Sci•ence Lead•er•ship A•cad•e•my
[Sahy-uhns•Lee-der-ship•Uh-kad-uh-mee]
Noun, Adjective, Adverb, Verb, Punctation, Subject, Predicate 1. SLA
is a student-centered, inquiry-driven and project-based
school... • SLA students and teachers share a set of core values that foster critical and creative thinking. - Inquiry - Research - Collaboration - Presentation - Reflection
• SLA students are asked to learn and lead.
• SLA is an effective learning environment because teachers and students have the sense that they can influence each other.
Our Mission
What does it mean to Lead?
These three essential questions form the basis of instruction at the
Science Leadership Academy (SLA), an innovative Philadelphia high school opened in September 2006. SLA is built on the notion that inquiry is the very first step in the process of learning. Developed in partnership with The Franklin Institute and its commitment to inquiry-based science, SLA provides a rigorous, college-preparatory curriculum with a focus on science, technology, mathematics and entrepreneurship. Students at SLA learn in a project-based environment where the core values of inquiry, research, collaboration, presentation, and reflection are emphasized in all classes.
The structure of the Science Leadership Academy reflects its core
values, with longer class periods to allow for more laboratory work in science classes and performance-based learning in all classes. In addition, students in the upper grades have more flexible schedules to allow for opportunities for dual enrollment programs with area universities and career development internships in laboratory and business settings, as well as The Franklin Institute.
How do we Learn?
At SLA, learning is not just something that happens from 8:00 AM to
3:00 PM, but a continuous process that expands beyond the four walls of the classroom into every facet of our lives.
What can we Create?
Science & Tech @ SLA
The science curriculum at SLA begins with a two-year integrated Biology/
Chemistry course where students learn the concepts of both areas in a more integrated fashion, reflecting the way scientist use the material in the field.
All 11th grade students take Physics , and all students have the
opportunity to take electives and senior courses in cutting edge scientific fields such as biotechnology and engineering as well as dual-enrollment courses at local universities.
For all students, science at SLA will culminate in a senior capstone project
where students publish original research.
Recognized by the Ladies Home Journal as one of the Ten Most Amazing
High Schools in the US and by Apple as the only urban high school to be an Apple Distinguished School, The Science Leadership Academy is a national model for the 21st Century School, using the most advanced technology tools to enhance learning. At SLA, students do not receive textbooks for each class, instead using a school issued Apple laptop as their primary learning tool. Furthermore, SLA provides a rich web portal where students can interact with their teachers, classmates, and the world online.
At SLA, students will harness the tools of the 21st Century to prepare
themselves for the world they will inherit.
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Special Programs Advisory All students participate in a four- year advisory program that supports their growth both as a student and as a person. Advisors and advisees stay together for all four years so parents can be sure that every child has an adult in the building that knows their child as a whole person. Wednesdays at The Franklin 9th graders spend their Wednesdays afternoons at The Franklin Institute taking mini-courses with the museum faculty, learning about the ideas behind the museum; or taking part in PACTS, the award-winning Franklin Institute youth program.
ILP’s 10th and 11th graders have mandatory internships of their choice that they attend on Wednesdays afternoons.
Grading Scale When evaluating a student's academic record, it is important to consider the unique features of SLA. Because SLA is a school that focuses on collaborative learning, SLA grades students on a A-F scale with no plusses or minuses. However, as a School District of Philadelphia school, we must assign numeric grades. Therefore, our grading scale is as follows... A(95), B(85), C(75), D(65), F(55)
Diversity
“Many neighborhoods are converged into one diverse family within SLA.� - Dia Johnson, Class of 2012
Classes 9th Gra de -- Gr ade-Lev Theme el - Identi ty - Advis or y - Wedn esdays @ The Frankli n Instit u t e - Englis h9 - Africa n-Amer ica - 1st Ye ar Integ n Histor y rated B Chemis iology/ tr y - Rotati on of T echnolo Ar t / D gy / rama / Engine elective e r ing sÂ
Curriculum Sequence: Math and Spanish are not gradespecific, rather dependent upon the student’s placement
test. There are no honors / non-honors classes at SLA - all classes are heterogeneously grouped.
Â
eme  -
 Th Level
e  Grad  e d Gra 12th  ion   Creat visory ne xamples  -uality  and o t d s A p  e a x ives  ( g,  Se nior  C -  Se lish  Elect torytellin g -  En espeare,  S eading) amples  -  rican  k a Sh y,  Reel  R tives  (ex omy,  Ame t Socie story  Elec tical  Econ ience) i H  - lism,  Poli litical  Sc mples  -  d  n Globa nment,  Potives  (exa Science  a  c r , e e y l v g Go ience  E hysiolo rt,  -  Sc my  and  P  Ecology) e  Senior  A Video  o Anat ty,  Urban ives  includ or  Digital  Socie  of  Elect ing,  Seni Choice r  Engineer Senio ther. and  o 11th G ra
de -Grade -Level isory Theme - Chan - Indiv ge idualiz ed Lea - Engli r n in g Plan sh 11 - Adv
ms yste S -
e hem T - Ame l eve rican L Histor de a y r P h G y s n ics la P  e g - Phys rad nin   ical Ed ear h G ry t L try 0 s i o 1 d ucatio s e i m z v i e l Choice n d h , a t C r / A - A dividu 0 of Ele , gy r o o e l e t c 1 n t ives su Art, D pu Bio Vid - I glish ry rama, ch as n ital g, Com isto grated g E Digital C i H e r a D e n d m t E i s ics, De Video, r nginee a e orl ar In e h n W bate, ring, C e uc Engi s Y s o mpute Engin nd e, ive r Scie eering - 2 alth lect Debat ic E nce e , f M , s H o u s u s ic ic ce M i m , o a g h r - C a, Ce ineerin m g a Dr ce En n Scie
Sports
Boys/ Girls Basketball Baseball
Track
Ultimate Frisbee
Boys/Girls Soccer
VolleyballCross-Country Softball
Flag Football
Founded in
2006
Center City Different clubs at SLA including
12
Graduation Rate 99%
Rough Cut Digital Media Pro and Tech Squad
Participants in Foreign Exchange where students from all over the world witness the lifestyle of an SLA student
StudentFaculty
Ratio 21:1
Science Leadership Academy College Attendance Rate
95%
DemOgraPhicS
45%
College Preparatory Curriculum
55% Average Class Size
31
46% African-American 33% Caucasian 10% Latino 9% Asian 2% Other
River Trip in Arizona
SLA students have been accepted to
I Got Accepted! Going to SLA and having Presentation as one of the core values really made me a stronger public speaker in high school and college. I am really grateful for SLA. -Lena Bruce
top colleges such as:
• Brown University • Bryn Mawr College • Carnegie Mellon University • Deep Springs College • Georgetown University • New York University
• Pennsylvania State University, University Park • Princeton University • University of Pennsylvania • Stanford University • University of Virginia • Yale University
L I FE Outside SLA
Street Art Project for an English 10 class
Students went on a River Trip in Arizona
We helped build a school in Africa We did Community Service in the Dominican Republic
Students in Nepal doing Community Service
BuildOn gave us these opportunities to visit other countries. Thank You!
Haunted House Community Service
We also went to Haiti
For more information, visit our website ! www.scienceleadership.org
55N 22nd Street Philadelphia, Pa 19103 215-979-5620
Written, Edited and Illustrated by a Science Leadership Academy student Simone Venice Greene sgreene2493@yahoo.com sgreene@scienceleadership.org