Charleston Collegiate School is a challenging and supportive learning community that prepares students for a lifelong commitment to intellectual achievement, integrity, service, and leadership.

---

Beliefs about Teaching and Learning

These Beliefs about Teaching and Learning directly arch from the school’s Mission Statement:

Commitment to individual achievement and development

o Personalized teaching
o Active communication
o Develop critical thinking
o Maximize potential
o Learning diversity
o Balanced focus on athletics and the arts

Commitment to excellence through citizenship

o Honesty
o Integrity
o Respect
o Leadership
o Service

Commitment to excellence through intellectual achievement

o Challenge and inspire each student to achieve maximum potential
o Student-as-worker, Teacher-as-coach
o Goals will apply to all student

---

Guiding Principles

A Board-driven committee was established in the summer of 2007 to examine the culture and mission of the school. This “Culture Committee” is comprised of members of the Board, faculty, and parent body. Guiding Principles were drafted under the guidance of the Culture Committee to help in articulating the core values and attributes that Charleston Collegiate seeks to foster in all of its students:

We believe that the fundamental mission of Charleston Collegiate School is to nurture and stimulate the intellectual, psychological, social, and physical development of the students with which we are entrusted. Our supportive environment will assist students in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for achievement within our diverse society. In addition, the students will be supported in developing a durable system of values, which will serve to enrich both their own lives and the society around them. We believe that these fundamental values include: honesty, generosity, respect, innovative-thinking, and a strong work ethic. Charleston Collegiate School can only achieve these goals through a shared vision and an active collaboration between the school, the parents, and the students.

---

Coalition of Essential Schools

Charleston Collegiate School became an affiliate school of the Coalition of Essential Schools in 2007. Essential schools share a commitment to the Coalition’s Common Principles, a set of beliefs about the purpose and practice of schooling. The Coalition’s Common Principles (abbreviated) are:

1. Learning to use one's mind well
2. Less is more, depth over coverage
3. Goals apply to all students
4. Personalization
5. Student-as-worker, teacher-as-coach
6. Demonstration of mastery
7. A tone of decency and trust
8. Commitment to the entire school
9. Resources dedicated to teaching and learning
10. Democracy and equity

Charleston Collegiate School believes these Common Principles fit the mission and vision for our school and will help to provide structure and definition to the continued growth of our educational program.