MANARA ACADEMY

Manara Academy provides all students with a personalized, supportive and engaging school environment where they can obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to find success as individuals and as members of their community. The objective of the curriculum is to incorporate active, project-based learning, which connects learning across academic disciplines, and to meet the specific academic needs of each student. The daily curriculum will actively engage students in multiple opportunities for language development. A strong emphasis on reading and math in all subject areas will be implemented. Staff members are responsible for on-going investigation, assessment, analysis and refinement of curriculum. In addition to the core subjects, Manara Academy implements a foreign language program, art, physical education and technology. Students master a broad range of content through curriculum integration that is relevant, meaningful and engaging. The curriculum design embraces the TEKS, and strives to rise above these state standards through project-based learning. Teaching and learning is student centered and driven and measured by assessments such as the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). Manara Academy partners with Expeditionary Learning Schools - Outward Bound (ELS), one of the Nation’s most innovative and successful school design instructional models. Through ELS design principles and practices, ELS school designers enable our teachers to implement real life, project-based learning “expeditions” that promote literacy and integrate curricular content. ELS also delivers the school’s stated mission goals of providing students with a creative, adaptive and ethical environment consistent with the state’s curriculum standards. ELS best fits Manara’s vision and mission when compared to other school design models as evidenced by our founding board’s exhaustive assessment of multiple models.