2006-2007 annual report on Georgia's charter schools [Dec. 13, 2007]

2006-2007 Annual Report
on Georgia's Charter Schools
Georgia Department of Education
Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools
Presented to the State Board of Education December 13, 2007

Table of Contents
Executive Summary .............................................................................................................4
I. Charter Schools in Georgia ................................................................................4
II. Charter School Characteristics and Demographics ........................................5
III. Charter School Student Performance .............................................................10
IV. Support for Charter Schools ............................................................................20
Appendix A (including acknowledgements) ..........................................................23
Charter School Individual Reports in alphabetical order ...............................................28-683
1. Academy of Lithonia (DeKalb County).............................................................28 2. Addison Elementary (Cobb County) .................................................................46 3. Amana Academy (Fulton County) .....................................................................61 4. Atlanta Charter Middle School (Atlanta Public)..............................................78 5. Baconton Community Charter School (Mitchell County)...............................87 6. Berrien Academy Performance Learning Center (Berrien County) ..............106 7. Bishop Hall Charter School (Thomas County) .................................................112 8. Brighten Academy Charter School (Douglas County).....................................120 9. Central Educational Center (Coweta County) .................................................137 10. Chamblee High School (DeKalb County) .........................................................142 11. Charles R. Drew Charter School (Atlanta Public) ...........................................149 12. Charter Conservatory for Liberal Arts and Technology (State Charter) ......171 13. Chattahoochee County High School (Chattahoochee) .....................................187 14. Chesnut Elementary School (DeKalb County) .................................................193 15. DeKalb Academy of Technology and The Environment (DeKalb County)...208 16. DeKalb: PATH Academy (DeKalb County) .....................................................225 17. Destiny Academy of Excellence (DeKalb County) ...........................................238 18. Dooly County High School (Dooly County)......................................................242 19. Dunwoody Springs Charter School (Fulton County) .......................................248 20. Fargo Charter School (Clinch County) .............................................................262 21. Forsyth County Academy (Forsyth County) .....................................................270 22. Fulton Science Academy (Fulton County).........................................................278 23. Futral Road Elementary (Spalding County) .....................................................287 24. Gateway to College Academy (DeKalb County)...............................................300 25. Hapeville Middle School (Fulton County) .........................................................307 26. International Community School (DeKalb County) ........................................317 27. International Studies Elementary Magnet School (Dougherty) .....................332 28. Jenkins-White Elementary School (Richmond County) ..................................346 29. Kennesaw Charter School (Cobb County)........................................................357 30. KidsPeace School of Georgia (State Charter)....................................................369 31. Kingsley Elementary School (DeKalb County) ................................................380
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32. KIPP South Fulton (Fulton County)..................................................................394 33. KIPP West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy (Atlanta Public).....................410 34. Lewis Academy of Excellence (Clayton County) ..............................................423 35. Marietta Charter School (Marietta City) ..........................................................436 36. Mercer Middle School (Chatham County) ........................................................448 37. Morgan County Elementary (Morgan County) ................................................459 38. Morgan County Charter Primary (Morgan County).......................................472 39. Neighborhood Charter School (Atlanta Public) ...............................................484 40. Odyssey Charter School (State Charter)............................................................497 41. Oglethorpe Charter School (Chatham County) ................................................512 42. Peachtree Middle School (DeKalb County) ......................................................523 43. Ridgeview Middle School (Fulton County) .......................................................534 44. Rockdale Career Academy (Rockdale County) ................................................548 45. School for Integrated Academics and Technology (Atlanta Public)...............553 46. Sedalia Park Elementary School (Cobb County) .............................................559 47. Spalding Drive Elementary School (Fulton County)........................................573 48. Talbot County Charter Alternative School (Talbot County) ..........................587 49. Taliaferro County Charter School (Taliaferro County)...................................591 50. T.E.A.C.H. Charter School (Fulton County) ....................................................610 51. Tech High School (Atlanta Public).....................................................................615 52. Technical Career Academy of NE Georgia (Oglethorpe County)...................624 53. UNIDOS Dual Language Charter School (Clayton County)...........................629 54. University Community Academy (Atlanta Public)...........................................635 55. Walton Career Academy (Walton County).......................................................653 56. Walton High School (Cobb County) ..................................................................660 57. Whitfield County Career Academy (Whitfield County) ..................................664 58. Woodland Elementary School (Fulton County)................................................672
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2007 was a remarkable year for the Georgia charter sector. On the local front, fourteen new charter schools opened their doors, the largest annual increase in operational charter schools since the Charter Schools Act was signed into law in 1993. Charter enrollment is up across the board, as Georgia parents increasingly view charter schools as viable and attractive public educational options for their children. This increased growth and interest was reflected in new legislation as well. During the 2007 legislative session, the General Assembly passed several significant charter initiatives, including the Charter Systems Act and the charter career academy initiative, both of which were championed by Georgia's Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle. While the Department of Education ("Department") is pleased by this increased focus on chartering as a means to provide quality public educational options for Georgia's children, our principal goal remains providing high-quality, innovative educational opportunities for students through quality chartering, with a special emphasis on serving those students who are not succeeding in their traditional zoned schools. This Annual Report includes reports on each charter school active in the 2006-2007 school year, as well as a comprehensive Executive Summary that aggregates individual school data into a statewide picture of charter schools.
I. Charter Schools in Georgia
The number of charter schools in Georgia has climbed steadily since the first three schools opened in 1995, two years after the Georgia charter school law passed in 1993. Since 1998, the first year start-up charter schools were allowed under Georgia law, charter schools have increased in visibility and prominence, becoming a fixture in school improvement efforts across Georgia. During the 2006-2007 school year, the number of operational charter schools in Georgia grew to 59. In the current 2007-2008 school year, Georgia has 71 operational charter schools. In addition, as of the date of this report, the State Board of Education (SBOE) has approved several new charter schools that are scheduled to open in Fall 2008, with dozens of locally approved charter school petitions currently awaiting review.
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Number of Charter Schools in Georgia

75 71
70

65 59
60

55

50

48

Number of Schools

45

40 34

35

35

30
25 2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

Charter school student enrollment for 2006-2007 totaled 26,299 students, compared to 1,629,157 students enrolled in traditional public schools. More significant, the number of students enrolled in charter schools in Georgia has increased dramatically over time, nearly doubling in the last three years.

Student Enrollment in Charter Schools

29,000

27,000

25,000

tudents

23,000 21,000

ber of S

19,000 17,000

Num15,000

13,000

11,000

14,828 2004

16,836 2005

21,094 2006

26,299 2007

While the Department is pleased that parents are increasingly choosing charters to educate their children, we are not focused on mere growth. Instead, the Charter Division's focus is curricular innovation that meets the needs of Georgia's public school students and results in measurable student achievement gains. To the extent this process
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can be accelerated through an increase in the number of charter schools in Georgia, the Department will continue to view charter growth as a complementary goal.
These two goals providing high-quality, innovative educational opportunities and growing the number of students served in charter schools are, in many respects, mutually reinforcing. As charter school opportunities increase, more students will benefit from access to the innovative curricular approaches available in charter schools.
II. Charter School Characteristics and Demographics
Charter Schools in Georgia are varied in both type and focus. Georgia law authorizes five distinct types of charter schools: Start-up Charter Schools; LEA Start-up Charter Schools; Conversion Charter Schools; State Chartered Special Schools; and System Charter Schools. (See Appendix A for a definition of each type of school.) In addition, several hybrid models are also authorized under law: career academy charter schools (a start-up charter school with a dual enrollment, career/technical curriculum) and cluster charter schools (a conversion high school and all its feeder middle and elementary schools chartered together) are two examples of these hybrid models.
When the Georgia Charter School Act ("Act") was first enacted in 1993, it only authorized conversion schools. Consequently, all charter schools in Georgia were conversion charter schools until 1998, when the Act was amended to allow for start-up charter schools. Since that time, the trend has been toward an increasing number of startup charter schools, either conventional start-up charter schools or LEA start-up charter schools. In the past few years, the pace of this trend has accelerated and during the 20062007 school year 38 (64%) of all charter schools in Georgia were either start-up charter schools or LEA start-up charter schools. In particular, Georgia has experienced increased interest in LEA start-up charter schools over the past year as districts have begun to realize the benefits to be gained by chartering their own new schools.
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2006-2007 Charter Schools By Type Total of 59 Schools

LEA Start-up (12), 20%

State Charter (3), 5%

Start-up (26), 44%

Conversion (18), 31%

Charter schools are typically smaller than traditional public schools. The majority of charter schools have fewer than 500 students total, and a substantial number of charter schools are even smaller, with fewer than 250 students enrolled. In fact, during the 20062007 school year, nine charter schools in Georgia enrolled fewer than 100 students. In the typical case, this allows charter schools to maintain smaller class sizes than typically found in traditional public schools. These smaller class sizes have been a major incentive for parents choosing to send their students to charter schools, a point highlighted by numerous parents who attended the Charter Division's visits to charter schools across the State over the past year. Moreover, the relatively small size of charter schools in Georgia aligns with the national movement toward smaller learning academies, which has been promoted in recent years by large philanthropic groups and foundations as a way to improve public education generally.

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Number of Schools

Charter School Size 2006-2007

20

18

16

14

12

10

8

9

6

4

2

0

Less than 100

18 12

100-250

250-500

Number of Students

20 More than 500

Charter school students are not evenly distributed among Georgia school districts. In fact, the four districts with the largest charter school enrollment Cobb County Schools, DeKalb County Schools, Fulton County Schools, and Atlanta Public Schools enroll approximately 60% of all charter school students statewide.

Charter School Enrollment by District 2006-2007
Note: Values above columns denote number of schools

12,000

berof u m N

nrolled180,,000000

E

tudents S

6,000 4,000

2,000

0

4 4,432
Cobb

10 4,631
DeKalb

28 10,703

9
4,331

8 2,202

Fulton

Atlanta Public Other Districts Schools

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In terms of gender and racial composition, charter schools in Georgia are slightly more likely to enroll female students and somewhat more likely to enroll racial minorities. In fact, racial minorities comprise 61% of all charter school students, compared to 53% statewide: 43% of charter schools students are African-American (compared to the statewide average of 38%); 9% are Hispanic (compared to 9% statewide); and 5% are Asian (compared to 3% statewide). This is the highest percentage of racial minority students Georgia has ever had in its charter sector.

Gender Composition in Charter Schools

Charter Schools

State of Georgia

60% 55% 50% 45% 40%

50%

52%

Male

50%

48%

Female

Racial Composition in Charter Schools
Charter Schools State of Georgia

50%

45%

47%

40% 39%
35%

43% 38%

30%

25%

20%

15%

10% 9% 9%
5%

0% Caucasian

Black

Hispanic

5% 3%

0% 0%

4% 3%

Asian

American Indian Multiracial

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Finally, students who qualify for free and reduced lunch ("FRL") are also overrepresented in charter schools. During the 2006-2007 school year, 56% of students enrolled in charter schools were FRL qualified compared to 50% for students statewide.1 These figures are particularly significant in light of the claim that charter schools tend to "skim" more affluent students from traditional public schools. The data from Georgia, which is consistent with nationwide trends, shows that charter schools, on average, enroll a population that is less affluent than attends traditional public schools.
Moreover, when the free lunch data is disaggregated from the reduced lunch data, it becomes clear that charter schools are even more likely to serve students that are in poverty. Under federal guidelines, students qualify for free lunch when their family has income up to 130% of the federal poverty level and for reduced lunch when their family has income up to 185% of the federal poverty level. For illustration, a student from a family of four during the 2006-2007 school year qualified for free lunch with a family income of $26,000 or less, compared to $37,000 or less for reduced lunch. As illustrated below, 56% of charter school students statewide qualified for free lunch in 2006-2007. The comparable rate for traditional public schools was 50%. When free lunch qualified students are separated from reduced price lunch, it becomes clear that charter school students tend to be relatively more economically disadvantaged: 49% of all Georgia charter school students qualified for free lunch; 41% of traditional public school students qualified for free lunch.

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20%

Percentage of Students in Free/Reduced Lunch Program Reduced Price Meal Free Meal

Total: 56% 7% 49%
Charter Schools

Total: 50%
9% 41% Georgia

1 Because many charter schools do not participate in the local district's lunch program, their FRL data is frequently not reported. For this year's report, we contacted all 14 charter schools that originally showed 0% FRL population using existing data and used the revised figures to determine the actual FRL percentages for charter school students in Georgia.
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III. Charter School Student Performance
The question of whether charter school students outperform students enrolled in traditional public schools is the subject of increasingly rancorous debate, in Georgia and nationwide. In point of fact, the real issue whether students enrolled in charter schools performed better than they would have performed had they attended traditional public schools is difficult to answer because once students enroll in a charter school there is no baseline to determine how well they would have done had they stayed in traditional public schools.
Because of this difficulty, researchers use a number of methods to approximate presumed student performance, including controlling for certain factors known to impact student performance; conducting trend analysis showing whether student achievement accelerates the longer one is enrolled in a charter school; and using matched pair analysis where charter school students are matched with similar students who remain in traditional public schools and their performance is tracked over time. All of these approaches have their limitations, but they provide some useful data to determine the educational effectiveness of charter schools.
The following analysis of test scores is separated into three sections: (A) Adequate Yearly Progress data; (B) high school graduation rate comparisons; and (C) standardized test results. A review of each of these areas reveals that charter schools in Georgia, on average, have outperformed traditional public schools, both in absolute and relative achievement terms.
A. Adequate Yearly Progress Comparisons
Adequate yearly progress ("AYP") is a relative achievement measure that determines whether a school's test scores have improved from year to year in various subject areas and grade levels. It does not currently allow for a comparison of cohorts as they move through grades (e.g., by measuring, for instance, the same class of students from year to year), however, so figures compare one group of students to another group of students. Nevertheless, AYP figures provide an overview of whether a school is improving from year to year, at least as measured by succeeding grades of students.
In 2007, Georgia charter schools made adequate yearly progress ("AYP") at a somewhat higher rate than traditional public schools. As in 2005 and 2006, Georgia charter schools made AYP at a higher rate than traditional public schools, but in 2007 the gap between charter schools and traditional public schools narrowed somewhat. In 2007, 85.1% of charter schools made AYP, compared to 82.1% of traditional public schools. In 2006, fully 87.8% of Georgia charter schools made AYP, compared to 78.7% of traditional public schools. In 2005, 86.2% charter schools made AYP, compared to 81.9% of traditional public schools. In large measure, the slight decrease in charter
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school AYP rates this year was caused by several struggling schools who decided to use chartering as a school improvement strategy, an approach we have encouraged among our schools. It remains to be seen whether the charter mechanism will assist those schools in making AYP in future years.

100.0% 95.0% 90.0% 85.0% 80.0% 75.0% 70.0% 65.0% 60.0% 55.0% 50.0%

Percentage of Schools Making AYP
Charter Schools Georgia

86.2%

81.9%

87.8% 78.7%

85.1%

82.1%

2005

2006

2007

Of the seven charter schools that did not make AYP in 2006-2007, three of them are in needs improvement status, while four of them failed to make AYP for the first time. Of the seven schools that failed to make AYP, four of them made AYP in all but one indicator, suggesting that these schools may well make AYP next year by improving student performance among one subgroup or on one indicator.

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2007 School Im provem ent Status Charter Schools
(Source: 2007 Adequate Yearly Progress Reports)

Needs Im provem ent , 3
(6.4% )

N eeds Im provem ent M ade AYP, 1
(2.1% )

Adequate, 11 (23.4% )

D istinguish e d, 28 (59.6% )

A dequate D id N ot M eet, 4 (8.5% )

Adequate - S c ho o l has m ad e A Y P and is in g o o d s tand ing . Distinguished - S c ho o l has m ad e A Y P f o r at leas t three c o ns ec utiv e y ears . Adequate Did Not M eet - S c ho o l d id no t m ake A Y P , if the s c ho o l d o es no t m ake A Y P in the s am e s ub jec t f o r two c o ns ec utiv e y ears , the s c ho o l w ill ad v anc e into Need s Im p ro v em ent. Needs Im provem ent - S c ho o l has no t m ad e A Y P in the s am e sub jec t f o r two co ns ec utiv e years. Need s Im p ro vem en t - M ad e A Y P - S c ho o l is in N eed s Im p ro v em ent b ut has m ad e A Y P f o r o ne y ear.

B. State High School Graduation Rates
Georgia charter high school graduation rates were the highest on record this past year, continuing a trend from previous years, where the graduation rates for charter high schools have been higher than those for traditional public schools. In 2007, 89.9% of fourth-year students in charter high schools graduated, compared to 72.3% statewide. It is worth noting that two high schools Walton High School in Cobb County and Chamblee High School in DeKalb County, both of which have relatively high graduation rates make up a disproportionate number of Georgia charter high school students.

