Core Academics
Our curriculum is grounded in rich educational theories of learning. Our teachers use a variety of approaches and practices to plan lessons and engage students in rich and meaningful learning.
Core Academics
Our curriculum is grounded in rich educational theories of learning. Our teachers use a variety of approaches and practices to plan lessons and engage students in rich and meaningful learning.
Our Unique Instructional Approach
CWC prides itself on having a broad definition of how we measure success for our students. Connected to our work across the 3 strands of our Learning Model, we make efforts to build student competency and skill in academic content, in addition to social emotional development and civic engagement. Beyond cultivating a group of readers, writers, and mathematicians, we also work to develop students who know how to meaningfully connect with one another and be a part of a diverse community. Students cultivate a set of dispositions and skills that will ultimately prepare them to courageously envision changes for the world and how to make those changes a reality.
Our curriculum is grounded in rich educational theories of learning and realized through evidenced-based instructional practices. Our teachers use a variety of approaches and practices to plan lessons and engage students in rich and meaningful learning. The following components help us bring this theory to life in each classroom:
Constructivism
Constructivism is a theory of learning based on the premise that knowledge is built (or constructed) upon earlier knowledge.
We structure learning to build on what students already know and support them in revising and refining their understanding as they work toward mastery. In addition to content knowledge, our students engage in learning processes that develop conceptual understanding and self-knowledge.
Project-Based / Inquiry Learning
Project-based learning or “inquiry” facilitates the constructivist approach. Inquiry Learning integrates skills and knowledge through meaningful and engaging projects that make abstract learning concepts concrete.
As reflective learners, students connect what they learn to their own lives. Teachers strive to teach for understanding, ensuring that students deeply internalize what they learn and are, in turn, able to apply what they learn to new and different circumstances and contexts. Within the CWC learning model.
CWC believes that learning experiences should give students the ability to engage in and make use of their multiple intelligences. This belief drives us to create rigorous, creative and joyful academic experiences that integrate across subjects.
Small Group Instruction
We firmly believe that with strong teaching in the classroom supported by targeted intervention as needed, every child can meet or exceed grade level expectations that are academic, social, or behavioral in nature. We recognize that students learn in different ways and we adjust our teaching to maximize the learning potential of every child.
Our Curriculum
A New Generation of Leaders
Our academic program reflects our broad objective of enabling our students to become self-motivated, competent, life-long learners. Based on our core beliefs of how learning best occurs, we establish the foundation for students’ current and future development as learners. Our curriculum is aligned with national and state standards.
English Language Arts
The overarching goal for our English Language Arts instruction is to ensure that students are able to develop and utilize improved communication skills, vocabularies, and writing abilities in an authentic manner.
CWC uses a Balanced Literacy approach, which includes methods such as:
- Reader’s and Writer’s workshop
- Phonics Instruction
- Interactive Read-Aloud
- Interactive/Shared Reading & Writing
- Independent & Guided Reading
Science & Social Studies Inquiry Projects
Students engage in study of historical topics and scientific exploration through hands-on projects that utilize an interdisciplinary approach. Inquiry projects invite students to examine real-life topics and questions that tie to authentic topics of interest.
Social studies learning, while often tied to learning something historical, will almost always connect as well to current everyday issues that are developmentally appropriate for every grade level. Inquiry projects are often the place where students delve into related learning about civic engagement, social justice and how to become a positive changemaker in one’s community. Inquiry learning is also a place where relevant diversity, equity and inclusion topics are tied in.
Science-focused inquiry learning aligns to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and includes physical science, life science, and earth-systems science. Methods of all science courses include the tools of science (e.g., technology, hands-on materials) and support the development of the reading, writing, analysis, and communication skills students need to become science-literate. Lab experimentation allows students to test their hypotheses.
Projects could include:
- Building Healthy Communities (K)
- Biodiversity and Interdependence of Ocean Habitats (1st Grade)
- Survival & Sustainability on Mars: Exploring How An Engineer Would Live in Space (3rd Grade)
- Re-Imagining the California Mission (4th Grade)
- Climate and Justice (6th Gr.)
- Genetics & The Future (7th Gr.)
- The Statue in the Plaza: Should it Be Removed? (8th Gr.)
Mathematics
Cognitively Guided Instruction (CGI) problem solving is a core framework for CWC’s Math Workshop. CGI is an educational philosophy that capitalizes on over 20 years of research showing that students come to school with rich informal systems of mathematical knowledge and problem-solving strategies that serve as a basis for learning mathematics.
