Academic Approach

Making Waves Academy (MWA) aims to help all of our students become college-ready. Through an efficacy-model approach to instruction and intervention, students are supported to attain mastery in their core academic skills. MWA has continued to develop, refine, and implement a robust Response To Intervention (RTI) system using a tiered-model approach to academic support. Students in Tiers 2-4 receive differentiated levels of support and services. Students not demonstrating adequate progress in the Middle School are recommended for retention. Graduation requirements in the Upper School are aligned with the “a-g” course requirements for admissions eligibility for the University of California system. The expectation is that every MWA graduate is eligible and prepared to apply to a four-year college/university or appropriately challenging post-secondary education and career pathway.

In addition, the MWA Academic Intervention Services (AIS) Team meets throughout the school year to review achievement and discipline data and to assess and monitor school-wide academic progress. The AIS Team reviews disaggregated data for each grade level and for all student demographic subgroups and then makes recommendations to address identified challenges and needs. The AIS Team is comprised of administrators, faculty, key service providers, and coordinators (in the areas of Special Education, English Language Development, Academic Intervention, and Extended Day).