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Graduation Rate
Charter Schools Georgia

100.0% 95.0% 90.0% 85.0% 80.0% 75.0% 70.0% 65.0% 60.0% 55.0% 50.0%

80.3% 69.4%
2005

83.6% 70.8%

89.9% 72.3%

2006

2007

C. Standardized Test Results
1. CRCT Scores
Turning to standardized test results, the data reveal that Georgia charter school student performance has improved in most areas over time. The following figures depict the performance on the Criterion Referenced Competency Test ("CRCT")2 in a variety of content areas over a three-year span. The subjects listed include Social Studies, Reading, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Comparison scores for all students enrolled in traditional public schools are provided as well.
In every content area, charter school student performance met or exceeded the performance of public school students generally. In most cases, charter school students' outperformance was relatively modest: one percentage point in Mathematics and Science; two percentage points in Reading and English/Language Arts; even in Science. Charter school students' performance is particularly notable given the trends over time. In 2005, for instance, traditional public school students' average performance in several content areas exceeded that of students enrolled in charter schools. By 2007, Georgia charter school students outperformed traditional public school students in every CRCT content area except science, where the two groups of students performed at the same proficiency rate. As in previous years, however, the significance of this trend should not be overstated because the overall differences were only a matter of a few percentage points.

2 The CRCT test is administered in grades 1 8, while the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT) is administered to high school students.
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100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Reading Section of CRCT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

89% 87%

87% 85%

89% 87%

2005

2006

2007

Percentage of Students Passing English/Language Arts Section of CRCT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

85% 84% 2005

85% 83%
2006

88% 86% 2007

15

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Mathematics Section of CRCT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

81% 81%

83% 82%

81% 80%

2005

2006

2007

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Science Section of CRCT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

83% 84% 2005

78% 77% 2006

69% 69% 2007

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Percentage of Students Passing Social Studies Section of CRCT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

87% 87% 2005

89% 88% 2006

88% 87% 2007

2. GHSGT Scores
Student performance on the Georgia High School Graduation Test revealed a more dramatic story. As with the CRCT, the GHSGT data reveal that Georgia charter school student performance has improved in most areas over time. The following figures depict the performance on the GHSGT in a variety of content areas over a three-year span. The subjects listed include Social Studies, English/Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science. Comparison scores for all students enrolled in traditional public schools are provided as well.
In all four content areas, charter school student performance exceeded the performance of public school students generally. Unlike the CRCT scores, where the differences were a matter of a few percentage points, the differences on the GHSGT were more substantial. For instance, on the Social Studies section of the GHSGT, 92% of charter school students met or exceeded expectations, compared to 87% for traditional public school students. Likewise, on the Science section of the GHSGT, 83% of charter school students met or exceeded expectations. The comparable number for traditional public school students was 75%. In the other two content areas English/Language Arts and Mathematics the differences in performance were 2% and 1%, respectively.
These numbers are even more impressive when one looks at the trend data over time. In 2004, charter school students scored lower than traditional public school students on every content area of the GHSGT. By 2006, that had completely reversed, and now charter school students have a higher pass rate than traditional public school students on every content area of the GHSGT.

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100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Social Studies Section of the GHSGT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

94% 84%

92%

86%

92%

87%

2005

2006

2007

Percentage of Students Passing English/Language Arts Section of the GHSGT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

98% 95%
2005

98% 96% 2006

98% 96% 2007

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100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Mathematics Section of the GHSGT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

96% 92%

96% 92%

94% 93%

2005

2006

2007

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50%

Percentage of Students Passing Science Section of the GHSGT Over Time

Charter Schools

Georgia

85% 68%
2005

87% 73%
2006

83% 75%
2007

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SAT scores paint a similar picture. In 2007, Georgia charter high school seniors performed quite well on the SAT, averaging a combined score of 1667, which compares to a combined score of 1458 for traditional public school students. Perhaps more significant given the inability to use the CRCT and GHSGT to compare Georgia student performance to students from across the country, Georgia's charter school student average SAT among seniors was significantly higher than the national average of 1511.

A ve rag e S A T S c o res fo r H ig h S ch o o l S e n io rs
Charter Schools G eorgia

2400 2000 1600 1200
800 400
0

1683

1468

2006

1667

1458

2007

The preceding data compares charter schools' overall student averages against the overall state averages. Because charter school students typically enroll in a local school within an existing school district, state averages are limited in their ability to make accurate local comparisons. Another way to examine the data is by asking whether charter school students in a given district performed better than other public school students in that same district. An effective way to examine this question is to determine the percentage of charter school students who either meet or exceed standards and compare that to the average for the district in which the charter school is located. A finer level of detail can be provided by examining the percentage of charter school students who either meet or exceed standards and compare that to the neighboring school to which the charter schools students would otherwise be zoned. After all, Georgia parents and students are not selecting between a composite statewide school and their zoned school. Instead, they are selecting between a specific traditional public school to which the student is zoned and a charter option. In most respects, this is the best comparison to answer the question of how charter schools perform.
The following two charts depict the percentage of charter school students who either (1) meet and/or exceed state standards or (2) exceed state standards, as compared

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to the average for the district in which the charter is located. The second prong of this analysis is designed to focus on Georgia's goal of using chartering to provide highquality, innovative educational opportunities that result in sustained student growth. Somewhat understandably, data analyses typically join the "meets and exceeds" rates when comparing student performances. Separating out the "exceeds" rate from the "meets" rate allows one to determine how many students are performing at the highest level, a useful data point for identifying best practices among charter schools.
Percentage of Charter Schools Whose 2007 Meets + Exceeds Rate is Greater Than or Equal to the District's Rate
(Source: 2007 Adequate Yearly Progress Reports)

100.0%

90.0%

80.0% 70.0%

71.8%

60.0% 50.0%

56.4%

40.0%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%

CRCT - Mathematics

CRCT -

Reading/English

Language Arts

66.7%

66.7%

E-GHSGT - E-GHSGT - English

Mathematics

Language Arts

21

Percentage of Charter Schools Whose 2007 Exceeds Rate is Greater Than or Equal to the District's Rate
(Source: 2007 Adequate Yearly Progress Reports)

100.0%

90.0%

80.0%

70.0%

60.0%

50.0% 40.0%

46.2%

43.6%

30.0%

20.0%

10.0%

0.0%
CRCT - Mathematics CRCT Reading/English Language Arts

66.7%

77.8%

E-GHSGT - E-GHSGT - English Mathematics Language Arts

As these figures illustrate, when viewed at the district level by meets and/or exceeds rate, charter school students outperform students in traditional public schools on all four measures: CRCT mathematics; CRCT Reading/English Language Arts; GHSGT mathematics; and GHSGT English Language Arts. Tellingly, this pattern holds at the high school level when only the exceeds rate is examined, indicating that the cohort of highest performing charter high school students outperforms the cohort of highest performing traditional public high school students from the same district. On the CRCT tests, however, charter schools slightly underperform the relevant district average among the highest-scoring cohort of students.
IV. Support for Charter Schools
During the 2006-2007 school year, the Georgia Department of Education continued its commitment to charter schools by adding new staff capacity, largely because of a growing recognition that chartering is central to educational innovation in Georgia. The Department now has six full-time charter school employees, with plans to add additional capacity in the coming year.
Georgia's charter school achievements were recognized on several fronts during the past year. Perhaps most significant, the Department was awarded a federal charter school program grant in the amount of $17,010,000 from the U.S. Department of Education. This grant will be used to fund implementation grants for new charter schools to cover start-up costs and dissemination grants for existing charter schools to disseminate best practices statewide.

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In addition, the State Board of Education and the Department worked together to implement legislative changes enacted by the General Assembly during the 2007 legislative session. Under the new Charter Systems Act, an entire system may be granted charter status, provided the system implements school level governance, which may include, among other things, school-level control over resource allocation, personnel decisions, and curriculum. To support the new charter systems, the legislature also created the Charter Advisory Committee, a new nine-member state-level advisory board charged with working with systems on charter proposals and studying charter issues for recommendation to the General Assembly. The Department has been heavily involved in these meetings and with the charter system process generally.
Division staff continue to provide support to charter schools before, during, and after the petition process. During the 2006-2007 school year, more than 286,500 people accessed Georgia charter school data information on the web page. The charter web pages and print workshop materials were updated and expanded and now include application templates designed to make the process more transparent. The Department also redoubled its efforts to provide ongoing technical assistance to districts, charter petitions, and charter operators, including, among other things:
Conducting required charter school training for all new charter school principals and governing board chairs, including governance training, curriculum review, and direction on the utilization of state and federal grants;
Holding authorizer accountability workshops in partnership with the National Association of Charter School Authorizers and statewide education organization leaders;
Giving presentations to multiple local school boards on charter petition review;
Hosting charter petition and grant workshops for those interested in opening a charter school;
Creating multiple templates to assist in the preparation of charter petitions and all grant applications;
Conducting multiple workshops for charter schools throughout the year, including participation in the Georgia Charter Schools Association's Annual Conference;
Beginning a school improvement initiative to work directly with those schools that have not made AYP; and
Creating an initiative designed to assist charter schools in accessing potential sources of facilities funding.
Institutionally, the Department has continued its commitment to charter schools. In 2004, the State Board of Education ("SBOE") created three committees, one of which
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focuses solely on charter schools. The Charter Schools Committee meets monthly and provides a forum for petitioners, authorizers, parents, practitioners, and other stakeholders to discuss charter school issues. During the 2006-2007 school year, the Charter Committee continued to meet monthly to discuss issues of common concern to charter schools.
In September 2007, the SBOE and the Superintendent of Schools adopted a new Charter Schools Rule. The Rule, which was the product of an extensive drafting process involving multiple listening sessions and comments from national charter experts, is designed to provide more guidance to petitioners and districts as they confront issues unique to charter schools. The Charter Division also prepared formal Guidance to accompany the Rule and to provide additional assistance to those interested in developing charter schools. Under the new Rule and Guidance, Georgia expanded its formal timeline for submitting charter petitions. This timeline is designed to ensure that charter school petitions are approved in sufficient time to allow charter operators to organize their operational plan for the school. In addition, the new Rule and Guidance now contain certain financial assurance requirements designed to assist charter schools in monitoring their fiscal viability and new conflict of interest rules to ensure that charter school employees and governing board members understand the significance of public transparency.
The SBOE and the Georgia Department of Education are not alone in their commitment to charter schools. Georgia's General Assembly has recognized the importance of charter schools to the state system of public education, particularly in the area of facilities funding. In 2004, the Georgia legislature created a charter school facilities fund to assist charter schools in the acquisition, renovation, and use of school facilities, a dire need among charter petitioners. In 2005, the legislature appropriated $450,000 for this fund; in 2006, this amount was increased to $950,000; in 2007, this amount was increased to $2,200,000, with a special earmark for state chartered special schools. While this remains a relatively modest appropriation in light of the dramatic facilities needs of Georgia charter schools, it signals a willingness by the Georgia legislature to ameliorate some of the facilities challenges faced by petitioners.
24

Appendix A
Charter Types
There are four types of charter schools in Georgia:
1. Conversion: a charter school that existed as a local school prior to becoming a charter school. To apply as a conversion, a majority of the faculty and instructional staff members and a majority of parents or guardians of students enrolled in the petitioning school must vote by secret ballot to apply for a charter.
2. Start-up: a charter school created by a petition brought forth by private individuals, private organizations, or a state or local public entity.
3. Local Educational Agency (LEA) Start-up: a start-up charter school created by submission of a petition by the LEA to the local school board.
4. State Chartered Special School: a charter school created as a special school that is operating under the terms of a charter between the charter petitioner and the State Board of Education. Petitioners may apply to become a state chartered special school if their petition is first denied by the local board and they apply for state chartered special school status to the State Board. Conversion charter school petitioners may not apply to be state chartered special schools.
5. System Charter School: a conversion charter school that is within an LEA granted system charter status by the SBOE.
Four of the five types of charter schools in Georgia conversions, start-ups, LEA start-ups, and system charter schools are under the management and control of the local board, with the State Board as a third party to the contract. Only state chartered special schools are under the management and control of the State Board of Education. Also, start-ups, LEA start-ups, and state chartered special schools are all created as new schools and cannot be existing public schools. Only conversion charter schools and system charter schools may be previously existing public schools.
Testing History
In 2000, the State instituted the first year of the state assessment, the Criterion Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT), to grades four, six, and eight. Spring 2002 and 2004 marked the first operational administrations in all grades, which includes English/ Language Arts, Mathematics, and Reading in grades 1 through 8. Science and Social Studies are covered in grades 3 through 8.
Academic Data
25

From the academic data available on Georgia's public schools, this Report highlights the most useful. To look at progress over time, this Report includes standardized test scores for each charter school, its local district, and the state. This selection of data allows readers to compare the charter school's achievement level to the local district and the State as well as to compare the charter school's rate of improvement to the local district and the state. Further disaggregated data can be found for each charter school on the Governor's Office of Student Achievement website (www.gaosa.org).
Demographic Data
In order to determine whether charter schools reflect the demographics of their community, the demographics of the public schools in closest proximity to the charter school were examined, and these comparison demographics are included in each charter school's report. All demographic information was gathered from the 2006-2007 Governor's Office of Student Achievement Report Card and from the Georgia Department of Education's AYP/NCLB data.
Progress Towards Goals and Financial Audit
For locally approved charter schools, information on goals and the financial audit was provided by each charter school. State chartered special school data is provided by the State. This Report also contains information about the financial condition of each charter school, including whether each school had a surplus at the end of the reporting period. Charter schools' progress towards the goals stated in their charters is important because, in conjunction with state and national accountability systems, charter schools are held accountable for meeting these goals.
Some of the goal information had to be summarized for purposes of this report. The full charter school annual reports, as submitted by the charter schools and their local districts, are available from the Charter Schools Division.
Acronyms
Throughout the report, a number of acronyms appear. Among these are AYP or Adequate Yearly Progress; CRCT or Criterion Reference Competency Test; GHSGT or Georgia High School Graduation Test; GAEL or Georgia Association of Educational Leaders; GaDOE or Georgia Department of Education; SEA or State Educational Agency; LEA or Local Educational Agency; QBE or Quality Basic Education; NACSA or National Association of Charter School Authorizers; OPB or Office of Planning and Budget.
26

Acknowledgements A special thank you from the Charter Schools Division to the following individuals and teams for contributing time and data to this report:

State Board of Education Charter Schools Committee: Mrs. Linda Zechmann, Chair Dr. James Bostic Dr. Mary Sue Polleys Mr. Jose Perez Mr. Brian Burdette

GaDOE Office of Information Technology Darryl James, IT Project Manager IT Developers: Upendra Narra, Eshwar Kedari, Aravind Thotakura

GaDOE Office of Standards, Instruction, and Assessment Joanna Vahlsing, Statistics Coordinator, Accountability

Georgia Charter Schools Division Contact Information Georgia Department of Education 2053 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Dr. SE Atlanta, Georgia 30334-5040

(404) 657-0515 (404) 657-6978 (Fax)

STAFF:

Charter Schools Division Andrew Broy, Director Cayanna Collier-Good, Grants and Policy Consultant Shannon Kimball, Education Research and Evaluation Specialist Jason Martin, Education Research and Evaluation Specialist Roxanne Tulloss, Charter School Division Paralegal Samantha Graham, Charter School Division Paralegal

27

ACADEMY OF LITHONIA CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Melinda Hamilton 3235 Evans Mill Road Lithonia, GA 30038 678-325-5830

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Aug. 10, 2000 K - 7 325 No

Mission
The mission of the Academy of Lithonia in cooperation with families and communities, is to promote academic excellence, to nurture an entrepreneurial "spirit" and to foster a sense of self-respect and compassion for others.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Academy of Lithonia Charter School
0

Stoneview Marbut

Elementary Elementary

School

School

1.4

1.7

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

328

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

98%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

903

866

98,713 1,589,839

2%

0%

10%

47%

89%

97%

76%

38%

6%

0%

8%

9%

0%

0%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

3%

1%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

4%

5%

0%

4%

4%

0%

4%

10%

9%

10%

5%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

27%

87%

54%

64%

50%

28

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. Over 86% of our students met or exceeded standards on the CRCT. On the ITBS, which is given in grades 1, 3, 5, 7, our students scored over the National Average of 50%. The Academy of Lithonia Charter School met the Charter Goals for the CRCT and is listed as a distinguished school.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? The Academy of Lithonia Charter School has grades K - 7. We are a non-Title I School and met Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for the 2006-2007 school year. The school has met AYP for the past 4 years. In addition, the school met 15 out of 15 areas. The following highlights the CRCT results:
The information reflects the Performance Highlights for the academic measurements for this school that met or exceeded 70%.
Grade 1 CRCT Reading 92 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 1 English/Language Arts 90 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 1 CRCT Mathematics 82 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 2 CRCT Reading 80 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 2 CRCT English/Language Arts 81 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard

29

Grade 3 CRCT Reading 70 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 3 CRCT English/Language Arts 78 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 3 Mathematics 91 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 3 Social Studies 80 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 4 CRCT Reading 92 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 4 CRCT English/Language Arts 83 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 4 CRCT Social Studies 91 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 5 CRCT Reading 92 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 5 CRCT English/Language Arts 87 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 5 CRCT Mathematics 93 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 5 CRCT Social Studies 80 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 6 CRCT Reading 90 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 6 CRCT English/Language Arts 90 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 6 Social Studies 81 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 7 CRCT Reading 80 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
30

Grade 7 CRCT English/Language Arts 100 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 7 CRCT Mathematics 73 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
Grade 7 CRCT Social Studies 87 Percent Meeting and Exceeding Standard
The Academy of Lithonia's student performance and progress is the result of varied instructional methodologies and strategies such as meaningful grade level curriculum planning, STAR Reading program, grade level tutoring, peer tutoring, increased CRCT prep time, monthly assessments, data and review, double-dosing, and remediation, and after school tutoring.

