As parents, we carefully select healthy foods, safe toys and proper clothing for our children to help them thrive. But when it comes time to send them to public school, many parents don’t realize that there are also options for choosing the best public school to meet their your child’s needs.
Cambridge Lakes Charter School is one of Illinois’ 144 charter school campuses that are open to all. Charter schools are not private schools, they are public. They receive tax dollars and are free just like any other public school. Charter schools must adhere to the same public education standards but many offer innovative educational options that often provide better outcomes.
Cambridge Lakes Charter School in Pingree Grove is one of Illinois’ premiere charter school campuses. When deciding where to send your children to school, this charter school deserves careful consideration. To begin, the educational process at Cambridge Lakes Charter School is not something that is done to your child but rather education is done with your child.
“We personalize education,” explains Rachel Mullen, the Cambridge Lakes director of teaching and learning. “Teachers complete a home visit with the parents and the student in the summer before school starts to set goals. Every student at Cambridge has a personalized learning plan (PLP) that sets goals based on where they are. Students are part of this plan and help set the goals that are set. Then teachers meet with parents and students three more times throughout the year to check progress toward these goals. Adjustments are made and new goals are added depending on how the student is progressing. There is always a dialogue that includes students.”
To help in implementing this personalized education, Cambridge Lakes Charter School campus has unique classroom designs that allow for concurrent learning activities. Small group activities, one-on-one instruction and larger group instruction can all be taking place at the same time due to the classroom layout. The curriculum used in the classrooms is research based and continually updated to reflect new technologies and information.
Since students are partners in their education, they are able to follow interests. For example, if a student is intrigued by an introductory unit on the planets, he can choose to explore Mars in depth or learn more about space travel.
“We have had great success with discovery learning,” says Mullen. “Students are encouraged to delve deeper into STEM areas and build upon the basics.” Although every student is introduced to the same basic concepts, each student builds on those concepts where they have a great interest.
This ownership of education results in higher achievement. From its first year of operation in 2007, Cambridge Lakes Charter School students’ achievement norm exceeded the performance of the State of Illinois as well as its home district 300. Even the lowest performing student has been able to move above the norm due to this individualize method of education. Currently, the middle school program ranks in the 9th percentile among middle schools statewide.
Why not choose the best option when it comes to education for your child? Cambridge Lakes has openings for students in kindergarten through the eighth grades and offers a blended e-learning academy for kindergarten through high school. Tours of the 15-acre campus located at 900 Wester Blvd. in Pingree Grove can be arranged by calling 847-464-0330. More information can be found at www.cambridgelakescharterschool.net.
