Vision Statement NPA challenges our community to learn, lead, and grow into compassionate problem-solvers and engaged citizens who will bring joyful curiosity to build an equitable world together.

Mission Statement NPA provides a collaborative, well-rounded education through academics, arts, and athletics, and provides educational opportunities for a successful future, while fostering a diverse and inclusive community.

Teacher Guide

Integrated Learning Strategies (ILS) is a required opportunity for grades 6-9, while being optional in grades 10-12. The following guide details the parameters for this class to serve students in accordance with our vision and mission. NPA’s guiding values coupled with relevant, evidence-based approaches informs the ILS experience for students and teachers.

Purpose

The purpose of ILS is student success that is primarily academic and always student centered. An engaged teacher builds positive, supervisory relationships with students that assists in the following:

• Student support
• Assignment completion
• Workload planning
• Study skills
• General success at NPA

ILS Setting

With a primary focus on student success, an environment that sets the stage for that must be in place, below are attainable suggestions that

Physical

1. Clutter free area for student learning
2. Gentle and thoughtful lighting - enough to see, not to blind
3. Student comfort zones (reading corner, area to stand or stretch out, usable seats, desks, or tables)
4. Low volume of distractions

Academic

1. Access to Infinite Campus and Google Classroom
2. Access to supplies (paper, pens, pencils, markers, chromebooks)
3. Access to lockers (sign in/sign out sheets, trackable amount of students out at any time)
4. Predictable routine for the classroom experience (teacher strategy below)

<aside> 🗣 These also work well for any classroom environment

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Daily Teacher Strategy

Current research reveals that student agency yields the best results for student engagement and helps build skills for self-paced working environments like our ILSs. The following strategy focuses on student agency and organizational skills - where the teacher serves a supervisory role that authenticates, supports, and guides students.

Routine That Builds Student Agency

This strategy helps students create their own goals and outcomes with information stemming from their classes.