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
The grades and content areas of the student's performance improvement are as follows:

In First Grade:



Reading - students improved 11 percentage points



English/Language Arts students evidenced a 10 percentage point gain



Math students evidenced a 6 percentage point gain

In Third Grade:



Social Studies students improved by 3 percentage points

In Fourth Grade:



Reading students evidenced a 13 point gain



Math students improved with a 4 point percentage

In Fifth Grade



Reading students evidenced a 9 point gain



Math students greatly improved and evidenced a 37 percentage point gain

In Sixth Grade



English-Language Arts-students gained a 14 percentage point gain

In Seventh Grade



English-Language Arts-students gained a 13 percentage point gain

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by

31

comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We try to track student performance of our non-returning students, however, the data isn't readily accessible. We look at returning students and create a data matrix, which displays a compilation of achievement in Reading, Language Arts, and Mathematics. This information is provided for teachers to access their readiness level and provides a gauge for instruction.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. All of our subgroups are progressing as expected. We try to provide them with as many interventions to become more successful. Presently each student on level 1 is provided with additional remediation skills in Reading and Math during scheduled pullouts.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Our Reading goal for the Academy of Lithonia stated that students in Grade 1 will raise achievement in Reading comprehension on the CRCT at or above the 50th percentile. Ninety-two percent of the First Grade students scored at or above the 50th percentile in Reading Comprehension as measured by the Spring CRCT.
2. Our Reading goal for the Academy of Lithonia stated that students in Grade 2 will raise achievement in Reading comprehension on the CRCT at or above the 50th percentile. Eighty percent (80%) of the second grade students scored at or above the 50th percentile in Reading Comprehension as measured by the Spring CRCT.
3. Our Reading goal for the Academy of Lithonia stated that students in Grade 3 will raise achievement in Reading comprehension on the CRCT at or above the 50th percentile. Seventy percent (70%) of the Third grade students scored at or above the 50th percentile in Reading Comprehension as measured by the Spring CRCT.
32

4. Our Reading goal for the Academy of Lithonia stated that students in Grade 4 will raise achievement in Reading comprehension on the CRCT at or above the 50th percentile. Ninety-Two percent (92%) of the Fourth grade students scored at or above the 50th percentile in Reading Comprehension as measured by the Spring CRCT.
5. Our Reading goal for the Academy of Lithonia stated that students in Grade 5 will raise achievement in Reading comprehension on the CRCT at or above the 50th percentile. Ninety-Two percent (92%) of the Fifth grade students scored at or above the 50th percentile in Reading Comprehension as measured by the Spring CRCT.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of parental and community involvement met our expectations, however, we are seeking to improve and increase our community volunteers. We have presently 5 Business partners and over 15 community volunteers to come to work with our students. With an increase in student enrollment, we are working to expand in this area.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure by the number of volunteer hours and the number of parents who participate in our school's activities, PTA membership, the number of parents who assist with field trips and specific parent monthly workshops.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We will improve our school's efforts to acquire additional community/business partners. We will expect and communicate with parents that they will be required to complete at least 10 hours of volunteer time during this school year. We will increase programs provided for students, parents and the staff.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other
33

Measures" section above. 1.
Third Grade Students will improve their State Writing Assessment percentage: The school percentage increased by 17.0%; the System percentage increased by 14.8%; the State percentage increased by 12.4%. The school exceeded the system and state percentage in the Engaging Writing Assessment Stage.
2.
Seventy-nine percent of students will meet or exceed standards in Mathematics. 82% of students met and/or exceeded the Mathematics Standards on the 2006-2007 CRCT.
3.
Students will raise the achievement level in Language Arts on the CRCT with a minimum of 95% participation of all subgroups. Students in Grades 1-7 evidenced an increase in Language Arts.
4.
Another goal was to increase the number of parent volunteer hours of 20 hours or more from 5% to 10%. A 15% increase in parent volunteer hours was evidenced and recorded.
5.
Increase the percentage of parents who volunteer for a minimum of one school sponsored activity from 50% to 60% by the end of the 2006-2007 school year. During the 2006-2007 school year, parent participation at the school sponsored events increased by 20% at monthly parent activities such as family nights and curriculum nights. The home-school compact strengthened due to these efforts.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

34

TEST RESULTS 35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

ADDISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Genie Byrd 3055 Ebenezer Road Marietta, GA 30066 770-578-2700

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served
Enrollment Title I School

Cobb County Conversion Aug. 1, 1988 Kindergarten through Fifth 565 No

Mission
Addison Elementary staff assures our citizens literate, confident children who are interested in learning by providing a relevant curriculum facilitated by caring, lifelong learners in a safe child-centered environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Addison Elementary
School
0

Rocky Mount Elementary School
1.6

Nicholson Elementary
School
1.6

Cobb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

556

571

541

106,163 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

62%

Black

16%

Hispanic

9%

Asian/Pacific Islander

5%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

7%

74%

65%

48%

47%

8%

11%

29%

38%

4%

15%

14%

9%

7%

4%

4%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

6%

6%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

3%

Gifted

12%

Special Education

16%

0%

11%

5%

4%

12%

9%

11%

9%

16%

16%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

23%

10%

33%

34%

50%

46

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Addison students scored 94.4% in Math and 94.2% in Reading on the 2006-2007 CRCT state assessment. During the 2005-2006 CRCT, our Students with Disabilities subgroup scored lower than our expectations with 65.7% meeting or exceeding falling short of the 66.7% required by the state. Through united focused interventions, an analysis of the 2006-2007 CRCT report shows the percentage of SWD scores increased from 65.7 to 81.1%. We are so proud of our 14.4% gain. We are very pleased with this strong increase and continue interventions, coteaching, inclusion and use of best practices for continued student success. We alo continue our balanced academic focus on all content areas with two to three hour Reading blocks and integrated curriculum. We also have a school-wide dedication to preserve our one and one-half Math block. Our Study groups continue to research strategies and programs for improving our English Language Arts, especially research, writing and Reading. We believe better writers become better readers and provide meaningful performance based activities that will move more students from meet to exceed in ELA on the CRCT assessment. Students will be at or above grade level in all academic areas, including Reading/English Language Arts. Addison uses local and state assessments for measuring academic growth.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Addison's total Reading/English Language Arts score for all students increased from 90.0% on the 2005-2006 CRCT to 94.2% on the 2006-2007 CRCT. We are pleased with the 4.2% gain. Our Hispanic subgroup gained 8% in Reading/ELA on the 20062006 CRCT with 94.4% compared to 86.4% from the 2005-2006 CRCT. Addison celebrates an increase of 14.4% with our Students with Disabilities subgroup on the CRCT assessment. Our Economically Disadvantaged subgroup increased their Reading/ELA score in 2006-2007 6.4% over the 2005-2006 year and our Black subgroup increased 11.6% in one year. We attribute this success to action research within our Study Groups, strategies learned from visiting schools in other counties,

47

more successful coteaching and strong inclusion classes. Our daily collaboration and weekly Study Groups provide built in vertical collaboration for meeting needs of our students. Teachers meet with the administrators to continually monitor students needing additional assistance and provide after school tutoring, Saturday classes, Spring Break Academic Camp and one on one assistance. Each of our whole faculty study groups will continue to address how best to support the needs of all students and monitoring the academic growth of our students with disabilities.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
In the area of Reading, Addison students increased in Meets and Exceeds on the CRCT from 2005-2006 to 2006-2007 as follows: First and second graders remained 95%. Third graders increased from 89% to 95% with 6% growth. Fourth graders increased from 92% to 95% and fifth graders increased from 95% to 96%. In the area of English Language Arts which was our strongest focus of increased last year, First graders increased from 93% to 95%, Second graders increased from 88% to 91%, Third graders increased from 87% to 92%, Fourth graders increased from 85% to 93% and Fifth graders increased from 90% to 93%. Each grade level showed excellent growth. In Math, First grade increased from 93% to 95%, Second graders increased from 90% to 94%, Third graders increased from 96% to 97%, Fourth graders increased from 92% to 93%. Fifth graders showed a decrease with a 4% drop.
Teachers continue to analyze data and work together to make improvement in this year's scores. Our greatest growth is in the area of our Students with Disabilities in Reading English Language Arts with 14.4% growth. All students increased in Reading/ELA from 90.9% in 2005-2006 to 94.2% in 2006-2007. Addison's Black subgroup increased in one year from 78.2% to 89.8% with 11.6% growth and our Hispanic subgroup increased from 86.4% to 94.4% with 8% growth. The White subgroup increased from 92.7% to 94.7% with 2% growth and the Economically Disavantaged increased Reading and ELA from 84.0% to 90.4% with 6.4% growth. In the area of Math, our Black subgroup increased from 92.3% to 94.2% this year. Addison's Hispanic subgroup increased in Math from 90.9% to 92.6% this year on the CRCT. Our Economically Disadvantaged subgroup increased Math scores from 93.6% to 94.1%. Our White subgroup declined in Math from 95.9 to 94.1% and our Students with Disabilities Math scores decreased from 80.4% to 77.3%. Math will be a stong focus for this year.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
We analyze assessments at the beginning of each year including CRCT, ITBS and local assessments for monitoring individual student growth and grade level results.
48

Teachers work together in grade level teams and with the team below and above for vertical assessing. We plan our Study Groups based on the needs of students. We also plan our staff development based on those needs and the need for professional growth of our staff. Our School Improvement Plan and Charter Goals are current and we follow local and state guidelines for assessments. Addison's classrooms are Performance based with all lessons plans following state standards, Essential Questions, Backward Design, and all local programs (EIP, ESOL etc.).
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
English Language Arts was a major concern for Addison students during 2005-2006. Addison staff focused on increasing the number of Students with Disabilities meeting and exceeding on the CRCT ELA and made a tremendous difference with a growth of 14.4%. Our concern after analyzing the 2006-2007 CRCT data revealed a slight drop in Math for all students. The Math total for all students in 2005-2006 was 95.2% and 2006-2007 dipped to 94.4%. Our Students with Disabilities subgroup did not score to our expectations and dipped to 77.3% in Math on the 2006-2007 CRCT. We have added Math word problems to our Writing/Reading/ELA School Improvement Goal and will continue a strong focus on Math journaling and Math word problems.
The new Math adoption has an array of techniques for addressing Math and two of our Study Groups are weekly meeting to study lessons/units and discuss strategies to share with the staff. They are also designing pre and post test to survey students in their reflections of understanding the new Math adoption and presentaton of the material. Addison's built-in daily and weekly collaboration continues to strengthen inclusion and coteaching model and is making a significent contribution to our students' adademic success. We follow all county and state regulations, follow IEP goals and provide performance based classrooms. By integrating the curriculum and continuing to set high expectations with increased academic goal/benchmarks, we strive to move a larger percentage of students from meets to exceeds category on the CRCT. Differentiated instruction is used throughout the school with high interest, performance based activities used for keeping students engaged. Staff meetings, Study Groups and Design teams are designed to continually monitor student achievement with plans and assessments provided for academic growth.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
49

Addison students scored 94.4% in Math and 94.2% in Reading on the 2006-2007 CRCT state assessment. On the 2005-2006 CRCT test, our students with Disabilities subgroup scored lower than our expectations with 65.7% meeting or exceeding falling short of the 66.7% required by the state. Through united focused interventions, an analysis of the 2006-2007 CRCT report shows the percentage of SWD scores increased from 65.7% to 81.1%. We are very pleased with this strong increase and continue interventions, coteaching, inclusion and use of best practices for continued student success. We alo continue our balanced academic focus on all content areas with two to three hour Reading blocks and integrated curriculum.
We also have a school-wide dedication to preserve our one and one-half Math block. Our study groups continue to research strategies and programs for improving our English Language Arts, especially in the areas of research, writing and Reading. We believe better writers become better readers and provide meaningful performance based activities that will move more students from meet to exceed in ELA on the CRCT assessment. Students will be at or above grade level in all academic areas, including Reading/English/Language Arts. Addison uses local and state assessments for measuring academic growth. Addison continues to outscore the county and state in CRCT scores in grades K-5.
2.
ITBS scores from grade 3 show that Addison scored a total Reading of 4.0 while Cobb scored 3.4. Addison's English Language Arts score is 3.5 compared to 3.3 for the county. In Math, Addison scored 3.7 compared to 3.4 for the county. Social Studies for Addison is 4.2 with the county scoring 3.6. Core/Composite is 3.7 with the county scoring 3.3 and Addison with 3.9 compared to 3.5 for the county. We consistently scored higher than the county over the last 5 years. Students in Grade 5 scored Total Reading 77% on the ITBS compared to 64% for the county. English Language Arts total is 75% compared to 64% for the county. Math total is 78% with Cobb's score 64%. Extended content information total is 78% with the county 68%. Over the last 5 years, our fifth graders have consistently scored higher than the county.
3.
5th grade Curriculum Based Writing Assessment are: 2003 95%, 2004 98%, 2005 100%. and 2006 98% with Cobb County's scores in 2003 93%, 2004 95.6%, 2005 95.2% and 2006 92.4%. Both Addison and Cobb are higher than the state. The number of students meeting and exceeding for Addison is 82% and 78% for the county.
4.
GKAP-R scores from 2004 to Spring of 2007 are: 2004-97%, 2005 97%, 2006 100% and 2007 97% with 100% being ready for first grade each year. The average score for Addison is 192.
5.
50

Spring STAR Reading scores are Kindergarten 87% and first grade 90% ITBS Spring scores for second grade are 84%, third grade 89%, fourth grade 82% and fifth grade 85% with a school average of 85%. STAR Math for second grade is 86%, third grade 80%, fourth grade 80% and fifth grade 81% with a total average school score of 82%. These scores have remained consistent over the last five years.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The Addison parents are involved in daily volunteering in the classroom. Last year thirteen parents participated in the Governing Board and an additional six parents have joined this year. Parents lead scouts and meet at the school. Parents volunteer with finding additional business partners, working in our gardens and printing the weekly newsletter. While they are actively involved, we are asking that this year each parent give at least 3 hours volunteering to Addison.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Through our Building Leadership Team, we have discussed having parents sign in at PTA and other events throughout the year for documentation purposes. Currently, we do not have parents sign in and we do not have an adequate measure of participation. Teachers have a record of those volunteering in the classrooms and the number of hours. We have estimations of parents attending most events. We also have a record of our parent surveys given through Cobb County.
Our Business Partners keep record for families attending monthly events and PTA keeps record of those attending the volunteer tea. Fourth grade teachers have names of parents participating with Regions Day and Tea and Kindergarten keeps a record of parents attending their events. For Open House and Conferences we have long had 100% participation.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Our PTA is now encouraging each parent to give at least 3 hours to some form of volunteering at Addison. A list including all events and suggested ways parents might volunteer was shared. One of our parents has become actively involved in finding new business partners for Addison. She also planned a night for our parents to come visit a booth where partners share their business and receive recognition. This was very successful with larger parent participation than anticipated.
51

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Addison continues to provide democratic learning service projects for each Addison student. Many of these projects have contributed greatly to charity organizations including Relay for Life, MUST Ministries and several others. Our focus on developing the total child involves leadership training along with our Democratic Learning Service Projects.
2.
Addison students are involved with our gardens and enjoy planting and caring for the gardens. Our curriculum is integrated using the garden as a hands-on approach to learning. Students and staff designed and are developing a beautiful memorial garden in honor of students who have died. This will be used for classes to reflect and do journaling. A Junior Masters' Gardeners Program is also on going at Addison.
3.
Addison students are provided integrated technology and use computer carts in the classroom. Students visit the computer lab daily and use research in all content areas. They also create blogs and newsletters for sharing with parents and all stakeholders. A technology grant was awarded to one of our teachers this year. An Addison business partner provided two smart boards that are used by many of our teachers. We also use several LCD projectors in classrooms to expand technology.
4.
Addison students actively engage in student led parent conferences. Personal, academic, and learning service goals are shared at each conference. Students take responsibility for their growth.
5.
Addison's Student Leadership Team is student directed with each meeting's agenda and minutes taken by students. There are staff facilitators who work directly with the Student Leadership Team. Projects are investigated, researched, and decided on by the students.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

52

TEST RESULTS 53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

AMANA ACADEMY

Contact Information
Maher Budeir 285 S. Main St. Alpharetta, GA 30004 678-624-0989

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Start-Up Aug. 13, 2005 K - 7 249 No

Mission
Amana Academy strives to: Prepare Students for high academic achievement by emphasizing individual learning style and critical thinking skills through in-depth, experience-based, thematic instruction and relevant co-curricular and extracurricular activities.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Amana Academy
School
0

Total Population

252

Diversity

Caucasian

37%

Black

17%

Hispanic

2%

Asian/Pacific Islander

31%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

12%

Special Populations

ESOL

10%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

5%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

37%

Summit Hill
Elementary
1.4

Hopewell Middle School
1.9

1028

1,012

88%

68%

5%

12%

2%

9%

3%

6%

0%

0%

3%

4%

0%

3%

9%

28%

12%

10%

1%

11%

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

81,982 1,589,839

38%

47%

41%

38%

10%

9%

8%

3%

0%

0%

3%

3%

4%

4%

14%

9%

10%

12%

36%

50%

61

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
The 2007 CRCT results did meet expectations in that all subject areas at all grade levels met or exceeded district and state averages except for 6th Grade Math and 7th Grade Science. In most subjects, at most grade levels, 90% of students met (Level 2) or exceeded (Level 3) expectations.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Amana's goals included decreasing the number of students not meeting expectations (Level 1) and increasing the number of students exceeding expectations (Level 3). Amana increased the number of students achieving Level 3 in Reading, Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies.
Amana made a concerted effort to use the disaggregated data from the previous year to drive our curriculum and instruction decisions. Students that did not meet expectations in any subject area were identified by the end of the first nine weeks and were given individual assistance within the classrooms, particularly in Reading and Math. Students were given benchmark tests at the end of each nine weeks to assess where the areas of strength and weaknesses were. The curriculum was then adjusted as needed. The Georgia On-line Assessment System was used for practice and reinforcement, as were various CRCT practice test booklets. The use of Expeditionary Learning instructional methods allowed for teachers to link content to knowledge that students already knew so that greater understanding and in depth discussion could take place.

