Providence is a certified member of the National Association of University-Model Schools. The success of the UMS model is built around three interdependent educational programs: Academic, Character Development, and Student Activities. Each program utilizes an integrated approach involving both the professional instructor at school and the willing parent at home.
Academic Program:
The goal of the Academic Program is to oversee the entire system of courses, including the course schedule, curricula and teaching personnel.
Distinguishing Elements of the Academic Program include the following:
- Courses are organized in a college-simulated schedule. Students in grades K-6th meet two days each week, either M/W or T/TH. 7th grade and up attend classes on campus on M/T/TH. This schedule provides more time for parents to spend with their children as the primary influence in their lives; it better prepares students for a transition into college; and it helps defray the cost of the school by more efficiently utilizing facilities. Providence Academy is approximately one-half the cost of comparable competitive independent college-preparatory schools.
- Providence effectively integrates the educational responsibilities of parents with those of teachers. This is accomplished by having a clearly defined and appropriate off-campus role for parents that gradually decreases the parents’ academic (direct teaching) responsibilities while increasing those of the student towards independent study as he progresses through the grade levels. Roles for parents range from co-instructor (particularly in the elementary grades and in Language Arts) to project assistant or mentor. The parent’s role for a particular course is clearly defined in the course description found in the course catalog available at the time of registration. Integration of parent and teacher responsibilities is also accomplished through effective methods of teacher-parent communication. Teachers prepare detailed assignment sheets for each class to be completed outside of the classroom. Teachers also maintain open lines of communication with parents.
- Educational materials must be sound and parent/student friendly. While maintaining academic excellence, the curricula must also be easy to use since parents play such a vital instructional role with their children. Providence takes the lead academically in the choice of curricula and the scope and sequence and assists the parent in fulfilling his or her role.
- Providence Academy maintains college-preparatory academic standards emphasizing a strong student work ethic and a low student/teacher ratio. The correlation between these two elements is critical. Although less time is spent than in the formal classroom, a UMS academic program is still a very challenging full-time program. High, college-preparatory standards are established to encourage the development and maintenance of a strong work ethic. The low student/teacher ratios provide for more effective teaching and thus better use of the limited classroom time. They also encourage stronger accountability for maintaining the student work ethic.
Character Development Program:
The goals of this program are to (1) keep parents confident, competent, encouraged, and involved with their children; (2) reinforce values that the parents are teaching in the home; and (3) enforce the behavior and discipline policies of the school.
Elements of the Character Development program include the following:
- An established statement for Providence Academy values is outlined in the school’s Statement of Faith (see Beliefs). Character qualities are derived from these values and include such attributes as attentiveness, dependability, truthfulness, orderliness, humility and self-control. The school makes no attempt to displace parents as the primary provider of character training. The faculty and staff do, however, make every effort to reinforce and enhance what is taught at home.
- Parents are asked to accept primary responsibility for the behavior and character development of their own children. The school agrees to encourage the students’ home environments through activities aimed at strengthening family relationships and reinforcing the agreed-upon shared values.
- Parents are asked to ensure the proper supervision of their own children when they are in the “satellite classrooms” at home.
- Teachers will enhance the curricula with educational materials that clarify and reinforce the core character values.
- Providence Academy is committed to encouraging parents as they strive to promote a healthy home environment and a loving parent-child relationship. Encouragement for parents will be provided through seminars conducted on various subjects ranging from academic to character development, newsletters focusing on key issues, and recommended resources to read. Emphasis is given to communication among family members, managing time effectively, and strategies for discipline with love.
- Written policies of student behavior and school discipline will be enforced. For more information on these, please see the Providence Student handbook.
Student Activities:
The purpose of the Student Activities program at Providence is to provide extra-curricular activities for students built around their own special interests, talents and abilities. These include elective courses such as music, art, drama, and sports. Student activities provide opportunities for students to experience the satisfaction of sacrificial effort, the dynamics of teamwork, and the bonds of friendship. All of these contribute to the development of a student’s character, leadership skills, and personal confidence. These activities also provide a valuable secondary benefit to UMS families. They give parents a positive point of connection with their children, and they facilitate inter-family relationships. Providence Academy encourages all students to participate in a minimum of one extracurricular activity.
Elements of the Student Activities program include the following:
- Participation in student activities is conditional upon satisfactory academic performance.
- An integrated instructional model that properly blends the roles of the professional instructor and parents is in place.
- Student activities must also have high standards that emphasize character and a strong student work ethic.
The Academic, Character Development, and Student Activities programs at Providence Academy work together independently in partnership with parents. When parents actively mentor their children in ethical and character matters, and when qualified, professional instructors are dedicated to building upon the foundation laid by those parents, then all of these programs combine to provide a dynamic preparatory environment, not only for college, but also for life
The above includes excerpts taken from Character Driven College Preparation by Dr. John W. Turner, Jr. This book is available through Providence Academy. To order a copy, please contact the Providence Academy Admissions Department.
