Excerpt from UPrep Culture Manual

1. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
Part 3: Scholar Culture
The scholar culture of United Preparatory Academy will be informed by the GROW our TEAM
values. Scholars will show grit when encountering challenge, respect in their interactions with
others, optimism when things don’t go exactly as planned, and wonder about new ideas. They will
use teamwork to accomplish tasks, show empathy toward those less fortunate, focus on
achievement within the classroom, and always remember the mission of the school – prepare for
success in college and beyond. The following definitions will be used when defining the GROW our
TEAM values to scholars:
Grit
Working hard and persevering to achieve long-term goals.
Respect
Honoring other people and treating them with kindness.
Optimism
Looking for the good in a situation and expecting the best.
Wonder
The desire to learn new things.
Teamwork
Working well with a group of people.
Empathy
Sharing another person’s feelings as if they were your own.
Achievement
Succeeding at a task or reaching a goal after a lot of effort.
Mission
A strong commitment and passion to achieve a goal.
That is the vision of United Preparatory Academy, and that vision will be communicated through
numerous aspects of the UPrep scholar culture. It is vital that we, the UPrep team, remember that
the adult culture in the building sets the tone. If we maintain a strong adult culture, a strong scholar
culture will follow. A positive, rigorous, and joyful culture that focuses on the GROW our TEAM
values is a non-negotiable, and we will always be looking for ways in which we can improve our
culture.

2. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
This section details the numerous ways in which we will transmit our culture to our scholars so they
can own it themselves through time. We use the “Gradual Release of Responsibility” model for
academics, and this model can apply to scholar culture as well. In the lower elementary grades, we
will model our culture, teach our culture, and support our scholars as they learn our culture. In the
upper elementary grades, we will still model, teach, and support, but we will expect our scholars to
own the culture themselves and be able to support our lower elementary scholars with the GROW
our TEAM values. Fast forward a year and envision a UPrep fifth-grader demonstrating to a UPrep
kindergartener how to show grit when faced with a difficult word.
UPrep Creed
The United Preparatory Academy Creed will be recited at the beginning of every day, before
instruction begins, in order to get scholars excited and energized for the day. This school-wide
practice will serve as a reminder of our mission each and every morning. The creed incorporates the
GROW our TEAM values, and it is designed to be upbeat to get kids excited for the day’s lessons.
At the beginning of the year, scholars will need support in learning and memorizing the creed, so
teachers should project the creed on the board as a support. The goal is to ensure scholars memorize
the creed as soon as possible so they can recite it independently.
The UPrep Creed (written by Morgan Roach)
At UPrep we GROW our TEAM,
Come to our school you'll see what that means
Grit, Respect, Optimism, Wonder,
Hear us Panthers roar and thunder
Teamwork, Empathy, Achievement, Mission,
With these traits light the ignition
Through all these skills we can one day be,
Scholars in college living our dream!
Kindergarten Orientation / Culture Camp
Scholars entering their kindergarten year at United Preparatory Academy require a significant
amount of support at the beginning of the year. While a small number of our scholars come to us
from a reputable preschool or Head Start program, the grand majority of our kindergarten scholars
have not had any formal schooling experience. They come to us from daycare or from home, and
thus need intensive training on scholarly behaviors. The simplest of tasks, such as sitting on a carpet,
using a pencil or crayon, transitioning silently in the hallway, must be taught and practiced over and
over again. Thus, we will hold a two-day orientation explicitly for our kindergarten scholars, and
during these two half-days, we will teach scholars the many foundational systems and procedures

3. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
that will allow them to experience academic success at UPrep. These two orientation sessions fall on
the final two days of Summer Institute, and all team members will be involved in order to get our
kindergarten scholars up to speed on what it means to be a scholar at UPrep.
In addition, every year United Preparatory Academy will hold a “Culture Camp” for both new and
returning scholars. It will take place during the first three days of the school year, and it is designed
to indoctrinate UPrep scholars to the culture of the school and the academic and behavioral
expectations of the school. Culture Camp will include explicit instruction in important school-wide
and classroom-specific systems and procedures, including Life Work norms, behavioral norms, bus
riding norms, eating norms, bathroom norms, transition norms, and other important items. Training
scholars in these aspects of the UPrep experience will ensure scholars are prepared to be successful
scholars at UPrep. Investing a significant amount of time upfront to teaching systems and
procedures will save countless minutes in the future. For example, if scholars learn how to rotate
stations in the classroom quickly and silently during Culture Camp, teachers will save valuable
instructional time during the year because scholars will not have to re-learn the procedure every day
(keep in mind, however, that we WILL have scholars practice frequently to maintain our high expectations). In
addition, Culture Camp time will be utilized to give reading and math diagnostics to scholars so we
can glean important academic data and know how to better support them in the classroom from day
one.
Culture Camp will look different in each grade. Grade-level chairs will be responsible for leading the
planning of their grade level’s Culture Camp, as the teaching of systems and procedures will look
different in each grade. For example, kindergarten Culture Camp will be very distinct. Extended-day
kindergarten will be an adjustment for our new kindergarten scholars, so a short nap time may be
built into the schedule in the afternoon as scholars adjust to the longer day and higher expectations.
The duration of the nap may start at 30 minutes, and then gradually decrease throughout the first
three days. The priority of Culture Camp is to begin to establish our scholar culture and teach
important school-wide and classroom-specific systems and procedures. While we will teach these
systems and procedures in the context of academic classes, academics are not the priority. Culture
comes first, as we cannot successfully instruct if classrooms are chaotic. After establishing a positive,
rigorous, and joyful culture in the first three days of school, teaching becomes much easier.
College-Prep Focus
At United Preparatory Academy, we have a relentless focus on college preparation. It is our mission.
Years from now, we will be judged on (and, more importantly, judge ourselves on) how many of our
former scholars not only matriculate into college, but succeed in college and graduate. Therefore, we
will establish a college-preparatory environment from day one, communicating this message through
not only our words and actions, but our physical space as well.

4. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
Students as “Scholars”
All UPrep scholars should be referred to as “scholars.” This is a common practice among high-
performing charter schools, and UPrep will follow suit. Scholars should not be called “children,”
“friends,” or “students”…always “scholars.”
Advisory Names and Chants
Each classroom at United Preparatory Academy will be named after the college or university that
one of the teachers of that classroom attended. After the classroom is named, the teachers of that
classroom will create a “College Wall” within the classroom that will be referred to during the year
(see Operations Manual for more detail). The College Wall should be neat and professional, and
communicate information about the college that will get scholars excited about the college, and the
idea of college in general.
Many high-performing charter schools around the nation use messaging to further their college-
preparatory culture. Teachers contact their college to get free pennants, shirts, and other novelties to
decorate their college wall and generate excitement among scholars. Other teachers have used a
stuffed animal of their mascot (for example, a Redhawk for Miami University) to award a “scholar of the
week” or other small reward in class. Those are a few examples of easy ways to engage your scholars
in the college-preparatory culture of the school.
Every UPrep classroom will also create a classroom chant that incorporates both the name of the
college or university they are representing as well as the GROW our TEAM values. The chant
should be simple, grade-appropriate, and include kinesthetic movement (clapping, stomping, etc.). The
chant will be created during Culture Camp, and will be recited before scholars leave at the end of the
day to end on a positive note. Classroom chants are an important aspect to how we transmit our
college-preparatory culture to our scholar body.
College Pennants
Another way in which United Preparatory Academy will communicate a college-preparatory culture
is through the hanging of college pennants. The school will seek donations of, and purchase (if
necessary), college pennants from schools around the country and hang them in the hallways and in
classrooms so scholars are constantly “surrounded” by college. Engage scholars in discussion about
college – say things like, “When you’re in college, you will…” or “I know you want to become a
doctor someday. Ohio State would be a great college to attend to accomplish your goal!” Continue
the college-preparatory dialogue with scholars both within the walls of the classroom and in the
hallways.

5. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
Hall Banners
Along with college pennants, UPrep will create custom banners to hang in the hallways as well. All
UPrep banners will contain a message or quotation communicating one of our GROW our TEAM
values. By communicating our values through hallway banners, our scholars will be exposed to our
values when they are transitioning in the hallways, going to the bathroom, or getting a drink of
water. Obviously, we do not want our scholars lingering in the hallways for extended periods of
time, but the banners will help us transmit our values and culture even when we are not explicitly
teaching them in class.
Infusion into Language
If we desire that scholars buy into our college-preparatory culture, we must buy in first. We all went
to college. Talk about it! During the brief unstructured times in the day, talk about what classes you
took in college or the activities you became involved with in college. During dismissal, ask a scholar
where s/he wants to go to college. During regular instruction, find a way to weave in college-
preparatory language. If a scholar completes outstanding work worthy of recognition, say “Great
job, James. You’re working hard to get to college!” United Preparatory Academy is a college-
preparatory school, and though there are many tangible ways in which we will transmit this culture,
perhaps most important is our dedication to transmitting the culture intangibly through our words,
actions, language, and demeanor. Constantly model for scholars how one is supposed to interact on
a collegial level. They will follow.
School-Wide J-Factor
United Preparatory Academy scholars should be banging down the doors to come to school. They
should want to show up early, stay late, and despise weekends. They should enter school with a
smile, and leave after asking for more Life Work. Thus, the “J-Factor” will be a huge focus at
UPrep. J-Factor is discussed in-depth in Teach Like a Champion 2.0, and we will utilize many of the
techniques discussed to build classroom culture. However, we will also utilize various school-wide J-
Factor events, activities, and traditions to build a positive and joyful school culture. This work is
intense, but it also needs to be fun. The team and scholars of UPrep work extremely hard; let us not
forget to play hard as well. The following school-wide J-Factor events will serve both academic and
cultural purposes and also be focused on generating excitement among scholars (and the team!) so we
can ensure a positive and joyful learning environment.
Morning Team Culture
There is built-in “team culture” every morning. The 9:00-9:30 time each morning is “teacher’s
choice” with regards to culture. The following are possible ideas to best utilize that time: team
meetings, shout-outs/recognitions, read-alouds for joy of reading, announcing team captains, Friday

6. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
incentive celebrations, Social Thinking lessons, show and tell, treasure chest, or team building
games/activities.
Social Thinking is a curriculum that UPrep will utilize this year to teach social/emotional skills.
Lessons, handouts, and a scope and sequence can be accessed on the shared drive. The folder is
called Social Thinking Curriculum. It is not required that each grade follows this curriculum;
however, it is strongly encouraged. Using common language to address emotional needs will help
our scholars to grow in this area.
GROW our TEAM Point Class Challenge
The GROW our TEAM Point Challenge is a whole class positive incentive system. The system uses
positive incentives to encourage scholars to meet high expectations for respect, engagement,
teamwork, and determination as they relate to our GROW our TEAM values.
Classes will be held accountable to the GROW our TEAM values throughout the entire academic
day. If a class meets expectations consistently or exceeds expectations, the class will earn a GROW our
TEAM point. The points will be tracked on the classroom’s white board. The GLC will determine
how many class points are needed to earn a reward (pizza party, ice cream party, etc.). Classes may earn
5 bonus points for the following achievements (maximum of 15-point bonus per day).
1. Perfect attendance
2. Perfect Life Work completion
3. All scholars on Green or higher at the end of the day.
Teachers should refer to the GROW our TEAM values constantly during instruction in order to
motivate scholars to conduct themselves in the professional manner necessary in order to get on the
path to college. GROW our TEAM points should not be “thrown around” recklessly – classes need
to earn them. Below are some examples of when a classroom should earn a GROW our TEAM
point:
 100% engagement in instruction
 100% of scholars working hard at a Level 0 (if Level 0 is the expectation)
 A significant number of scholars demonstrating Wonder by raising their hands to
ask/answer questions
 A significant number of scholars demonstrating Grit by working hard on a given task
When it comes to GROW our TEAM points, hold the bar high. If classrooms are earning GROW
our TEAM points constantly, the system will lose credibility. There may be days when classrooms
only earn a few GROW our TEAM points, and that is fine. There may be a day when a classroom
does not earn any GROW our TEAM points. That is fine. If you hold the bar high and make a

7. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
classroom truly earn the point, the point will mean more, and you will communicate that that is the
expectation, every day. Scholars will rise to the level of expectation that you set, so set the bar high.
GROW our TEAM Point Individual Challenge
In addition to the GROW our TEAM Point Class Challenge, which is classroom-based, UPrep will
recognize individual scholars who display a GROW our TEAM value in an outstanding manner.
There will be a column on the daily behavior tracker to track individual GROW our TEAM points,
and scholars may earn points for a variety of actions. A few examples are listed below:
 Consistent engagement in academic instruction
 Consistent display of Wonder by asking and answering questions
 Demonstration of Grit by working hard on a given task
 Showing Empathy by supporting a classmate who is struggling
 Demonstration of Mission by discussing college during class
 Demonstration of Respect by cleaning up a community space without being asked
Similar to class GROW our TEAM points, hold the bar high. If you find yourself in a situation where
you are giving GROW our TEAM points when scholars merely meet expectations (i.e. sitting in
STAR, raising hand to speak, participating in class), the system will lose credibility. Scholars should not be
“given” GROW our TEAM points; they need to earn them. Lemov warns us in Teach Like a
Champion that “throwing praise” recklessly is a dangerous habit, as scholars will come to expect a
point/incentive/praise/etc. every time they follow directions. Thus, we must save GROW our
TEAM points for instances when scholars go above and beyond, not simply meet expectation. At
times, scholars may try to “do the right thing” directly in front of you to try to earn a point instead
of simply going about their business, truly embodying a value. Watch out for this. If scholars “ask”
for points, or exaggerate in front of you to try to earn a point, have a conversation with the scholar
regarding what type of action earns a point.
At the end of the day, teachers will submit the daily behavior tracker (which includes the individual GOT
points) to the Office Coordinator for entry into Kickboard, and the points will be automatically
totaled and tracked throughout the week on Kickboard.
Everything in Kickboard will be tracked and scholar choices will have a point value (color, grow our team
points, etc.), and each week all scholars will receive a GROW our TEAM report which will detail how
many points they have earned, or lost, throughout the week. Please see the “Kickboard” section later
in this manual for a breakdown of the point values assigned to various choices. All scholars begin
each week with 100 points, and if they make positive choices, they can end up with a high number
of points. A few things will happen for scholars who earn high GROW our TEAM reports:

8. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
1. The DSL will maintain a leaderboard at the front of the school to recognize the “Top 10”
GROW our TEAM reports each week.
2. The DSL will maintain a leaderboard at the front of the school to recognize the “Top 25”
GROW our TEAM point earners throughout the entire year (updated each week).
3. Each classroom will maintain a locked “treasure chest” with small incentives (special pencils,
stickers, coupons for a classroom job, little toys/fidgets) and scholars who earn 115 points or more on
their weekly report will be able to pick out one prize each week to reward their positive
choices.
Team Captains
United Preparatory Academy scholars who demonstrate the GROW our TEAM values consistently
and to the highest degree will be eligible to earn the Team Captain award at UPrep. Every week,
each classroom will select a Team Captain, and that scholar will be awarded with a certificate and
classroom token. Teachers will announce the winners during their class celebration on Friday
mornings or at the Community Celebration once a month. Scholars may earn the award by
demonstrating consistency with the GROW our TEAM values, or by showing great improvement
over a sustained amount of time. The Team Captain award is not given, it is earned, so it is imperative
that winners are deserving of the award. If there is not a scholar deserving of the Team Captain
award in a given week, then the award should not be given. Teachers would instead take the
opportunity to review the GROW our TEAM values with the class and explain exactly what they
will be looking for in the week to come in order to be able to crown a winner. Team Captain
winners will have their picture taken and the picture will be posted in a hallway bulletin board
display for the entire year.
The Director of Scholar Life will track Team Captains and print out the weekly awards.
Community Celebrations
Community celebrations will occur twice/month (once/month for K-2, once/month for 3-5) in the gym.
Scholars will earn this celebration as a reward for positive behavior. Attending will be earned based
on the GROW our TEAM Report. Scholars will need a weekly average of 115 points. It will be an
average of 115 points since the last community celebration. Students that earn community
celebration may dress down on that day. The DSL will send home a letter the day before for
scholars that earned celebration so the family knows that the scholar may come out of uniform. The
letter will have the scholar’s name on it so families that have multiple children will know who may
come out of uniform. Community celebrations may include reciting the UPrep Creed and class
chants, class challenges, team building activities, scholars showing what they are learning in class and
teachers presenting on the colleges they attended. Team captains will be awarded during this time.

9. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
Achievement Recognition
At United Preparatory Academy, we value both scholar growth and scholar achievement. Thus, we
will recognize both with regularity, both at the conclusion of each trimester and at other times
throughout the year. Specifically, we will recognize scholars for the following:
At the conclusion of Trimester 1:
 Attendance Achievement (for trimester)
o Silver Award – no absences, but may have a few tardies/early dismissals
o Gold Award – no absences, tardies, or early dismissals
 Perfect Life Work Completion (for trimester)
 GROW our TEAM Award (top ten averages in each grade for trimester)
 Honor Roll- All A’s and B’s (for trimester)
 Distinguished Honor Roll- all A’s (for trimester)
At the conclusion of Trimester 2:
 Attendance Achievement (for trimester)
o Silver Award – no absences, but may have a few tardies/early dismissals
o Gold Award – no absences, tardies, or early dismissals
 Perfect Life Work Completion (for trimester)
 GROW our TEAM Award (top ten averages in each grade for trimester)
 i-Ready Reading Growth
o Gold Award – .75 - .99 years worth of growth
o Platinum Award – 1 year or more of growth
 i-Ready Math Growth
o Gold Award – .75 - .99 years worth of growth
o Platinum Award – 1 year or more of growth
 i-Ready Math Achievement
o Gold – 70th
-89th percentile
o Platinum – 90th percentile or higher
 i-Ready Reading Achievement
o Gold – 70th
-89th percentile
o Platinum – 90th percentile or higher
 Honor Roll- All A’s and B’s (for trimester)
 Distinguished Honor Roll- all A’s (for trimester)
At the conclusion of Trimester 3:
 Attendance Achievement (for year)
o Gold Award – 1-3 absences, and may have a few tardies/early dismissals
o Platinum Award – 0 absences, tardies, or early dismissals

10. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
 Life Work Achievement (for year)
o Gold Award – 1-3 missing LW throughout year
o Platinum Award – 0 missing LW throughout year
 GROW our TEAM Award (top five averages in each grade for year)
 GROW our TEAM MVPs (one for each grade, award a prize)
 i-Ready Reading Growth
o Gold Award – 1.25 - 1.49 years worth of growth
o Platinum Award – 1.5 years or more of growth
 i-Ready Math Growth
o Gold Award – 1.25 - 1.49 year’s worth of growth
o Platinum Award – 1.5 years or more of growth
 I-Ready Math Achievement
o Gold – 70th
-89th percentile
o Platinum – 90th percentile or higher
 I-Ready Reading Achievement
o Gold – 70th
-89th percentile
o Platinum – 90th percentile or higher
 Honor Roll- All A’s and B’s (for trimester)
 Distinguished Honor Roll- all A’s (for trimester)
In addition, we recognize that scholar attendance is extremely important. Scholars with high
attendance achieve at higher rates and are much more likely to get on and stay on the path to
college. Thus, we will recognize classrooms and scholars for the following attendance achievements:
Community Partnerships
In order to support our mission of putting scholars on the path to college, we will intentionally seek
out community partnerships to provide our scholars with enrichment opportunities that inform our
academic program. These opportunities may take place both during and after the regular
instructional day. A list of our current community partnerships may be found below, and we will add
to this list as applicable.
 Momentum Dance – Momentum is a dance program that uses movement, music, and
performance to teach children the necessary life skills of self-discipline, teamwork, and
striving for excellence. Momentum works with UPrep’s 4th
grade scholars.
 COSI in the Classroom – COSI in the Classroom brings COSI workshops to us! UPrep
has secured these workshops in the past through grant funding, and we hope to continue the
relationship moving forward.

11. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
College Visits and Field Trips
Every year, UPrep scholars will have at least one field experience, either a trip to a local museum or
educational site, or a college or university in order to expose them to the college experience. Grade-
level chairs will lead the planning for each grade-level trip, with support from the Director of
Scholar Life. The Operations Manager will assist with transportation and purchasing logistics. The
objective will be for scholars to have an educational experience that will inform them and inspire
them on their path to college. College visits in fifth grade will inform our mission of ensuring that
every UPrep scholar is focused on college graduation – it’s never too early to push the focus onto
college preparation.
Field trips will also support our work in the classroom. They will inform the academic work we are
doing with our scholars in the classroom, be planned down to the last detail, and be fun and
engaging. We obviously want our scholars to be on their absolute best behavior, and we will prepare
our scholars for field trips by reviewing vital systems and procedures. However, we want them to
have fun and ask questions as well. To ensure scholars understand the importance of safe and
respectful behavior, they must earn the field trip by maintaining a GOT point average of 115 for the
four weeks leading up to the field trip. We will send a letter home one month in advance so families
can encourage positive choices to help scholars earn the trip. Through careful planning and
preparation, we can ensure that our scholars are both extremely respectful of their surroundings and
also completely engaged in the topic of the field trip. There will be a Field Trip Day built into the
school calendar, and the locations are pre-selected so our scholars get a diverse array of experiences
in their six years at UPrep. Please see below for UPrep’s field trip “canon.”
 Kindergarten – Columbus Zoo & Aquarium
 1st
Grade – Center of Science & Industry (COSI)
 2nd
Grade – Ohio History Center & Ohio Village
 3rd
Grade – National Museum of the United States Air Force (Dayton)
 4th
Grade – National Underground Railroad Freedom Center (Cincinnati)
 5th
Grade – College Visit (TBD, may vary year-to-year)
End of Trimester Celebrations
At the end of each trimester scholars will be able to earn a special celebration on the last day of the
trimester. Scholars will earn the celebration by meeting a GOT average of 115 for the entire
trimester. GLC’s will plan the end of trimester celebration for trimesters 1 and 2. Field day will be
the event for trimester 3.
Field Day & Awards Ceremony
At United Preparatory Academy, we end the year with a bang! On the last day of the year, we will
hold our annual Field Day and Awards Ceremony. Early in the spring, we will gather as a team to

12. This excerpt is from UPrep-State St.’s Culture Manual.
make plans for Field Day. We will hold various fun competitions during Field Day, typical to what
other schools do for Field Day. If the budget allows, we will purchase carnival-type games, a bounce
house, and/or similar items for something for kids to do while they await events. The point of Field
Day is to end the year with a positive, fun, exciting event, so scholars head into the summer with a
positive memory of UPrep and they are excited to return in August. K-2 will have one hour outside
and 3-5 will have one hour outside for the field day events. Classes may hold end of year class
parties while the opposite grade band is outside for field day.
Before Field Day, we will hold our end-of-year Awards Ceremonies, during which we will award
scholars for the hard work they have done throughout the year. We will award scholars for
outstanding attendance, outstanding Life Work completion, outstanding academic achievement, and
outstanding character. We will determine the winners of the awards (listed in a previous section above)
during meetings in the spring. Families will be encouraged to attend both Field Day and the Awards
Ceremony so they can help us celebrate the hard work of scholars during the year.
End-of-Year Trips
Part of our job at UPrep is to provide experiences for our scholars that scholars in wealthier areas
receive during their schooling. Schools frequently have end-of-year trips after fifth grade to expose
their scholars to diverse experiences. For example, in Worthington, every fifth grader has an outdoor
experience at the conclusion of the year, where they head to an outdoor camp for several days to
engage in various activities. UPrep scholars deserve the same types of experiences. Every UPrep
scholar will have a similar outdoor experience at the conclusion of their fifth grade year as they
transition to middle school, both to expose them to the outdoors and provide them with a field-
based learning experience. UPrep does not yet have fifth grade, so more information on this end-of-
year trip will come when applicable.