62

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Improvements: 1st grade Reading: decrease in Level 1's by 12% increase in Level 3's by 18% 2nd grade Language Arts: decrease in Level 1's by 3% increase in Level 3's by
10% 3rd grade Reading: increase in Level 3's by 20%
Language Arts: increase in Level 3's by 11% Math: increase in Level 3's by 19% Social Studies: increase in Level 3's by 23% 4th grade Language Arts: increase in Level 3's by 5% Math: decrease in Level 1's by 5% increase in Level 3's by 8% Social Studies: increase in Level 3's by 16% 6th grade Reading: increase in Level 3's by 16% Language Arts: increase in Level 3's by 28% Math: increase in Level 3's by 6% Science: decrease in Level 1's by 10% increase in Level 3's by 16% Social Studies: increase in Level 3's by 14%
Regressions: 1st grade Language Arts: decrease in Level 3's by 21% 2nd grade Reading: decrease in Level 3's by 12% 4th grade Reading: decrease in Level 3's by 8% 5th grade Language Arts: decrease in Level 3's by 25%
Math: decrease in Level 3's by 7% Science: increase in Level 1's by 12% Social Studies: decrease in Level 3's by 9%
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
A student's progress from year to year is kept as part of their portfolio. Their areas of strength and weakness are noted and become part of the data that teachers use to inform their instructional decisions. The information is also used to create individual student goals. Please see the Student Data sheet attached to the Annual Report.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
63

The only areas of concern are 6th grade Math and 7th grade Science. It is worth noting that there were only 14 students tested in the 6th grade and 13 students tested in the 7th grade. The number of students not meeting expectations (Level 1) was really very small; however, due to the fact that the number of students tested it appears to affect the data to a larger degree.
Amana also disaggregated the data by domain at each grade level to see the particular areas in each subject where greater emphasis needs to be placed. One of those areas is grammar in Language Arts and another area is the Algebra strand in Math. All domains in Science as well as Social Studies need to be strengthened by greater emphasis on the content in all subjects. Resources have been purchased to support these efforts and greater emphasis on Science and Social Studies staff development will be noticeable.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Georgia Writing Assessment: Students in the 3rd and 5th grades take the GWA. All Amana students met or exceeded state and district standards for writing. Data also shows progress from the previous years at both grade levels.
2. Diagnostic Reading Test: All students at Amana are given the DRA at the beginning and end of the academic school year. Those students not meeting grade level expectations are tested at mid-year as well. 95% of all students met or exceeded grade level Reading grade level expectations. The test covers fluency, how well a student can read, and comprehension, how well a student understands what they read.
3. Georgia Kindergarten Assessment: The GKAP is given to all Kindergarten students at the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. The assessment measures all subject areas and students' developmental levels in various skills. At the end of the 2006-2007 school year, all Amana kindergarteners met the district and state expectations on the GKAP.
64

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. A Board that constitutes all volunteers governs Amana, and the majority is Amana parents. The Board served the school by providing long term planning, planning fund raising, ensuring compliance, and consistency with the Charter, and supporting the administration of the school. Additionally the Parent-Teacher Organization, called Partners in Education (PIE), has provided service to the school by organizing volunteers to serve in the classrooms (crew parents), help the carpool lines and dismissal, chaperone during field studies, host community building events, sponsoring book fair and community service days.
Additionally the Amana community volunteers supported the Annual Fund campaign and organized a "Friends of Amana" Luncheon to recognize individuals and organizations that supported Amana, and maintained Amana's website.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. 1. Number of volunteers: Over 150 volunteers signed up to work at Amana in different functions. 2. Number of volunteer Hours: PIE, the Parent teacher organization, estimates that the parent community contributed well over 2000 volunteer hours to Amana. This includes volunteering in the classroom, field studies, maintaining school grounds, volunteering in community service days, organizing community building events, and other activities. 3. Fund Raising: The Amana parental involvement was also measured by the monitory contributions in three different ways: a. Contributions to the Annual Fund: Over 65% of parents contributed to the Annual Fund. The Fund collected approximately $30,000. The funds went towards purchasing a mobile computer lab that's currently in use in Amana classrooms. b. Contributions for PIE fundraisers: Several fund raising events were held by PIE, from movie night out for parents to bake sales and box tops for education. The total income to PIE was over $20,000. c. Funds contributed by parents to support field studies: Over $14,000 was contributed by Amana parents towards the large number of field studies required to support the experiential hands-on learning at Amana.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? The Amana Governing Board will hold town hall meetings and information sessions to encourage parents to be at the school, and explain the opportunities for involvement. The PIE will be holding volunteer orientation classes periodically.
65

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Strong Communicators: Amana strives to give all students the opportunities to become strong communicators by teaching them presentation, listening, and writing skills. Some of the things that have been done this year to achieve this include: all teachers have been trained in the first two days of Tribes in which teachers are taught how to create a community in the classroom that fosters great communicators; all students are given at least one opportunity to present at the weekly Community Circle; all students are required to formally present to the public during the two Exhibition/Showcase Nights throughout the school year.
2.
Arabic: Amana students who attend the school for 4 consecutive years will be able to converse in Arabic at an intermediate level. The Arabic crew has written and delivered Arabic curriculum for Kindergarten and First grade. Arabic has been a focus at every Community Circle once a week. The Arabic crew is currently developing 2nd and 3rd grade curriculum as well as assessments for students at beginning, intermediate, and advanced levels.
3.
Environmental and Civic Responsibility: Amana's emphasis on environmental and civic world issues has created students that are very conscious and active in the community. A student crew has planted and maintained a garden on the campus. The Amana community has been a part of several community events that involve our partner, The Chattahoochee Nature Center. One of Amana's teachers has been named the Environmental Teacher of the Year for the second time in a row. Amana is a member of the Clean Air Campaign and hosts an Earth Day "Festival" every year. Amana continues to place great emphasis and focus on environmental and civic issues.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

66

TEST RESULTS 67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

ATLANTA CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Contact Information
Jacqueline M. Rosswurm, Ph.D 820 Essie Avenue Atlanta, GA 30316 678-904-0051

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Aug. 1, 2005 6, 7 80 Yes

Mission
The mission of the Atlanta Charter Middle School is to create a small, focused, and diverse middle school that nurtures the whole child through strong parental and community involvement and challenging academics.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Atlanta Charter Middle School
0

King Middle School
0.3

Price Middle School
1.9

Atlanta Public Schools
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

77

Diversity

Caucasian

35%

Black

55%

Hispanic

8%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

587

737

49,773 1,589,839

3%

1%

9%

47%

91%

91%

85%

38%

5%

8%

4%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

17%

1%

3%

4%

4%

14%

12%

3%

4%

9%

9%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

40%

87%

96%

75%

50%

78

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Once again, our students' standardized test results definitely met our expectations. This was the second year of operation for the Atlanta Charter Middle School. Once again, our students scored overall among the highest of all students in the state. In spite of meeting expectations, we are still looking closely at all students and subtests to see how we might improve.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Looking at the 7th grade results in relationship to their performance last year, we see that there was progress in all areas except Social Studies. Continuing a tutoring program along with additional opportunities for students to receive individual support certainly has again proven to result in student success. The heterogeneous grouping also supports all students in learning at high levels. The expansion of the school and the staff and the stabilization of a school in its second year of operation may also be factors that play into the success.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Improved: Reading (+3%), Mathematics (+3%), Science (+11.8%) Regressed: Social Studies (-3%) This is looking at the cohort of 7th grade scores this year in comparison to their 6th grade scores last year. 6th grade is a baseline year.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We do track student achievement using cohorts.

79

5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Our students did very well on the state assessments. However, there are still areas we need to examine. Mathematics, although the percentage meeting or exceeding has increased, continues to be the area that is the lowest among the tests. In addition, the area of Social Studies, although in the 94% meeting or exceeding, dropped and should be examined to see if there is something that needs to be addressed.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Promotion Rate: The faculty worked with the students so that all students would be ready to be promoted to the respective grade level. This year 100% of our students were promoted to the respective grade.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of family involvement increased this year due to several factors. With the school moving into an independent facility, families were given the opportunity to offer many hours in getting the building ready for student occupation. In addition, the program related volunteer opportunities continue to increase, as well. Continued communication with the families in a consistent manner helped to build our family involvement in our school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parents are asked to sign a family contract in which they commit to giving at least 10 volunteer hours per school year to the school. Our Parent and Family Involvement committee tracks this progress. Periodic updates are sent to the families to let them know how they are doing with their volunteer commitment. If there are issues or problems, every effort is taken so that they may work to fulfill their commitment in way that works for them. It is of the utmost importance that these volunteer
80

commitments are seen as working together for their students and the good of the school. All families fulfilled at least the minimum for their hours. Of the 1200 hours required by both families and students, over 1800 hours were recorded.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
For this current school year, we will continue to encourage parental and community involvement as an integral part of Atlanta Charter Middle School. Since we have had our own facility, rather than leasing rooms at Neighborhood Charter School, we have had numerous workdays in order to get the building ready for this school year. There is an abundance of volunteer opportunities for both our families and community members at this new facility. We have found that one of the best ways to engage parents is to make them feel part of the school community.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Student Population - An important goal for Atlanta Charter Middle School is to maintain a diverse student population; both ethnically and socio-economically. For the 2005-2006 school year, ACMS was diverse in every way. We were 55% AfricanAmerican, 25% Caucasian, 12% Multi-cultural, and 8% Hispanic. In addition, 43% of our student population qualified for the Free and Reduced Lunch Program; making ACMS a Title I Targeted Assistance Program School. At ACMS, we believe it is important that our diversity mirrors the communities we serve. For our first year of operation, we have achieved a diversity that is representative of these neighborhoods.
2.
Planned Growth of Student Body In our second year of operation, we opened with 80 students in the sixth grade and seventh grade. This seems a low number for most start-up schools, but at Atlanta Charter Middle School, we are dedicated to deliberate growth in order to properly build our programs, properly support our students, and ensure the success of our school. We will grow at a rate of 40 students each year until we have a total of 240 students in the sixth, seventh and eighth grades. We are committed to maintaining a small school environment, which means more attention to student achievement
3.
The number one obstacle for charter schools, particularly in the Atlanta area, is facilities. Atlanta Charter Middle School has faced the issue of finding a home. For our first years operation, we were fortunate to be able to share a home with Neighborhood Charter School. We worked diligently through the entire 2005-2006
81

school year to secure a permanent home for Atlanta Charter Middle School. ACMS was most fortunate to be able to call Anne E. West Elementary School building home for the 2006-2007 school year. The utilization of Anne E. West is very exciting for a number of reasons: The neighborhood support is overwhelming and the local communities are very committed to the success of ACMS. We are working towards the purchase of the school building from APS and we believe that owning our own facility will give us great potential for the life of the charter school. The Atlanta Board of Education members voted unanimously to enter into a lease/purchase agreement with Atlanta Charter Middle School. The purchase of the facility will occur shortly after the 2007-2008 school year begins.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes Yes. Presently the reserve fund is approximately 5%.

82

TEST RESULTS 83

84

85

86

BACONTON COMMUNITY CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Lynn Pinson 260 E. Walton Street Baconton, GA 31716 229-787-9999

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Mitchell County Start-Up Sep. 5, 2000 Pre-k - 12 636 No

Mission
The mission of Baconton Community Charter School is to provide a safe, nurturing atmosphere in which to guide a diverse student body in the development of character and academic potential through a rigorous, content-rich, hands-on curriculum and on-going character enrichment that leads to an understanding of virtuous behavior and civic responsibility. High standards of teaching, study, and conduct, standards which lead to academic excellence and strong moral fiber, are central to the mission of BCCS. Parental involvement is critical to the BCCS mission.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Baconton Community
Charter School
0

Lamar Reese School of the Arts
9.5

Radium Springs Middle School
10.2

Mitchell County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

621

Diversity

Caucasian

90%

Black

7%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

539

581

2,634 1,589,839

1%

7%

29%

47%

99%

92%

66%

38%

0%

1%

5%

9%

0%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

0%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

10%

0%

0%

2%

4%

0%

0%

1%

9%

11%

15%

11%

12%

87

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

36%

85%

88%

77%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
1. Overall, our students' test scores met our expectations. Our goal is for regular education students in kindergarten to score 75% in Reading & Math, 1st grade students to score 70%, and 2nd-11th graders to score 60%, scores that are significantly above the national average. For this report, scores include all students; no special education student scores have been backed out of this report. The following data is from the Spring 2007 administration of the Stanford Achievement Test, Ninth Edition: In Reading, 9 of 12 grades met or exceeded our goals, with average percentile scores ranging from 56% to 93%. Three grades were 1-4 percentile points below our expectations. In Math, 11 of 12 grades met or exceeded our goals, with average percentiles ranging from 54% to 89%. The eleventh grade scored six percentile points below our goal. CRCT data indicates 91.3% of all students in grades 1-8 met or exceeded Reading standards; 93.4% met or exceeded ELA standards; and 90% met or exceeded Math standards.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
2. Again this year Math scores exceeded our goals. Kindergarten Math scores rose from 57% in 2006 to 89% in 2007. This is attributed to additional teacher training and analysis of the objectives to be taught. Overall, Math scores in 2007 were 70% above 2006 scores. We use Saxon Math, integrated with the GPS standards. Reading scores continue to excel, with an overall percentile point gain of 44. Our continued use of SRA Reading Mastery, a direct instruction program, the integration of accelerated reader throughout elementary and middle school, and the introduction of the REWARDS Reading program in middle school have contributed to our rising scores. In addition, high school students whose scores did not meet

