The SAE School
Teaching and LearningLearn more about our Project Based Methodology
The SAE School
Teaching and LearningLearn more about our Project Based Methodology
Our Approach to Education
The SAE School uses a Project Based Learning approach to teaching.
The SAE School Projects are 4-6-week or year-long interdisciplinary projects that engage students in solving real-world challenges through a team-based approach. The core elements of the project based approach are listed below:
Real-World Authentic Learning Experiences
- Activities that involve real-world problems that mimic the work of professionals
- Open-ended inquiry
- Opportunities engage in discourse and social learning
- Students direct their own learning in project work
Problem-Based on Challenge-Driven
- Students work in small groups to solve problems
- 21st century skills and technology are incorporated
- Collaboration to create a final product
Standards Based
- Intentional way for teachers to track students’ progress
- Focused on mastery and proficiency
- Helps teachers adjust instruction
Engages External Audiences
Students consult and get feedback from professionals on projects
Promotes Collaboration, Creativity and Critical Thinking
- Collaboration is fostered and encouraged
- Students have many opportunities to develop and display creativity
- Critical thinking is integrated into learning activities across the curriculum
Presentation
- Students learn presentation skills from an early age
- Practice in front of a variety of audiences
Core Subject Areas
English Language Arts
We follow the Georgia Standards of Excellence. This includes taking a balanced literacy approach.
- Readers Workshop/Writers Workshop
- Read Aloud-Shared Reading-Choral Reading
- Guided Reading with Running Records
- Differentiated Literacy Stations
- Writing Lessons with Anchor Text & Exemplars
Mathematics
We follow the Georgia Standards of Excellence. This includes taking a balanced literacy approach. This includes utilization of the Guided Math approach.
- Number Talks & Numerical Reasoning
- Computation Fluency Building
- Problem-Solving (2-3 times per week)
Interactive Science
We follow the Next Generation Science Standards.
Our students are inspired to embrace the 5 E’s of Science :
- Engage – Launch of task, a demonstration of an event. The goal is to spark interest and involvement.
- Explore – Hands on experiences of the phenomena being observed.
- Explain – The learner is encouraged to put observations, questions, hypotheses and experiences from the previous stages into language.
- Elaborate – Using the understanding gained in the previous stages, now learners should be encouraged to build and expand upon it.
- Evaluation – Evaluation should be ongoing and should occur at all stages, in order to determine that learning objectives have been met and misconceptions avoided.
Non Fiction Studies
We follow the Georgia Standards of Excellence. This includes taking a balanced literacy approach. We also use the inquiry-based learning approach and the 3 C’s framework.
- College Readiness
- Career Readiness
- Civic Life
Enrichments
Music
The Music Program at The SAE School strives to give each student a well-rounded music education experience. Students explore many musical styles, cultures and periods through movement, singing and exposure to a wide range of musical instruments. An emphasis on performance helps our students grow in knowledge, skill and confidence that carries well beyond
the music classroom.
Spanish/Visual Arts
The Visual Arts program at The SAE School gives each student ownership and a voice, they develop confidence, increase their empathy and discover how to look at the world from different perspectives. These skills prepare students to take on the world with passion and creativity. Students use a variety of materials following the elements of art and craft techniques used by notable artists throughout history. Many projects connect with what students are learning in other classes.
Physical Education
The Physical Education program at The SAE School provides students with the opportunity to participate in acomprehensive program consisting of skill development, lead up games, team sports, and physical fitness activities. Students will receive instructions on rules, skills, and strategies associated with multiple sports. The program also promotes cooperation, leadership, sportsmanship, and friendly competition to develop students social skills.
Martial Arts
Performing Arts
How We Teach
The Workshop Model
The Workshop Model begins with a whole group lesson on grade-level content for 15-20 minutes then moves to rotations of students to small group and individual support that is personalized to the students need.
Engaged Interactive Science and Social Studies
Engaged Interactive Science and Social Studies lessons begin with the teacher using vocabulary strategies, videos, labs and text to build an understanding of content with students engaged in discussion, hands-on exploration or writing about their learning in Interactive Notebooks.
Project Based Learning
Interdisciplinary Projects that are shaped around Science, Arts and Entrepreneurship. Students will engage in projects that allow them to develop along a continuum of learning to work collaboratively, creatively, design, plan, present and solve real-world problems. As students develop, they will gradually work towards learning to design products, businesses or non-profit
Spanish Instruction
Spanish Instruction centers around a workshop delivery. Students participate in a 15-20 minute lesson with teacher-directed modeling or instruction then practice listening, speaking, reading and writing to strengthen their understanding.
How We Grade (Standards Based Grading)
What is Standards Based Grading?
It is a method of grading that moves away from the use of averages, uneven grading scales and unreliable calculations to giving specific feedback along a continuum of learning. The SAE School has chosen the following as its continuum:
|
Grade Descriptor |
Grade Description |
|
Needs Improvement |
The learner is performing below the expectations of the grade level and/or consistently struggles to grasp grade-level concepts of learning. The learner is completely dependent on the teacher to execute the task. |
|
Progressing |
The learner is beginning to demonstrate understanding of a concept and is making progress to understandgrade-level concepts of learning. The learner often requires support to execute the task. |
|
Meets |
The learner is consistently able to demonstrate understanding of a concept and is consistently able to perform grade-level expectations with no support. (This does not apply to accommodations made for processing deficits.) |
|
Exceeds |
The learner is not only able to consistently demonstrate understanding of a concept and perform grade-level tasks or expectations, but the performance far surpasses grade-level expectations. The learner requires no support and even extended learning experiences to be challenged. |
What is standards-based grading?
It is a method of grading that moves away from the use of averages, uneven grading scales and unreliable calculations to giving specific feedback along a continuum of learning. The SAE School has chosen the following as its continuum: As students develop, they will gradually work towards learning to design products, businesses or non-profit
Why standards-based grading?
As The SAE School seeks to discover, nurture and protect each students individual journey of learning, Standards-Based grading has been deemed a more effective approach to accomplishing this task. Education research experts like Robert Marzano, Thomas Guskey, William O’Conner and Douglas Reeves have all made a case for the more powerful impact that standards-based grading can have in helping teachers communicate to both students and their parents how students are progressing on the standards
Get In Touch
Location:
6688 Mableton Parkway, Mableton GA 30126
Telephone:
(678) 239 - 3200
Email:
Admissions@SAEschool.org
School Hours: M-F: 7am - 6:30pm