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.

Holistic Approach to Assessment

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.

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

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