Passport to Success
Capitol West Academy (CWA) is a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) independent Charter school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. CWA prides itself on the partnership between parents and teachers. Each school year, parents, teachers and students sign a Pledge to agree to work together in three key areas: communication, partnership and a commitment to life-long learning. As part of this Pledge, the teachers and parents agree to communicate with one another daily through the Passport to Success (Passport). The Passport is the framework for these discussions and helps students learn to take responsibility for their own actions and develop prosocial behaviors. During these discussions, teachers use language that promotes self-reflection, personal choice, and individual accountability. Students practice responsibility by taking the Passport home each evening to discuss with their parents. The frequent conversations allow students to repeatedly practice these behaviors in the context of relationships.