Science
The mission of the Science Department is to inspire and nurture in students to create a sense of curiosity about how nature works and to teach them that science is not about knowing the answers, but asking the questions.
Students will leave Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy with more questions about science than they had when they first arrived, but in addition, they will have the tools they need to set out to answer those questions for themselves.
Mathematics
At Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, every student is an inquisitive learner who recognizes and trusts his or her unique ability to do mathematics both independently and in collaboration with others. The goal of the mathematics department is to guide students in the development and application of the critical thinking skills necessary to make conjectures, solve problems, and reflect on and communicate their thoughts.
English: Writing and Composition
The mission of the English classes at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy is to empower a community of students to become life-long learners, who value the importance of education by confidently using the skills of reading and writing, understanding cultures and world perspectives, finding their voice in society, and pursuing the American Dream.
Spanish Language and Culture
Students in the Spanish Language and Culture department will take Spanish I and Spanish II.
MCJROTC
The mission of MCJROTC at Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy is to utilize the Marine Corps Values of honor, courage, and commitment, to provide students the tools necessary to help them become productive members of society and to instill these ideals to help them become better citizens. Utilizing the basic tenets of leadership in a comprehensive learning environment anchored in a military structure helps students develop self-esteem, promote leadership skills, and motivate students to be better citizens. The program will also endeavor to teach the students how best to incorporate and use these tools to achieve their personal level of success.
Social Science
A student who graduates after four years of study within the Social Science Department will be a person who understands the fortune and profound responsibility of being a member of a community, a citizen of the United States, and a member of the larger global neighborhood.
Starting with the Foundations of American Law freshman year, a student explores the underpinnings of American law from the settlement at Jamestown to the framework of the Constitution. An emphasis is placed not only on the structure of our federal system, but also on Illinois State government and Chicago city government.
During sophomore year, the student employs the principles of the preamble of the Constitution to envision how these themes have manifested from the nascent development of the United States to its archetypal economic and political position in the modern world.
During first semester of junior year, a student examines the seeds of culture that were cast and sown on the western hemisphere of our globe in days of yore that have effloresced, died, and then during many occasions re-germinated in various forms over the course of time. The civilizations and societies studied during this foundation period are the Chinese, Israelites, Hindus, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, and Muslims. During second semester, a student gains an understanding and appreciation of cultural movements and watershed revolutions such as the Scientific Revolution, the Enlightenment, and the French and Haitian Revolutions. The course concludes by tracing the causal developments of the world's struggle of modernity with the Age of Revolution, Imperialism, and the World Wars.
In the final year, a student synthesizes the information from the previous three years and applies it in the comprehensive and challenging Government and Law. This final Social Science class is replete with higher thinking skills and critical writing that the students will take with them when matriculating at a college or university.
Special Education
Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy places students with disabilities in their least restrictive environment, beginning with having access to the general curriculum along side their non-disabled peers. We offer a variety of classes and activities (for credit or non-credit experiences) for all students, including students with disabilities. We have high expectations for all students and require that they participate in these experiences through community service and elective, enrichment credit requirements.
We assess all of our students through district and state mandated assessments and use school developed standard performance assessments. We hope to provide staff with training to develop content-specific alternate assessment tools that can be used within the general classroom.
We are building a collaborative teacher model from the ground up. SPED staff are included in the development of curriculum. SPED teachers co-teach classes with other Rowe-Clark teachers and help them develop units, lesson plans or classroom activities. We schedule time for co-teachers to meet on a regular basis to discuss lesson plans and student progress.
Music Performance
The primary goal for music performance is to develop a broader sense of musicality with students through the use of percussion instruments, keyboards, vocals and technology. By introducing diverse styles of music, students will gain a broader perspective of how music is developed and evolves in the present day. Music notation activities, musical performance pieces, and music theory lessons will be implemented which increase student knowledge and support music integration through math, science and language arts.