Academic Rigor & High Student Expectations

Designing Our Schools for the Future

In the industrial age, companies depended on employees to memorize facts to solve problems. As a result, schools arranged content to prepare students for factory work that was needed at the time. The world has changed. Today, leading companies are seeking employees who can collaborate, critically think through problems, ask the right questions and research the information needed to solve them. Education must evolve to support our new reality. In Hopkins, we are!

Personalized Learning

Children learn in different ways and at different paces. Personalized learning is a teaching model based on this concept. This model moves away from a one-size-fits-all approach to a model where students are guided on more personalized learning paths, tailored to meet their individual needs. Personalized learning encourages students to express their interests, have voice and choice around their learning, develop critical thinking, and acquire self-advocacy skills so they feel increased engagement with their learning.

Talent Development for All Students

Research shows that every student can grow and develop gifted behaviors. In Hopkins, we nurture behaviors such as cognitive flexibility, real-world problemsolving, and persistent curiosity through inquiry-driven learning so that each student can confidently navigate their future.

We believe in accurately identifying gifted students for services as well as developing the unique talents and learning potential of all learners. Historically, in school districts nationwide, traditional methods of identifying students for gifted programming have overlooked underrepresented students. Using our Student Success Metrics, Hopkins is building a holistic and comprehensive method for identifying gifted students to counteract the historical inequities of traditional gifted and talented identification methods.

Examples of Elementary Schoolwide Talent Development:

• STEAM or STEM concepts

• Inquiry-based learning

• Experiential learning

• Math lab

Examples of Secondary Schoolwide Talent Development:

• Destination Imagination (sixth grade)

• Design Thinking through International Baccalaureate (IB) MYP Program

• Capstone Community Project (eighth grade)

• Over 30 Advanced Placement (AP) and College in the Schools (CIS) courses (beginning in ninth grade)

• Apprenticeships and internships through a variety of programs

Holistic Approach to Assessment

We provide students with a rigorous conceptand inquiry-based personalized learning approach supported by wellness practices so they are prepared to thrive in the future.

Standardized test scores do not always accurately reflect what a student has learned and are not predictors of future success. They don't evaluate creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, artistic ability, or other knowledge areas. If we only rely on testing to measure a student’s progress, we’re missing out on a bigger picture. In Hopkins, we are taking a holistic approach to assessment. We are broadening our assessment tools in such a way that guarantees no child is behind and honors that all children are talented.

Building our Student Success Metrics

Last year, we interviewed nearly 100 students, college admission representatives, business owners, teachers, leaders, staff, and families about the measures we should use to demonstrate success. The information collected will be used to define our Student Success Metrics. The creation of these outcomes is a key success indicator of Vision 2031. More information about this work will be revealed in the 2023-24 school year.

Traits of a Hopkins Scholar

The Traits of the Hopkins Scholar were developed through a collaboration with community and staff and positioned us to produce citizens fully prepared for the future. The traits outline the competencies that our students will have when they graduate and reflect Hopkins' vision for student success. Defining the Traits of the Hopkins Scholar aligns our educational goals with the demands of a rapidly changing workforce by emphasizing critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, empathy, adaptability, and multiple literacies. These traits also encourage Hopkins students to see themselves as positive change-makers in the world.

• Has their own Voice

• Is Global & Well-Traveled

• Is a Critical Thinker

• Is Confident

• Is Holistic

• Is Empathetic

Early Childhood Academics

Inspiring Learning for our Youngest Scholars

Our youngest Hopkins students are introduced to personalized learning in our early childhood programs, which use Reggio Emilia-inspired curriculum. This child-centered approach is designed to engage young minds to use their natural sense of discovery as a catalyst for learning. Our youngest learners develop creativity, confidence, and strong social relationships through play-based exploration of academic concepts built around their interests.

Hopkins Preschool has a 1:10 Class Ratio

Hopkins Preschool

Children are natural explorers, problem solvers, and sense makers. In Hopkins Preschools we encourage these traits using the Reggio Emilia-inspired approach, which adapts to children's interests and offers them time and space to plan, think, experiment, evaluate and amend their ideas. This inspires deeper academic thinking and is built around our young scholars’ interests. Teachers guide students to experiment and discover while they acquire important learning concepts. Math, art, science, music, dramatic play, literacy, and STEM are embedded into learning.

Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)

Our ECFE program supports learning for our youngest community members and their caregivers starting at birth, setting a strong foundation for school success.

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) provides Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) to families and children that meet state criteria for special education services. Services are provided within the child's natural environments including home, community daycares and schools, and Hopkins preschools.

