7th-12th Grade Project Based Learning Program (On Campus)
Northwest Prep's PBL program offers CA approved A-G core classes in Math, Science, Social Studies, Math, world languages, Visual Performing Arts, and more. We have a full functioning wet science lab, a fully outfitted wood shop, a stage for performing arts, and a fine arts/maker lab. Parallel to core and college and career readiness, our Project-based Learning program focuses on providing a personalized and meaningful education for students in grades 7-12 by using an integrated, multi-disciplinary project-based program of inquiry. The program serves approximately 105 students. The program is designed with blended grade levels in core and project classes. Each core classroom teacher is also a project teacher offering discipline support for all students within the project model. Projects incorporate elements of each discipline, focusing on leadership skill development and the attainment of visual and performing arts standards. Each project is built out of a driving question which is tailored by students into sub-driving questions focusing groups as they wish. Students begin by conducting research driven by student-designed guiding questions resulting in collaborative outlines, graphic organizers, and other forms of synthesized information. The collected information is then utilized by students. They create art pieces, graphic designs, theatrical performances, debates, and presentations, as well as building installations and other project creations. Each project incorporates community partners who support students throughout the project journey. All projects culminate with an academic exhibition where students display work, interact with the audience, and showcase elements of their projects.
In 2013, Northwest Prep’s PBL program received Sonoma State University's Award for Educational Innovation. During the 2020-2021 school year, two Northwest Prep PBL teachers, Alyssa Dossat and Stephanie Boone, were recognized by the Sonoma County Office of Education as 2020-2021 Sonoma County Exemplary Teachers. As mentioned earlier, this recognition highlights these two amazing teachers and the leadership they provided for Inquiry Class, our projects, and our exhibitions during this global pandemic. NWP PBL continues to work closely with the Sonoma County Office of Education helping other area schools develop and incorporate PBL, work-based learning (WBL), and performance assessment systems.
In 2013, Northwest Prep’s PBL program received Sonoma State University's Award for Educational Innovation. During the 2020-2021 school year, two Northwest Prep PBL teachers, Alyssa Dossat and Stephanie Boone, were recognized by the Sonoma County Office of Education as 2020-2021 Sonoma County Exemplary Teachers. As mentioned earlier, this recognition highlights these two amazing teachers and the leadership they provided for Inquiry Class, our projects, and our exhibitions during this global pandemic. NWP PBL continues to work closely with the Sonoma County Office of Education helping other area schools develop and incorporate PBL, work-based learning (WBL), and performance assessment systems.
The video below is a recording from our annual Fall Academic Exhibition held Thursday October 29, 2020 at 6pm. This year’s exhibition showcased elements of student work around persuasion, suffrage, and selected propositions on the 2020 California ballot. During the event students explored the fight for suffrage through collaborative documentaries created by middle school students. This was followed by students diving into the world of persuasion and California ballot propositions as viewers watched our high school collaborative proposition campaign ads while also seeing them present an analysis of the persuasion tactics used. Check it out!!!
WE'RE NOT JUST COLLEGE AND CAREER PREP - WE'RE FUTURE PREP
This school will remind you of everything you hoped a school could be.
Relevant Curriculum
The education experience at Northwest Prep for both students and teachers is contextual, active, and authentic. Project-Based work and field studies are the norm. Academic competencies are integrated with professional skills and guided by the Driving and Guiding questions developed by students and staff. Each semester’s long-term whole school project is driven by an over-arching Driving Question. The curriculum in all classes is carefully designed to scaffold and build student’s knowledge and abilities to be able to adequately and appropriately address this question and Guiding Questions through a series of formative benchmarks, and finally through summative, high stakes Academic Exhibitions.
Personalized Learning
Northwest Prep is designed as a six year secondary program for students. At NWP every student is well known and respected. NWP’s student body of 105 students (currently 55% boys, 45% girls), and a staff of 6 teachers, including the school’s Director and Counselor, are small by design. Students are generally blended in grades 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12. Teachers share responsibility for all of NWP’s students and work with them all over several years. Each teacher also has a Crossroads class where they work closely with a group of students for at least two years. Teachers serve as advocates for their students, and as a liaison between mentors, students, and parents. Advisors also facilitate NWP’s Crossroads program during the Advisory period (more on Crossroads below).
