Focus of the Curriculum
There are six core focuses in the DBTHS Education Plan
Educational program grounded in the Ohio Content Standards
Business Internships and mentoring to foster personal and professional understandings
High School of Business Career Pathways that lead to post-secondary coursework and degrees
Entrepreneurial educational business projects that foster the interdependence of citizenship and responsibility
Teamwork that encourages leadership skills and collaboration
Development of student-generated project and/or demonstration of knowledge
College Credit Plus Opportunities
• Allows students the opportunity to attend Sinclair as well as high school classes
• Students can work toward a Certificate or Degree through Sinclair
• Additional help from their teachers here at DBTHS to help students be successful
Classroom and Non-Classroom Based Learning Opportunities
DBTHS students will participate in many learning experiences in their pathway to graduation and higher education. They include but are not limited to the following:
• Traditional meetings with teachers/advisors face-to-face
• Mastery of Ohio’s content area standards, benchmarks and indicators for graduation requirements
• Online experiences to build knowledge and application of core content curriculum concepts
• Technological design elements linked to software development in English/Language Arts, computer programming, music and art
• Teaming opportunities that foster the need for not working in isolation in the development of business products and modeled after corporate environment
• Leadership skills, team member responsibilities and managerial skills in development of software products
• Business opportunities that integrate technology design/business concepts that motivate students to continue their education in personal pathway choices
A project-based approach will give students an opportunity to connect with other students, present completed work, engage in teamwork and in laboratory-based creative experiences and activities. This approach will help students who have not adapted successfully to a traditional classroom to experience the freedom and responsibilities inherent in this type of instructional environment. The tasks require working collaboratively on the development of projects that employ critical thinking and problem solving while incorporating technology, innovative, components, and fun.
DBTHS students are credited with the development and completion of the project. The project will be incorporated into their personal portfolio resumes for use in possible business employment and higher education interviews.
Educational Program
The curriculum is anchored in the Ohio Content Standards with students participating in face-to-face classes/conferences and online experiences that help them pass the Ohio Graduation Test/End-of-Course Exams and provide a foundation for higher-level courses needed to meet college or technical schools admission and career requirements. Teacher/Advisors will:
• Meet with students for educational instruction
• Monitor assignments through diagnostic, formative and summative assessments
• Intervene and scaffold instruction for content mastery learning
• Assist students in developing their performance portfolios
• Oversee student design team meetings as software products are developed
• Model the roles in effective team membership in a project based environment
• And other elements of a schooling experience
DBTHS core curriculum is anchored in the students’ personal learning goals that encourages them to participate in hands-on nontraditional learning experiences including, but not limited to
Internships
Mentorships
Job-shadowing
Service Learning Projects
and similar authentic business-related opportunities
Through participation in these unique on-the-job learning experiences, students will be able to earn nontraditional required credits and to learn business etiquette and team working.
Performance criteria will be designed by teacher advisors to meet academic requirements. Teamwork mirrors responsibilities of citizenship and models the interdependence of members for successful completion of the project. The program will provide technical and career skills that students can apply immediately to their team project.
DBTHS core curriculum will include students’ mastery of the Ohio content standards related to standards, benchmarks and traditional grade level indicators.
A diagnostic assessment will determine the strengths and weaknesses of students in each standard. This assessment will be incorporated into students’ personal learning contracts. The results will be presented to students and monitor progress as students demonstrate growth through formative and summative assessments. Understanding by Design will be the framework for these assessments. The staff will meet with students each trimester to discuss the students’ data results and to re-establish deadlines and timelines. Additional Information regarding Understanding by Design is available in Appendix C.
Timelines and subject benchmarks will help students visualize their academic progress and meet content grade level indicators. Mastery of the content standards are aligned to the following traditional high school coursework:
• English/Language Arts for grades 9, 10, 11 and 12, specialized creative courses
• Mathematics for courses in Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Transition to College Math
• Science for courses in Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Geology
• Social Studies for courses in American History, World History, American Government, Economics
• Physical Education will include fitness concepts
• Health
• Conversational foreign language
• Career Technical Education
DBTHS core curriculum will be delivered through online (Internet) and offline (teacher directed) instruction and activities that emphasize a self-paced individualized customized learning approach. The school will provide students a flexible schedule that accommodates work schedules and other community involvement. Core curriculum content teachers will be available to instruct and facilitate learning through lectures, demonstrations, and technology support and guidance interviews.
Technology Connections
The use of technology will be integrated into classroom work to help students gain additional skills valued in the workplace and in the development of their project, such as:
• Accessing information in real-time, researching, gathering and sorting information quickly and effectively across geographic boundaries
• Project creation and design to completion
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Using email to effectively communicate
• Use of video conferencing opportunities
• Utilizing multi-media in creation of final projects
• Teamwork and team building skills
• Social and business protocol
• Effective written and verbal communication
Students will maintain performance portfolios that have the following but not limited to:
• Customized, Individualized Academic and Career Plan (IACP)
• Personal learning profile and goals
• Ohio academic content standards mastered
• Diagnostic, formative and summative assessments
• Samples of academic work showcasing the standards
• Data graphs indicating the progress
• Technology, Humanities and Business competencies mastered
• Internships reflection summary reports that align to Ohio content standards and Technology, Marketing competencies and final project progress
• Team contribution evaluations
• Conference outcomes
• Other materials defined by the support staff and/or CAO
Portfolios will showcase students’ progress towards graduation, college and career and may be used in applications for employment or submission to higher education institutions. The portfolio will be the reporting system to students and parents/guardians/adult sponsors and progress discussed through conferences with teacher adviser and data manager. Mastery of competencies will replace the traditional grading system by the use of the performance portfolio.