› Standards and Assessments › Curriculum and Instruction › Leadership and Organization › Professional Development › Parent Engagement Visit an America's Choice school or arrange for a presentation of our design.		The goal of every America's Choice middle school is to make certain that each student becomes a competent reader, an effective writer, and skilled in mathematics. By setting high academic expectations, carefully monitoring each child's progress, and delivering instruction that is focused on what each student needs to know, the America's Choice middle school becomes a place that not only cares about the social development of young adolescents, but also delivers a challenging academic program. In America's Choice middle schools: • English teachers organize instruction around Readers and Writers Workshops in which every student is expected to write in different genres and to read and analyze several books by the same author. • Students with serious deficits in reading or mathematics take double-period "ramp-up" courses that prepare them to be successful in their regular classes. • Math teachers concentrate not only on basic skills and problem solving, but also on students' understanding of key math concepts that are the building blocks for success in algebra and geometry. • All teachers follow classroom rituals and routines that help students tackle demanding content and become independent learners. • Teachers take on new roles and responsibilities as Class Teachers who follow the same group of students for two or three years and as team members who collectively take responsibility for the success of each student on their team. • Teachers participate in Study Groups and Teachers Meetings that strengthen their knowledge of the America's Choice approach to teaching and learning. This includes learning how to conduct a close analysis of their students' work in relation to the standards, and using this knowledge to develop lessons calibrated to the needs of different students. • The principal becomes a new kind of instructional leader who understands and promotes standards-based teaching and learning throughout the school. • The principal distributes leadership among key faculty members, develops a school leadership team structured to implement the design, and leads school-wide planning sessions in collaboration with the leadership team, parents and community members. Continue to Standards and Assessments to learn about our middle school design in greater detail.