Outside the Box – Juliann Talkington
Orange County students achieve high academic performance in a K-12 academic program modeled after top performing international school systems.
The U.S. continues to perform poorly in international academic comparisons like the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) and the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
The Renascence School International™ Orange County Campus is working diligently to help its students reach an academic level that is common in countries that perform well on these international tests.
The school uses a unique curriculum and special techniques to teach advanced, international level material. There is no intelligence testing, yet almost all the students in this school are learning and retaining advanced material.
Another unique feature of the Renascence School International™ Orange County Campus program is that it maximizes learning in the classroom and minimizes the amount of time students spend on homework. This feature leaves students with ample time to develop extra curricular interests and hone leadership skills.
As a result of its efforts, the Renascence School International™ Orange County Campus will receive two academic excellence awards during a ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 25, 2014 at 2987 Mesa Verde Drive East, Costa Mesa, California. Photo and interview opportunities are available in Chinese, Spanish and English.
One might think this is a school for nerds, but the campus has nationally ranked athletes and budding musicians and actors. In addition the school organizes an international field trip each summer. This year an eighth grade student used her Spanish skills to help with the planning.
It is exciting to see three and four year olds speaking three languages, five year olds eagerly learning the basics of algebra, and middle school students exploring how they can blend art, science, and math to come up with creative solutions to real world problems.