Middle School - Agora Cyber Charter School

Middle School

The middle school administrators, teachers and staff are committed to cultivating a learning community where everyone is included and valued—and where all students receive the support they need to reach their potential.

Discovery

This is the grade span in which youngsters are most transformed throughout their academic career. They enter middle school as children and leave as young adults. Ensuring that the transition from elementary to high school is challenging yet secure, teachers strive to foster an environment that seeks to stimulate and inspire their students. Agora students play an active role in their learning. They use live and offline instruction to follow a rigorous curriculum. Students work closely with a team of core content teachers and family coaches to set and achieve learning goals.

Content

In middle school, Agora students are offered a standards-based curriculum in four core content areas: history, science, math and ELA. In addition, students may have the opportunity to participate in teacher-led electives of music, art and physical education. Agora’s goal is to prepare students for life beyond the classroom, so middle school students are exposed to a career-readiness course as well as a computer-literacy course.

Communication

Agora teachers incorporate a variety of options to differentiate and work with the range of skill levels that exist within the classroom. We believe that a student succeeds best when there is a strong partnership between home and school—one that thrives on communication. It is Agora’s vision to assist students in becoming lifelong learners.

Orientation

All newly enrolled middle school families begin school by attending a comprehensive online Middle School Orientation Program. Read More

The program is designed to ease families into the online learning model and equip students with the skills and technical proficiency needed to successfully complete online courses.
Each live session includes direct instruction, real-time interaction and skill-building opportunities. Following live sessions, students are instructed to read online lessons and complete online assignments. Completion of daily lessons and assignments will strengthen their understanding and demonstrate mastery of important learning objectives.

Instructional Model

Agora’s instructional model provides opportunities for students to master core academic content, think critically, solve complex problems, work collaboratively, communicate effectively and engage in learning opportunities that prepare them for life after high school. Read More

Through real-time live instruction, students participate in a rigorous Pennsylvania standards-aligned education, with the support of their parents/guardians, teachers, Family Coaches, interventionists and support staff. Students work to achieve their potential through actively engaging in challenging learning communities that promote consistency, relevance and persistence. Agora is committed to a Multitiered System of Support, where individual students receive interventions, academic support, tutoring, acceleration and enrichment to meet their individual needs and enhance their academic growth.

Agora takes seriously our charge to educate the whole child. The instructional model also includes social-emotional learning and cultivation of 21st-century skills that help to prepare students for college or careers upon successful completion of high school. Students have the support of guidance counselors, school nurses, social workers and related services for their nonacademic needs. Agora Cyber Charter School is a certified Trauma-Informed School.

Agora believes that strong communication and collaboration with parents/guardians is vital for student success. The parent engagement team helps to bridge the communication between school and home in support of each child’s education.

Multitiered Systems of Support (MTSS)

Agora is committed to a Multitiered System of Support, where individual students receive interventions, academic support, tutoring, acceleration and enrichment to meet their needs and enhance their academic growth. Read More

Agora’s MTSS is a standards-aligned comprehensive school improvement framework for enhancing academic, behavioral and social-emotional outcomes for all students.

Key components of MTSS for student success:

All students receive high-quality curriculum, instruction and assessment in the general education classroom.
The school conducts universal screenings that review the performance and progress of all students through brief assessments in key areas of literacy and math
Consistent and reliable progress monitoring allow teachers to take a snapshot of how children are doing on specific skills between the set assessment.

Meet Our Middle School Staff

Bridget Kozar

Middle School Principal
Heather Bianconi

Middle School Assistant Principal
Bernard Boccella

Middle School Assistant Principal
Jennifer Lucia

Assistant Director of Special Education, MS
Jennifer Fisher-Clark

Director of Special Education, K-8
Maryann Johnson

Assistant Director of Special Education, K-8