Avalon School
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Avalon School is a project-based charter high school in St. Paul, Minnesota. The website calls it a "small, democratic liberal arts high school."
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[edit] Advisors
At Avalon, teachers (also called 'advisors') are usually referred to by their first names;
- Andrea Martin (Program Coordinator)
- Carrie Bakken (Social Studies)
- Dean Walczak (Finance Manager, Science)
- Geri Connelly (Art)
- Gretchen Sage-Martinson (English)
- Jackie Powell (Office Manager)
- Jo Sullivan (Biology)
- Kevin Ward (English)
- Paul Carlson (Math)
- Andy Richardson (Social Studies)
- Regina Goldner (Middle school math)
Some of the advisors are leaders of a homeroom-like group of students, called advisories. Advisories are housed in room-sized cubicles. Advisories are where students work on projects, homework, and math, when they do not have a seminar.
[edit] Math
The Avalon math program utilizes software called Accelerated Math, created by Renaissance Learning. This software allows students to proceed at their own pace, instead of following a traditional class structure.
When using Accelerated Math, a student receives assignments in the form of exercises, practices, or tests (both normal and diagnostic). The assignment is then completed, and a scan card is filled out with the form number or the assignment and the answers. This is similar to a standardized test. The scan card is then run through a small machine, and scored by a computer. The student then receives a paper with their results. Depending on whether they pass or fail, they can request a test (pass) or an exercise (fail). A new practice assignment is then printed.
[edit] Projects
Avalon is project-based, meaning the focus of the student's work is independent projects. If a student has an idea for a project, he or she must fill out a proposal form and rubric, get parent approval, and present their idea to their advisor. When the project has been completed, the student must do a reflection -- a process of answering questions about the development of your project, what you learned, and how this helps the world/community. It is then taken back to the advisor, who asks you questions you wish they had asked when you showed them your final product, and then it is signed off as 'done'.
[edit] Seminars
Seminars are, simply put, classes. These classes are specifically tailored to Minnesota graduation standards. There is usually a small class size. Although some classes, such as Economics, can become quite large.
[edit] Avalon Middle School
Avalon recently added a middle school, which, despite being a middle school, does not accept sixth graders.
