Baystate Academy Charter Public School

Mission

Baystate Academy Charter Public School (BACPS) is a college preparatory school that provides challenging academic standards in professional health career settings in order to prepare 6 -12th grade students in Springfield to be inspired leaders in the 21st century workforce.

Educational Philosophy

BACPS will offer a rigorous education that prepares students for success in post-secondary education, a necessity for most careers in the health sciences. The school’s curriculum, which will emphasize project-based learning expeditions connected to healthcare and health sciences, will allow students to make deep connections and confront real-world challenges in and out of the classroom.

BACPS believes that the school’s curriculum and program must meet the needs of all students including special education, limited English proficient, low-income, minority, and other at-risk student populations. This process starts with the basic tenet that more needs to be expected of students, faculty, and schools in order to ensure students are successful. BACPS will implement intensive remediation activities in Grades 6-10, so that students can move beyond the knowledge of core concepts in each subject area and demonstrate mastery of that knowledge through practical application. For our school, the knowledge will be applied toward the dynamic and growing field of health science and health care practices. The process of turning this belief into practice rests on the implementation of several core values. These are:

• Relevance: Students learn essential skills and concepts through deep learning experiences based on real-world case studies. Case studies are tied to the field of health sciences to the extent possible. Over the course of the program, students apply their learning in the context of a hospital, use first-rate medical technology, and work alongside medical professionals as health career interns.
• Rigor: Baystate Academy has high expectations for its students and staff. All students take a STEM focused curriculum. Every 12th grade student completes non-remedial college courses as part of the core requirements. All students take the PSAT & SAT, in addition to the MCAS exams. Every 8th, 10th and 12th grade student presents a passage portfolio of their best work to a faculty/parent panel to make the case for promotion/graduation. The expectation is that every student will succeed at the school and in college.
• Relationships: Relationships matter. A school that values safety, risk taking, honesty, and intellectual curiosity must build and nurture strong relationships between teachers, students, parents, and the community. The school community is seen as a large family that supports students as they grow as leaders and scholars. Community meeting, multi-grade crews, student led-conferences, service learning projects, and internships intentionally foster strong relationships within our school community and between our school and the local community.