Essential Elements of a Harbor School

Schools wishing to be designated as Harbor Schools agree to pursue these essential elements.

Focus on Kindness

Harbor Schools employ the Harbor School Character Education Plan with its focus on kindness and zero tolerance policy for teasing, taunting, bullying, and negative peer pressure. A school to work emphasis makes its behavior expectations relevant to the real world. Clear expectations are the bedrock of the Character Education Plan, which utilizes the following tools:

• Rules and Reasons
• Proactive Behavior Scenarios
• Student Training Video
• Memorization and Dramatization
• Behavior Lesson Plans
• School Service
• Harbor Program for Citizen of the Week, Citizen of the Month, and Hall of Fame

Academic Program

The Harbor School academic program offers a challenging curriculum for all students. Harbor Schools utilize the following:

• The Harbor School Method Math Program, developed by the original team of Harbor teachers;
• The Harbor School Method Vocabulary Program, developed by the original team of Harbor teachers;
• The Spalding Method;
• Shurley English;
• Daily Oral Language; and
• An array of proven programs for other areas of study.

All state standards and benchmarks are addressed in the Harbor School Method, but are considered the floor and not the ceiling when it comes to student achievement potential. When taught correctly, the Harbor School Method ensures that students will "get it" without the need to slow the entire class down in the process. We believe that it does not matter when a student "gets it", only that he or she "gets it" in the end. Whole class direct instruction combined with individual student attention (provided by support staff and parents) is the key to each student’s success in a Harbor School.

Direct Instruction

Teachers in Harbor Schools are actively engaged with students 100% of their teaching time. Teachers lead the entire class in interactive and exciting learning opportunities. All students are actively engaged during direct instruction activities. Frequent student responses, positive feedback or correction from teachers, and fast pacing are the hallmarks of direct instruction. Teachers are given adequate time throughout the day so they can always be prepared to teach. Each school provides classes that are not taught by the primary teacher. These classes provide preparation time for primary teachers to ensure appropriate content and pacing and also provide additional learning opportunities for children.

School Leadership-Principal’s Role

The principal provides daily supervision and support to teachers to ensure consistent application of the Harbor School Method. The Harbor School Method defines the principal’s role in terms of assisting teachers to maximize their lesson planning and instructional time. During the instructional period of the day the principal spends his or her time in the classroom and student contact areas and not in an office or outside the school. For example, Harbor principals do bus and lunch duty, seizing that time as an opportunity to teach and interact with students. Administrative paperwork and meetings with parents are handled after school hours allowing the principal to focus on students and teachers during instructional hours.

Attendance

Harbor Schools strive for a 96% attendance rate and utilize Harbor School Method strategies to ensure that the attendance goal is met. Those strategies include; parental awareness training on the importance of high attendance, student awareness training with a school-to-work emphasis on the importance of attendance, and appropriate awards for outstanding attendance. Students need to be in class to take advantage of the direct instruction being conducted by their teachers. Lost days cannot be made up simply by completing handouts or other assignments. 

Homework

The Harbor School Method recognizes the importance of homework to overall student achievement. Homework is assigned daily and students know it is their responsibility to complete and turn in homework on time or pay the consequences (usually missing a recess or other coveted activity to complete the work along with missing the opportunity for Citizen of the Week or Month.) To make homework a student responsibility and family friendly, Harbor Schools make sure homework assignments are predictable and manageable. The assignments generally cover math drill and review, spelling, and daily reading.

Parental Involvement

Harbor Schools must make every effort to involve parents, and it is essential that parents are well informed on The Harbor School Method. All parents should have a complete understanding of the method before enrolling their children, a thorough orientation before the first day of school, and ongoing opportunities to experience the method through classroom visits. We want parents involved so they can support and understand their child’s education. Harbor Schools encourage parents to volunteer in various ways to enhance the program’s effectiveness.