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ACADEMICS
Every child benefits from a quality, comprehensive education rooted in reading, writing, mathematics, science and social studies. Additional knowledge of technology, enhanced physical and social development and exposure adds to the intellectual development for all learners. At Clara B. Ford Academy, we place the highest priority on having standards developed in each of these areas. These standards allow us to measure the progress of our students and the effectiveness of our curriculum and instruction. Our district goal is for all students to have the necessary skills, knowledge and attributes necessary to lead a successful life.
Clara B. Ford Academy serves a unique population of students, many of whom have, because of their
time in the foster-care system, experienced significant gaps in their learning. As such, our students often arrive at CBF with complex educational needs, which we strive to address through an innovative pairing of Trauma-Informed Teaching Methods with high levels of rigor.
Our small class sizes allow us to differentiate extensively according to students’ academic needs,
learning styles, and interests, and we prize collaboration between general education and special
education teachers.
We engage in ongoing, quality professional development in differentiated instruction and trauma-
informed teaching, and we value creativity and flexibility in meeting the many varied needs of our
students. CBF also offers extensive credit-recovery opportunities, provides access to leading online
learning platforms, and partners with the community to invite Vista Maria’s Educational Specialists and tutors into our classrooms. Our teachers and support staff are dedicated, passionate, and highly
confident in our students’ potential.
Additional Academic Highlights:
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Summer school programs and additional online learning options for credit recovery are available.
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Students graduate with a reduced credit load from 22 to 18 allowing for a more manageable road to recovery, graduation, and success.
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The 18 credits required represent the Michigan Merit Curriculum and the core academic classes provided by all schools in Michigan for a diploma.
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Graduates receive a traditional high school diploma and participate in a traditional high school commencement ceremony and activities.
District Assessment:
NWEA is our district assessment. All students will be tested on the NWEA Reading and Math
Assessments. NWEA is a research-based online assessment tool for measuring student achievement and
growth in K-12 math, reading and language usage. Teachers use NWEA to target instruction for each
student at their grade level. NWEA has also partnered with online tools (Khan Academy & Exact Path)
that will personalize learning so students get support tailored to their needs whether on, above, or
below grade level. Students are tested in the fall, winter and spring. During Professional Learning
Communities & Teacher Data Digs teachers analyze NWEA data results to maximize instruction.
Teachers use the NWEA results to determine the student’s instructional readiness, plan for
differentiated instruction, set goals with students, and monitor the progress toward those goals.
Michigan Merit Curriculum (MMC) High School Graduation Requirements (18 Credits)
Clara B Ford Academy follows the MMC requirements for graduation. Successful completion of these graduation requirements is necessary to earn a diploma. Students with disabilities are assisted in meeting these graduation requirements as appropriate and as specified in their Individualized Education Program (“IEP”). Students with disabilities who are unable to meet these graduation requirements, or for whom these requirements are deemed inappropriate, may be assigned to a personal curriculum.
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