SLCS Administration is posting information on the SLCS official social media pages on Facebook at www.facebook.com/schoollane and on Instagram @schoollanecharterschool. Please be sure to follow our pages, like and share our content. We want to share the great accomplishments of our students throughout the SLCS community and beyond.

The State of Pennsylvania requires that a charter school must be different than the public schools within its district to receive charter approval. As outlined in the mission and vision statements of School Lane Charter School, these differences are rooted in our daily actions as an inclusion model school that provides both inquiry-based (student learn to self-direct their learning) and interdisciplinary (learning across several subjects) learning experiences. In addition, at School Lane, we place a high value on our students developing a sense of international mindedness. One way this plays out is by learning a second language beginning in the early elementary grades, which is further reinforced by teaching multi-cultural understanding as well as respect through our interactions with each other. These tenants have been the cornerstones of our high school program since its inception and have continued to provide our students with knowledge, skills, and a disposition for success in any college, university, or career choice.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program provides the perfect framework for our high school as it is in alignment with SLCS tenants, mission, and vision. The IB program provides rigorous academic challenges while encouraging students to make connections between traditional subjects and the real world. This results in the development of knowledgeable and inquiring students who:

• are encouraged to think critically and solve complex problems (collaborative problem solving & college & career readiness skills)
• drive their own learning (inquiry based teaching & learning)
• are fully engaged in educational programs that can lead them to some of the highest-ranking universities around the world (expectation of our families)
• are more culturally aware through the development of a second language (learning Spanish from elementary age)
• are able to engage with people in an increasingly globalized, rapidly changing world. (college & career readiness skills)

School Lane Charter School earned the IB World School designation after a rigorous authorization process in June 2014 with the Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 7-10. We expanded this designation in March of 2017 with our authorization to offer the highly regarded Diploma Program (DP) for grades 11 -12. SLCS is one of the few IB World Schools that has ALL of our students throughout grades 7-12 in the IB programs. We are proud to open the doors to this world renowned, academically rigorous program that give students a competitive edge by helping them succeed in college coursework or workplace readiness.

Our elementary school curriculum, as well as the teaching and learning experiences for our K-6 students, provide the foundation for our students’ success in the IB program and beyond. Children are innately curious and our goal is to continue to keep that sense of curiosity burning in our students. Learning through inquiry begins at an early age as students in grades 1, 2, and 3 learn how to ask good questions and find answers through accessing teacher collated resources. In grades 4, 5, and 6 students build on their abilities to ask good questions and begin to find the resources to answer those questions on their own. SLCS students become self-directed learners. With more information at their fingertips than ever before, we take seriously our charge to produce media literate students who are able to evaluate multiple sources of information effectively to draw their own conclusions or to ask further questions. These and other foundational skills provide the basis for success in the academically rigorous learning expectations of the IB programs.

IB is School Lane. School Lane is IB. School Lane K-12 is an IB World School. IB allows School Lane to exist. IB makes School Lane different.

For more information, research, and college success stories related to the International Baccalaureate (IB) program please visit www.ibo.org

In the state of Pennsylvania charter schools are not required to test or provide programs for students that might qualify as “gifted” as defined by the state. However, SLCS recognizes the need to provide students that demonstrate superior cognitive ability and/or specific academic ability the opportunity to continue to accelerate their learning so they may continue to achieve at their optimal academic potential. The SLCS Board of Trustees has approved the SLCS Accelerated Education Program policy that manifests School Lane’s commitment to students who demonstrate exceptional abilities and are prepared to be academically challenged at their level. The policy outlines the various paths through which accelerated learning will occur. Although the policy does NOT have SLCS testing for a “gifted” designation, the Accelerated Education Program will provide students in grades 3-12 with instruction and learning experiences that challenge students who are demonstrating knowledge and skills above their peers. Our Accelerated Education Program policy allows for a more fluid process to work with students and families for inclusion in challenging course work for as many students who qualify. Our goal is to raise the bar of academic achievement and support students to meet and exceed that bar. Please keep in mind that the Middle Years Program (MYP) for grades 7-10 and the Diploma Program (DP) for grades 11-12 provide rigorous high quality instruction that on their own are considered accelerated programs. At School Lane, those programs are open to ALL students. You can read the full Accelerated Education Policy on the SLCS website or by clicking here.