About the Downtown School

The Downtown School is a project of the Des Moines Business Education Alliance. 

If you would like to place your child's name on the waiting list for enrollment in the Downtown School, complete and return the Application

The 2000-2001 Downtown School Annual Assessment Report is now available online.

Our school is a nongraded elementary implementing the current research and the best practices in elementary education. The Community Report provides a complete description of the schools activities. (the report is in PDF format - 1.2 mb. You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.)

The Downtown School provides an educational experience based on research and the best practices in elementary education.

• Parental Involvement - The downtown location is convenient for working parents to keep in touch with their child and strengthens communication with educators. Activities are often scheduled during the lunch hour to make it convenient for parents to play an active part in classroom-related activities and committees for the school. Parents are encouraged to visit their child during the day -- many stop by over lunch.
• Small Class Size - Each class has only sixteen students. This allows teachers to design and implement lessons specifically suited to the needs of individuals.
• Integrated Curriculum - Traditional subjects are integrated and focused on themes. Students learn and practice subject-area skills in authentic problem-solving situations.
• Experience-Based, Active Learning - Teachers create an environment that encourages students to learn by doing and then share their learning with the class. Downtown School teachers use a wide variety of curriculum resources, including the following:

  Curriculum

  • Guided Reading by Marie Clay and Irene Fountas
  • Literature Circles
  • Math Solutions by Marilyn Burns
  • The Project Approach by Sylvia Chard of the University of Alberta, Canada
  • Reading Recovery
  • TERC Math

Assessments

• Early Literacy Assessment Forms
• Qualitative Reading Inventory
• Stanford 9 Performance-Based Assessments


• Multiage Classes - Each class includes students whose ages span two or more years, enhancing social and academic growth.
• Extended School Year - Students benefit from a year-round calendar with a six-week summer break and four week-long breaks throughout the year.
• Student-Led Conferences - Three times a year, the teacher, parents, and student review accomplishments and develop goals for the student.
• Assessment - Portfolios of work are maintained to benchmark progress and share at conferences. Rather than grades, teachers use narrative to describe growth in academic and social activities. Nationally-normed, performance-based tests are used in place of traditional multiple-choice standardized testing to authentically assess student achievement.