Learning that connects to the real world.
At McAuliffe, rigor and relevance go together. Our scholars investigate authentic questions, produce work that matters, and graduate ready for high school and beyond.
An EL Education academic program, built on evidence.
We don’t teach to a test. We teach scholars to think, investigate, and create — then show what they know.
As a Credentialed EL Education school, our curriculum is anchored in learning expeditions: multi-week, interdisciplinary investigations that connect classroom skills to real fieldwork. Scholars read deeply, write often, and present their findings publicly.
Standards-based grading gives families a clear, honest picture of exactly what their scholar can do — and where to grow next.
What scholars study every day.
A full, balanced program across six core areas — with the arts and wellness treated as essential, not extra.
Integrated English and social studies. Scholars read complex texts, build arguments in writing, and investigate history through primary sources.
A coherent grade 6–8 sequence building toward algebra readiness, with problem-solving and real-world modeling at the center.
Hands-on, phenomenon-driven science aligned to Massachusetts standards — often the engine of our learning expeditions.
Spanish across all three grades, reflecting and honoring the languages already spoken in our community.
Studio art, music, and media production — including podcast work with WBUR — give every scholar a creative outlet.
Physical education and wellness that build healthy habits, teamwork, and the resilience EL fieldwork demands.
Learning expeditions
Each expedition pairs deep academic content with authentic fieldwork and a public product. Here’s what that looked like this year.
Reading the River
Scholars studied watershed ecology, then tested it firsthand on a whitewater rafting expedition.
To the Edge of Space
A physics and engineering expedition culminating in scholar-built rockets, live launches, and a data exhibition.
Voices of Framingham
Scholars produced documentary podcasts with WBUR mentors, telling true stories from their own community.
How learning grows from 6 to 8.
Building the foundation
Sixth grade is about belonging and habits. New scholars join their crew, learn the routines of expeditionary learning, and build the reading, writing, and math foundations everything else rests on.
- Crew foundations — daily community and character work
- Literacy focus — close reading and structured writing
- Math fluency — ratios, fractions, and proportional reasoning
- First expedition — local identity and community fieldwork
Going deeper, reaching farther
Seventh graders take on more independence and more ambitious expeditions. Fieldwork moves beyond Framingham, and scholars begin leading parts of their own learning and conferences.
- Ambitious expeditions — STEM, the MFA, and field science
- Pre-algebra — the bridge toward 8th-grade algebra
- Argument & evidence — research writing across subjects
- Student-led conferences — scholars present their growth
Ready for what’s next
Eighth grade is about ownership and transition. Scholars lead crew, mentor younger students, and complete a culminating event that showcases three years of growth — all while preparing for high school placement.
- Culminating event — a public showcase of mastery
- Algebra readiness — high-school-ready math foundations
- High school planning — placement and transition support
- Leadership — scholars mentor and lead crew
Grades that tell you what your scholar knows.
Instead of a single letter that averages everything together, standards-based grading reports each specific skill on a 1–4 scale. Families see exactly where a scholar is strong and where to focus next — and a low score early on can always grow.
Student support services
Strong academics work only when every learner is supported. Our services meet scholars where they are.
Individualized support
A dedicated team delivers services and accommodations through each scholar’s IEP, mostly within the general classroom.
English learner support
Multilingual learners receive targeted language instruction while staying fully part of expeditions and crew.
Social & emotional
School counselors support wellbeing, transitions, and the social-emotional side of the middle-school years.
Intervention & extension
Built-in time lets scholars catch up on a skill or push further, based on what standards-based data shows.
My daughter used to memorize for the test and forget it the next week. Now she can tell me what she learned and why it matters.