The two teacher groups meet regularly to plan lessons. They said many of their lessons are taught across curricula because concepts often relate to one another. The teachers all agreed the program is beneficial because they work with the children for three years at a time so they get to know them and know where they are academically. It helps children take ownership of their learning. Students write their assignments in the passports and check off skills as they are completed.
Parents see the passports every six weeks.
They monitor their own learning. Their independence for understanding and completing work has increased. For instance, in the kindergarten math class, the students go to work stations that give them a hands-on feel for math. One little girl counts how many blocks it takes to balance a bottle of glue on a scale at a station. Another student uses a computer to learn shapes by matching colored tiles in a pattern at another station.