Authentic and Powerful Accountability
Students, parents and staff use a broad range of approaches to measure academic and personal growth. The most important and valuable assessment is consistent conversation. Conversation, facilitation, and mediation regarding student work and overall process occurs one-on-one, with small groups, and through seminars. Both students and teachers routinely examine progress and proficiency using systematic inquiry and reflection. Students employ personal web portals to compile and share digital portfolios, collaborate with peers on project benchmarks, post blogs, video conference, archive work, and post work for peer and teacher evaluation. All students participate in culminating Academic Exhibitions where they are evaluated by members of the entire school community. Prior to graduation each student must formally present and defend a multimedia portfolio of work and experiences that demonstrates evidence that they have achieved proficiency in Northwest Prep’s Leadership Skills (see below).
A Community of Learners
Northwest Prep’s students, staff, and parents are active participants in a truly collective endeavor focused on instilling in students a desire to develop successful habits of mind, and an appreciation for the importance of continuing education. We work hard to develop strong positive relationships and a culture of appreciation, trust, and respect within the entire school community. Students produce whole-school Community Meetings where they communicate important information, showcase student talents and accomplishments (music, poetry, athletics, etc.), and address issues they feel are important in town hall styled forums.
Real World Immersion
Though Northwest Prep is a small educational enclave, it is not an island. Students and staff work to regularly find opportunities for students to interact with other students, and successful adults, in the community and beyond. Northwest Prep encourages and accommodates students to take classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, and Sonoma State University, as well as online courses in areas that we can’t offer due to staffing constraints. In the course of their project work, students are required to interact with experts in the fields that they are exploring, and with professional mentors with whom they are communicating, job shadowing, or interning with in the Crossroads program. Students are also required to communicate through email or video-conferencing with students from other states and countries in order to gain diverse perspectives on project topics and issues.
NWP’s Crossroads program guides students through multi-year college and career exploration, job shadows, and professional internships. All students are also taught professional public speaking and communication skills on an ongoing basis. The main goal of the program is to, over time, create individualized pathways for each NWP student. When students leave Northwest Prep, they leave with an informed plan for their future.
Grades 7 and 8 focus on exploring each student's interests, abilities, and talents. Grades 9 and 10 focus on exploration of the vast range of jobs and careers available and the different types of colleges and training programs that prepare students for them. (the and 10th graders complete one externship each year. Grades 11 and 12 learn how to identify and secure professional internships (two week internships each year) with organizations and companies that they have targeted. NWP links students to all levels and fields of the professional workplace. We provide students with the opportunity to apply the many practical benefits from their PBL experience, to provide a service to their mentors and their organizations, and to further develop their professional and academic skills and goals. The Crossroads experience empowers student's ability to make informed choices for life after high school.
School Purpose and Expected School Wide Learning Results
Northwest Prep Charter School is a small, personalized learning community where students are deeply engaged in, and thoughtful about, their learning. Teachers know students well and guide them towards expected outcomes by teaching them to ask good questions, and identify and solve meaningful problems. All students participate in a Workplace Learning Program (Crossroads) that allows them to interact with successful adults, apply their talents to real world challenges, and exhibit their skills and problem-solving abilities. Northwest Prep features inquiry methodology, project and problem-based instruction, integrated curriculum, advanced digital tools, visual and performing arts, and performance-based assessments.
Upon graduation all NWP students are expected to have become highly proficient in all of the NWP Leadership Skills, and complete their coursework and be well-prepared for participation in college, the workplace, and their community.
NWP Academic Performance Outcomes
- Read critically and write persuasively in the English language
- Recognize and describe relationships and patterns mathematically to solve concrete and abstract problems
- Apply scientific concepts and skills to solve problems, and use critical thinking skills to interpret scientific data
- Demonstrate an understanding of historical, political, social, and economic issues from multiple perspectives
- Use digital technologies appropriately as tools to enhance the achievement of their academic and aesthetic goals, and interpret, experience, create, and present original ideas and products.
This school will remind you of everything you hoped a school could be.
Relevant Curriculum
The education experience at Northwest Prep for both students and teachers is contextual, active, and authentic. Project-Based work and field studies are the norm. Academic competencies are integrated with professional skills and guided by the Driving and Guiding questions developed by students and staff. Each semester’s long-term whole school project is driven by an over-arching Driving Question. The curriculum in all classes is carefully designed to scaffold and build student’s knowledge and abilities to be able to adequately and appropriately address this question and Guiding Questions through a series of formative benchmarks, and finally through summative, high stakes Academic Exhibitions.
