Challenging Learning = College Success
The road to college success for
children in Memphis consists primarily of 2 facets: expectation and
preparation.
Every Cornerstone Prep student is expected to go to college. This
expectation is communicated to students from the very first day they
enter the
school. The students see college banners and logos on their school
walls. The
students call their class by a college name (for example, “Harvard 1” is
the
name of the first grade class). The students are exposed to college
campuses
via electronic means.
The purpose of these and other methods is to create an
expectation in the minds and hearts of the students about college. Many
of
these students will be the first in their family to attend college. In
order to
make college an attainable goal, students must begin to see college as
both a
reality and an expectation.
As students begin to understand
that college is a viable future path, the students must become equipped
for college.
Cornerstone Prep believes that college preparation begins in
kindergarten. The
academic and character skills learned in elementary school provide the
foundation for future success. Children that receive a strong
foundational
education in the earliest grades are best prepared to succeed in middle
and
high school, and subsequently, college.
Conversely, children that enter middle
school unprepared often find it difficult to compensate for the lost
years of
adequate instruction. This frequently causes students to become
frustrated with
education and even to drop out of high school. For example, more than
25% of 9th
grade students in Memphis City Schools drop out of high school before
graduating.
Cornerstone Prep students are challenged and taught at a high level,
ensuring
they will be well-prepared for future academic success.
This combination of building college expectations
in students and providing the knowledge and skills to succeed in college
provides Cornerstone Prep students with the solid foundation necessary
for success in college and beyond.