Self Development Academy (SDA), a public charter school serving students from kindergarten through grade 8, is known in the local community and statewide for its outstanding academic programs.
Now in its 18th year, SDA consistently has been ranked among the top elementary and junior high schools in the state. The success of SDA students is due to a visionary leader, Dr. Anjum Majeed, as well as dedicated faculty and staff, supportive parents and hardworking, diligent students.
At SDA, the students learn a minimum of one grade level ahead of the Arizona state educational standards. Beginning with the kindergarten year, students are academically challenged, and high academic expectations are established, all within a nurturing environment.
SDA elementary school students obtain a solid foundation in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies. Students are taught at the mastery level, and the curriculum emphasizes higher level thinking skills, such as critical thinking and problem solving.
By the time SDA students reach middle school, many are prepared to enroll in Algebra I, Advanced Literature and Advanced Science. During middle school, students have the opportunity to complete Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. Students also can complete Advanced Literature and Science, including Biology, Chemistry and Physics, as well as Technology. Many of these courses are not offered until high school.
Students completing eighth grade at SDA are enrolled in Honors and Advanced Placement courses upon entering high school. Additionally, many students receive high school credit for courses completed at SDA. This level of coursework enhances their grade point averages, and makes them highly competitive students when applying to colleges and universities.
The 2017-2018 school year marks the introduction of several new programs and electives, including Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, or STEAM, and Voyagers. STEAM includes projects incorporating science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics. For example, one project involves students writing and illustrating a story about the moon, combining science, writing and art.
Voyagers provides students with an opportunity to complete an independent project over the course of the school year. Students must submit a proposal detailing the project. Once approved, students are assigned to collaborate with a middle school faculty member to complete the project. A presentation is the final stage of the project. The projects require time management, critical thinking, writing and communication skills.
Other middle school electives include Scratch, which is an introduction to computer programming, class plays, journalism, Latin and Spanish. During the class plays, students have an opportunity to write and direct plays, create set designs and make costumes. If students complete two years of Spanish, they may be able to obtain credit for the first year of high school foreign language.
In addition to electives, Miss Meyer started the first SDA Science Olympiad. Science Olympiad is a competition involving all science, technology, engineering and mathematics areas. Through Science Olympiad, students prepare for various competitions. Events range from building contraptions and completing experiments, to knowledge-based testing.
During the invitational held in November, many SDA student teams placed among the top 10 schools. Two students, Trenton and Caelan, took sixth place in the hovercraft competition. The students had to build a hovercraft while applying specific guidelines. The movement of the hovercraft was measured and compared with the other competitors.
Another pair of students, Sebastian and Adriana, placed second in the Fast Facts competition. The invitational competition level was an amazing experience. Students are looking forward to two upcoming competitions. Other clubs offered to middle school students include sports, dance, tutoring and choir.
Enroll now. Limited spaces are available for the 2018 – 2019 school year. For more information regarding SDA, or to arrange a tour, please contact the Front Office at (480) 641-2640.