At PAVE Academy, we believe that all students can achieve at high levels. We believe that learning to read from an early age is the foundation for future academic success. We want every one of our students to be proficient in reading and math as defined by the standards established by New York State. While achieving this goal is critical, proficiency on a standardized assessment in and of itself is a hollow indicator of success. For our students to thrive beyond PAVE Academy, it is incumbent upon us as educators to ignite a passion for learning, encourage critical thinking, and inspire creativity in each of our students. As a school we are steadfast in our commitment to this. We believe that our broad curriculum and wide range of stimulating enrichment activities will empower PAVE Academy students to become scholars in the truest sense of the word.

School Model
PAVE Academy is based on the rigorous study and evaluation of the highest performing urban public schools in the country. PAVE Academy’s Founder and Executive Director, Spencer Robertson, has worked at one of New York City’s leading education foundations and completed the Building Excellent Schools Fellowship (www.buildingexcellentschools.org). During this year-long fellowship, focused on developing charter school leaders, he studied characteristics shared by the highest performing public charter schools. Mr. Robertson incorporated the following key elements into PAVE Academy’s school model:

• A longer school day and year.
• Small class size (a maximum of 22 students).
• Individual student attention through the presence of two teachers per classroom.
• The hiring and retention of committed and highly qualified teachers.
• The formation of a school culture that reflects PAVE Academy’s core values: Perseverance, Achievement, Vibrance and Excellent Character.

Proven Curriculum
Our curriculum has been research-tested and has demonstrated strong results nationally. We are also flexible enough to deviate from this curriculum in situations where we need to adjust to specific student needs. Our curriculum selections include SRA, Saxon Math, Houghton Mifflin Social Studies and Full Option Science Systems.

Focus on Social Development
PAVE Academy believes in creating a supportive learning environment and setting high academic expectations. We also understand the need for our students to develop social skills outside of the traditional academic setting. PAVE Academy believes that a recess break and Physical Education are essential for student satisfaction and alertness given our long academic day. Our students will also participate in music, dance, visual arts, and theater classes.