Transformative Practices

The heart of a transformative educational school experience is not in the promise of a silver bullet solution, but in profound and sustainable pedagogical change.

Kagan

Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures are step-by-step instructional strategies that increase student engagement by setting a rich, structured collaborative learning environment.

Way of Council

Way of Council is one of Vista's signature practices to educate the "whole child."  Way of Council allows students and teachers to engage in authentic, heartfelt communication that is crucial in order to nurture a safe and warm learning environment.

Global Education

Vista is proud to partner with the International Studies Schools Network (ISSN).  The ISSN is a network of high-performing, globally oriented schools around the World that prepare students to become globally competent leaders of the future.

STEAM

STEAM is an educational acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics.  Vista provides a holistic STEAM-based educational experience that promotes inquiry and critical thinking through many hands-on, authentic learning experiences and educational programs. 

Mastery Learning

Vista recognizes that all students are unique and learn at their own pace, which is why mastery learning is a signature practice at Vista.  In a mastery learning classroom at Vista, students must demonstrate mastery of specific skills and standards before moving on to the next unit.  This results in a highly differentiated and individualized learning experience where students are focusing on learning what is most important to them and their growth as a learner.

Workshop

Reader's and Writer's Workshop using the Lucy Calkins model through Teachers College at Columbia University has been adopted as the primary literacy-based curriculum and instruction at Vista.