- COURSE OFFERINGS & CURRICULUM
- CODE BREAKERS
- PARENT INVOLVEMENT
- GRADING
- HOMEWORK
- 9:1 STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO
- FACULTY
In the Utkal International School, students are grouped with the goal of matching individual learning needs with the instruction content. Course material is mastered in a phased process — introduction, practice, review and application. The mastered material then becomes a foundation for future learning.
In each class, teachers help students focus by circulating through the room, using direct instruction methods, encouraging interaction among students, and strategically pacing lesson content and activities.
In the subjects of math, reading, and writing, students are ability-grouped and progress is monitored on an ongoing basis. Class groupings can change as students either advance in ability, or require extra support or remediation. In science and social studies, students are grouped according to grade level, allowing students to be exposed to the State of Odisha standards while maintaining a continued emphasis on mastery of the material.
Students also participate in “specials” each week, consisting of physical education, music, library, computer skills and art. Overall student progress is monitored weekly and parents remain well-informed about their child’s progress.
The CodeBreakers curriculum, developed by Utkal School faculty, is a sequential, multi-sensory approach to reading. It teaches those reading/spelling skills that everyone needs to know, in a step-by-step controlled process.
Each concept builds upon another. Phonetic segmentation is stressed throughout each lesson giving students exposure to a “part to whole” strategy. Using the curriculum, teachers are able to take students through all the speech sounds and syllable types one by one.
The goal of the CodeBreakers curriculum is to get away from the guessing game.
All the readings are controlled so that students who have struggled through the process of learning to read and or spell begin to have a structured, understanding of the English language. Words are taught individually, in sentences and in paragraphs so that students understand their meaning.
Parents are an essential part of the learning process at Utkal. In addition to regular parent-teacher conferences and grade reports, parents are contacted regularly via phone or email to discuss their child’s progress.
Parents are treated as team members in education, uniquely positioned to help assess our success in making true, substantive changes in their children’s lives.
Additionally, because Utkal parents all share a unique experience, we have in place a very thoughtful and active Parents’ Pride organization. When a child first enrolls at Lawrence, the new family is assigned a “Parents Pride Mentor” to help guide them, answer questions, and serve as a resource and support.
Also, under the Parents Pride organization, parents have the ability to help plan and host family social events, organize parent-education opportunities, and assist with the annual Benefit Auction.