About Compass

School Charter

In April of 2000, the Rhode Island State Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Peter McWalters, addressed the Rhode Island General Assembly and stated:

"… I want to work with you to look at what we can do to support local efforts to restructure schools to meet the needs of all children. The results we're seeing tell me we have to take that next step because the system, as we know it, even at its best, has reached a level of productivity that, frankly, is flat out. You need only talk to principals and teachers to know what I mean. They're running harder and faster but often feel frustrated by insurmountable organizational obstacles. The traditional 50-minute class period, 180-day school year, the 7-hour day, caseloads of 125, 150 students, schools of over 1200 students, centralized decision-making, limited access to professional time, and ineffective evaluation instruments are just a few of the structural barriers to effective teaching and learning.… The time has come to give students and teachers the schools they need to achieve their full potential. Imagine if we gave every teacher the professional training and the community support to reach every student, to turn every classroom into a vibrant, interactive learning experience, engaging students and parents alike in a new culture of learning. Imagine it…" (www.ridoe.net)

On September 3rd, 2002, the Compass School accepted Commissioner McWalter's challenge to implement systemic reform and enrolled its first group of students offering an alternative educational program to the residents of Washington County.

Key needs met at The Compass School are:

• Project-based learning The curriculum will be delivered using a project-based approach maximizing opportunities for experiential and inquiry-based learning.

• Multi-year-class configurations Students will be grouped into multi-age/multi-year cycles or "Steps", allowing for differential progress tailored to the individual.

• Public school choice The Compass School will provide families with an alternative to public schoola within Washington County.

• Portfolio assessment Students will be regularly assessed and evaluated through portfolios. The assessment will focus on the development of the whole person: cognitive, physical, emotional, social and reflective.

• Small school size The Compass School will enroll a maximum of 183 students, K-8. The result will be a small learning community that provides a safe and supportive environment in which to learn.

• Small class size There will be a maximum of 16 students for 5-7 year olds, 18 for 7-10 year olds, and 20 for 10-13 year olds. This will allow increased teacher-student interaction, creating an environment with individualized instruction and attention.

• Increased time for faculty collaboration and communication. A schedule will support faculty in their pursuit of best practices in curriculum design and implementation, assessment, collaboration and classroom management.

To read the entire School Charter, click here.