MISSION
Our mission at South City Prepatory Academy is simple:
To prepare students to enter, succeed in, and graduate from college by challenging students academically and emphasizing the importance of character and community responsibility.
This goal informs every decision made at our
school, and we envision that by 2020, South City Prepatory Academy will be
among the highest performing middle and high schools in the St. Louis area.
Not only will our graduating students meet the requirements of the state of
Missouri, they will exceed them by completing up to 8 hours of college level
coursework. Additionally, each student will identify a need in their
community and work to develop a program to address that need. It is expected
that 100% of our students will complete some form of post-secondary
education after graduation.
Studies indicate that high risk students show the same academic gains
as more affluent students during the school year, yet it is during the
summer break when students spend more time at home and in their
community that the achievement gap is accelerated. South City
Preparatory Academy will not have a summer break but instead will be
designed along the academy model: six weeks of school, one week teacher
in-service, and one week whole school break. This model will benefit
students by eliminating the effects of the summer learning gap.
It takes time, effort and practice to meet the challenge of high
academic standards. Additionally, recent studies suggest that there is a
direct link between extended learning time and student achievement.
Armed with this evidence and the examples of other high performing urban
schools, the school day at South City Preparatory Academy is extended,
running from 8:00 until 4:30. This is in tandem with an extended school
year (194 days) for all students. A student who attends South City
Preparatory Academy from 5th grade to 12th grade will receive almost
three full years more learning time than students in a typical St. Louis
district school.
Schools that produce outstanding academic outcomes do so in large
part because they expect outstanding outcomes of both staff and
students. Meeting and exceeding these expectations will be a goal
for every student, regardless of proficiency level for every grade and
in all core subject areas. By 8th grade, it is expected that a majority
of students will meet or exceed state and federal accountability
targets, and all adults at South City Preparatory Academy will be held
accountable and take responsibility for reaching these targets.
