The Theme/Philosophy

Smaller Learning Communities

• Established in collaboration with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
  
• No admission requirements; 80 students per grade will be randomly selected from applications
  
• School uniforms are required for all students
  
• Whole school smaller learning community with a total of 560 students
  
• College Prep learning environment where students must possess a strong sense of motivation
  
• Parents and students must affirm their commitment to the high standards of the program
  
• College Board Schools maintain the mission, values, and core elements to prepare its students for access to and success in college
  

College Board Academy

College Board Schools are designed around the values of clear, high expectations, an all-encompassing commitment to learning, meaningful relationships, challenging and engaging teaching and learning practices and programs, and instructional, collaborative leadership. College Board Schools adhere to five core elements:

• Alliances of mutual respect between the College Board and the district to create a school that increases students’ opportunities for college success
  
• Organized for student success by knowing and caring more about each student in order to foster high levels of productivity, fulfillment, and interest in learning
  
• Centers of learning where College Board Programs and Services drive academic rigor
  
• Led and staffed by outstanding professionals with deep knowledge of their subject matter and learning processes, strong leadership skills, and a commitment to create and participate in a community of continuous learners
  
• Supported by fully integrated, cutting-edge technology in every element of teaching, learning, and operations
  

Expectations for College Board Academy Students

• 100% school-wide attendance rate
  
• Students taking State examinations will be at or above grade level proficiency
  
• Students who attend Palisade Prep from seventh to twelfth grade will be accepted into college

College Board Center of Learning

Palisade Prep uses College Board programs and services to supplement and enhance New York State and school district curricula. The College Readiness System helps students smoothly transition from one grade to the next, experiencing consistency through the middle grades and into high school, and eventually from high school to college.

• Springboard English Language Arts, a unique program designed around the rigorous College Board Standards for College Success, prepares students in grades 7-12 to master the critical thinking, reasoning, and writing skills and competencies needed for success in college-level work
  
• CollegeEd is a program designed to give all students the very best college planning and academic preparation advice. Aligned to the American School Counselor Association’s National Standards for School Counseling Programs, CollegeEd materials include personalized learning-style options and assessment criteria
  
• MyRoad is a web-based tool that enables students to explore more than 175 college majors, 450 careers, and 3,500 colleges and universities, and includes an assessment that identifies students’ strengths, learning preferences, motivators, and development opportunities
  
• PSAT/NMSQT (Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) administered to high school students are used to assess students’critical reading, math, and writing skills
  
• SAT Readiness Program is the College Board’s collection of online, print, and professional development resources to help prepare students for the SAT, including full-length practice tests and personalized feedback to guide further study
  
• SAT Reasoning Test is the independent, standardized measure of a student’s college readiness, measuring critical reading, writing, and mathematical reasoning skills
  
• Advanced Placement Program is a voluntary program that offers high school students the opportunity to take one or more college-level courses while they are still in high school
  
• ACCUPLACER is the first and only computerized adaptive placement testing program over the Internet, which twelfth graders will have access to in preparation for college admission.
  

The Partners

This school works closely with the following agencies, institutions and/or colleges:

• The College Board
  
• Bezak Environmental and Education Center
  
• Hudson River Museum of Westchester
  
• Sarah Lawrence College
  
• Education Development Center
  
• Tequipment
  
• Junior Achievement