Across grades K-8, CWC LA utilizes the Illustrative Mathematics curriculum to make our CGI-aligned Math Workshop come to life. Illustrative Mathematics is a nationally regarded, standards aligned program.
Social Emotional Development
Students participate in daily community building activities and ongoing Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. The time and location of these lessons is different for every class and grade level, however CWC prides itself in not only having a dedicated block throughout the week for SEL but integrating it throughout all subjects and parts of the day, including outdoor play time.
A number of tools have been blended together to create an SEL program that specifically develops skills in:
- self-recognition and self-management of one’s emotions
- an understanding of others including empathy and perspective-taking
- decision making, problem-solving and resolving conflict
SED Components may include:
- Mindfulness exercises
- Peace Corners
- Instruction and practice with SED “Cool Tools”
- Morning Meeting
- Community Circles and Class Meetings for group problem-solving and community-building
- Integrated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work
Specials / Enrichments
School day “specials” vary slightly from one campus to the other and take place several times a week. Some examples of our enrichment programs are:
- Visual and Performing Arts (varies)
Art, both visual and performing/drama, at CWC is an exploratory journey where children not only learn about art but also about themselves, their world and each other. Children learn artistic perception and aesthetic valuing, i.e. how to look and respond to works of art, culture, nature and the environment. This is often an area that is tied into other disciplines and is a vehicle for multicultural learning. - Physical Education (PE)
In PE, students develop their confidence and skills with an emphasis on body and space awareness. Students learn personal versus shared space, fundamental locomotor, as well as non-locomotor, manipulative skills, and applications. Including a mixture of team sports and cooperative games/activities, our PE program is a joyful space that promotes good sportsmanship, fair team play, effective communication and other invaluable social-emotional skills. - Music
CWC’s music program strives to provide children with opportunities to sing songs, play instruments and create musical compositions of their own. Children learn to describe music using the eight musical elements – melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, texture, structure and tempo. Children are exposed to music from different cultures, musical periods and rich musical traditions from around the world.
Multicultural Studies
CWC believes that children who learn about other cultures will be better able to function effectively in the 21st century and will view their neighborhood, city and world in a more informed, skillful and empathetic light. Many cultures and backgrounds are brought to students from outside the classroom through strategic choices of books, materials, music, food and more. In many CWC schools, there is a language instructional component (often Spanish) that is offered throughout the week as well.
Student Clubs (6th-8th)
Students also have the opportunity to select clubs of their choosing each trimester. The club program allows students to take a range of enrichment offerings – far more than at typical middle schools – which allows them to explore their various interests and get passionate about different subjects.
Past clubs include, but not limited to:
- Theatre and Performance
- Sports Club
- Black Student Affinity Club
- Meditation Space
- Mindful Journaling
- Math Circle
- Natural History of Social Insects
- Chess
- Study Buddies
- Community Service Game Club
- Music Appreciation
- Graphic Design
- School Store Managers
- School Newspaper
ROOTS / Advisory Period (6th-8th)
Students in grades 6-8 participate in ROOTS where they grow a set of enduring skills to navigate change and drive their own learning. ROOTS is similar to an advisory program, and students have a ROOTS advisor for the entire year.
In ROOTS, students grow their sense of self & how to respond to their emotions, build meaningful relationships across lines of difference, and engage in projects that are grounded in an Anti-Bias, Anti-Racist approach. The ROOTS program aligns with our Graduate Dispositions and includes the following key components: mindfulness, artistic expression, restorative justice, identity projects.
Inclusion of all Learners (Special Education)
CWC LA strives to meet the needs of all students. This incorporates, but is not limited to those with an Individualized Education Plan (“IEP”) and 504 Plan. CWC LA is open to all students and will not discriminate on the basis of disability. CWC LA ’s approach to educational support services is one of inclusion for a full spectrum of distinct learners.
CWC LA provides special education instruction and related services in accordance with the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA), Education Code requirements, and applicable policies and procedures of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Students with identified physical, emotional, learning, or developmental disabilities have the right to placement in the least restrictive environment and shall receive special education services according to a written IEP.
We offer high quality educational programs and services for all our students in accordance with the assessed needs of each student. We collaborate with parents, the student, teachers, and other agencies, as may be indicated, in order to appropriately serve the educational needs of each student.
Find out More:
Visit a CWC school near you to learn more about school schedules and elective programs.
6-8th
TK-5th
TK-5th
TK-4th
TK-5th
TK-3rd
6-8th
