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Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy
Robert F. Smith STeAM Academy, nominated by Transcend, is a high school in Denver, Colorado that describes itself as a public district school serving learners from a primarily urban area.
Location Denver, Colorado
Governance Public district school
Grades High
Students 167
Locale Urban
Principal Dr. Fernando Branch
Demographics
Percentage of students*
2%
English Learners
83%
Free/Reduced Lunch
10%
Students with Disabilities
African American or Black —
American Indian/Alaska Native —
Asian —
Hawaiian or Pacific Islander —
Hispanic or Latino —
White —
2+ Races —
Why Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy was nominated
The HBCU-style high school is founded upon the principles/best practices of HBCUs; They have a focus on authenticity, relationships and community and have a clear framework of expectations that are grounded in the principles of restorative practices and liberatory design. Their academic approaches include: a comprehensive STEAM approach, project-based learning, and enrichment courses.
Student experience design
Our school is designed to center the identities and histories of our scholars, as these elements of their person are typically isolated or erased from curricula and/or taken out of consideration when developing instructional programming. The idea is to establish an environment where the whole child-- all parts of their identity-- are considered with intentional empathy and rigor to help them grow academically and as leaders. Additionally, we support college and career readiness through the intentional development of a pathway to concurrent enrollment courses early in the High School Experience. There are career and mentorship opportunities through our Enrichment programming twice a week during the school day; we partner with local organizations to curate experiences for scholars to receive instruction in areas of interest like audio production, cybersecurity certification, coding and programming, and cultural exploration. Competency as measured by the ACCUplacer exam is a graduation requirement for our school district. We administer the assessment within the first 6 weeks of our scholars' High School experience as 9th graders. This serves as a benchmark for where they are in terms of accomplishing a graduation requirement and allows us to begin planning for the Spring semester course selections. Scholars who demonstrate competency become eligible for enrollment in courses that bear High School and College credit (Concurrent Enrollment). The ultimate goal is to ensure as many scholars as are eligible are able to take at least one Concurrent Enrollment Course and 35% of each graduating class will leave High School with an Associates Degree.
Core Practices
| Core Practices | Length of Use |
|---|---|
|
Assessments For Deeper Learning |
less than a year
|
|
Assessments For Social-emotional Skills |
3-4 years
|
|
Culturally Responsive Practices |
3-4 years
|
|
Student-led Conferences |
less than a year
|
All Practices
Student Advisories
Anti-racist Practices
Assessments For Agency And Self-directed Learning
Assessments For Career Readiness
Blended Learning
Career Prep And Work-based Learning
Community And Business Partnerships
Family And Community Support Services
Competency Framework
Disaggregated Data On Student Participation
Extended Learning Opportunities
Flexible Staffing & Alternative Teaching Roles
Grading Policies Focus On Mastery
Hiring For Equity And Inclusion Values
All Courses Designed For Inclusion
Students Earn Industry Credentials
Interdisciplinary
Individual Learning Paths
Mental Health Services
1:1 Mentoring
Multi-tiered System Of Support (MTSS) In Academics
No Tracked Classes
Multiple Opportunities To Demonstrate Mastery
Project-based Learning
Peer To Peer Support
Performance Based Assessment
Physical Well Being Services
Reallocation Of Resources For Those Most In Need
Restorative Practices
SEL Curriculum
SEL Integration School-wide
Students Access Their Own Data
Student-led Goal Setting
Self-paced Learning
Students Develop Projects
Trauma-informed Practices
Tutoring
Universal Design For Learning
key reasons for innovating
Stakeholder demand or advocacy
Models Implemented
Grades K-12
Big Picture Learning
Grades K-12
New Tech Network
K-12 Educators
Opportunity Culture Model
Date Updated: 4/1/2024
*Canopy profile data is self-reported or sourced from NCES data, then verified by school leaders.