What is a Harbor School?
Harbor schools focus on kindness, have zero tolerance for bullying, set high academic and behavioral expectations, and use a dynamic interactive teaching style. They are so named because they provide a “safe harbor”for students so they can focus on learning. Only schools that follow the “Values and Operating Principles of Harbor Schools” and the “Essential Elements of a Harbor School” can use the name. These two documents can be found in the front entrance area of our school or on our website.
This week we will look at Instructional Fidelity. Program and instructional consistency is a signature feature of Harbor Schools. Three key elements distinguish a Harbor Schools approach to academic learning from other schools. OneFaculty and staff who decide to work in a Harbor School commit to adopting the beliefs that ground the schools philosophy. Their teaching, leading and working habits emerge from those beliefs. TwoFaculty and staff use an accelerated curriculum, proven teaching strategies and student management practices that support he intellectual as well as the social, emotional and character development of children. ThreeInstructional fidelity is defined as all teachers and school associates consistently implementing Harbor philosophy and practices within the school. The consistency of structure, expectations and instruction accelerates learning. This feature brings benefits to student learning because they know what to expect from grade to grade, class to class, adult to
