Highlander Charter School in Rhode Island is a pre-K–12 urban school with a high-need, at-risk population. Using rotation stations, teachers infuse differentiated instruction with different teaching modalities—including blended and hands-on learning—personalizing learning for each student. In elementary grades, morning meetings help students feel seen, heard, and ready to learn. And Highlander’s commitment to social justice and citizenship shows in how teachers discuss civics and government with students, empowering them with the knowledge and resources to be active, caring citizens who have a voice and control over their own lives.
Highlander typically outperforms the state in many achievement gap demographics. In 2015 in math:
- Economically disadvantaged students outperformed the state by 35%
- English-language learners outperformed by 110%
- Students with disabilities outperformed by 192%
In 2016, 11th grade students outperformed the state in both reading and writing on the PARCC test.