A Commitment to Excellence
We attract, train, and retain excellent teachers who are fully licensed to teach in Minnesota and have a commitment to our mission and vision. In fact, according to Niche.com ratings, DaVinci ranks #6 (out of 792) for Best Public Elementary School Teachers in Minnesota, and #6 (out of 331) for Best Public Middle School teachers in Minnesota.
We maintain a smaller student-to-teacher ratio than the state average of 16.2 to 1. As of December 2023, our student-to-teacher ratio was 14 to 1 in elementary and 13 to 1 in middle school. We maintain small class sizes to ensure students are able to receive more individualized attention from the teachers.
The Core Knowledge Sequence aims to equip students with a well-rounded education that prompts critical thinking, communication skills, and cultural literacy, while also preparing them for academic success and active citizenship. The Core Knowledge Sequence is solid (recognizing a body of lasting knowledge that should form the core of curriculum), sequenced (allowing students to build on what they already know), specific (identifying key pieces of knowledge that all students should know), and shared (providing shared knowledge that students need to be included in our national literature culture).
Interim assessments are administered throughout the year to determine student understanding of Minnesota academic standards and to inform reteaching strategies for teachers. This method ensures student mastery of academic standards by identifying which students need additional support and which students need enrichment.
Our gifted/talented programs and services help identified students thrive by offering challenging and supportive educational experiences. These programs and services nurture the academic, creative, artistic, and social/emotional needs of gifted/talented students.
We strive to develop programs and services that are appropriate for the academic, creative, artistic, leadership, and social and emotional needs of gifted/talented students. Students who are identified as gifted in math or reading may receive pull-out services or differentiated instruction in the classroom. Students identified as gifted in both math and reading may be placed in DaVinci Academy’s Renaissance program, depending on student numbers. Students may also receive services through enrichment programs or competitions during or outside of the school day, as well as involvement in programs through the community.
One of the four pillars of DaVinci Academy focuses on differentiated instruction, which provides students with multiple options for taking in information, making sense of ideas, and showing mastery. Differentiation leads to higher levels of student engagement and motivation, as students are provided with age-appropriate choices in the learning process.
