The mission of St. HOPE Leadership Academy (SHLA) is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and habits they need to succeed in a four-year university. Equally important is to instill in our scholars a commitment to serving others, particularly those in urban communities. In order to accomplish this, all scholars participate in a rigorous high school preparatory core curriculum that utilizes a standards-based, workshop model approach to instruction in all content areas, as well as a character development program that includes a minimum of 40 hours of community service every year.
At SHLA we believe not only that all scholars can learn but that all scholars will learn. In order to ensure that all our scholars are achieving at their highest potential our academic program features:
- A structured, disciplined, and caring learning environment
- Rigorous, standards-based high school preparatory curriculum
- Focus on literacy and mathematics including extended time in both subjects
- Low scholar-teacher ratios (25 scholars per class section)
- An extended instructional day and school year
- Weekly progress reports provided to parents
- Character development as the underpinning of (and precursor to) academic achievement
- A small-group advisory program that provides personalized social and academic support to each scholar
- Frequent interim assessments of scholar progress in English Language Arts and Mathematics support a culture of data-driven instruction and allow teachers ample opportunities to review and analyze the results of these assessments and use the data to differentiate as per scholar need
- Intensive interventions for scholars who are performing far below grade level including homework help, small group instruction, and after school tutoring
- Yearly college visits for all students
- Extensive community service opportunities
- Elective offerings such as arts and crafts, dance, drama, Spanish and robotics
- Intramural sports teams including football and basketball