88

minimum standards in 2005 took study skills courses focusing on Reading and Math. After school tutorials were made available to all middle and high school students who needed assistance in core academic areas. CRCT scores reveal an increase in the number of students who exceeded standards in Reading, while in Math the number of students who exceeded remained stable, but the number who met standards increased, thus lowering the number who did not meet standards.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
3. Our high school ranked #8 in the State of Georgia by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation based on Georgia High School Graduation Test scores. Our kindergarten students achieved terrific gains in Math. Overall, the gains in Reading and Math scores on the SAT 9 are tremendous, as noted in the response to question #2.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
4. Yes, we compare scores for the same group of students. For example, 2007 first grade students whose 2006 kindergarten scores in Math were 57% reached the 88%. 2006 third graders who moved to fourth grade in 2007 gained 8% points in Math. 2006 fifth graders who moved to sixth grade in 2007 gained 12% points in Math. Several other grades also showed percentile improvements as they moved from one grade to the next. Of particular note in Reading, 2006 freshman gained 12% points as sophomores in 2007, and 2006 sophomores gained 9% points as juniors in 2007. In 2006, five grades fell a few points below our goal of 60%; in 2007, just three grades fell short, and this by 1%, 3% and 4% points each.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
5. We continue to make instructional adjustments based on these scores. The switch to more inclusion classes, as opposed to pullout resource classes, for middle and high school special education students, the 2nd year implementation of the REWARDS program for middle grades, and high school study skills classes contributed to these gains in Stanford scores. High school students whose Reading scores fell below the minimum standard are receiving additional Reading skills instruction in the 2007-2008 school year; students are placed in this group as individuals based on demonstrated academic weakness, not as members of any
89

particular subgroup. These students represent regular and special education, as well as various racial and socio-economic levels.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. 100% of eleventh grade students earned a Pass or Pass Plus on the Social Studies section of the GHSGT. Only one (a special education student) did not pass the Language Arts portion of the GHSGT on the first try; this student succeeded on the summer retest. 31 of 33 students passed Math and 30 of 33 passed Science. Our Pass Plus percentage for Language Arts is 69.7%, for Math it is 48.5%, for Science 24.2% and for Social Studies 45.5%. Of the 32 students enrolled at BCCS for the fall administration of the GHSWT, 30 earned passing scores; the others earned passing scores on the retest. Based on GHSGT scores from the previous year, BCCS was ranked #8 in the state by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation. 2. BCCS again partnered with Southwest Georgia Technical College to offer two college courses on campus through the ACCEL program. Approximately 17 students earned these college credit hours.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Our belief is that children supported by family and community can learn to their maximum potential when offered a rigorous, content-rich, hands-on curriculum through stimulating teaching in a safe and nurturing environment. Our parents are encouraged to support their child's education by volunteering in the school, and also by maintaining a strong working relationship with the teachers. All families met their hourly volunteer commitment in 2006-2007 school year. However, it is the level of involvement in the educational support of students that the parents made the greatest impact. The support of the school's policies, handbook guidelines, and curriculum was evident throughout the year. Overall, the BCCS parents made themselves available to meet with teachers and administrators to work out concerns with academic and behavioral issues. Involved parents and teachers, creating an environment for success, supported our students.
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2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. An actual measure of each family's hours is recorded each semester using a daily sign in/sign out format. Married couples are asked to donate forty hours per year, and single parents are asked to donate twenty hours per school year. At the end of each semester, families who do not comply with this policy meet with the BCCS Governing Board to determine the cause of the problem and to work with the parents by helping them find how they can become more involved. The school employs two volunteer coordinators who work with parents in finding ways to volunteer. The coordinators host Saturday Family Volunteer Days for parents who cannot be at the school during the workweek. Also included in their job is the responsibility of totaling each family's hours and working with the families in advance of the end of each semester to insure that the hours are complete. In the 2006-2007 school year, all families completed their volunteer commitment.
BCCS teachers are given strategies on encouraging parental involvement in the classroom. A Web-based grade book and communication system supports the parental involvement with the teachers. An active PTO works diligently to provide bi-monthly programs that benefit our parents and give them important information about the school. Attendance at PTO is considered an indicator of parental involvement, and the average attendance last year was 220, representing a strong participation by our parents.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? The BCCS Governing Board has implemented a New Family Mentoring Program designed to help our new families feel welcome and informed. Included in this program is a targeted session on the importance of parental involvement and the commitment that BCCS has to the belief that parental involvement is critical to student success. Making parents more informed of the daily happenings of the school is a continued focus. The school has added a newsletter and monthly calendar, which will be mailed to each family, as well as an increased focus on the school website as a tool for information for parents. Fundraisers at BCCS are centered on fellowship events that draw the families to the campus.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above.
91

1.
Attendance: BCCS has a 97.5% attendance goal. Students must not miss more than five days, nor be tardy more than five days to achieve this goal. The attendance rate for BCCS was the highest in our county, at 99%.
2.
CRCT Reading: Our goal is to have 90% or more of students meeting or exceeding standards on the CRCT in Reading. Four of 8 grades met this goal. Those grades that didn't meet the goal were 4th (89.1 %), 5th (83.4%), 6th (88.2%) and 7th (82.9%). All grade levels considered together, however, only 8.6% of students did not meet or exceed.
3.
CRCT Math: Our goal is for 90% or more of students to meet or exceed expectations in Math on the CRCT. We met this goal in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th grades. Those grades that didn't meet the goal were 6th (79.6%) and 7th (60%).

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

BERRIEN ACADEMY

Contact Information
Chris Huckans 1015 Exum Road Nashville, GA 31639 229-686-6576

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Berrien County Start-Up Aug. 4, 2005 9 - 12 73 No

Mission
The Berrien Academy will strive to provide students with equal access to quality educational programs and the necessary social services in an environment that that allows students the opportunity to achieve their maximum learning potential.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Berrien Academy Performance Learning
Center
0

Berrien

Cook

High School County

High School

1.2

12

Berrien County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

75

Diversity

Caucasian

83%

Black

16%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

879

784

3031 1,589,839

80%

56%

78%

47%

16%

40%

15%

38%

3%

3%

4%

9%

0%

1%

0%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

0%

0%

1%

1%

4%

10%

10%

7%

9%

9%

9%

13%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

64%

51%

51%

61%

50%

106

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Our students did meet our realistic expectations but not our goals. When the total data was released, the students at Berrien Academy were only under the traditional high schools scores by no more than 2 percentage points. In some areas, the scores were equal. The difference in scores was also similar when compared to the state averages. The students of Berrien Academy have already been deemed at-risk for drop out or failing to pass the GHSGT. Although the overall scores are not as high as the traditional school's our population does not consist of students that were expected to pass or graduate at that rate.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Students enrolled at Berrien Academy have increased their academic averages in each subject area. The average improvement is one letter grade or 7 points. Students enrolled at the Academy are placed in classes that are aligned to state standards but are designed with each individual student in mind. Our student: teacher ratio is 15:1. This low ratio allows our teachers to become more active in small groups and one on one tutoring. Berrien Academy works with outside tutors also to help our students improve their scores. For the writing test, we have a teacher from another school work with all of our students. During the two years that this teacher has worked with our students, only 2 out of over 59 have failed the writing test.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Berrien Academy students improved their scores in English and Social Studies. The scores for Social Studies were only slightly higher than the previous year but they did improve. Scores for Math and Science did not improve but there was no significant

107

regression.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Berrien Academy does track student achievement. The school uses the data to compare first time test takers scores on the GHSGT from year to year. The school also uses the data to compare improvement on scores for students who have failed a section of the exam. Berrien Academy also compares scores from class to class on EOCT tests. The data is very important in order for the staff to create remedial programs and to revise teaching strategies for the next term.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Berrien Academy does not have a large enough population to have measured subgroups. The majority of students at the school qualifies for free or reduced lunch. The areas in which we see the greatest need is in thinking skills and Mathematics. Many of our students do not understand questions on the standardized tests. In order to combat this problem the school has created an after school program. In this program, students are using the KeyTrain program as part of their skill building exercises. This program has shown great success in raising the test scores of AfricanAmerican male students on the Georgia High School Graduation Tests. The faculty of Berrien Academy is also reworking class test questions to be more aligned with the style of questions asked on standardized tests.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The number one goal for creating Berrien Academy was to decrease the dropout rate in Berrien County. After the first year of operation, the graduation rate for the county rose from 46% to over 50%. This past year, only the second year operation, Berrien County's graduation rate rose to 77%. For the 2006-2007, school year Berrien Academy graduated 25 students. The school is well on the way to helping the Berrien County School System in reaching its goals for graduation rates. 2.
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Increase on-time graduation rates. The goal of the school is to help Berrien County achieve AYP each year. Berrien County is one of a handful of systems to have made AYP for three consecutive years. The school's ability to offer accelerated class offerings as well as after school programs gives students the opportunity to make up failed credits. The majority of graduates this past year were either on time or early. 3. Increase the number of students receiving vocational diplomas. Last term twenty-two of the twenty-five graduates completed the vocational track. 4. Increase the number of student receiving college preparatory diplomas. Last term three of the twenty-five graduates completed the college preparatory track.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Community involvement at the school was excellent last term. Numerous individuals, community groups, and businesses provided supplies and funding for programs and events. Parent involvement at Berrien Academy last term was disapointing. Parent attendance at open house meetings dropped off after the fall and parental attendance at board meetings became sporadic.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Community involvement is measured by the number of individuals or groups participate in each event. Community members are counted if they supply services or supplies in advance. Parental involvement is measured by the number of students represented by parents at each event.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Berrien Academy is working on a letter writing campaign this year to encourage parental involvement. Students are also being offered incentives to get their parents involved at the school. The goal this year is to have at least one face-to-face conference with each parent of underclassmen and two for seniors.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other
109

Measures" section above. 1.
Provide social services for students. In partnership with the Berrien County Collaborative students have access to numerous services. On campus, Berrien Academy has a licensed therapist, three parent educators, a nurse, and several interns. These individuals are also able to work with outside service providers to assist our students and their families.
2.
Provide experiential education opportunities. Berrien Academy visited college campuses often last term. These campuses included Valdosta Technical College and ABAC. Students at the school also participated in statewide competitions sponsored by Communities in Schools of Georgia. One student won the state award for poetry.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

110

111

BISHOP HALL CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Richard Johnson 1819 E. Clay St. Thomasville, GA 31792 229 227-1397

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Thomas County Start-Up Jul. 31, 1999 9 - 12 110 No

Mission
"Our mission is to provide students with academically sound and individually relevant curricula and social services within a safe, caring, and challenging environment which builds self-respect, self-reliance, and healthy decision-making skills. Ultimately, our goal is to equip students with the necessary skills to become successful, lifelong learners and socially competent, productive members of the global community."

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

The School at Bishop Hall
0

Thomasvill e High School
1.2

Thomas County Central High School
1.4

Thomas County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

112

776

1,602

5,459 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

71%

Black

28%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

15%

62%

63%

47%

83%

34%

32%

38%

1%

2%

2%

9%

0%

1%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

0%

0%

0%

1%

4%

8%

4%

6%

9%

11%

11%

15%

12%

112

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

42%

64%

49%

56%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
No. Our African-American students generally don't do as well as our Anglo students and that is a concern. Female students do better on the Science GHSGT tests whereas males do better on Social Studies, Math, and English. Science is our weakest area, reflective of a statewide issue. Our students are improving, but it must be noted that our mission is to take the students that are not succeeding in the traditional environment and provide a non-traditional environment for them. This means that we are getting 16-19 year olds who may have not passed a Math class since 5th grade. We have to make up for the failures of the school system over a period of several years and we don't have a lot of time to do it. We welcome the challenge, but the super focus on test scores probably inhibits some of our potential for success.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
GHSGT scores have generally improved, particularly within the population of African-American students. We have purchased new software programs (A+, Keytrain, Oddysseyware, LinkstoLearning, and USA TestPrep) and have designated Study Skills classes for test preparation. We have also instituted a free summer school program and Saturday School program designed to assist struggling students. We have created two new positions designed to reduce class sizes for these students and to reduce the load on English teaching. We have created a new Science wet lab so that students get increased hands-on instruction in Science to supplement the textbook/technology approach we used in the past.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in

113

which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Compared to student achievement in school prior to arriving at Bishop Hall, students generally improve in all subject areas. The average GPA prior to enrollment for our students last year was 67.7%. GPA after enrollment in Bishop Hall jumped to 87.4%. 93.7% of students improved academically after enrolling in Bishop Hall. Students improved in all areas with the greatest improvement in Math; an average increase of 22 points. The lowest increase was demonstrated in Social Studies; an increase of 9 points. Our most difficult area is reflected in End Of Course Tests (EOCTs).
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Primarily we are tracking students from the beginning of the school year to the end by utilizing TABE tests which our faculty has decided gives us the best information. We used to utilize BASI testing but we were dissatisfied with the inconsistency of those instruments. All students are TABE-tested upon enrolling at BHCS. This year approximately 40% of our students are considered ethnic minorities. This compares with the 23% minority ethnicity demographic in our school district. All of our students come here voluntarily. Currently, 50% of our minority males are functioning below grade level in Math and 75% below grade level in Reading according to TABE analysis. Fifty percent of our minority females are functioning below grade level in Math and 80% are functioning below grade level in Reading. Conversely, 25% of our white males are functioning below grade level in Math and 33% are functioning below grade level in Reading. Thirty percent of our white females are functioning below grade level in both Math and Reading. Remember, most of our students come to us after failing to achieve success after two or more years at the traditional high school. All of our students will be TABE-tested again at the end of the year or upon school completion (graduation). We anticipate 15 or more students graduating in December.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
As previously mentioned, our population is determined largely by a lack of success in the traditional educational environment. We look carefully at disaggregated data, specifically by gender and ethnicity. We highly individualize our instruction so that students with low skill levels get extra help. In recent years we have enrolled increasing numbers of students Reading well below grade level (as low as 3d or 4th grade) and high school students 16 years and older who haven't passed a Math test since 5th grade. We have had some success with these students, but it is obviously a
114

difficult task.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. This past year (2006-2007) we received our SACS accreditation as well as GAC accreditation. This is the first time we have received both. "The Quality Assurance Team (SACS) found Bishop Hall to be an exemplary and model school..(that)...has amassed an award-winning array of community partnerships...and...it is evident that instructional improvement that results in improving student achievement is the highest priority." 2. We have averaged graduating more than 20 students per year since 1999-2000. This has improved the Thomas County graduation rate from 10-25% each of the last eight years.
3. A large percentage of our students have qualified for dual enrollment status at Southwest Georgia Technical College. Their entrance test scores have increased which has given our students a broader range of opportunities for dual enrollment. SWGTC now sends a representative to each of our graduation ceremonies to honor students who have achieved success at their institution. 4. Based on data appraised by Communities in Schools of Georgia, our students earned more Carnegie units this past year than they did the year before. The average student earned more than two full units more last year than they did in 2005-2006. These data were evaluated as cumulative totals as opposed to per specific individuals. (See Supplemental Document #2) 5. By graduating an average of 20+ students each year, BHCS has increased the number of students receiving high school diplomas with either vocational or college seals in each of our eight years of existence, both goals established in our charters. We have steadily reduced the dropout rate at TCCHS so that we are now chartered to maintain the low dropout rate that has been achieved in Thomas County.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community
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involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Nearly half of our budget comes from local support. Each year we have expanded the number of substantial supporters. We have increased our local partnerships, adding Thomas University to our support base as suggested by the SACS Team. We receive up to three tuition-free slots for our students who are eligible for both high school credit and college credit.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
We have bimonthly parent "booster" meetings/open houses. We often host from 25%-40% of our parents on a given "booster" night. Parent and community participation at graduation ceremonies is always high. Southwest Georgia Technical College always has a staff member in attendance to present our graduates with any awards they may have received while attending that institution. The Parent Boosters always award Teacher of the Year, Valedictorian and Salutatorian/Student Laureate scholarships. They also provide our coaches with supplements.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
We are attempting to generate more tutors/mentors from local churches and the local university this year. We are establishing themes for each of our parent booster meetings in order to draw larger percentages of our parents. We require each set of parent/guardians to donate four hours of their time each school year, however, meetings or conferences or booster meetings can be used to make up the four-hour minimum. Each year we endeavor to increase our community partnerships. We celebrate our community partners at graduation ceremonies and at booster meetings.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Our primary responsibility to Thomas County Public Schools is to improve their graduation rate. We had two graduation ceremonies last year, walking over 30 students, representing our largest graduation class ever. We have graduated over 160 students during our 8 years in existence and have assisted Thomas County in elevating their graduation rate by from 10-25%. The Center for Education Reform acknowledged these efforts in their 2007 publication, Charter Schools Today: Stories of Inspiration, Struggle, and Success.
2.
One of our principale goals has been to develop a serious community collaborative to surround the clientele of Bishop Hall. Our social services coordinator is also a
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repositioned employee of DFCS with Bishop Hall students as her entire caseload. Local foundations have covered more than half of our operating budget and have financed the regeneration of our educational facility, an area of great need for charter schools in our state and an area for which charter schools have received little or no support from the state. Both Kappan magazine and our SACS Quality Assurance Team acknowledged our exceptional collaborative; Kappan in an article with Bishop Hall as lead in October of 2005 and SACS Team in their final review of Bishop Hall.
3.
One of our most important goals and a major area of success is changing the behavior of our students when their behavior prior to attending Bishop Hall has not been conducive to school success. Lack of attendance is certainly one indicator of a lack of interest in school and/or lack of academic success. Average attendance of our students prior to enrollment in Bishop Hall was 87.7%. Attendance behavior following enrollment at Bishop Hall has been 99%.
4.
Another indicator for some students relative to attendance and behavior is the number of days missed due to suspension. For "problem" students, prior to enrollment at Bishop Hall, this population evidenced 14+ days out of school due to suspension. That same population, following enrollment in Bishop Hall demonstrated less than one-day suspension (.7) per year.
5.
Another concern for our students has been developing an appreciation for the community that has given so much to support their attempts to earn a high school diploma. Every student at Bishop Hall must complete a minimum of 60 hours of community service. Most of our students far exceed that goal. Our students donate more than three hours every week working as "big brothers and sisters" at our local Head Start program and in local elementary schools. Some of our students do yard work for the elderly, work at the local Humane Society, volunteer at Habitat for Humanity and/or intern at local businesses. We are partners and participants with Hands on Thomas County.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes Yes. We have approximately $900,000 in reserve.

