Cogito
Cogito programming is designed for students who are willing to work to achieve a high level of academic excellence in an environment that emphasizes structure and order.
It is based on the following Foundational Principles:
| Principle #1 | The Cogito Program fosters academic rigor and success for all students. Students are encouraged and expected to produce their best possible work to achieve their full potential. In the Cogito Program, the focus is on systematically building a strong knowledge base essential for fostering deeper understanding, critical thinking and transfer. |
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| Principle #2 | The teaching philosophy of the Cogito Program emphasizes whole-group, explicit, teacher-directed instruction. Teaching practices/approaches/methods/ pedagogies are varied, engaging, relevant and responsive to students’ needs |
| Principle #3 | The Cogito Program reflects academic excellence, extending learning through the curricular outcomes of the Alberta programs of study and select locally developed courses. The Cogito Program provides students with foundational knowledge and skills to build conceptual understandings, enrich the learning experience, and illustrate cross-curricular connections. |
| Principle #4 | The Cogito Program is grounded in a learning environment that is orderly, disciplined and safe (inclusive/equitable). Expectations are set for students (which may include uniforms), staff dress, classroom organization, and conduct. |
| Principle #5 | The Cogito Program provides a classroom environment where students work hard, spend time on assigned tasks and are actively engaged in learning. Cogito recognizes that diligence, effort and scholastic achievement generate self-esteem, attention span and sustained concentration. Learning time is maximized and interruptions to learning are minimized. Daily homework is an expectation. |
| Principle #6 | The Cogito Program challenges and encourages students to consistently produce their best work. A balance of formative and summative assessments is used to check for understanding, to allow teachers to adjust their teaching and to provide students with the opportunity to improve their skills and understanding. Students are expected to apply feedback in the correction of errors and improvement of assignments/tasks/assessments (their learnings). |
| Principle #7 | Assessment, reporting and communication of student growth and achievement will be in accordance with the Education Act, GK.BP Student Assessment, Achievement and Growth and HKB.AR Standards for Evaluation. Student achievement is reported according to provincial standards in a quantified fashion. Student marks may be reported as percentages at appropriate grade levels. |
| Principle #8 | The Cogito Program recognizes that parents/guardians are true and valued partners in their children’s education and can look to the teacher and administration to foster this important role. On-going communication about student learning and conduct occurs between teacher and parent/guardian. |
| Principle #9 | In addition to meeting the Teaching Quality Standard, teachers in the program will support and strive to uphold the Cogito Program philosophy and Foundational Principles. This work is led and directed by the principal of the school. |
| Principle #10 | In addition to meeting the Leadership Quality Standard, school administrators will support and exemplify the Cogito Program philosophy and Foundational Principles. |
