A big buzzword in education is scaffolding,  which means to provide help and support for students who are struggling. We believe that the best scaffolding is really a solid staircase where students can take confident steps up to higher levels of success!

Summer enrichment not remediation. Too often, summer school is focused on remedial skills which are dull for both students and teacher.  Why not use that summer session to pre-teach them the standards and concepts for the next term?  Help them get ahead, not make up gaps. This will build their confidence, and if done right, develop their skills while positioning them to do much better in the next school year. The StepUP Academy offers you a custom curriculum for the standards and subjects you want.

Engagement not passivity. Summer school is often a passive time for absorbing basic skills. Why not turn it around and get the students engaged in the lessons? Get them talking, sharing, and using the vocabulary of the lesson. Have them use whiteboards. The StepUP Academy guides teachers and students in the use of DataWORKS’ Engagement Norms.

Concept-based lessons not just practice worksheets. Certainly, students want to practice their skills, but lessons focused on concepts will give them knowledge that has real-life applications. Learning the concept will help them apply it to many different skills. This is the core of Common Core, and every StepUP Academy lesson is aligned to the concept in the standards.

Language-enhanced lessons not rote reading and writing. The #1 skill the students need (especially EL students) is greater ability to use the language. However, classes often focus on reading of texts and writing papers. Why not get them using the language more with a greater focus on speaking?  This can be done with DataWORKS’ focus on Language Objectives in each lesson.  
Assessments that are digital not paper. You want to prepare your students for the new Smarter Balanced computerized assessments, right? Well, the old pen and paper or Scantron tests won’t cut it anymore.  DataWORKS’ digital assessments will help your students become familiar with this new format.

Don’t just provide a lot of scaffolded materials for your students. Instead, hold their hand and help them step up to the next level.  Put them on the staircase to success. That’s the best scaffolding you can give them.

Check out the DataWORKS StepUP Academy!  It’s a proven program that will make a difference in your students’ lives.

Whether you are looking to remediate struggling students or looking to give students a boost in the coming year, the DataWORKS StepUP Academy is designed to immerse your students — and teachers — in a powerful training program that will help them step up to the next level of performance.