Areas of Study

The Capital School District is proud to offer 12 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways that lead students to post-secondary success in college and career.

Middle School CTE

The Career and Technical Education (CTE) experience begins in grade 6, when students enroll in a College and Career Readiness (CCR) class that introduces them to STEM fields.

Students transition to grades 7 and 8 and explore career and technical areas including Agriculture, Business, Health Sciences (all health fields), Family and Consumer Sciences (textiles, early childhood, and culinary), Jobs for Delaware Graduates, and Project Lead the Way (PLTW). PLTW introduces students to engineering, digital communication technology, and manufacturing concepts such as pneumatics, hydraulics, and mechanical systems, which connect to programs offered at the high school level. This progression supports students in building strong high school and future career readiness.

High School Pathways and College Credit Opportunities

In high school, students can choose from the below CTE pathways. Pathways include opportunities for Dual Enrollment, Advanced Placement, and advanced standing with local institutions of higher education, supported by an inclusive model designed to meet the needs of all students.

 

Academy of Finance
Animal Science Management
Architectural Engineering Technology
Digital Communication Technology
Culinary and Hospitality Management
Early Childhood and K12 Teacher Academy
Environmental Science and Natural Resources
Agricultural Power & Engineering
Marketing Today
Nursing Assisting
Industrial Mechanical Maintenance
Emergency Medical Services

 

CTE program offerings also include Kent County Secondary ILC and Kent County Community School.
 

Early Career Experience and Work-Based Learning

Students in CTE pathways have access to work-based learning opportunities that connect classroom learning to real-world careers. These experiences may include job shadows, guest speakers, mentorships, mock interviews, site visits, and immersive culminating experiences during the junior or senior year.

 

 

Learn about all of the CTE Programs available at Capital School District

Capital’s English/Language Arts curriculum is designed to develop reading, writing, and critical thinking skills that are aligned with state and national Common Core State Standards (CCSS) standards for English Language Arts (ELA). Capital School District follows the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA). These shared expectations create a rigorous picture of what young people must know and be able to do in order to compete successfully in college, the workplace, and in our global community.

The teaching and learning in English/Language Arts classrooms is delivered in an integrated manner often across content areas while focused on the areas of reading fluency and comprehension, writing, listening, speaking, literature, research, and language usage. 
Reading and writing for a variety of purposes, speaking confidently, and listening effectively are all very important parts of literacy development. 

Listed below are instructional highlights for ELA as well as links to more detailed information.

Reading

• The standards establish a “staircase” of increasing complexity in what students must be able to read and comprehend.
• By reading a diverse array of classic and contemporary literature as well as challenging informational texts in a range of subjects, students build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.
• Certain critical types of content are mandated for all students, including classic myths and stories from around the world, foundational U.S. documents, seminal works of American literature, and the writings of Shakespeare.

 Writing

• Students engage in the writing process for various purposes and audiences with a focus on narrative, opinion, and informative/explanatory writing. 
• The ability to write logical arguments based on substantive claims, sound reasoning, and relevant evidence is a cornerstone of the writing standards, with opinion writing – a basic form of argument – extending down into the earliest grades.
• Research – both short, focused projects (such as those commonly required in the workplace) and in depth research – is emphasized.

Speaking and Listening

• Students gain, evaluate, and present increasingly complex information, ideas, and evidence through listening and speaking as well as through media.
• An important focus is academic discussion in one-on-one, small-group, and whole-class settings. Through formal presentations and informal discussion students collaborate to answer questions, build understanding, and solve problems.

Language

• Students grow their vocabularies through a mix of conversations, direct instruction, and reading that steadily expands their repertoire of words, phrases and understanding of language.
• Vocabulary and conventions are treated in their own strand not because skills in these areas should be handled in isolation but because their use extends across reading, writing, speaking, and listening into other content areas.

Media and Technology

• Just as media and technology are integrated in school and life in the twenty-first century, skills related to media use (both critical analysis and production of media) are integrated throughout the standards.
• Students use technology resources, work both independently and collaboratively with peers. 

Resources: 
Delaware’s Common Core State Standards for ELA
Common Core State Standards Initiative: ELA Link to Website 
Delaware Standards and Instruction: ELA Language Arts

Capital School District is proud to offer science curriculum aligned with Delaware State Standards with additional parent on-line resources.  The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) consists of three dimensions of science learning.  They are very distinct and equally important to learning science. These dimensions are combined to form each standard—or performance expectation—and each dimension works with the other two to help students build a cohesive understanding of science over time.   

1. Crosscutting Concepts help students explore connections across the four domains of science, including Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design.  When these concepts, such as “cause and effect”, are made explicit for students, they can help students develop a coherent and scientifically-based view of the world around them.

2.  Science and Engineering Practices describe what scientists do to investigate the natural world and what engineers do to design and build systems. The practices better explain and extend what is meant by “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas and crosscutting concepts.

3.  Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) are the key ideas in science that have broad importance within or across multiple science or engineering disciplines. These core ideas build on each other as students progress through grade levels and are grouped into the following four domains: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering.

Learn more about Next Generation Science: 

http://www.nextgenscience.org/

https://www.nextgenscience.org/parents

Engineering practices are also a key component of the adopted science standards.  Connections between science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are integral to transforming the world around us and the career options for our students. Educators must help our students see these connections with the hands-on and real-life connections.  As educators, our job is to make these processes come alive for our large and diverse student population. We do this by giving students a complete, accurate and working understanding of the nature of science, including: the presentation of arguments, modeling, and learning from investigations. The phenomena based approach to learning is integral in understanding concepts around science and problem solving.  Put more simply, from kindergarten to high school, we provide a standards-based curriculum that treats science not as series of facts to be learned, but as a method of investigating and understanding the world. Doing science is the key to approaching science, not just talking about science.  

