Academics

Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning (PBL) takes advantage of our 1:1 technology to bring real-life context to the classroom. Students are encouraged to become independent workers, critical thinkers, and lifelong learners. PBL pushes students to reach out to subject-area experts by breaking down invisible barriers such as isolation of the classroom, fear of embarking on an unfamiliar process, and lack of assurances of success. This system is not just a way of learning; it's a way of working together. If students learn to take responsibility for their own learning, they will form the basis for the way they will work with others in their adult lives. PBL units build knowledge on varying backgrounds and experiences students bring with them. They challenge students to use all modalities in the process of researching and solving a problem, then communicating the solutions. 

Project Lead the Way

STEAM Focus

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math - the five components of STEAM - are crucial components of many critical skills such as coding, robotics, engineering, finance, and healthcare, which make up a large portion of meaningful and well-paid career options awaiting our students upon graduation.  While there is a focus on STEAM as a preparation for careers, Southwood recognizes that students need skills and lessons from the humanities and the arts to be well-rounded.  Our curriculum and teachers focus on critical thought processes and problem-solving, allowing students to develop mental habits that will help them succeed in any field.

Career Education

Many students’ long-term plans involve working in a skilled trade or launching a career right out of high school.  Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses provide students with the training that will launch them into a high demand job field.  CTE skills are developed across all grades and culminate in a students’ high school career as upperclassmen who are given additional opportunities to prepare for their future through Career & Technical Training in our schools and the Professional Career Internship Program across the region.  Many of our students pursuing CTE training also take courses at Heartland Career Center, one of the premier vocational schools in Indiana. Our CTE students receive training, become certified, develop on the job experience, and often have good-paying jobs waiting for them upon graduation.

Not all students learn in the same way. Many students require modified curriculum, including learning at a faster pace, access to more challenging learning materials, or content that is more complex. Such students come from all socioeconomic populations perform at, or have the potential to perform at, exceptional levels in one or more of the core academic domains.

Our high ability program is designed for the student who performs at, or has the potential to perform at, outstanding levels of accomplishment in at least one domain - mathematics, language arts, or both (the general intellect) - when compared to other students of the same age, experience, or environment. These students are recognized by the exceptional gifts, talents, motivation, or interests they often exhibit. It is our mission to appropriately identify these students and then offer/provide numerous differentiated programming options to come alongside them and guide them to reach their full potential.

High Ability Program Manual

Southwood makes it a priority to prepare students to be successful in college. The research shows that students who take Advanced Placement courses perform the best in college. As such, Southwood offers a wide-range of AP courses in math, science, social studies, and English.

Southwood offers many dual credit courses for high school students to earn college credit at a fraction of the cost. Students are given options to take dual credit courses in math, science, social studies, and English. These courses help prepare students for college and satisfy other courses that may be required for a college degree. Families are encouraged to check with their university of choice to ensure credit transferability.

We partner with local universities to send our high school students to take college courses during their regularly scheduled school day. The opportunity to sit in a college class certainly challenges students academically. Perhaps just as important, it provides the opportunity for high school students to experience the independence and atmosphere of a college classroom in a small bite-sized chunk. This experience provides a step in their journey towards attending college after high school. Southwood High School students regularly attend courses at Indiana Wesleyan University, Manchester University, and on occasions where students cannot travel, online courses through Indiana University-Kokomo.