117

TEST RESULTS 118

119

BRIGHTEN ACADEMY

Contact Information
Soundra Pollocks 3264 Brookmont Pkwy. Douglasville, GA 30135 770-615-3680

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Douglas County Start-Up Aug. 5, 2006 K - 7 262 No

Mission
The mission of Brighten Academy is to provide a productive learning environment with a highly qualified staff committed to using an innovative, research-based instructional model that produces measured growth in every student every year.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Brighten Academy
0

Arbor Station Elementary School
1.3

Chapel Hill Elementary
School
1.5

Douglas County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

265

Diversity

Caucasian

71%

Black

25%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

599

597

24,029 1,589,839

49%

47%

43%

47%

35%

40%

44%

38%

6%

5%

8%

9%

4%

2%

1%

3%

1%

0%

0%

0%

7%

6%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

37%

Special Education

7%

3%

2%

3%

4%

12%

15%

10%

9%

11%

10%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

3%

35%

39%

48%

50%

120

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes, they more than met our expectations. As a first year start-up charter school, we had many challenges to overcome. Despite these challenges, our students still met, and in fact, exceeded our instructional goals as evident by our students' performance on the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT), the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS), which is a norm-referenced test, and the 5th Grade State of Georgia Writing Test.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Our school achieved top 10 in the State of Georgia for 5th Grade Math scores on the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT).
On the CRCT, 90% of our students met or exceeded expectations in all but two grade level subject areas, and these grade levels still had 81.8% and 88.6% meet or exceed expectations. Our 5th and 6th grade students did exceptionally well. Of the 5th graders, 100% of the students met or exceeded requirements in Language, Math, and Social Studies! Of the 6th graders, 100% of the students met or exceeded expectations in ALL subject areas but Science (but still, 92% met or exceeded). 100% of our 3rd grade Math students met or exceeded expectations. 90% of our 5th grade students met or exceeded requirements on the 5th Grade Writing Assessment.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. N/A - 2006-2007 was our first operational year.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's

121

seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Our charter states as a performance objective that cohort groups will make one year's growth each year at minimum, so yes, we track by comparison. 2006-2007 was our baseline year.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. It is our ultimate goal to have 100% of students meet or exceed state requirements on the CRCT. In evaluating our data, we focused first on the students who did NOT meet requirements. Although the numbers were low, we felt that these students may have met requirements if there was some sort of intervention program that targeted their deficits. During the 2006-2007 school year, Brighten did not have an Early Intervention Program (EIP) in place. For the 2007-2008 school year, we have implemented an EIP Program with a teacher dedicated to remediation and previewing of curriculum with students who demonstrate deficits in Reading, Writing, or Math. We have purchased training and materials in a research-based corrective Reading program (SRA Corrective Reading for EIP and SRA Reading Mastery for SPED). Mentors are being utilized within the classroom to also help improve the students' skills. In addition, we have specific staff development opportunities in place, supported by the EIP teacher and Connections (Curriculum) Coordinators, to help the staff develop competency in remediation and previewing within the regular classroom setting.
In evaluating the overall data for students who MET requirements, we decided to focus on ways in which we can help these students EXCEED expectations. Mentors are being utilized within the classroom to also help enhance the students' skills. In addition, we have specific staff development opportunities in place, supported by the Gifted Program teachers and Connections (Curriculum) Coordinators, to help the staff develop competency in enriching and accelerating within the regular classroom setting.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas.
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1.
MEET OR EXCEED ALL DISTRICT OR STATE STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES. We have achieved this goal.

BRIGHTEN CRCT %
Reading: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Language: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Math: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Science: 3 4 5 6
S.S.: 3 4 5 6

90% or > Meet or Exceeds Requirements

97.3% 91.4% 88.6% 90.7% 97.6% 100.0%

YES YES
YES YES YES

94.6% 91.4% 97.7% 90.7% 100.0% 100.0%

YES YES YES YES YES YES

94.6% 91.4% 100.0% 86.0% 100.0% 100.0%

YES YES YES
YES YES

81.8% 88.4% 97.6% 91.7%

YES YES YES

93.2% 95.3% 100.0% 100.0%

YES YES YES YES

DOUGLAS COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM CRCT

% Reading:
1 2 3

90% or > Meet or Exceeds Requirements

89.4%

90.4%

YES

84.5%

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4 5 6 Language: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Math: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Science: 3 4 5 6
S.S.: 3 4 5 6

83.9% 84.3% 90.4% YES
80.9% 82.2% 84.6% 81.4% 85.9% 87.1%
82.1% 78.6% 89.5% 76.2% 87.6% 65.1%
69.1% 69.6% 64.1% 63.3%
87.3% 85.9% 88.6% 85.1%

2. MEET OR EXCEED DISTRICT OR STATE WRITING ASSESSMENT SCORES
We have met this goal. Below is a comparison of 5th grade writing scores for Brighten vs. Douglas County School System.
Level 1 (Does Not Meet)
System: 33% Brighten: 10%
Level 2 (Meets)
System: 63% Brighten: 68%

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Level 3 (Exceeds)
System: 5% Brighten: 22%
Meets AND Exceeds:
System: 68% Brighten: 90%
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parent and community support was a tremendous factor in the success of our school in its first year. Our parents worked tirelessly in the classrooms, with students in tutoring and mentoring roles, in the library, in the office, in school-sponsored events/functions, and in fundraising efforts.
Our community support was also phenomenal. Local businesses helped sponsor the school's fundraising efforts, including our Birdies for Brighten Golf Tournament, which raised $22,000 in its first year. Local professionals came into our school and sponsored clubs (Mad Scientist, Gardening, Geography, and Money Matters) to enhance our extracurricular program. We had an "artist in residence" from a local gallery who donated materials and 20 hours per month to art instruction. Students participated in an art exhibit at his studio. A local non-profit, philanthropic foundation backed our loan so that we could construct our permanent modular buildings. A local bank loaned us the funds for construction.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. For our first year, each parent was asked to volunteer a minimum of 20 hours. We calculated the number of parent involvement hours recorded in our sign-in books. Using this method, over 90% of our parent population met or exceeded this requirement. For the small percentage who did not meet the 20-hour requirement, we offered summer opportunities helping in the media center or at the facility, and at the time of this report, 100% of the parents have met their parent obligation.
We found using this method was problematic since parents help in so many ways where they do not sign-in; therefore, for the 2007-2008 school year, we have instituted a "credit requirement" and a variety of opportunities to earn credits. Parents self report monthly and we use sign-in sheets as well. We hope that this will help
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with the accuracy of reflecting parent involvement.

3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
We provide many school related events, performances, and showcases of student work. Last year we instituted "Curriculum, Community, and Conversation," which focuses each month on a topic of interest to the parents (e.g., assisting with homework, assessment, testing). The staff, students, and parents come together to talk and socialize. It has been a great way to bring everyone together. We also have Volunteer Saturdays once monthly so that parents can plan ahead for some time to come and help the school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS

In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
WE WILL DEVELOP STUDENTS' CHARACTER AND SELF MONITORING OF ACTIONS:

The 2006-2007 school year was our baseline. Our school is developed around the 7 Cs: character, commitment, critical thinking, creativity, curiosity, community, and culture. Students were awarded "Sunshine Slips" when they displayed noteworthy examples in one of these areas. Sunshine Slips were awarded in the school's assembly daily. Each week administration focused on discussion around one of these 7 Cs. Below is a report of the number of Sunshine Slips the students earned during the 2005-2006 school year.

Character

216

Commitment

193

Critical Thinking 65

Creativity

49

Curiosity

18

Community

178

Culture

9

2. STUDENT INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. The 2006-2007 school year was our baseline. 1. Relay for Life - Staff and students worked collaboratively to raise funds for the

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American Cancer Society. The school raised over $7,000.
2. One for Books - Staff and students raised $300, which was matched by Scholastic to go to charities for literacy for needy children.
3. Spring in Enterprise - 1st grade students created lollipop flowers to "Brighten" the day of Enterprise, Alabama students who had to forgo their Spring Break because of significant tornado damage to their school. Teachers wrote letters of encouragement to the staff of Holly Crest Elementary.
4. Canned Food Drive - 6th grade students, led by a parent volunteer, organized a canned food drive for families in need for the Thanksgiving holidays. Over 350 cans were collected and distributed.
3. FISCAL SOLVENCY
Brighten Academy is financially stable. The Academy's current operating Full Time Equivalent (FTE) is based on 265 students. The Academy has added seventh grade in fiscal year 2008 and plans to add eight grade in fiscal year 2009. The current enrollment is 348 students with approximately 190 on the waiting list. The Academy has added five new cottages and an addition to building B to accommodate the new students. The county and state's economic outlook continues to be healthy. From all indications, the State of Georgia will continue to impose formula reductions across the State. Despite continued challenges of being a new charter school and the added growth of students, the Academy's management and Board are committed to continue to effectively and prudently manage the available resources to provide quality educational opportunities for all of the Academy's students.
Other indicators of financial solvency include staff and student turnover rates. Brighten Academy's staff renewal rate was 82%. Brighten Academy's student withdrawal rate was 9% with the majority of withdrawals due to family moves out of district. Vacancies were quickly filled and our school stayed close to capacity at all times.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

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TEST RESULTS 128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

CENTRAL EDUCATIONAL CENTER (CEC)

Contact Information
Mark Whitlock 160 Martin Luther King, Jr., Drive Newnan, GA 30263 678-423-2009

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

N/A Start-Up Aug. 10, 2000 9 - 12 1225 No

Mission
Ensure a viable 21st century workforce.

Demographics
The CEC is not a home school and therefore no demographic data is available. Testing data is reported through the district.

Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Total Population

Diversity

Caucasian

%

Black

%

Hispanic

%

Asian/Pacific Islander

%

American

%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

%

Special Populations

ESOL

%

Gifted

%

Special Education

%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

137

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? N/A

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. We helped all our high schools and our entire district to make AYP.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Economics EOCT improved as planned. The combination of general education at our base high schools combined with upper level general academics application, upper level career technical and agricultural education, and then combined with technical college dual enrollment and work-based learning experiences, better helps to ensure success for our students.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Economics EOCT improved.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No. Our students are shared among three base high schools and classes here are not discrete by grade level except for English classes (11th and 12th grades) and Economics (a 12th grade requirement).
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.

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We are working even more closely with our base high schools by implementing a "Michigan strategy." We are assisting in the provision of WIN curriculum that prepares for WorkKeys assessments. That collaboration is occurring on all three ninth grade campus locations within our base high schools. Research has shown that success at WorkKeys correlates with increases in student academic achievement, with College Board test scores, and with success in the workplace. WorkKeys is an ACTbased project to describe the specific academic skill sets required by jobs in the US economy. It is based on the actual analysis of jobs (each) analyzed for up to two weeks.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Work Ethic--Florida State University research shows that work ethic among CEC students is markedly improved versus their peers. National research suggests that excellence in key work ethic components translates into improved student academic achievement. 2. GPA--Florida State University research shows that the GPA of CEC students improved during grades 10-12. 3. Dual enrollment at CEC shows that more than 100 students met the ACT-based COMPASS/ASSET test cut-off scores that measure academic achievement/performance. 4. Of those dual enrolled, University of Georgia research (two separate studies) and Florida State University research conclude that those who earn at least one TCC (Technical College Certificate of Credit) while in high school have a 98% high school completion rate. 5. Of those dual enrolled, University of Georgia research (two separate studies) and Florida State University research conclude that 100% are "placed" in above minimum-wage jobs and/or in additional post-secondary education within 120 days of graduating from high school (having also earned at least one TCC while in high school).
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
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1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parents and community business leaders made up the majority of our CEC Board of Directors (12 of 17 seats). Work-based learning sites continued to grow indicating that the community wants to provide opportunities for interns and apprentices from CEC. In addition, local business confirmed the need for new programs and the job opportunities available for those who studied in planned new programs.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We have identified approximately 100 local businesses who regularly participate to provide work-based learning opportunities. Placement rate for students in TCC programs at CEC continues to exceed 95%. Local economic developers asked CEC to become more involved in recruiting new industries/new jobs to Coweta County.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We will host additional business involvement in classes, we will continue to increase the number of students available for work-based learning opportunities, we will write grants that could provide technical training equipment desired by the community, and we will describe and share our new ninth grade campus (WIN/WorkKeys) partnerships with Coweta's Work Ready Community Committee.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. The Charter School will cause Coweta County Schools to exceed the majority of USDE benchmark accountability measures in Years 1-5 of this agreement. We met this goal in 2006-7, including the academic achievement portion. 2. The Charter School will cause Coweta County Schools to produce graduates whose high school diplomas have dual seals. The number of dual seal diplomas will be substantially the same as are the number of college prep diplomas in Years 1-5 of this Agreement. The most recent report card available indicates that we made considerable progress toward this goal. In addition, all our partner base high schools adopted this goal as a part of their new "Balanced Scorecard" approach to accountability. 3.
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The Charter School will cause the percentage of Coweta County students dualenrolled in technical college programs to increase in Years 1-5 of this Agreement. Our progress toward this goal will be evidenced in 2007-8 enrollment. During 20067, we succeeded in approving and having some $750,000 local resources committed (between Coweta County Schools and West Central Technical College) in order to open new programs to increase enrollment. In addition, West Central Technical College added more than 2 new FTE in 2006-7 to help meet this goal in the years ahead.
4.
The Charter School will increase the number of Coweta County students in workbased learning programs by 25% during the period of this Agreement. We completed structural changes that resulted in CEC becoming one of thirteen pilot programs in Georgia to implement a new approach to work-based learning. That approach will yield significantly higher enrollment in 2007-8. We therefore made progress toward this goal and will achieve the increase during the charter period.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

141

CHAMBLEE CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Rochelle Lowery 3688 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road Chamblee, GA 30341 678-676-6903

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Conversion Aug. 2001 9 - 12 1350 No

Mission
The mission of Chamblee Charter High School is to foster the intelligence, social, and moral growth and physical health of every student.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Chamblee High School
0

Dunwoody Lakeside

High School High School

3.3

3.9

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population
Diversity
Caucasian Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaskan Native Multiracial

1420
32% 47% 8% 9% 0%
4%

1390

1,567

98,713 1,589,839

45%

43%

10%

47%

34%

29%

76%

38%

12%

13%

8%

9%

6%

9%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

5%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

2%

Gifted

35%

Special Education

8%

3%

4%

4%

4%

24%

22%

10%

9%

11%

8%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

29%

21%

30%

64%

50%

142

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Chamblee Charter High School (CCHS) has experienced both achievement and regression in our testing scores. CCHS saw a marginal decrease in our overall scores for English/Language Arts (97% to 96%), Science (88% to 85%), and Math (95% to 93%) on the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT). We maintained our score of 93% on the Social Studies portion of the test. However, we did see an increase in the number of Economically Disadvantaged students that passed the enhanced English/Language Arts portion of the GHSGT (from 83% to 90%). In addition, CCHS continued to raise SAT scores with a 15 point increase in critical Reading and a 7 point increase in Math between 2006 and 2007 (average SAT score of 1690).
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
CCHS saw an increase in the average SAT score for the third year in a row. This increase is partially due to the increased enrollment in SAT preparatory classes. CCHS also saw an increase in the percentage of students passing the geometry portion of the End of Course Test (EOCT) from 66% to 72%. Our dedicated faculty contributed to this improvement by offering morning and afternoon tutorials, as well as Saturday morning tutorials.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
CCHS saw improvement on the SAT as well as areas of the GHSGT and EOCT. More specifically, we saw increases among the Economically Disadvantaged subgroup on the GHSGT, while there were slight decreases among other subgroups. Additonally, CCHS scores decreased in five of nine EOCTs and increased in the other four tested.

