Thurgood Marshall Academy

Thurgood Marshall Academy is a charter school in Washington, D.C., United States., the first law-themed school in DC. Thurgood Marshall Academy was founded based on the principles of Justice Thurgood Marshall that every child should have a world-class education and the opportunity to reach their full potential. The school is located in the Congress Heights region of Washington D.C.HistoryThurgood Marshall Academy grew out of the experience of law students and professors in the DC Street Law clinical program at Georgetown University Law Center.Thurgood Marshall Academy opened in 2001, serving 80 9th-graders in a rented church basement; the school added a grade each year. In 2005, the school renovated, expanded, and moved into its permanent facility in Congress Heights. In 2009, the school opened a new gymnasium to be shared with next-door A. Kiger Savoy Elementary, creating a full-service educational campus to meet a range of youth development needs in Ward 8. The school also broke ground for an expanded school garden shared with Savoy Elementary School. Thurgood Marshall Academy earned a full continuance of its charter in 2007 and full accreditation in 2008.AcademicsThe school offers a college-preparatory curriculum in electives and advanced courses, but since the majority of its students enter the 9th grade with 5th or 6th grade reading and math skills, the college-preparatory coursework is coupled with remediation. Instructional planning is guided by a benchmark assessment program that is aligned to District of Columbia learning standards and the DC Comprehensive Assessment System (DC CAS). A benchmark assessment program makes it possible for teachers to use a battery of data to differentiate instruction, measure mastery of standards, and modify teaching plans as necessary. Additionally, TMA offers Honors and AP courses including AP Literature, AP U.S. History, AP Calculus, AP Computer Applications, and AP U.S. Government and Politics.