Core Knowledge. Victory's proprietary and standards-based curriculum program is based on E.D. Hirsh's Core Knowledge Sequence and provides the overall framework for our elementary school instructional program. This Core Knowledge Sequence is infused throughout our Comprehensive Literacy, Comprehensive Mathematics and Inquiry-Based Science programs. It integrates reading, expository writing, research and hands-on activities that are challenging and include problem solving. Our program also uses authentic literature to present history from multiple perspectives using various genres and embeds all of the skills and strategies mandated for state assessments. The Core Knowledge Sequence is a well-articulated set of content learning goals for elementary and middle school students and forms the basis of our grade-by-grade content outline.

The premise of Core Knowledge is that children learn new information by building on a base of previously acquired knowledge. Victory's curriculum organizes key content over a series of grades to assure that all children are given the important foundation knowledge they need to achieve. An "achievement gap" exists between children who have this knowledge and children who do not, and this gap widens over time. Victory's curriculum organizes key content over a series of grades to assure that all children are given this knowledge and thereby closes the achievement gap.

Comprehensive Literacy.Victory's English/language arts curriculum is a thematic learning program that includes guided, systematic instruction and clearly defined instructional strategies in each of the five essential components of reading instruction: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

The Victory Comprehensive Literacy curriculum uses a rich array of reading materials to supplement the core reading program, such as authentic text (not textbooks), word walls, independent reading, author studies, genre studies, and graphic organizers. Students begin to learn the writing process in early grades and keep writing logs through each grade level. Both reading and writing content are grouped into appropriate thematic units. Our schools utilize only the most rigorous, research-based curriculum materials as the foundation of the literacy program, such as Scott Foresman Reading, Open Court, and/or Direct Instruction.

Comprehensive Mathematics. Victory's standards-based instruction in Comprehensive Mathematics encourages students to explore math by investigating data, gathering and analysis, probability, geometry, patterns, and algebra. This approach allows students to explore the process of finding an answer rather that just a number as an answer. Victory's Comprehensive Mathematics program ensures that students develop a broad mathematical vocabulary and are therefore able to develop clear math communications skills. Comprehensive Mathematics makes use of student writing logs and requires students to write out explanations for how they arrived at their answers to math problems. This exercise serves the dual purpose of reinforcing the math concepts while providing extra writing practice for students. Writing log work in math becomes a record of student progress for teachers and an entryway into a real understanding of how math works for the students.

The Victory math curriculum uses only the most rigorous, research-based curriculum materials as the foundation of the math program, such as Everyday Mathematics, Addison-Wesley, Math in Context and Impact Math. These programs are supplemented with problem solving about everyday math situations, sharing ideas through discussions, developing concept readiness through hands-on activities and explorations, cooperative learning through partner and small group activities, increasing fact power through games (math facts- the basics), providing ongoing review and applications (reinforcement and enrichment), solving problems using multiple strategies, and providing a variety of assessment opportunities.

Inquiry-Based Science. Victory's students don't just read about science in a textbook, they discover it for themselves by using the scientific method to understand even the most basic scientific concepts.

Victory elementary schools emphasize understanding and the application of scientific concepts, principles and theories pertaining to the physical stetting and living environment, and recognizing the historical development of ideas in science. Our programs utilize a hands-on approach that provides students with authentic learning experiences involving experiments and investigations. Students learn to observe, generate ideas, make hypotheses, test their ideas logically and empirically. Students present and demonstrate their findings to their classmates on a regular basis. The inquiry focus at the elementary level enables students to internalize their scientific knowledge and develop higher order thinking skills early in their education.