ELEMENTARY:      

  

Exploratory experiences using Smithsonian/STC (Science and Technology for Children) and FOSS (Full Option Science System) kits introduce scientific concepts through hands-on activities during which students actively engage in problem solving using the scientific process.  As curriculum adoptions are on-going updates to our materials will be adjusted over the next few years. 

MIDDLE:          

   

         
In middle school, students begin a more in-depth exploration of life science, physical science and earth science. Using TCI science materials in grades 6, 7, and 8 we have unified our approach to hands on instruction through short lectures, peer collaboration, projects, multimedia and laboratory experiences.  Students begin with the connections of deepening their understanding of phenomena introduced in elementary level.  These concepts at the middle school level include energy, earth history, ecosystems, diversity of life and genetics. 

 Grades 6, 7, 8 Science Curriculum:
https://www.teachtci.com/science/


HIGH:        

   

  
By high school, more than 15 different course options are available, including dedicated life, physical, chemical, and environmental science offerings. High-performing students will have an opportunity to earn college credit through Advanced Placement classes in biology, chemistry, environmental science and physics and a dual enrollment Biology course.

Capital School District additional activities include:  

• Science Fair
• FIRST Robotics team
• Science Olympiad
• Elementary and middle school STE(A)M based activities  
• Elementary and middle school summer programs

Resources:

Delaware’s Science Standards 
FIRST Robotics 
Delaware Science Olympiad
Delaware Valley Science Fairs

The Capital School District Social Studies Curriculum provides opportunities for students to learn to value and understand democratic beliefs and behavior and encourages them to act responsibly in our global community.  The curriculum is aligned with state and national standards and addresses concepts in civics, economics, geography, and history. Students use tools such as maps, globes, timelines, charts and other geo-graphics to learn about our world. Studying both primary and secondary resources such as artifacts, diaries, photographs, and newspaper accounts enables students to research topics, understand a variety of cultures and peoples, and analyze the causes and effects of events from the past to the present. Teachers use research-based practices and materials to create lessons that engage students in rich content while building skills in research, source evaluation, supporting their thoughts with evidence, using primary and secondary source documents and developing and supporting their ideas about their world. Students use technology resources, work both independently and collaboratively with peers often using multiple sources to produce a product. Reading, writing and interpreting data for a variety of purposes, speaking confidently, and listening effectively are all very important parts of lessons in the Social Studies classroom. 

Resources:
Delaware DOE State Standards for Social Studies

Capital’s Visual and Performing Arts Program is focused on developing each student’s unique potential through creative behavior, skill performance, and aesthetic response to their own creations and the work of others.  We believe the arts are an essential part of every student’s education.  The arts begin in elementary school with planned foundational experiences for exploration in the disciplines of voice, instrumental music, performance, and visual arts designed to build interest and engage students.  In the middle grades students continue to explore and begin to select areas of interest where they develop skills across disciplines or elect to specialize in a specific discipline of music, theater, dance, or visual arts through a robust set of course offerings. The arts at the high school level are intended to provide students with the opportunity to continue to explore their interests and to specialize in one or more disciplines in preparation for further education and/or careers in the arts. There are four aspects of every arts offering.  Seeing and feeling visual relationships which is the study of aesthetics, the development of the ability to communicate personal ideas through and art vocabulary and artistic expression, the study of  the heritage of works of art from many cultures, and the critical evaluation of art.  Our arts curriculum is designed to develop students interest and abilities in the creative process and provides learning opportunities that include creating, performing, responding and connecting within and across the arts disciplines.

Resources:
https://arts.delaware.gov/resources/arts-education/

The Capital School District believes that providing educational experiences that develop the whole child is a strategic imperative. Our Teaching and Learning Model provides a framework for standards, assessment and instruction with the center of that work a focus on developing the attributes of healthy productive students.  The Health Education Program is delivered through integrated elementary, middle and high schools experiences designed to move from foundational skills to developing lifelong healthy interests and habits as our students progress through our schools.    


Resources:
Delaware DOE Health Education Resources
CDC School Health Guidelines
CDC Physical Education and Physical Activity
DOE Grade Clusters

Visit the Capital School District online library:
http://library.capital.k12.de.us

The Capital School District believes that providing educational experiences that develop the whole child is a strategic imperative. The Physical Education Program plays a vital role in the development of the whole child.  The program is delivered through integrated elementary, middle and high school courses designed to move from foundational skills to developing lifelong fitness, healthy interests and habits as our students progress through our schools. Our Teaching and Learning Model provides a framework for standards, assessment and instruction with the center of that work a focus on developing the attributes of healthy productive students.  


Resources:
DOE Grade Cluster PE

The Capital School District believes that providing educational experiences that develop the whole child is a strategic imperative. In Delaware students who are college and career ready will have completed a minimum of two years of study in a world language.  Dover High School offers both French and Spanish language study to satisfy this requirement.  We believe that the pursuit of a Certificate of Biliteracy on a high school diploma is valuable as students take their place in our global society. Capital School District offers a lottery enrolled Spanish Immersion Program at two sites beginning in elementary school that continues through the secondary grades. Students in grades 7 and 8 may elect to study Spanish during the related arts block that when successfully completed allows them to begin their high school language study at more challenging level. Language proficiency and cultural competency are the critical areas of focus in every world language course.  State standards are reflected in daily lessons and assignments with course levels from introduction to the language and culture to courses that earn Advanced Placement credits accepted by many colleges and universities available to Dover High School Students.

Resources:
Delaware Certificate of Multiliteracy
World Languages and Dual Language Immersion
World Language and Culture Exams