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Proposed Fort Worth STEAM Academy pitches middle-school STEAM model with intensive literacy and intervention blocks
Summary
Fort Worth STEAM Academy proposed a one-campus charter serving grades 6'8, opening with 150 sixth graders and scaling to 450 by year five. The team emphasized double-blocked literacy, daily 65-minute individualized intervention time, evidence-based programs for literacy and math, and bilingual and special education supports.
Fort Worth STEAM Academy proposed a grades 6'8 STEAM-focused public charter middle school intended to open with a single sixth-grade cohort of 150 students and grow to 450 students by year five. Proposed superintendent Nicholas Ditto said the school is designed to address what he described as historically low middle-school performance in Central East Fort Worth and to create a pathway into high-school STEM opportunities.
Ditto told the Texas Education Agency panel that the model has three pillars: a joyful culture of high expectations, a STEAM-focused curriculum that offers Algebra I, biology, computer science and engineering coursework, and individualized learning that uses technology plus small-group instruction. "We are committed to building strong partnerships to ensure long term student success," Ditto said during his overview.
To close large performance gaps the team highlighted a daily 65-minute individualized learning block for targeted, small-group intervention, plus what the applicants called "double-blocked" literacy totaling 130 minutes per day. Dr. Nadia Thompson, the proposed board vice chair and an educator with district and charter experience, told the panel the school had selected high-quality instructional materials aligned to Texas state standards (TEKS) and that the curriculum selection prioritized vertical alignment, robust lesson materials and accessibility for emergent bilinguals.
The application lists Achieve3000 and McGraw-Hill'Corrective Reading for literacy interventions and DreamBox for math. Applicants said the McGraw-Hill corrective reading program and small-group interventionists are to be delivered by certified teachers; technology-enabled platforms will supplement but not replace live instruction during intervention time. "The McGraw-Hill Corrective Reading Program is a program that is delivered by a live teacher," an applicant explained during questioning.
On bilingual and emergent bilingual supports the team said interventionists and core teachers will be ESL certified, that some curriculum materials include Spanish translations, and that they are considering programs such as Imagine Learning and Direct Instruction Spoken English for English-language development. For students who speak languages other than Spanish, the applicants said they were exploring AI-assisted solutions to expand access.
The applicants described staffing plans for special education in year one: in lieu of a Dean of Special Populations they would appoint a stipend-paid SPED lead teacher to schedule manifestation determination reviews, prepare state reporting, and work with a contracted Region 11 support partner to maintain compliance; the superintendent said he would sign off on required submissions.
The TEA panel and State Board members pressed applicants for evidence the instructional approach could close large gaps quickly; applicants pointed to Ditto's prior leadership at ID Arise College Prep, where he said the school moved from low initial outcomes to consecutive A ratings and student proficiency gains over multiple years. The panel received the application materials and the interview record; the commissioner's recommendation is due May 28.