143

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No effort was made to track the same group of students as they progressed from year to year.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Students who qualify for free or reduced lunch represent a continuing area of concern for CCHS. The Economically Disadvantaged subgroup failed to meet the absolute bar for AYP during the 2005 and 2006 school year. During the 2007 school year, CCHS introduced the "Principal's Club" which specifically targeted this subgroup.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The percentage of resident and magnet juniors with Pass Plus scores in all four content areas on the GHSGT (GHSGT) will increase by two percentage points over a three-year period beginning with the 2001 test administration-Resident Pass Plus Scores-2002-12%; 2003-16%; 2004-16%; 2005-16%; 2006-21%; 2007-14% 2. The percentage of students passing the Science and Social Studies portion of the GHSGT will increase three percentage points over the duration of the charter, based on the 2005 spring scores-Between 2005 and 2007, CCHS saw a 5-percentage point increase in the Science passing rate and a 2-percentage point increase in the Social Studies passing rate. 3. The number of students taking the ACT will increase 10% over the duration of the charter. Between 2003 (77 students) and 2007 (109 students) there was a 41.5% increase. 4. CCHS will increase the number of Economically Disadvantaged students meeting or exceeding the Annual Measurable Objective (AYP) on the enhanced Mathematics and
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enhanced English/Language Arts portion of the GHSGT, based on the 2005 NCLB report. CCHS has seen increases on both tests. Mathematics has increased from 52.9% in 2005 to 73.1% in 2007 and English/Language Arts have increased from 52.9% in 2005 to 89.7 in 2007. 5. CCHS will increase the number of students participating in the Advanced Placement (AP) testing opportunities using the 2005 test administration as the baseline. In 2005, a total of 625 AP Exams were administered. In 2007, that number increased to 804 AP Exams. This is an increase of 29% over a three year period.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. CCHS has an active PTSA and a Governance Council. Parents volunteer at CCHS on a regular basis. Parents are encouraged to volunteer and visit CCHS. PTSA meetings are held monthly. Parent involvement is encouraged at the meetings. PTSA meeting minutes are posted on the school website and a copy is maintained in the main office of the school. Fifteen parents serve as voting Governance Council members. Parents who are not Governance Council members are encouraged to attend Governance Council meetings and join one of charter standing committees (Academic Council, Community Service/Outreach, Discipline and Safety, Financial Planning, Technology, and Character Development). Meeting dates and times are posted on the school website and in the PTSA newsletter. 2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parental involvement is measured by attendance and assistance at school events and by volunteerism during the school day. We measure the level of parental and community involvement according to parent participation in the following areas: PTSA (over 1,000 members) CCHS Governance Council, Athletic Booster Clubs, Blue and Gold Foundation (a non-profit fundraising organization that was started by parents, alumni and former faculty), Career Day, Bulldog Bash, parent-teacher conferences, PTSA Curriculum Night, extracurricular academic clubs, and community service clubs. CCHS is a member of the Chamblee Area Business and Professional Coalition.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We will continue to invite parents to volunteer and visit our school. We will continue building relationships with local businesses. We will continue to promote and encourage community service hours for our students.
145

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
The number of CCHS teachers using the Internet to communicate with students and parents will increase-2002-2003 = 75% 2003-2004 = 100% 2004-2005 = 100% 2005-2006 = 100% 2006-2007 = 100%
2.
Using student and teachers surveys and cheating referrals, data will be maintained over a three-year period to examine the issue of student cheating and the effectiveness of the character education awareness in dealing with this issue-2003-2004 - Data was not collected on the issue of cheating; however, student, faculty, and parent groups met to define the school's core values and all acknowledged that cheating was still a major challenge. 2004-2005 - Student and teacher surveys were conducted. The data revealed - 83% of students have seen someone cheat on homework at school; 74% of students have seen someone cheat on a test at school. 2004-2005 - A cheating referral was created to track the percentage of teacherobserved cheating. During the 2005 school year a total of 52 referrals were submitted to the administration; during the 2006 academic year there were 56 cheating referrals submitted; during the 2007 school year there were 79 referrals submitted. Using the 2005 numbers as the baseline, CCHS saw a 34% increase in the number of teacherobserved cheating occurrences.
3.
Data will be maintained to chart discipline referrals over a three-year period to examine the effectiveness of character education awareness in dealing with this issue2004 - 2510 incidents 2005 - 2063 incidents 2006 - 2716 incidents 2007 - 2804 incidents
4.
The number of students participating in an extracurricular activity will increase over the duration of the charter. Based on the increase in number of available extracurricular clubs/organizations and teams (baseline for comparison is the 20052006 school year), student participation has increased. Staffing and coaching changes has influenced the inaccuracy of actual number of student participants.
146

5.
The dropout rate will decrease over the duration of the charter-2005 graduation rate - 83.8%; dropout rate - 16.2% 2006 graduation rate - 85.7% (1.9 % increase); dropout rate - 14.3% 2007 graduation rate - 86%; dropout rate decreased .3%

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes

TEST RESULTS

147

148

CHARLES R. DREW CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Dr. Nicholas Stapleton 301 East Lake Boulevard Atlanta, GA 30317 404-687-0001

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Aug. 14, 2000 PreK 8 746 Yes

Mission
The mission of Charles R. Drew Charter School is to work as a community of teachers, staff, students, families and volunteers to provide a learning environment that emphasizes high achievement and character development.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Charles R. Drew Charter
School
0

Toomer Elementary
School
1.1

Terry Mill Elementary
School
1.1

Atlanta Public Schools
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

790

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

98%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

197

279

49,773 1,589,839

0%

0%

9%

47%

95%

98%

85%

38%

2%

0%

4%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

1%

0%

0%

0%

3%

1%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

12%

0%

0%

3%

3%

15%

8%

3%

4%

9%

9%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

83%

88%

96%

75%

50%

149

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Yes, the school has met and/or exceeded the expectations of the standardized tests results. The school's mission of building a learning culture is based on high expectations. Drew students are surpassing state standards across all grades and subjects and celebrating successes outside the classroom as well. According to the data/goals identified in the school's charter and also in the Student Achievement Plan (SAP), new goals were achieved by the school. The following grades showed improvement in meeting and/or exceeding standards in the following subject areas based on the Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT) data: Reading-grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; Language Arts-grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7; Math-grades 3, 6, and 8; Science-grade 7; and Social Studies-grades 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The Student Achievement Plan for the 2007-2008 school year has been revised and strengthened to include new strategies for students. Drew Charter School earned a "Distinguished" School Improvement rating for having exceeded Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) requirements for the three consecutive years.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Testing results indicated that students at most grade levels showed improvement and in many grade levels/subject areas equaled and/or surpassed district and state averages. Overall, 88% of all students met and/or exceeded standards in Reading, 86% in Language Arts, and 73.7% in Math. Significant gains occurred in grades 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in Reading and Language Arts. While baseline data was established in Math for grades 1, 2, and 7 and in Science for grades 3, 4, and 5, gains in percentages of students meeting and/or exceeding standards in Math were attained for most grade levels including grades 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8; in Science for grades 3, 5, and 7; and in Social Studies, all grades except 4th. Additional highlights include: Students scored above state averages in Reading in grades 1, 2, and 6; in English/Language Arts, in grades 1, 2, 3, 5, and 6; in Math, in grades 1 and 2. The 3rd grade students scored above state averages in Social Studies. The 5th and 8th grade Writing Test results

150

indicated that 77% of 5th graders and 73% of 8th graders met and/or exceeded standards surpassing state averages of 70% for 5th and 67% for 8th.
The school has many effective strategies for removing learning barriers. Drew's rich and academically challenging curriculum focuses on Reading, writing, Math, Science, and technology. As a public charter school, Drew has greater flexibility in implementing different teaching methods and philosophies. All students have opportunities to reach new levels of achievement because Drew has the resources to accommodate a variety of learning styles. For example, the school calendar reflects an extended day program that provides students with 8 hours of instructional rigor. During the school day, all students participate in a minimum of two enrichment classes (art, music, swimming, golf, band, drama, dance, P.E., foreign language).
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
During the 2006-2007 school year, significant improvement occurred in grades 1, 3, 5, 6, and 7 on the Reading and English/Language Arts tests based on the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). The percentage of students in grades 1, 2, and 6 meeting and/or exceeding standards in Reading and English/Language Arts surpassed the state averages. Drew's Math scores increased in grades 3 and 8 based on QCC standards while Math tests based on the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in grades 1, 2, and 7 were considered baseline scores for 2006-2007. Based on the GPS standards, the 6th grade achieved an 18-percentage point gain in Math from the previous year. Drew's Science scores in grade 7 improved with a 16-percentage point gain of students meeting and/or exceeding standards while grades 3, 4, and 5 were considered baseline scores. Science scores declined in both 6th grade (4 percentage points) and in 8th grade (8 percentage points). In Social Studies, test scores improved in grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. The 3rd grade percentage of students meeting and/or exceeding standards surpassed the state average.
During the 2007-2008, school year the Phase-In Plan for the new Georgia Performance Standards includes grades 3, 4, 5 and 8 in Math, grade 8 in Science and grades 6, 7, and 8 in Social Studies. As a result, concentrated efforts in providing teachers with in-service training on implementation of the new Georgia Standards will continue to be a priority.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes, we track students by cohort and have seen continual improvement with overall test scores as students are promoted to the next grade level. The percentage of students meeting and/or exceeding standards has been increasing each year. For
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example, 88% of the students in the 8th grade (2006-2007) met and/or exceeded standards in Reading. As 3rd graders (2001-2002), only 60% of these same students met and/or exceeded standards. There was an increase of 28 percentage points from the 2001-2002 school year to the present year, despite test changes from the Quality Core Curriculum to the new Georgia Performance Standards. These results are constant with all other subject areas.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. One area of concern is ensuring that students who qualify for the Program for Exceptional Children (PEC) meet and/or exceed standards on testing. The students at Drew are served in an inclusion model. During the 2006-2007 school year, test results indicated that 68.3% identified PEC students met and/or exceeded standards in Reading and Language Arts and 45.1% in Math. Special Education is a central and integral part of the learning environment at Drew and as a result, teachers receive ongoing training on "best practices" when working with the diverse needs of the school population. They develop plans based on student's needs and various learning styles. Inclusion teachers and regular classroom teachers' work together to identify the objectives from the new Georgia Performance Standards that align closest with the Georgia Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT). This alignment aids teachers in developing individualized instructional plans. Each Individual Educational Plan (IEP) for PEC students is monitored to ensure that the testing addendum for each student is amended if appropriate. The School Testing Coordinator will remain abreast of allowable accommodations from the state. In addition, the teachers collaborate to analyze assessment data (i.e., CRCT , ITBS, monthly benchmark data, classroom assessments) in order to implement ongoing strategies that provide interventions for the students to meet grade level standards.
In order to make certain that the incoming Kindergarten students are prepared with a solid foundation, Drew has established a new Pre-K program. In conjunction with the Rollins Center of Language & Learning Atlanta Speech School, Drew's new model Pre-K program includes two classroom teachers, one assistant teacher, and twenty students. These teachers along with the Kindergarten team will receive ongoing training throughout the 2007-2008 school year. The focus of instruction is on necessary language and pre-Reading skills that will assist the students as they transition to Kindergarten. A component of the model is that one of the Pre-K teachers will loop with the students next year.
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ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES

In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.

With regard to the GCRCT the charter sets forth a goal of decreasing the percentage

of students not meeting state standards by 3 percentage points in grades 3-8 in

Reading, Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science. The following indicates

the % of students not meeting standards.



Reading/GPS-Grades 3-8 decreased 8%



Language Arts/GPS-Grades 3-8 decreased 11%



Math/QCC-Grades 3-5, 8 decreased 2%



Math/GPS-Grade 6 decreased 19%



Math/GPS-Grade 7 was tested for the first time with the new standards (GPS),

therefore, cannot be compared to the previous year.



Social Studies/QCC-Grades 3-8 decreased 5%



Science/GPS-Grades 3-5 were tested for the first time with the new standards

(GPS), therefore, cannot be compared to the previous year.



Science/GPS-Grades 6-7 decreased 4%



Science/QCC-Grades 8 increased 8%

An additional for Drew Charter School is increasing the percentage of students

exceeding standards by 3 percentage points in grades 3-8 in Reading, Language Arts,

Math, Social Studies, and Science. The following indicates the % of students

exceeding standards.



Reading/GPS-Grades 3-8 increased 4%



Language Arts/GPS-Grades 3-8 increased 7%



Math/QCC-Grades 3-5, 8 decreased 1%



Math/GPS-Grade 6 increased 10%



Math/GPS-Grade 7 was tested for the first time with the new standards (GPS),

therefore, cannot be compared to the previous year.



Social Studies/QCC-Grades 3-8 increased 4%



Science/GPS-Grades 3-5 were tested for the first time with the new standards

(GPS), therefore, cannot be compared to the previous year.



Science/GPS-Grades 6-7 increased 4%



Science/QCC-Grade 8 increased 2%

2.
Norm-Referenced Tests (ITBS): Each year norm-referenced tests, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), are administered to grades 3, 5, and 8. The test results are collected and analyzed to determine each student's proficiency level. The goal is to increase the average National Percentile Ranking (NPR) by 3 percentage points in each subject each year. The ITBS results of 2006-2007 indicated the 3rd grade's average NPR for Reading was the 51st percentile, a gain of 11 percentage points from previous year.

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Grade 5 scored 49 NPR, a gain of 9 points, and grade 8 scored 38 NPR, with no gain. The 3rd grade average NPR for English/Language Arts was 52, a gain of 14 percentage points from the previous year. Grade 5 scored 59 NPR, a gain of 15 points, and grade 8 scored 38 NPR, with no gain. The 3rd grade average NPR in Math was 52, a gain of 17 percentage points from the previous year. Grade 5 scored 43 NPR, a gain of 3 points, and grade 8 scored 44 NPR, a gain of 4 points. In addition, grades 3, 5, and 8 gained percentage points from the previous year in Science, and grades 3 and 5 gained percentage points in Social Studies.
3.
Writing Tests: Georgia State Writing Assessments are administered to students in grades 3, 5 and 8. Students at all grade levels participate in a variety of lessons focusing on the writing process. Ongoing data analysis determines instruction based on student needs and writing stage. The focus of the writing program is to improve the percentage of students from their current writing stage to a level of proficiency (meeting and/or exceeding standards). Based on 2006-2007 results, 77% of the tested students in grade 5 met and/or exceeded standards, surpassing the state average of 70%, and 73% of students in grade 8 met and/or exceeded the standards, surpassing the state average of 67%.
4.
8th Grade Algebra Test: 8th grade students are administered an end-of-year Algebra exam each year. The curriculum is designed to challenge students and engage them in higher order Mathematical procedures. The curriculum has a conceptual approach that enables the students to develop their ability to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate in order to become problem solvers and utilize critical thinking skills. The 2006-2007 test results indicated that 78% of the 8th graders met and/or exceeded standards.
5.
At Drew, student success is measured by much more than standardized test scores. Drew's teaching approach empowers students to discover and develop their talents, instilling a lifetime love for learning. A highlight from the 2006-2007 school year is that eight Drew students took home top honors in the Atlanta Public Schools' One Fair, which recognizes excellence in Science, Social Studies, Mathematics, and technology. In addition, a 6th grade student competed and placed 2nd at the state level.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.
Drew Charter School has a strong community and parental support system. A high level of active parental and community involvement is encouraged and expected. During the 2006-2007 school year, the level of involvement met our expectations. The school's governance model offers families and community a voice and an
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opportunity to participate in the decision making process at the school. Parents participate on the Board of Directors. It is evident that parents support the mission of the school by their active involvement in the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), volunteer program, and participation in school-wide activities. Parents have the opportunity to participate in a Passport (Parents Assuring Students Success) program that provides strategies to bridge the gap between home and school. In addition, classes are offered to give parents the skills necessary for attaining goals such as buying a house, financial management, and parenting skills. In the Drew Charter community, successful business and/or education institutions have partnered with the school. Our community stakeholders include but are not limited to: East Lake Foundation, East Lake Family YMCA, Sheltering Arms, The First Tee of East Lake, Publix at East Lake, Atlanta History Center, Rollins Center for Language & Learning Atlanta Speech School, Oglethorpe University, The Center for Teaching and Learning at the Westminster School, Georgia State University, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and University of Georgia Athletic Association.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
A cornerstone to Drew's success is the emphasis on parental and community involvement. Parents are afforded opportunities to participate in the school's program. Parents participate on the Board of Directors allowing them direct involvement in setting policies for the school. School Board meetings are once per month, and in accordance with Georgia Open Meeting Law, parents are welcome to attend. Drew has an active Parent Teacher Association (PTA) with well-attended monthly meetings. Every year, parents complete the Harris Interactive School Poll. The results (2006-2007) indicated that 96% of parents rate their experiences at the school as meeting and/or exceeding standards.
Parent/Teacher conferences are held quarterly for each child. Conferences allow parents and teachers the opportunity to discuss student progress and create home/school student academic goals. The average participation rate for parent/teacher conferences exceeds 90%.
Drew Charter has a relationship with the East Lake Foundation that provides the school with funding for the before and after-school program. The East Lake Family YMCA provides the facility for the school's physical education programming as well as recreational activities for the after-school program. In addition, the partnerships with the Rollins Center for Language & Learning Atlanta Speech School and the Center for Teaching & Learning at the Westminister School have resulted in professional development opportunities for the faculty/staff. Through the partnerships with institutions of higher learning (Oglethorpe, Georgia State University, and the University of Georgia Athletic Association), the students at Drew are provided with experiences that help bring "connection" with the school's curriculum.
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3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
During the 2007-2008 school year, the faculty/staff at Drew Charter will continue to improve outreach efforts to parents. Monthly meetings focusing on academic intervention strategies and the early intervention program will be scheduled throughout the school year. By utilizing our Parent Outreach Coordinator, the school will continue to create a positive home-school connection that ensures that students at all levels are successful. The school values collaboration between the school, parents, and the community stakeholders. Therefore, the school will continue to offer parents workshops, informational sessions, and programs throughout the year to assist parents in understanding the curriculum and the new Georgia Performance Standards. As the athletic program continues to grow, additional involvement for parents and community volunteers will arise.
During the 2006-2007 school year, the Board of Directors went through a Strategic Planning process. As a result, Task Force committees are being formed for the 20072008 school year to include representatives from the school staff along with including parent and community members. Each Task Force has specific goals aligned with the five year Strategic Plan that they accomplish during this school year.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Our charter petition includes the goal of a commitment to excellence. The school sets forth clear and high expectations for student learning. These expectations address academics as well as behaviors and habits of mind. The school and community understand that the success of the school is ensuring that all the key stakeholders (i.e.; staff, parents, community) share the same expectation for high standards in teaching and learning. Drew Charter School has established high standards for its staff and the evaluation process is comprehensive focusing on accountability for meeting yearly individual, grade level, and school-wide goals. Teachers receive three formal observations each year and numerous informal observations throughout the year. Instructional plans are monitored to ensure that they include a variety of teaching techniques based on student needs and learning styles. Teachers monitor student progress through daily observations, weekly informal and formal assessments, rubrics that correlate with specific assignments, quarterly skills checklists, and monthly benchmark testing (Reading-grades 2-8, Language Arts-grades 3-8, and Math-grades
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2-8). The results from these assessments are analyzed and daily instruction is adjusted accordingly. The Student Achievement plan is reviewed and revised annually to include new goals by subject and grade level and also includes operational goals. The plan also includes a monitoring plan to ensure goals are being met. Each year, parents are asked to sign a parental contract that outlines the schools commitment to excellence, student expectations, and parental expectations towards academic success.
2.
Our charter petition includes the goal of recruiting and retaining excellent teachers and school leadership. Dr. Stapleton, principal, is in the third year of his tenure and is a dynamic, visionary leader. Each administrator possesses leadership certification. Teacher recruitment includes seeking highly qualified candidates, both by standards of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) and by the school's own high standards for teacher qualifications. The process for teacher selection includes an application process, team interview and either a writing sample and/or a demonstration lesson. The recruitment process involves referrals, attending university job fairs, advertisement in the local newspaper and on the Edison Schools, Inc. website and conducting an onsite job fair.
3.
A Drew education is one that supports strong intellectual, physical, social and emotional growth. The school's model includes enrichment opportunities in both athletics and performing arts. Through the partnership with Georgia State University School of Music, an instrumental program (band) was established last year along with the Sound Learning program. The goals of the partnership include: developing a culture of music in the school, connecting children to the artistic community in which they live and combining the professional expertise of teachers, musicians, and music teachers in the school to enrich the student's academic education and musical understanding. The Sound Learning program (hands-on and project-based learning) is a collaboration with classroom teachers, music teachers, and visiting musicians to design curriculum focused residencies. Residencies include four visits by professional musicians as well as attending a concert to the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. During the 2006-2007 school year, the program was implemented in grades 1 and 3 and this year (2007-2008) the program has been extended to include grades 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Not only is excellence reached through the performing arts at Drew, it is also pursued through athletics. Drew students excelled on the athletic field with the flag football team winning its league's city championship and the boys' basketball team placing second in its league. Drew's golf team received national attention when two Drew student golfers were featured in the season premiere of the PBS children's series, ARTHUR. This past year, Drew also fielded its first soccer teams.
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FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

