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Curriculum

CHPCS engages in a practice of a whole-child education. We define whole-child through:

  • Academic Excellence - Challenging every child to excel using interdisciplinary, thematic, hands-on instruction that infuses the arts and fosters creativity and critical thinking.

  • Wellness - Providing a safe environment to maintain and improve the physical, mental, social, and emotional health of every child and family.

  • Identity - Encouraging every child’s identity development through personal growth and an understanding of historical contexts of race, gender, and other expressions of self.

  • Love - Cultivating a network of committed, caring individuals and strengthening family and community structures that support healthy interpersonal relationships.

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Our thematic interdisciplinary learning model motivates students by engaging them in their own learning. The school’s approach provides opportunities for students to pursue their own interests and make decisions about how they will find answers and solve problems.  The curriculum for academic subjects at Clay Hill Public Charter School is supplemented by instruction in art, music, physical education, Spanish, and community service.  By incorporating hands on learning into the classrooms we are able to engage auditory, tactile, and social learners alike to strengthen every child’s knowledge.  Students are able to demonstrate their understanding and work alongside their peers to reach their educational potential.


CHPCS embraces a cross-curricular learning model that incorporates real-world learning experiences with traditional classroom-based instruction. We believe that when subjects are integrated, learning becomes more authentic and engaging, enhancing understanding of the targeted concepts. We see our neighborhoods and Baltimore City as a living classroom, and enhance classroom learning with field trips that utilize Baltimore City’s breadth and depth of cultural, educational, historical, environmental, and scientific institutions. ​

Ready To Read Act

Clay Hill Public Charter School is committed to literacy development for each child and has set a school-wide goal that ALL students at Clay Hill will make 1+ years for reading growth.  Clay Hill Public Charter School’s literacy program is also in compliance with the Maryland Ready to Read Act.  As such:

  • All K-3 students are screened regularly for foundational literacy skills using the STAR Renaissance assessments.

  • Parents are notified of their child’s reading progress after each routine assessment.

  • All students receive differentiated reading instruction on a daily basis using the EL Curriculum.

  • Students who are identified as needing support with reading, receive small group instruction from a Reading Specialist using the Spire, Sound-Sensible, and/or Walpole curriculum.

Clay Hill’s reading intervention program focuses on developing the following skills with students based on their individualized strengths and needs:

  • Phonemic Awareness (identifying and manipulating individual sounds in spoken words)

  • Letter Names and Letter Sounds (identifying the name and sound of each written letter)

  • Decoding (sounding out unknown written words)

  • Fluency (reading with speed, accuracy and expression)

  • Vocabulary (learning the meaning of written and spoken words)

  • Comprehension (understanding what you are reading)

Parents and caregivers play a critical role in helping their child learn to read. Here are a few ideas for how you can help your child work on their reading skills at home:

  • Read books aloud to your child (in any language!)

  • Track with your finger under the words as you are reading

  • Ask your child to read aloud to you

  • Provide a quiet space in the house for your child to look at books and read on their own every day

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s homeroom teacher or our school’s reading intervention

teacher at any point if you have any questions, ideas or concerns.

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