What is Academic Rigor?

Is it assigning more homework: 30 math problems instead of 20, 25 sentence diagrams in place of 10, or 10 page paper instead of 5?  I don’t believe that doing more homework is necessarily more rigorous.  I believe it’s just more.

Academic rigor is the educational experience that engages students in content to help them develop the ability to analyze, critically evaluate, and ultimately create new ideas.  In other words, academic rigor make kids want to dive into a subject and learn.

So, we are planning a few things for the upcoming year.

1. Pre-K through 12th Grade Curriculum Alignment
   1. Curriculum is written to state and national standards
   1. Eliminates any possible holes in our Scope & Sequence
   1. eTextbooks available for 1^st through 12^th grades (Order form is below.)
   1. Summer Enrichment aligned with curriculum is available for 1^st – 7^th grades (Order form is below.)
   1. Online help available for several grades/classes
2. Replacing A/R Reading with DIBELS Early Reading Assessment and a Summer Reading program that promotes critical and Biblical thinking
3. Adding Math Faculty to provide better scheduling for MS & HS
4. Establishing a separate MS & HS faculty.
5. Increasing Instructional Time & some new classes
   1. Elementary grades will have morning, afternoon and lunch recess
   1. MS/HS will have 50 minute periods instead of 40-45 minute periods
   1. MS will have 2-3 days of PE per week through the year
   1. 6^th Grade Study Skills Class
   1. 7^th Grade Health Class
   1. 8^th Grade Lead Worthy
   1. 6th Grade Keyboarding, 7^th & 8^th Grade Computer Applications & Cyber Citizenship
6. More Field Trip Experiences
7. Separating Upper and Lower School Library to increase availability for all grades
8. Provide notetaking seminar for HS students to develop proper notetaking skills when using a device or pen and paper.