Coral Community Charter: Addressing Differences Without Ignoring Diversity

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This post is sponsored by Coral Community Charter. At ABQ Mom, we seek to partner with businesses that bring value to our readers.

Coral Community Charter School is a free, public charter school in Albuquerque that serves students in Pre-K through 5th grade.

It may sound strange, but we need to start as early as Pre-K in preventing kids from dropping out of school. A 2013 study finds dropout indicators as far back as 1st grade. Boys and girls disengage and drop out for different reasons– just take a look at the study from Women’s Foundation of Colorado.

We strive to provide equitable resources for both boys and girls, remove barriers to learning, and smash stereotypes to pieces. We believe that single gender classrooms provide us with just such an environment.

Coral Community Charter: Addressing Differences Without Ignoring DiversityFor girls, schools tend to overlook destructive behaviors that are not typically obvious, resulting in missed opportunities to develop and repair meaningful relationships. Girls report a top reason for dropping out is the absence of a sense of community.

For boys, negative early experiences such as punishment for too much movement can set the stage for dropping out later. Movement is actually an attempt to stay alert and engaged. As educators, we need to pay attention to these historically ineffective reactions and avoid them at all costs.

Coral Community Charter: Addressing Differences Without Ignoring DiversityAt CCCS, we pair biology with instruction.

Girls tend to rely on parvocellular cells which connect color variety and other sensory activity to upper brain functioning. This means word connections are often made with color and other sensory information. Our teachers provide opportunities for girls to connect sensory details in order to explain thought processes.

Boys rely more on magnocellular cells, which make spatial activity and graphic clues quickly accessible. This means it’s more likely boys will make word connections with pictures and moving objects. We support learning by allowing them to first draw the details of a story and then draft a written response. In addition, we allow time and space for
movement.

Ultimately, we want students to be well equipped beyond their years at Coral. We want them to connect with others, have independence and confidence, resolve conflicts, and be eternally engaged in learning.

The lottery form for the 2023/2024 school year is available now, and the lottery will take place on March 9, 2023. To learn more about Coral Community Charter and how to apply, visit their website here.