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This past Friday, I had the pleasure of attending a tour of AppleTree Early Learning PCS Southwest with the First Fridays program. The morning began with my own hopeless attempts to find the school, as phone maps have clearly not updated their charter school location system. After many circles around the block, two students, clad in uniforms and backpacks, finally flagged me down. They greeted me with smiles and high fives and we all entered the school together; from that point on, my experience at Apple Tree was nothing short of friendly and enthusiastic. It became evident that the teachers, students, and parents all share an overwhelming pride in the school and everything that it stands for.

As a charter school serving many families of Ward 6, AppleTree Early Learning PCS Southwest’s mission is to close the achievement gap for those who need it most. The School operates under the Every Child Ready model, which essentially tells teachers what to teach and how to teach it. This straightforward method helps teachers instruct with intention. Through ECR, teachers test students five times a year and use that data to create small groups with specific purposes. During the time I spent in the classrooms, I noticed that one of the teachers would call out a few names and have a private lesson at a table with a few students struggling with the same issue. ECR ensures that teachers are instructing with a target in mind and that each student’s needs are being addressed.

What I noticed most during the tour was the focus on the blend of structure and free choice. Even though the students are young and their activities seem trivial, every decision they make has purpose. They choose where they play during centers, but they learn patience, teamwork, and manners. In “dramatic play centers,” students focus on a play center and learn vocabulary to supplement the activity. One classroom, for example, was playing in an area designed to mimic a post office. Upon asking a few of the students what they had learned from the unit, and one boy giggled and told me, “letters don’t just fall from the sky.” Dramatic play is simple and fun, but the designated vocabulary resonates with students and gives them a strong foundational understanding of culture and society. It was impressive to watch students interact freely within the system of a strictly regulated class schedule.

While it is important to have students thriving classroom settings, it is crucial to provide parent services that support in-class development. AppleTree parents are sent home with weekly newsletters about school happenings, and are provided with information of each unit. These practices keep parents in the loop and allow them to use proper vocabulary that will ensure that students are learning both in and out of the classroom. AppleTree provides all day learning services, and with parental support, students can continue their lessons even at home.

During the panel that followed the tour, one attendee posed the question, “So, where is AppleTree going?” The answer? Forward. The school is partnering with Democracy Prep Public Schools, where it will provide coaching and assessment support. AppleTree is very content with the ages it currently supports and does not plan to extend. Their focus is on vertical alignment; if they can prepare kindergarten teachers to better receive students, and if they can start young students off on the right foot before kindergarten, they can close the achievement gap before it even begins.

Brett Swanson, CER Intern