Oglethorpe Charter School's academic program is founded on the Core Knowledge Sequence Curriculum, which specifically states a core of shared knowledge that students should learn in American schools. The Core Knowledge Sequence offers a planned progression of detailed, explicit, year-by-year recommendations for specific high-level content in language arts and grammar; history, social studies, and geography; science, and fine arts. Core knowledge is distinguished by its specificity and continuity from grade to grade. Oglethorpe Charter School blends the Core

Girls Softball Team 2011-2012

 Knowledge Curriculum with the Georgia Performance Standards. In addition, Oglethorpe Charter School has developed reading, math, and foreign language programs that meet the diverse needs of our students. All Oglethorpe students receive two hours of daily math instruction provided by two different math teachers. The math curriculum in each grade level is split with one math teacher responsible for teaching the algebra portion of the curriculum while the other math teacher is responsible for teaching the geometry portion of the curriculum. The language arts curriculum at all grade levels is also split with one teacher being responsible for teaching the writing portion of the curriculum while the other language arts teacher is responsible for teaching the reading portion of the curriculum.

About the Core Knowledge Curriculum For the sake of academic excellence, greater equity and higher literacy, elementary and middle schools need to teach a coherent, cumulative, and content specific curriculum. Our society cannot afford a two-tiered system in which the affluent have access to a superior education, while everyone else is subjected to a dull and incoherent classroom experience. Academic excellence, educational equity and fairness demand a strong foundation of all learners.

E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

OCS is an official Core Knowledge School. At least 80 percent of the Core Knowledge content is taught.

Warming Up Before A Softball Game 2011-2012

Core knowledge is designed to ensure that children are exposed to the essential knowledge that establishes cultural literacy as they also acquire a broad, firm foundation for higher-level schooling.

The core curriculum in English/LA, history and geography, math, science, and the fine arts is available at OCS.

All classes are structured with the following content components:

6^th Grade: 2-Math Classes, Science, Reading/Literature, Language Arts, and Social Studies
7^th Grade: 2-Math Classes, Science, Reading/Literature, Language Arts, and Social Studies
8^th Grade: 2-Math Classes, Science, Reading/Literature, Language Arts, and Social Studies

Students can earn one high school credit (Carnegie Unit) per subject in the following subjects:

• Math I
• Spanish I
• 9^th Lit. Comp

Search-identified students are served by search-certified teachers in the following disciplines using the cluster model:

• 6^th Grade: Social Studies
• 7^th Grade: Language Arts and Math
• 8^th Grade: Language Arts, Math and Reading
• 9^th Comp Lit. (uses the advanced content model)
• Skills for Adolescence (for 6^th graders and any 7^th or 8^th grader not taking academic advanced classes)

Students with I.E.P.’s are served by a resource teacher using the inclusion and consultative models.

Extra Program Offerings Each Friday is Titan Time at Oglethorpe, an hour set aside for the following:

• Character Education
• Cultural Assemblies
• Community Service
• Focus Friday (remediation and enrichment activities)

Softball Game 2011-2012

Connections: All Oglethorpe students are enrolled in two related arts connection classes that follow an A-B schedule with all related arts classes lasting 90 minutes. Band, Chorus, and Spanish are year long classes. All 6^th graders get a sampling of the related arts curriculum by taking a different related arts class every nine week grading period. All 7^th and 8^th grade students are enrolled in their respective related arts classes for one semester (2 nine week grading periods). The following is a listing of the related arts class offerings at OCS: