Conservatory Lab Charter School

Founded in 1999, Conservatory Lab is a pioneering Boston public charter school that fuses academics and music education in a unique, dynamic learning community with a thirst for excellence. It is the only music- infused public elementary and middle school in the state of Massachusetts. Serving students from pre-kindergarten through grade 8, Conservatory Lab will grow over the next few years to encompass 444 students.

Conservatory Lab is widely recognized for its innovative approach to cultivating student engagement, creativity, and performance, and to closing the achievement gap. Our two flagship programs, El Sistema and Expeditionary Learning, share an emphasis on inquiry-based learning that engages students through creative expression and structured collaborations with peers and adult experts. Throughout an expanded school day, a cadre of talented resident artists, all professional musicians, offer one hour of daily music instruction to all students from preschool through middle school. Students pursue musical excellence as they perform together as an orchestra. The orchestra acts as a model society that balances individual attention with collaboration and group achievement. The focus is not only on developing the child as a musician, but as a contributing member of a vital community.

Shaped by the principles and core practices of Expeditionary Learning, our academic program features rigorous, interdisciplinary, project-based leaning expeditions that cultivate a culture of high achievement and encourage students to take responsibility for their learning. Students engage in case studies, projects, and fieldwork that inspire them to grapple with real-world problems and to create high quality work that reflects original, critical thinking and a love of learning. Integrated music connections enrich the academic curriculum and often provide an interpretive lens through which students creatively express their ideas about a topic. The success of our novel approach is evidenced by the dramatic increase in state assessment scores over the past few years. With its diverse student body, representing Boston's rich cultural and linguistic heritages, Conservatory Lab has earned the status of a Level 1 school– the highest performing category in Massachusetts.

Some facts about Conservatory Lab Charter School:

• ·As of January 2014, the School operates at two sites – pre-K to Grade 2 and Grades 3-7 with a total enrollment of 312 students.
• ·In August 2014, Grades 3-8 will move to a new temporary site. The total enrollment will grow to 396 students.
• ·We are in the process of identifying a permanent site for the school that will house all grades. The estimated time for moving into this building is 2016.
• ·Middle school enrollment (Grades 6-8) will be approximately 90-100 students.
• ·School hours are from 7:15 a.m.- 4:15 p.m.
• ·Approximately 12% are special education students, 20% are English Language Learners, and 68% qualify for free and reduced lunch.
• ·We serve 37% African American students, 27% Hispanic, 20% White, 8% Asian and 8% Other.