The BCSC Instructional Approach

The BCSC provides all children with the tools necessary for a lifetime of learning, including a strong foundation of literacy and mathematical skills and opportunities to think critically, research, explore and develop and develop the capability to solve problems. Small class size (22 students per class) and an extended day/extended year program (operating from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Mondays through Thursdays and from 8:00 am - 2:00 pm on Fridays, 190 school days per year) positively contribute to the development of a cohesive and supportive school.

The BCSC utilizes a standards-based, workshop model approach to instruction. In addition to this model, the BCSC retains a strong focus on experiential, constructivist learning through the incorporation of content-related field trips and hands-on experiences built into the curriculum -- especially in the areas of social studies and science.

Curriculum resources include the following:

• The Houghton Mifflin Nation's Choice Edition balanced literacy program supports teachers as they encourage students to become enthusiastic readers and writers. A complete Scholastic Guided Reading library is housed at the school as well.
• The Saxon Math program, a structured series that sequentially builds computational and manipulative skills, is utilized, along with materials published by TERC and created by Marilyn Burns.
• Science and social studies units are designed by grade level teacher teams, which readily use the Core Knowledge Sequence as a guiding foundation and FOSS science kits as a resource.

The BCSC has also developed school-wide structures to support rigorous learning and establish a high level of educator accountability.

• Our comprehensive BCSC K-5 scope and sequence provides teachers with clear expectations about the topics within each New York State learning standard that are taught at each grade level
• Interim assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics have been designed to support a culture of data-driven instruction, allowing teachers ample opportunities to review and analyze the results of these assessments and use the data to differentiate lesson plans and implementation to support and challenge all students.
• Multi-year, individual student academic portfolios are designed to collect evidence of standards-based learning in literacy and math.