
UPA’s learning model is key to addressing the challenges of supporting our diverse group of learners who represent a wide
range of academic, emotional, language, and literacy skills.
We organized this model into three strategies:
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING emphasizes mastery of cognitive skills, hands-on experiences of academic content, collaboration, and relational skills. Projects pose real-world challenges and inquiry, connecting students’ academic experience to their local and global communities. Through projects, students are able to truly engage in a deep exploration of content application and real-world skills.
PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION provides structures and resources for students to be self-sufficient learners capable of passing rigorous assessments. It allows them to deeply understand their own data and use it to target areas of growth, self-pace and set goals. While all grade-level teams are working towards personalized learning, 6th grade Summit Basecamp has set precedence for exploring what it truly means to be personalized.
Through this platform, students work at their own pace through a series of content skills. They can take tests when they are ready and use a variety of provided resources to self-teach. Teachers analyze the data to pull small groups to target specific skills, allowing each student to receive tailored, timely instruction.
In 2016, UPA was proud to be one of six "breakthrough schools" awarded a Next Generation Learning Challenge (NGLC) grant from the Rogers Family Foundation to support personalized learning and blended learning! Learn more about the $350,000, two-year grant. You can also read our NGLC Blueprint here.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING prepares students to be self-reflective, emotionally intelligent stewards of their community, build strong relationships, and be able to accelerate and drive their own learning in two ways.
First, students have daily Crew classes designed to help students expand their self-knowledge, growth mindset and relational skills through the habits of success and goal-setting. Secondly, the academic curriculum is designed so that learning is directly linked to these habits and goals.
range of academic, emotional, language, and literacy skills.
We organized this model into three strategies:
PROJECT-BASED LEARNING emphasizes mastery of cognitive skills, hands-on experiences of academic content, collaboration, and relational skills. Projects pose real-world challenges and inquiry, connecting students’ academic experience to their local and global communities. Through projects, students are able to truly engage in a deep exploration of content application and real-world skills.
PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION provides structures and resources for students to be self-sufficient learners capable of passing rigorous assessments. It allows them to deeply understand their own data and use it to target areas of growth, self-pace and set goals. While all grade-level teams are working towards personalized learning, 6th grade Summit Basecamp has set precedence for exploring what it truly means to be personalized.
Through this platform, students work at their own pace through a series of content skills. They can take tests when they are ready and use a variety of provided resources to self-teach. Teachers analyze the data to pull small groups to target specific skills, allowing each student to receive tailored, timely instruction.
In 2016, UPA was proud to be one of six "breakthrough schools" awarded a Next Generation Learning Challenge (NGLC) grant from the Rogers Family Foundation to support personalized learning and blended learning! Learn more about the $350,000, two-year grant. You can also read our NGLC Blueprint here.
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING prepares students to be self-reflective, emotionally intelligent stewards of their community, build strong relationships, and be able to accelerate and drive their own learning in two ways.
First, students have daily Crew classes designed to help students expand their self-knowledge, growth mindset and relational skills through the habits of success and goal-setting. Secondly, the academic curriculum is designed so that learning is directly linked to these habits and goals.