Personalized Learning
Northwest Prep is designed as a six year secondary program for students. At NWP every student is well known and respected. NWP’s student body of 105 students (currently 55% boys, 45% girls), and a staff of 6 teachers, including the school’s Director and Counselor, are small by design. Students are generally blended in grades 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12. Teachers share responsibility for all of NWP’s students and work with them all over several years. Each teacher also has a Crossroads class where they work closely with a group of students for at least two years. Teachers serve as advocates for their students, and as a liaison between mentors, students, and parents. Advisors also facilitate NWP’s Crossroads program during the Advisory period (more on Crossroads below).
Authentic and Powerful Accountability
Students, parents and staff use a broad range of approaches to measure academic and personal growth. The most important and valuable assessment is consistent conversation. Conversation, facilitation, and mediation regarding student work and overall process occurs one-on-one, with small groups, and through seminars. Both students and teachers routinely examine progress and proficiency using systematic inquiry and reflection. Students employ personal web portals to compile and share digital portfolios, collaborate with peers on project benchmarks, post blogs, video conference, archive work, and post work for peer and teacher evaluation. All students participate in culminating Academic Exhibitions where they are evaluated by members of the entire school community. Prior to graduation each student must formally present and defend a multimedia portfolio of work and experiences that demonstrates evidence that they have achieved proficiency in Northwest Prep’s Leadership Skills (see below).
A Community of Learners
Northwest Prep’s students, staff, and parents are active participants in a truly collective endeavor focused on instilling in students a desire to develop successful habits of mind, and an appreciation for the importance of continuing education. We work hard to develop strong positive relationships and a culture of appreciation, trust, and respect within the entire school community. Students produce whole-school Community Meetings where they communicate important information, showcase student talents and accomplishments (music, poetry, athletics, etc.), and address issues they feel are important in town hall styled forums.
Real World Immersion
Though Northwest Prep is a small educational enclave, it is not an island. Students and staff work to regularly find opportunities for students to interact with other students, and successful adults, in the community and beyond. Northwest Prep encourages and accommodates students to take classes at Santa Rosa Junior College, and Sonoma State University, as well as online courses in areas that we can’t offer due to staffing constraints. In the course of their project work, students are required to interact with experts in the fields that they are exploring, and with professional mentors with whom they are communicating, job shadowing, or interning with in the Crossroads program. Students are also required to communicate through email or video-conferencing with students from other states and countries in order to gain diverse perspectives on project topics and issues.
NWP’s Crossroads program guides students through multi-year college and career exploration, job shadows, and professional internships. All students are also taught professional public speaking and communication skills on an ongoing basis. The main goal of the program is to, over time, create individualized pathways for each NWP student. When students leave Northwest Prep, they leave with an informed plan for their future.
Grades 7 and 8 focus on exploring each student's interests, abilities, and talents. Grades 9 and 10 focus on exploration of the vast range of jobs and careers available and the different types of colleges and training programs that prepare students for them. (the and 10th graders complete one externship each year. Grades 11 and 12 learn how to identify and secure professional internships (two week internships each year) with organizations and companies that they have targeted. NWP links students to all levels and fields of the professional workplace. We provide students with the opportunity to apply the many practical benefits from their PBL experience, to provide a service to their mentors and their organizations, and to further develop their professional and academic skills and goals. The Crossroads experience empowers student's ability to make informed choices for life after high school.
School Purpose and Expected School Wide Learning Results
Northwest Prep Charter School is a small, personalized learning community where students are deeply engaged in, and thoughtful about, their learning. Teachers know students well and guide them towards expected outcomes by teaching them to ask good questions, and identify and solve meaningful problems. All students participate in a Workplace Learning Program (Crossroads) that allows them to interact with successful adults, apply their talents to real world challenges, and exhibit their skills and problem-solving abilities. Northwest Prep features inquiry methodology, project and problem-based instruction, integrated curriculum, advanced digital tools, visual and performing arts, and performance-based assessments.
Upon graduation all NWP students are expected to have become highly proficient in all of the NWP Leadership Skills, and complete their coursework and be well-prepared for participation in college, the workplace, and their community.
NWP Academic Performance Outcomes
- Read critically and write persuasively in the English language
- Recognize and describe relationships and patterns mathematically to solve concrete and abstract problems
- Apply scientific concepts and skills to solve problems, and use critical thinking skills to interpret scientific data
- Demonstrate an understanding of historical, political, social, and economic issues from multiple perspectives
- Use digital technologies appropriately as tools to enhance the achievement of their academic and aesthetic goals, and interpret, experience, create, and present original ideas and products.
