Academic Excellence

Alderwood Middle School is striving to become an Academically Excellent school. We are committed to challenging all students to think critically by providing them with the assessment, instruction, support and time needed to meet rigorous academic standards. Students will be afforded learning opportunities empowering them to understand important concepts (Edmonds School District enduring understandings), to develop essential skills (manage socially and personally; to use information resourcefully; think strategically; and communicate effectively), and to apply their knowledge to real-world problems.

Our work will be guided by the following beliefs:

1. All students are expected to meet high academic standards. They will continuously improve by utilizing examples of high quality work and on-going feedback.
   
2. Assessment, curriculum, and instruction will be aligned with Edmonds School District Frameworks and performance standards. A rigorous curriculum that progresses substantially as student understanding increases will be implemented.
   
3. The curriculum will emphasize a deep understanding of important concepts, the development of essential skills, and the ability to apply what one has learned to real-world problems.
   
4. Instructional strategies will include a variety of challenging and engaging activities that are clearly related to the concepts and skills being taught and learned.
   
5. Teachers will use a variety of methods to assess student performance (exhibitions, projects and performance tasks) and maintain artifacts of student work. Students will self and peer assess work using performance standards.
   
6. Students will be afforded time to meet rigorous academic standards. Extra help will be provided to ensure that students meet the designated transition benchmark standards.