roundtables. By design, these times are planned times weekly to encourage collaboration on curriculum planning and projects. These collegial times offer each teacher an opportunity to be accountable to others, ensuring that all curricula meet high levels of academic rigor at every grade level.