909 N. San Antonio Road, Los Altos, CA 94022
Phone: 650.941.4350
Fax: 650.941.4380
info@sileducation.com

SAT/ACT

Academic Philosophy

One Teacher, One Student

Our one-to-one setting enables students to accelerate their progress and self-direct their learning. The semester begins with an assessment of each student's interests, abilities, and goals. With this insight, our teachers individualize course content.

Before placing a student with a teacher, our directors carefully consider the unique character, interests, and learning style involved.

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Student-Centered Learning

We acknowledge the student’s curiosity and voice as central to the learning process. Our students are active participants in their own education: a student-directed discussion of the material is the cornerstone of each lesson.

Learning transcends the memorization of facts, as students are encouraged to find personal relevance in what they learn. Students place each new concept in the context of every-day life. Do the archetypes in Beowulf remind you of the video game World of Warcraft? Write a paper comparing the two! Is the fall of ancient Rome reminiscent of football strategy? Research the roots of game theory!

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Mastery Learning

As our courses are mastery-based, you'll complete the course once you're able to demonstrate a mastery of relevant concepts and pass a sufficient number of assessments. Because we believe that assessments should be an integral part of the learning process (rather than the end of the learning process), we enlist a "no failure" grading policy. In any course, to proceed to the next chapter or concept, you must first demonstrate an understanding of the material by earning at least an 80% on the assessment. You may attempt each assessment--homework, quizzes, exams, essays, projects--an unlimited number of times, until a score of at least 80% is achieved. Your grade is not adversely affected by continued assessment attempts. At SIL, you must earn your grade, yet failure is not an option.

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At Your Own Pace

From start to finish, a course progresses at each student's optimal pace. SIL is open year-round, seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Students schedule classes at their convenience, and may begin coursework at any time.

You might meet with your teacher every day, or you might schedule infrequent lessons as an independent study student. Either way, in your first lesson, you and your teacher will define your personalized timeline, and will establish what you'll need to accomplish each week to stay on track.

Although the pace of your course is up to you, learning takes place within the semester system. Each semester of each course is designed to last four months. Some students complete their coursework much more quickly, while others take more time. Because the completion of the course is predicated on your understanding of the material, the timeframe in which you learn is ultimately determined by your own efforts. There is no required number of lessons or homework assignments; as soon as you demonstrate your understanding, you'll have finished the course.

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Parent-Teacher Collaboration

Our instructors maintain an open dialogue with parents so that everyone may contribute to academic success. On a weekly or daily basis, teachers share with parents news of student progress. We encourage parents to contact teachers directly: by phone, email, or in person.

Parents access weekly progress reports and grades online, by visiting www.engrade.com/sileducation. Our online grade reporting system is private and secure.

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An Online Approach to Homework

Students take notes, complete homework, and compose essays using Google Documents. Google Documents are collaborative, which means that anyone who receives an invitation is able to view and edit a document's content, from any computer. As a result, teachers and parents are able to view a student's academic progress in real-time, as each assignment is completed. Whenever a student edits a document, the date and time of the edit is automatically recorded so that teachers and parents may monitor progress. Google Documents automatically save text as it's written, so a student's work cannot be lost.

Our students keep blogs, at www.blogger.com, to record their learning and demonstrate their understanding. Literature students approach their blogs as reading journals, while math students may use their blogs to record notes and theorems. While most of our classes are one-to-one, an emerging SIL blogosphere allows our students to collaborate with one another.

Students who own laptop computers are encouraged to bring their laptops to class to facilitate their studies. Students without laptops may use school-supplied Mac laptops while in class. While not in class, students are welcome to use our Mac desktop computers.

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Small-Group Classes

Pending demand, we offer small-group classes, in which the student-to-teacher ratio never exceeds 5:1. Even in a small-group context, teachers personalize the content for each student so that all students' needs are met.

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Peer Collaboration

While we emphasize one-to-one learning, we recognize the importance of peer collaboration. Our one-to-one classes are coordinated to accommodate group discussions and group labs when students study the same material concurrently.

To supplement their one-to-one classes, students pair-up to critique each other's essays and projects. Feedback is an integral part of the learning process, and SIL offers a safe and supportive environment for students to give and receive thoughtful commentary.

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