Academic Programming Pathways

This academic programming pathway will include unique and specialized educational experiences focusing on the arts and traditional academic subjects. Students have regular exposure to professional artists, performances, and exhibitions, which can inspire them and provide valuable insights into the professional world of the arts.

APS will strive to develop intensive training and instruction for students in their chosen artistic discipline, for example, in the visual arts, music, dance, theater, or another creative field. The art academic pathway will allow students to develop their talents and skills to a high level of proficiency.

The IB enables students to direct their learning pathway and develop the skills and confidence they need to thrive and make a lasting difference. It empowers teachers as the architects of learning excellence, working alongside engaged colleagues in a rewarding career supported by a strong global network. And it brings schools a strong reputation for successful outcomes that uplift the whole community.

The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) encourages students aged 11 to 16 to make practical connections between their studies and the real world, preparing them for further study and life success. The MYP is a five-year programme that can be implemented in a partnership between schools or several abbreviated (two, three, or four-year) formats. Students who complete the MYP are well-prepared to undertake the IB Diploma Programme (DP) or Career-related Programme (CP).

What the MYP offers students?

The MYP aims to develop active learners and internationally minded young people who can empathize with others and pursue lives of purpose and meaning.

The programme empowers students to inquire into various issues and ideas of significance locally, nationally, and globally. The result is young people who are creative, critical, and reflective thinkers.

Why offer the MYP?

Research indicates that students participating in the MYP:

• Build confidence in managing their learning;
• Learn by doing, connecting the classroom to the larger world;
• Outperform non-IB students in critical academic skills;
• Consistently have greater success in IB Diploma Programme examinations;
• Thrive in positive school cultures where they are engaged and motivated to excel; and
• Develop an understanding of global challenges and a commitment to act as responsible citizens.

* Citation https://www.ibo.org/programmes/middle-years-programme/what-is-the-myp

A focus on STEM and Career Technical Education (CTE) classes student schedules combine in-demand skills with STEM academic opportunities. All students will take Engineering, focusing on design thinking as a foundation for further STEM studies.

Project-based learning will allow students to collaborate on open-ended projects and apply classroom content to real-world problems and relevant questions.

Students will also learn from APS teachers Dual-Enrolled (DE) coursework who are NOVA professors; this is called Dual-Enrolled (DE) coursework. Students demonstrate the ability to succeed in college-level classes and earn transferable college credit.Lastly, seniors participate in a year-long work-based capstone experience focused on college-level research, job-site internships, or client-focused projects.

This academic programming pathway is designed to give our students more control over their education than traditional comprehensive schools permit. We prize self-motivation and self-discipline in our students, for we know these characteristics are vital for success here. We also work hard to teach these habits to our students, incrementally increasing freedom and expectations of responsibility through the grades.

The central focus of this program is student choice. Students make choices in three general areas: use of time and personal behavior, educational goals, and school governance.

Spanish immersion is an approach where students are immersed in the Spanish language for a significant portion of their school day to develop proficiency in both the language and the content.

This approach offers several benefits to students, parents, and the educational community:

• Enhances English literacy skills and strengthens biliteracy and bilingualism for English and Spanish-speaking students.
• Makes students more marketable for future employment.
• Better support closing the achievement gap.
• For native Spanish speakers, strengthening literacy in their native language contributes to higher levels of literacy in the second language (English)

Fall 2023

• September 26, 2023: School Board Work Session – APS Instructional Vision (View Presentation)

Fall 2026

• The Academic Programming Pathways Begin for the Start of the 2026-27 school year