Curriculum

In keeping with best practices across Da Vinci Schools, RISE High implements a project-based learning, competency-based curriculum that encourages students to engage with Common Core and Next Gen Science standards in a way that feels relevant to them.

Through DreamSeeDo, our online platform, students can digitally access coursework that supports the in-person instruction and project work time they receive on campus. Projects provide students the opportunity to being their personal interests and passions into the classroom while exploring potential career pathways and mastering both content standards all at the same time. Students present their projects and learning at our annual school-wide Exhibition, held each Spring.

All RISE credit-bearing courses are A-G approved.

Download a Curriculum one-pager [PDF]

Grading

RISE High uses mastery-based grading to ensure students are evaluated on what they know and can show versus work completion alone. Grades of 1 – 4 are assigned based on the level of mastery a student demonstrates in content and competencies. These grades correlate to traditional grading scales in the following ways:

4 = “A” (Advanced Mastery)
3 = “B” (Proficient Mastery)
2 = “C” (Basic Mastery)
1 = “I”, which indicates one either a Basic level of mastery, or an “Incomplete” which indicates lack of sufficient work completion to assess mastery.

RISE also grants partial credits as a means of allowing students to move at their own pace and immediately earn credit upon completion & mastery. While a credit is a unit of work completion, a grade is an evaluation of mastery of the content & competencies covered within that unit.

To learn more about how grades & credits work together toward graduation, download a Grading and Credits one-pager [PDF]

Schedule

Students at RISE work alongside their parents/guardians, RISE staff, and other stakeholders to create a flexible schedule that best meets their needs. While it is mandatory that students attend in-person courses at least two days per week, there are a variety of different ways to mix and match course schedules to meet this requirement. Upon enrollment at RISE, the student and his/her families coordinate with the RISE counselor to create the schedule.

While students must attend the minimum two days per week, they are allowed and encourage to attend as much as possible on scheduled school days, which are Monday – Thursday, 9:00am – 3:00pm. Fridays are pupil-free days reserved for teacher planning and professional development. You can access the weekly course schedule here.

In the event of extenuating circumstances that prevent students from attending in-person courses, there are added layers of flexibility to complete coursework virtually. FAQs about Independent Study & Flexible Scheduling will be available soon.

Career-Readiness

RISE students have a variety of opportunities to strengthen their career readiness skills and to explore potential post-secondary pathways. Through our World of Work course, students receive support in creating their resumes, applying for jobs, and participating in mock interviews. Upon completion of the course, they have the option of interviewing for paid internships through a variety of RISE partners, including A Place Called Home and CRCD.

There are also multiple field experiences that take place each year with the goal of creating exposure to new career possibilities and giving the students the chance to connect with industry professionals in fields aligned to student interests. Examples of this have been partnerships with Beats Lab and LA Barber College.

Finally, real-world learning is infused into all aspects of project-based learning so that students are constantly encouraged make connections between classroom content and the world around them.

Calendar

To provide additional time for instruction and extracurricular opportunities, RISE operates on a Quarter System. Each Quarter is approximately 9 weeks, followed by either a 1-2 week break or Intersession.

Intersession provides students with optional programming that can be utilized for one of the following purposes:

  • Academic recovery or acceleration
  • Exploring potential career pathways via field experiences, internships, or service learning
  • Pursuing creative expression via extracurricular courses

Additional information regarding Intersession programming & sign-up will be available soon.

Graduation Pathways

Three different diploma options and graduation pathways are available at RISE. Upon enrollment, students and families collaborate with the RISE counselor and leadership team to calculate previous credits, discuss post-secondary goals, and choose the graduation pathway that best meets the student’s needs. The three pathways are:

A-G/College Prep Pathway
RISE Pathway
AB216 Pathway

While students have flexibility to change pathways according to changes in plans or circumstances, a meeting with the school team is required to do so.

Download the Graduation Pathways one-pager [PDF]