TAGOS Leadership Academy
Encyclopedia
Project-based learning
Project-based learning, or PBL, is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence . Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge...
charter school
Charter school
Charter schools are primary or secondary schools that receive public money but are not subject to some of the rules, regulations, and statutes that apply to other public schools in exchange for some type of accountability for producing certain results, which are set forth in each school's charter...
in the city of Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville, Wisconsin
Janesville is a city in southern Wisconsin, United States. It is the county seat of Rock County and the principal municipality of the Janesville, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 62,998.-History:...
. The school is housed in the former Parker Pen Company
Parker Pen Company
The Parker Pen Company is a manufacturer of pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. It is currently owned by Newell Rubbermaid, and headquartered in Newhaven, East Sussex, England.-History:...
facility, now known as the Arrow Park Complex. Al Lindau, the Dean of Students, founded TAGOS Leadership Academy in 2007.
As of the 2008-2009 school year, Tagos had approximately 60 students.
The school name, TAGOS, is Greek for "leadership". The name is also an acronym for Tailoring Academics To Guide Our Students.
History
The idea for TAGOS began in 2007 with a planning committee made up of community members that included teachers, local business owners, government officials, and local parents.Receiving initial funding from the state of Wisconsin in the form of a planning grant, committee members visited model project-based schools across the United States, including schools in San Diego, Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton, Wisconsin
Appleton is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is situated on the Fox River, 30 miles southwest of Green Bay and 100 miles north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the county seat of Outagamie County. The population was 78,086 at the 2010 census...
, Sante Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe County, New Mexico
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*76.2% White*0.9% Black*3.1% Native American*1.2% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.6% Two or more races*14.9% Other races*50.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
and Henderson, Minnesota
Henderson, Minnesota
Henderson is a city in Sibley County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 886 at the 2010 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
. The principles and practices demonstrated to work in the schools visited were then applied and adapted to TAGOS Leadership Academy.
TAGOS opened its doors to 36 students at the beginning of the 2007-2008 school year. At the time, construction at the building at Arrow Park was underway, so a rental building on S. Main Street in Janesville was used. On December 23, 2007, when construction was completed, TAGOS began its occupancy at Arrow Park.
School grounds and facility
The TAGOS main school building is housed in a former Parker Pen CompanyParker Pen Company
The Parker Pen Company is a manufacturer of pens, founded in 1888 by George Safford Parker in Janesville, Wisconsin, United States. It is currently owned by Newell Rubbermaid, and headquartered in Newhaven, East Sussex, England.-History:...
warehouse in the Arrow Park Complex. The building is owned by real estate development company Hendricks Development Group of Beloit, WI who helped the Janesville School District locate the site, and then worked with TAGOS to meet the facility needs of the program and renovated accordingly.
The building has been renovated twice since re-opening in 2007 and is now 8000 sq ft (743.2 m²). It contains a video and audio recording studio, a commercial kitchen and cafeteria, an art and pottery studio, and a library. The school relies heavily on technology. There is a computer for every student and instructor, two smart boards with projectors and a Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
computer.
Curriculum
The curriculum at TAGOS Leadership Academy meets state standards in high academics. It primarily consists of student-driven project-based learningProject-based learning
Project-based learning, or PBL, is the use of in-depth and rigorous classroom projects to facilitate learning and assess student competence . Students use technology and inquiry to respond to a complex issue, problem or challenge...
. Additional classes or seminars are also available. These seminars cover topics ranging from banking to personal health. All school work is kept on a digital database called Project Foundry, where all the students' work is logged and progress can be reviewed.
Additional academics are, but no limited to:
- Virtual Academy
- Independent math or math recovery (Depending on need)
- Teen Leadership
- K9 Konnectz
- Internships
- Service learning
- Individual or family counseling