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• Curriculum Designed for Achievement
• English Language Arts
• History, Social Science and Civics
• Mathematics
• Science
• Art / Music
• Life Long Learning
• Literacy Development
• Language Development
• Curriculum Planning
• After School Tutoring and Enrichment
• Assessment Systems

OVERVIEW
Teachers at the Lighthouse Community Charter School employ a balanced approach to literacy so that all LCCS students read, write, speak, and listen at or above grade level. A balanced approach to literacy has been proven effective and is the subject of a great deal of research. Our comprehensive, balanced approach to literacy provides the support English Language Learners need to acquire English, the scaffolding from which educationally disadvantaged populations benefit, and the collaborative and reflective teaching that is built into the Lighthouse school design and structure.

Using the California State Standards and the New Standards, we have designed a comprehensive balanced literacy program that meets the needs of our students. At the Elementary level, this program includes such strategies as English language development, explicit instruction in phonics and phonemic awareness, word study, interactive writing, shared reading and writing, guided reading and writers workshop. The secondary program includes word study, vocabulary development, content area reading and writing, and readers and writers workshop. At all grades levels thinking and comprehension strategies are extended using the pedagogy described in Mosaic of Thought. All of these strategies are integrated into the Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound Literacy Platform. The ELOB Literacy Platform situates literacy learning in the context of student driven integrated learning expeditions. Lighthouse teachers are also committed to extending literacy across all subjects, including mathematics where the Bridges in Math and Math Alive curricula were selected because of they support literacy development while meeting the standards of the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

Lighthouse teachers are selected because their philosophy and experience match our literacy platform and our commitment to Expeditionary Learning. Our current Kindergarten teachers have or are acquiring MA’s in language and literacy development and have developed literacy programs that reflect our platform.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Literacy development at Lighthouse can be broken into five main objectives:

• Lighthouse teachers implement a rigorous and balanced literacy framework and curriculum. The California State Standards and the New Standards define the literacy outcomes that LCCS teachers work toward. All Lighthouse teachers work to incorporate ELOB pedagogy into their daily practice and commit to sharing a common language, which enables more effective teacher collaboration.
• Students who are reading below grade level are identified, assessed, and receive intervention using a variety of methods. One of our Kindergarten teachers is a trained Reading Recovery teacher and is instrumental in designing remediation. Identification begins before school starts when teachers and directors visit homes and administer writing and reading assessments and continues throughout the school year. Students may receive anything from specific classroom support to intensive after school support depending upon their individual need.
• One criterion upon which Lighthouse teachers are hired is their literacy philosophy and experience to ensure that they can effectively meet out the literacy goals. Lighthouse teachers also commit to ongoing planning, reflection, professional development, and collaboration around the literacy program.
• Families are involved with the literacy program at Lighthouse through a variety of means, including literacy nights at Lighthouse and family literacy activities for the home. Families who are developing their own English capacity are voluntarily enrolled in a school site English as a Second Language program through a school partnership with the Community-Based English Tutoring Program of the Oakland Unified School.
• The cultures, languages and communities of our families and students are reflected in the books, materials, projects and assessments that are utilized in the literacy program. They are also supported in our Home Language Program.