54 Community Blvd.

Pleasantville, PA 16341

Helping each student reach

their highest potential.

Philosophical Foundations of Education

Mission Statement
Stecher Academy exists
to provide all students
with the altruistic
foundations of
academics, social and
vocational skills for
them to learn and
grow at their own
development.

Community Setting
Classes are
continually
scheduling visits
to learn and
help with local
businesses

Parents, teachers
and administrators
interact on a
recurrent basis to
evaluate and reflect
on student progress

Classes are
regularly taken to
local farms for
academics and
community
building projects.

A K-12 charter school in a diverse

suburban area with rural surroundings.

School Administrative Organization

Our school administration is composed of
former successful teachers that have been
nominated by his/her peers.
Each teacher will have successfully completed
a doctoral program in education.
Administrators are required to teach or coteach an elective course.

Principal

Guidance
Counselor

Teacher

Support Staff

Teacher role in educational leadership:

The teacher is a facilitator of all learning, planned and spontaneous.
He or she will engage each student socially and emotionally in order
to challenge them to become successful life-long learners.
Our expectation for each learner is that he/she will become an
active example of respectful citizenship within the local and global
communities.
Along with teacher teaching to content specialty, they are also
responsible for coverage of elective courses created by individual
interest and need in the community.

Students demonstrate
interests and abilities

Teachers and students

reflect together to
determine learning
that took place; new
ideas or project
extensions are
discussed

Students select and

attempt project ideas
which demonstrate
learning

Teachers observe and

encourage learning
through project
facilitation and
collaboration with
other teachers

Administrators
develop community
relationships with local
resources and parents
to enable ideas

Working toward a common goal

Students
Students bring ideas,
interests, and abilities.

Teachers
Teachers observe these
interests and abilities
and help design projects
and activities that will
foster growth in an area
of interest and/or need.

Administrators
Administrators engage
the community, seeking
agencies, businesses, or
professionals who can
assist the teacher and
student in making their
project become a
reality.

Staff Development
Professional development is lead by teacher choice
and presented by current faculty and administrators.
Each teacher is expected to voice suggestions in order
to make the school climate healthier and more
successful.
Teachers have the opportunities and are encouraged to
observe other teachers throughout the year.
Each class is co-taught with a content teacher and a
specialist, e.g., math teacher and art teacher, autistic
support and music teachers, etc.

Together we grow
Teachers share successes and
failures in a Monthly School
Community Meeting where ideas
are valued and encouraged.
Teachers learn through
observing/researching/attempting
new ideas
Teachers select areas they
need/want to develop with no
judgment

Student

A Co-Teaching Model

Content Teacher

Co Teacher
(Specialist)
Community

Development
is NOT linear.
TRANSITION PLAN

Students are placed by development and

ability, not by age, e.g., there are 12 year-old
students taking AP courses with 16 year-old
students.
Students are assessed every March for
developmental growth or recession.
This model is followed each May to determine
whether the student is ready to transition to
the next grade level.
Kindergarten students begin with prerequisite
courses and are admitted when
developmental requirements are met.
Each grade (first through twelfth grade) has
their own building in order to meet the
specific social-emotional needs as well as
academic criteria of that grade.

How are your teachers and students held accountable through high stakes testing?
There is little research to say that high stakes testing promotes positive change or accountability for
schools. We do not condone high stakes testing. Ongoing dialogue with parents, administration, and
fellow teachers provides a daily and more positive accountability. Professional growth and
observations also allow teachers to applaud excellent teaching practice; while critiquing less effective
strategies.

Are there any tests in your schools?

While tests will be used to formatively assess the retention of pertinent information, the Stecher
Academy is more interested in having students altruistically apply their knowledge to community
projects. Diagnostic testing, presented without the threat of high stakes, will serve as an effective, yet
minimal, tool for placement.

How can students of different ages be in several different classes at different levels across
different grades in various buildings?
We all know that students learn at different rates on different days in different ways. The Stecher
Academy is one of the only primary educational establishments that truly tackles this concept.
Students may achieve early success and share a content-area classroom with older students. However,
those same students may show a need for more behavioral and social growth and have an elective
course around peers or younger students. The buildings themselves emit a more intimate approach to
learning. Students can easily move from one building to another between classes. The school has a
safe, yet free-flowing, campus.

What is the difference between Content and Special Area Electives?

It is possible for a Content teacher to also be your elective teacher. Elective classes are teacher and
student driven. Extracurricular passions from our faculty help sculpt our ever-changing pedagogy.
Students are placed in content-area classes but have choice in electives. There have also been many
instances where student interest has helped create a new elective course. From Mr. Shaws
Backpacking & Survival Course to Mrs. Ingersols Creative Choreography Class, teachers broaden their
content and establish rapport through more experiential opportunities. Administrators also partake in
an Elective class. This year, we are excited to introduce Dr. Kenkowskis Paintball Reenactment Course,
co-taught with our new Physics Teacher, Mrs. Bimpy.

Why are all of your electives co-taught?

All too often we encourage students to cooperate with one another, but how often do we truly model
this to our classes. Staff collaboration for preparation alone is not enough. Having an elective where a
paintball course teachers history and physics is a priceless endeavor. With obvious student interest,
students not only learn but witness the faculty combine their strengths and styles in an effective
manner.

Do you have students that graduate early or even later than their peers?
The culture of our school is always open to the different developments of each individual student.
Statistically, less than 1% of our students graduate early. Students who need another year are always
welcome to stay at the academy with a reduced tuition. Since the Stecher Academy emphasizes both
Academic and Social development equally, promoting growth in both areas is a K-12 process.