95% of Preschoolers met their Language and Literacy targets

96% of Preschoolers met their Math targets

96% of Preschoolers met their Personal and Social Development targets

Elementary Academics

Inspiring Curious, Confident, and Empathetic Learners

Our elementary curriculum is tailored to the unique needs of each child through personalized learning, rigorous objectives, schoolwide talent development, and a student-centered approach so that our scholars can reach their full potential. Each Hopkins elementary school has unique offerings — outdoor immersion, Chinese and Spanish immersion, experiential learning, online or blended learning, inquiry-based learning, character building, or International Baccalaureate (IB).

Hopkins Elementary Schools at a Glance

• Schoolwide talent development opportunities are available to all students using STEM or STEAM concepts or inquirybased learning to promote collaboration and problemsolving skills.

• Orchestra and band start in grade 5.

• Specialists are at every school including social workers, counselors, special education teachers, paraprofessionals, and restorative practice professionals.

Grades 2-6 Fastbridge Assessment Scores

Percent of students who scored top marks in fall 2022

Our kindergarten class size is 25 students with each kindergarten class supported by a full-time teacher assistant

80% of 3rd Grade Students received top scores on their Math end-of-year assessment

Students in grades 3-5 scored in the 99th Percentile Nationally for their growth mindset

84% of Students in Grades 3-5

Responded Favorably to "how much does your teacher encourage you to do your best"

93% of Spanish Immersion

Students earned top scores on Spanish language proficiency

Secondary Academics

Cultivating Well-Rounded Students

Both Hopkins middle schools are International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools that start in sixth grade and run through eighth grade. The IB framework is complementary to the Hopkins Learning Framework, and encourages students to become creative, critical, and reflective thinkers.

Welcoming Middle School Environment

Our middle schools are supportive and inclusive spaces. Each student is onboarded throughout their fifth grade year by a sixth grade counselor and a series of step-up events that are designed to prepare them for middle school. Student ambassadors and leaders act as mentors and guides to support incoming students as they navigate their new school building during this pivotal step in their education experience.

Our Middle Schools at a Glance

Hopkins High School

Hopkins High School is an inclusive and diverse environment. With a competitive range of programming, our students explore their interests and passions and use their voice in all areas of their education. Our graduates are global scholars and innovative critical thinkers who are ready for brilliant postsecondary futures.

Our High School at a Glance

• Student Involvement — Hopkins High School has more than 30 clubs and activities, leadership opportunities, numerous athletic team offerings, and a competitive music program.

• College Credit — Hopkins High School students choose from more than 30 Advanced Placement (AP) and College in the Schools (CIS) courses, giving them the opportunity to earn tuition-free college credit while still in high school.

84% of North and West Students enrolled in a World Language course in the 2022-23 school year

88% of Secondary Students said they have a friend from school who they could be “completely themselves" around

• Destination Imagination (DI) — DI is offered to all sixth grade students. This rigorous program offers the opportunity to explore creative thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills through hands-on challenges. DI hones individual talents, cultivates a growth mindset, and encourages the development of essential life skills that will benefit students throughout their academic journey and beyond.

• World Languages — Chinese and Spanish language immersion continues at both middle schools. Nonimmersion students can take other World Language courses such as Spanish, French, or Chinese.

• Design Thinking Course — The curriculum focuses on the development of flexible thinking that prepares students to evaluate information critically and apply knowledge in complex, unfamiliar situations.

• Capstone Project — The IB capstone community project encourages all students to engage in service as they use the skills and knowledge they’ve gained and apply them to the real world.

Supporting the Transition from Middle School to High School

Link Crew leaders, a group of upperclassmen at Hopkins High School, act as mentors to guide incoming freshmen during their transition to the high school to help them feel connected throughout their first year.

• Career Pathway Preparation — The Career and Technical Education program offers four pathways including business education, family and consumer sciences, health care, and technical education. Students who successfully complete the Certified Nursing Assistant Curriculum at Hopkins High School are eligible for the Minnesota CNA certification test.

3 Students Were Accepted to 2023 Minnesota Music Educators Association All-State Orchestra

5 Individual Honors for Tech and Performance and 3 Production Honors from the Hennepin Theater Trust Spotlight Program for the 2022 Legally Blonde Musical

13 Students Presented Solos at the 2023 MSHSL Section Solo/Ensemble Contest

4 Students Named State Champions at the 2023 Personal Finance Decathlon Hopkins Envirothon teams placed 2nd, 4th, and 5th Place at the 2023 state Envirothon competition

Secondary students scored in the 90th Percentile Nationally for cultural awareness and action Hopkins High School is one of the First Schools in the State of Minnesota to Offer AP African American Studies in the 2023-24 school year

186 Student-Athlete Award Winners Spanning 17 Sports 10-12th Graders with a 3.8 cumulative GPA in 2022-23

3 students finished 2nd Place at DECA’s 2023 International Career Development Conference