Last school year three groups of Nashville elementary school students who were all performing below grade level, took part in a unique pilot program for mastery-based instruction.
The mastery-based approach utilized by participants in the Encompass Community School program is designed to ensure students receive the instruction they need when they need it and for as long as they need it, instead of a traditional approach that uses a predetermined schedule.
Kindergarten participants more than doubled their rate of academic growth in four weeks while first-grade participants averaged more than a grade level of growth in math. Third-grade participants who came into the Encompass program averaging 2 to 4 years behind, including some with diagnosed with disabilities, grew by more than a full grade year.
Janine Black’s son was part of the first-grade program, and she noticed a big impact.
“In the math pilot program, my student grew to 2.10 grade levels in math fluency in just 4.50 months. Before this, his math growth was limited and he was below grade level,” said Black. “I believe that all students should have the opportunity to attend a school like Encompass and feel the use of mastery-based learning will allow all students to reach their potential. If given the opportunity, I would enroll my students at Encompass Community School.”
Black may get her wish.
The leaders of the Encompass Community School program filed an application to open a public charter school that targets students in the White’s Creek and Pearl Cohn school clusters in North Nashville and Bordeaux. It’s an area with a large number of economically disadvantaged and students of color.
More than half of students in both clusters opt-out of their zoned schools in favor of other options and Encompass leaders feel those factors make the area a good option for a public charter school. Charter schools are free public schools operated by an independent contract or “charter” with an authorizing agency like Metro Nashville Public Schools.
“Encompass felt compelled to open in a community where we could provide a meaningful, in-zone option to families. Opening a school within this region would decrease the number of students attending schools outside their neighborhood and increase community support and engagement,” wrote Encompass leaders in their application. “Encompass Community School exists to ensure that all students who walk through our doors experience the life-affirming experiences all children deserve in school. To achieve that, we have to think about school differently – and ensure that students have the right learning conditions, the right environment, and the right instructional design to support their growth and prosperity.”
The proposed school would open in 2025 serving K-3 students and eventually grow to a population of nearly 500 K-8 graders.
The school’s application proposes serving all of them with a whole-child development framework that provides wraparound services that support specific student needs along with prioritizing partnerships with families and community organizations.
Encompass one of five proposed new public charter schools the Metro Nashville Public Schools Board of Education will vote on this year. Independent reviewers with the Quality Charter Review (QCR) gave the application high marks and recommended approval.
QCR reviewers found the proposed school’s application met state standards in all areas and demonstrated community engagement and a strong argument for its enrollment targets.
Reviewers also commended the application for providing a clear outline of services that will be available to support students.
“The school will provide a responsive and flexible instructional approach and wrap around services prioritizing strong relationships with students and the community. Overall, the application does a thorough job of describing how the school will use ongoing data analysis to inform and personalize instruction for students. Additionally, the community engagement and initial student recruitment demonstrate strong demand for the proposed school,” wrote QCR reviewers.
Metro Nashville School Board members are scheduled to vote on the application April 23.
The Quality Charter Review and Tennessee Firefly are unaffiliated projects of Tennesseans for Student Success.
