Below, our 2022-2023 Annual Report highlights Gateway’s commitment to unlocking student potential, supporting expert teaching, partnering with the community, and sharing best practices – our timeless commitments that continue to compel our growth. Read on:
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At Gateway, our approach to learning, building community and supporting students is designed to ensure that not only is every student receiving a rigorous education that will prepare them for a wealth of post-secondary options, but that they are growing into young adults with the skills and mindsets to effectively lead their communities and advocate for justice. Across both our schools, we focus on an approach to learning with Four Pillars that shape everything we do.
Students learn at high levels when schools pair high expectations for all students and a belief that difference and diversity are sources of strength. Our small class sizes ensure students are known well and all students are supported in a small advisory cohort by a trusted faculty member who coaches them throughout their time at each school. Our curriculum focuses on teaching students collaboration skills, communication skills, and problem solving, as well as helping students identify and act upon their own strengths and needs as learners.
Great teachers unlock students’ potential and are agents of transformative change, and continuous teacher learning leads directly to gains in student learning. All new teachers are supported through our in-house, state-certified teacher induction program in which they are paired with veteran educator coaches who mentor them throughout their first two years in the classroom. Teacher professional learning and collaboration time is built into every week and protected, and a generous summer PD budget enables faculty to pursue their professional and educational goals beyond the traditional school year.
We all win – students, schools, and society – when schools work collaboratively with families and the broader community. To that end, you’ll find family conferences, information nights, learning demonstrations, affinity celebrations, caregiver support groups and workshops regularly taking place on our campuses. Moreover, we partner closely with San Francisco’s best and most impactful organizations and companies to bring new worlds of possibility to our students and close the opportunity gap.
We seek to learn from other high quality public schools and share our best practices and resources effectively and openly. We believe that students are best served when schools work together instead of in isolation and when they harness the resources, expertise and commitment of the community. Our belief in the power of collaboration among educators led to the development of Gateway Impact, a new set of programs designed to share best practices, bring educators together, and engage the broader community.
Gateway’s approach to teaching and learning is the subject of an extensive case study from the Learning Policy Institute, which documents "how the creation of a positive school climate (at Gateway Schools), along with a full and rich curriculum focused on meaningful learning, has led to improved motivation, sense of belonging, and student achievement that outpaces most similarly situated schools in California." We're delighted to share their findings.
