Teaching and Learning - Graded - The American School of Sao Paulo

Our Curriculum

Graded’s curriculum is guided by our mission and core values, providing students with a coherent and connected learning journey from early childhood through graduation. Grounded in the science of learning, it integrates conceptual understanding, metacognition, purposeful action, and service learning while supporting students’ social and emotional development.

Our curriculum is measurable and uses a balanced combination of internal and external assessments to monitor student learning and continuously improve instructional practice. Ongoing feedback and meaningful assessment are central to the learning process, and our faculty continually refine their teaching through targeted professional learning. Together, these elements empower students to reach their full potential and make a positive impact on the world.

Lower School Curriculum

Middle School Curriculum

High School Curriculum

Our Assessment Approach

Teaching, learning, and assessment are deeply interconnected at Graded. Students and teachers work in partnership to help students demonstrate their learning, monitor their progress, and develop strong metacognitive skills.

Our approach to assessment is purposeful, engaging, and designed to challenge every learner. We use a wide range of assessment methods, each serving a distinct purpose in the learning process. From classroom discussions and informal formative checks to quizzes, tests, projects, presentations, and self-assessments, students have multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding in authentic, transparent, and meaningful ways.

At Graded, assessment is not simply about measuring learning—it is an essential part of learning itself. It helps students reflect, grow, and achieve their full potential.

Our Professional Learning

At Graded, we believe schools are learning communities where both students and adults continuously grow. Just as we are committed to our students’ development, we are equally committed to the ongoing professional learning of our faculty and staff.

Through workshops, coaching, professional learning communities, conferences, and collaborative inquiry, Graded offers a wide range of on-site and off-site professional learning opportunities. These experiences enable educators to deepen their expertise, strengthen instructional practice, and remain at the forefront of educational research and innovation.

Learn more about Professional Learning.

Our Learning Principles

Click on each of the dropdowns below to learn more about our Learning Principles.

COLLABORATION

Collaboration is the interdependent effort of two or more people to achieve a goal, solve a problem, or complete a task. This process requires collaborators to communicate clearly, listen actively, take responsibility, and embrace diverse perspectives. Through collaboration, learners negotiate ideas, challenge their thinking, and deepen their understanding through interactions with others. A strong sense of belonging is essential for meaningful collaboration.

AGENCY

Agency is the ability of learners to take ownership of and responsibility for their learning. Students are more engaged and motivated when they understand and value their learning goals. They proactively regulate their cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes by planning, monitoring, and evaluating their progress. Agency flourishes in environments that honor learners’ identities while building on their curiosity, interests, and strengths.

CONCEPTUAL ORGANIZATION OF LEARNING

The conceptual organization of learning refers to the mental frameworks, or schemas, that learners develop to organize knowledge. It involves connecting factual, procedural, conceptual, and metacognitive knowledge into coherent structures that support understanding. These mental models help learners make sense of complex ideas, retrieve information efficiently, and transfer their knowledge and skills to new and authentic situations.

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

MASTERY AS PROCESS

Developing mastery is an ongoing process of acquiring the knowledge, skills, and conceptual understanding needed to perform complex tasks and think deeply. Because learners progress at different rates and in different ways, mastery develops over time through purposeful goal setting, deliberate practice, reflection, and timely, specific feedback. Learners are more willing to engage in productive struggle when they believe their efforts will ultimately lead to success.

TRANSFER AND AUTHENTICITY

Transfer occurs when learners independently apply their knowledge, skills, and understanding in new and unfamiliar contexts. Learning becomes deep and enduring when students can successfully transfer what they have learned beyond the original learning environment. Authentic learning experiences provide meaningful opportunities to apply learning in socially, personally, and intellectually relevant situations, preparing students to navigate the complex challenges they will encounter beyond school.