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Blackstone Academy is a Pawtucket-based
public charter school which serves 150 students
in grades 8-12. Its mission is to build a strong
community of learners and leaders. Blackstone serves
as a small-school alternative for secondary school
students in Pawtucket and Central Falls who are
seeking a college preparatory curriculum in a more
intimate instructional setting. In an educational
environment that fosters independent inquiry, teamwork,
and communication, students develop the skills and
use their voice in ways that lead to success in
the academic, social, and professional arenas.
Students demonstrate their achievements through
a process of discovery, presentation, and reflection
shaped by active engagement in community life. This
learning process begins with themselves, moves forward
with an exploration of local community, and ultimately
integrates an understanding of the wider world as
students become responsible, motivated, life-long
learners.
Our school features:
• Academic courses
that are complemented by project-based learning
and portfolio production that is linked to an
educational framework organized around centers
of care, beginning with students themselves and
extending through families and their immediate
communities to ultimately address issues in the
natural environment and the international sphere.
• Multi-age classes, low student-teacher
ratios, a strong advisory system, and an exceptional
array of support services provide the personalized
guidance needed to ensure student success.
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• Teaching that is based
on inquiry-based learning strategies utilizing
differentiated instructional techniques that are
responsive to the multiple intelligences and which
incorporate the arts, technology, and an emphasis
on developing literacy in all its dimensions.
• A curriculum that is interdisciplinary
and community-connected, involving multiple opportunities
for students to cultivate leadership and life
skills through active partnerships with businesses
and institutions that enhance student learning
and discovery.
• A strong student support
team and the SPIRIT program that is committed
to working with students inside and outside school
to raise attendance and performance to the highest
possible levels through outreach, counseling,
crisis intervention, tutoring and remediation,
and support in the college application and entry
process.
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• A full inclusion approach
to Special Education that champions differentiated
instruction, individual support, and individualized
services to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Blackstone Academy
is a free, public secondary charter school that
is authorized by the Rhode Island Department
of Education to offer all the services of a
public school. Admission to the school is held
by lottery in the spring of each year based
on applications for anticipated available seats.
Teachers at Blackstone Academy are required
to have Rhode Island state teaching certification,
but the school’s independent, non-profit
status frees it to be more creative in its approach
to education. Blackstone Academy has its own
School Council which guides the educational
life of the school, and an independent Board
of Directors governs overall policy and fiscal
matters.
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