CHARTER CONSERVATORY FOR LIBERAL ARTS & TECHNOLOGY

Contact Information
Dr. Kathy T. Harwood 149 Northside Drive East Statesboro, GA 30458 912-764-5888

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Bulloch County State Charter Sep. 7, 2002 6 - 12 132 Yes

Mission
Charter Conservatory's educational environment fosters a love for learning, student initiative, and innovation. Charter Conservatory students learn in multi-grade, studentcentered classrooms that employ constructivist and multiple intelligence theory.

Demographics

CCAT School

Distance from Charter

0

School (in miles)

William James Middle School
0.7

Portal Middle/Hig
h School
10.5

Bulloch County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

124

493

459

8,658 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

82%

Black

18%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

43%

63%

57%

47%

54%

35%

37%

38%

1%

2%

2%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

0%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

25%

Special Education

20%

0%

1%

2%

4%

19%

4%

5%

9%

12%

17%

15%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

28%

63%

59%

54%

50%

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PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Generally, they did. We were especially pleased with GHSGT scores. In Math, Writing and Language Arts, 100% of our students passed the test. In Social Studies, only one student, a hearing and deaf special education student did not pass. However, he did pass the next time around. In Science, two students did not pass, one transferred to another school, and the other student is continuing to work on the test. One of the difficulties Charter Conservatory has in these tests is the small student population, since one student, who has difficulties can skew the score 10 to 12%. However, we are proud of how well our students have done on those test. In fact, our students scored among the top 25 schools in Georgia in Reading on the SAT. Reading and Language Arts continue to be our strengths.
In CRCTs, all areas met our expectations, except 6th and 8th grade Math. In retakes 55% of the 8th grade students not passing the CRCT did ultimately pass. We are addressing these problems by adding an additional Math class, hiring a more experienced Math teacher, and requiring tutoring for all students not passing the CRCT. In other academic areas, we have implemented a program of tutoring for each teacher at least once a week. Math, however, continues to be the area where we are expending most of our resources. Needless to say, however, were we a more equitably funded school, we would have more resources to use in this area. In addition, since these classes contain a significant group of Special Education students, we have hired a special education teacher with specific Mathematics training. Finally, our scores in Science and Social Studies are especially good even though we have multi-age groupings and do not teach the GPS standards during the traditional years. Our 7th grade class had 40% of the students exceed expectations in Science and 45% in Social Studies.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?

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We believe that our Constructivist philosophy contributed to these strong results as well as small class size. It should be noted that at Charter Conservatory that our scores improve significantly over time. We believe that this improvement is due to taking students from where they are and helping them to improve over time. In addition, we firmly believe that learning is both incremental and developmental and the picture over time is much more significant than individual "snapshots." We are especially pleased that our students show significant progress in test scores the longer they remain at Charter Conservatory. In the writing, Reading, and Mathematics GHSGT, 100% of our juniors passed the first time. Our emphasis on Constructivist learning continues to show positive results on state tests; moreover, our students often return to tell us that it has yielded positive results in their post-secondary pursuits as well.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
We improved in Math in the 7th grade where students moved from 45% meeting expectations in sixth grade to 75% meeting expectations in 7th grade. This was the most significant improvement. Students in 8th grade improved in Reading and Language Arts scores from 67% to 78%, and 67% to 77% respectively. Our High School Graduation scores improved as well. Math in Middle School continues to be our area of major concern although students who stay with us for several years almost always do significantly better in High School. We are also trying to improve EOCT scores and use individual EOCT scores as an indicator of students needing extra help prior to taking the GHSGT.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
As a school that employs multi-age groupings and small classrooms with individualized planning for each student, we have a policy of constantly targeting those areas where individual students have weaknesses. We employ several forms of weekly formative assessment to continue to pinpoint the students in need of special attention. In quarterly parent conferences, modifications and accommodations are designed to help these students achieve their potential. We also track aggregate student reports from CRCT, NRT, GHSGT, and EOCT data yearly to identify major areas of concern, such as Math. As mentioned earlier, we often see improvement as students progress at Charter Conservatory, culminating in real strength both on gatekeeper tests and in their schoolwork and portfolios. In addition, Charter Conservatory has a larger than average special education population. These students are given additional services through our special education department. This year, we have hired special education teachers who specialize in Language Arts and
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Mathematics. These teachers will target students with disability needs.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Math has been for several years a particular area of concern, especially in the middle school. Our scores show that it is not the higher order (algebraic) thinking skills where students need help, but it is in the basic skills, such as fluency in Math computation. To deal with these issues, we have developed a daily Directed Study class that is implemented throughout the school that focuses on basic Math and encourages Reading. The success of this class can be seen in improvement of Math scores, and we believe that extended use of this tool will continue to improve our Math scores over time. In addition, this year we have implemented a new Math program where any child failing the CRCTs and Charter Conservatory formative assessments is required to take two Math classes in Middle School. Furthermore, we provide after school tutoring in both high school and middle school three times a week in Math. Students are required to attend this tutoring if the teacher finds through formative assessment that they are in need of extra help. Any student who failed the CRCT in Math or Reading is automatically identified for after school tutoring. Any student who does not pass the GHSGT must attend daily tutoring sessions in the targeted subject area during Directed Study.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. GRADUATION Last year we graduated 92% of our students; over our four years of operation, we have a 94% average. Last year, only one student did not graduate. This is not only an indicator that Charter Conservatory keeps students in school, but that it provides the discipline and rigor necessary for students to graduate.
2. ATTENDANCE Charter Conservatory believes that if a child is in school, he or she can be taught. We work to encourage attendance through parents and the School Based Management Team. With the Educational Contracts provided in our charter, we are able to service
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students who have special talents, such as one of our students, who is a National Equestrian Team qualifier. By working with her on-line, she was able to develop this special talent and go to school at the same time. By allowing students to communicate with us via the internet, webcasting, or other means, students can learn from educational experiences that would be hard or impossible to provide in the traditional school setting. These contracts also help students who are sick or otherwise need to make up attendance to stay current with their schoolwork. For several years, Charter Conservatory has maintained over a 95% attendance rate.
3. PORTFOLIO Student chosen portfolios are one of our academic goals. This year, we have made incredible progress in tracking portfolio success. We have added to our Directed Study class one day where we monitor and teach students how to design and complete portfolio work. Many students have these portfolios now for as many as five years at Charter Conservatory. These portfolios document not only student growth, but provide a significant qualitative measure of exemplary student work.
4. NARRATIVE GRADES AND STUDENT-LED CONFERENCING Every nine weeks, teachers complete both narrative grades and national standard check sheets on every student. These narratives help document the students' daily interaction in the classroom in a way that is not available by grades only. At the end of the year, these check sheets and grades are filed in each student's permanent record. Also at the beginning of the next nine-weeks, student-led parent conferences are held where students talk to their parents, about what they have done. This time also allows teachers, parents and students to successfully make individual performance plans for each student. During 2007, 97% of Charter Conservatory students and parents attended four conferences.
5. RUBRICS Charter Conservatory teachers have developed at least one rubric every nine weeks in their classes. Many of these rubrics can be seen on teacher websites at chartercat.org (chartercat.org/~teacher's first initial and last name). These rubrics help students to clearly understand expectations and set achievement goals for themselves. They have been highly successful. In fact, 87% of our students successfully completed all rubrics this year.
175

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, especially parental involvement. There was a total of 11,800 hours of time donated to Charter Conservatory. Parents work on our Governing Board, paint and maintain our building, haul off trash, tutor students, and teach our students about their areas of expertise. For example, we have had a parent poet share his work, a parent policeman bring the drug dogs, a parent electrician fix our circuits, several parents cook Boston Butts twice a year and several others run school projects, like the Book Fair. Needless to say, it would be almost impossible for our school to function without parent involvement. Other members of our community visited Charter Conservatory as guest speakers and as interested friends. Charter Conservatory students participated in the Mock City Council and other community projects for students. They, themselves, donated over 5,000 hours of community service to their community.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parental involvement is measured by volunteer logs, quarterly nine-week conferences, Family Night attendance, and the use of our Parent Library (library that contains pamphlets and books to help parents in the raising of their children). Community Involvement is documented by Sign-In Logs and by support at Charter Conservatory sponsored activities, such as our school play or field days. It can also be documented from several community donations to the school.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? The Governing Board has been making extensive plans to reach further into the Community to inform them about charter schools and to solicit their support. We are currently writing a Strategic Plan to build a Green School. This would involve community members and vendors in a way that has not currently been utilized by Charter Conservatory parents and staff. Teachers continue to invite Community Support through guest speakers and performance programs that can benefit all students. Charter Conservatory has also made a real effort to elicit the help of governmental agencies, such as the local city and county governments, and our state legislative delegation.
176

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
NUMBER OF STUDENTS GOING TO POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS 85% of our 2007 graduates applied and were accepted by post-secondary institutions (either college or technical schools). This raises our four-year average to 81%. All the remaining students found gainful employment. In addition, 39% of our graduates last year were accepted at UGA. They were accepted at New York University, Gaucher and several other prestigious colleges as well. Our students' ability to compete in the academic world is significant at this juncture in our progress. Helping our students succeed in their future lives is very important to the Charter Conservatory community. When these students return to us to visit or for help in post-secondary academic classes, it is delightful to see them and to be of service. Once a part of the Charter Conservatory family, students continue to remain part of our commitment and success.
2.
MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCE LEARNING Charter Conservatory is dedicated to students learning from a variety of vantage points. Not all students learn in the same way, and Charter Conservatory faculty designs plans to utilize each student's learning strengths. Each student takes a yearly multiple intelligence test, and publish the results on the Yearly Portfolio. This can then be uploaded by each teacher to determine the needs of his/her students. The teachers then plan for the needs of various types of learners in their Backward Designs (Planning Documents). In this way, each student is given the chance to operate using his/her strengths, while at the same time working to change weaker learning styles into strengths.
3.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND BACKWARD DESIGN Charter Conservatory teachers report weekly on the formative assessments that they give, often daily. Formative assessment allows the teacher to catch student difficulties early. Teachers have been using Wiggins & McTighe's Backward Design model to plan. This requires them to formulate questions and formative assessments prior to planning activities and has been very successful in helping the entire staff to clearly understand the purpose of their teaching and the activities they use to evaluate and assess students. In addition, Charter Conservatory is a PLU provider and organizes all teacher meetings (General Faculty, Team, Cross-Curricular, and Subject Area Meetings) to fulfill our goals as a multiple-age, constructivist, multiple
177

intelligence school.
4.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES Charter Conservatory attempts to offer a chance to participate in activities that enhance each subject area. Writing students entered and won several writing contests this year. In fact, one of our writing students is currently an editor for Slurve, an online Literature and Arts Review. Another student, Cassie McMains, attended Governor's Honors in Communicative Arts. Social Studies students participate in Model UN, State Social Studies Tournaments, and Girls' & Boys' State. We are very proud this year that Catherine Moore, one of our nominees to Girls' State was also elected to go to Girls' Nation. Science Students participated in an actual scientific project with professors at Georgia Southern University. Math students participated in Math Team and Chess Club. These types of activities help to strengthen our students' abilities and give them opportunities to compete for academic scholarships.
5.
COMMUNITY SERVICE One of the requirements of the Charter Conservatory Portfolio is for each student to give nine hours of community service every nine weeks. Students do this in a variety of interesting ways. This year we participated in several group projects that are worthy of mention. For example, during The Great American Cleanup, over 70 CCAT teachers and students hauled away everything from old couches to abandoned shopping carts. Interestingly, students realized that this should have been their job all along. Another group of high schools students participated in a Day for Seniors at a local church. They so impressed the staff and seniors that Charter Conservatory was inundated with thank you cards and notes for over a month. Finally, almost all of our Charter Conservatory students participated at the local library Reading for RIF. This director said that the volunteering adults were often without children to read to because the children were so excited to have older students Reading to them instead. Our students read for 5 hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for a month. It was amazing to see High School Seniors so excited about Reading to little ones. No one got to read for more than a day, but we had several students who wanted to participate again.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

178

TEST RESULTS 179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

CHATTAHOOCHEE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Pam Timms Box 360 Cusseta, GA 31805 706-989-3678

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Chattahoochee County Start-Up Aug. 11, 2005 9 - 12 301 No

Mission
Chattahoochee County's high school will be different. Emphasis will be placed on decision-making skills and research based curriculum. We will prepare our students to meet the demands of the 21st century and the needs of the business environment. Our backbone will be technology--we will attack the present with the skills of the future. Our methods will be to challenge students to perform, not to ask them to regurgitate useless information on tests that will be used to determine success of failure.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Chattahoochee County High
School
0

Spencer High School
11.2

Kendrick Chattahoochee

High School

County

12.7

N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

322

Diversity

Caucasian

49%

Black

40%

Hispanic

7%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

1002

1,226

8%

3%

84%

94%

6%

1%

1%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

767

1,589,8

39

53%

47%

37%

38%

4%

9%

1%

3%

0%

0%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

3%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

14%

3%

0%

1%

4%

0%

0%

3%

9%

18%

14%

14%

12%

188

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

53%

76%

71%

66%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Our school had students take the Georgia High School Graduation test for the first time. The students performed well considering our school never had any students taking these tests before. The students performed as well as or better than expected in writing, Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies. They did not meet expectations in the area of Science.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Writing was one area where we had writing workshops. We also did several test preps for the GHSGT in the areas of Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science during a study period.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. This being the first year testing, there was no previous school data. However, we used statewide performance as a measuring tool.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Student progress is documented with each attempt to pass the GHSGT. Students are remediated after each failed attempt addressing specific weaknesses in each subtest.

189

5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. The specific area of concern was the Science subtest. Our special education students performed as well as our other subgroups. The ESOL population, which does not have a population large enough to constitute as a subgroup, did not perform well on these tests. We have worked with our ESOL teacher, are providing remediation, and test prep materials.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Reduce Drop Out Rate - This is our first graduating class. There will be the year for collecting baseline data but the current dropout rate is significantly better than the state average. 2. Maintain or Increase the high school completion rate - Baseline data will be collected during 2007-2008 school year as this will be the first graduating class 3. Increase in percentage of students passing EOCT - Student scores on EOCT tests has steadily increased each administration. There have been significant strides in Biology, Physical Science, and American History compared to the 2005-2006 school term. 4. Increase in percentage of students passing GHSGT - Baseline data collected during 2006-2007 school year. 5. Number of student receiving college prep endorsements - Baseline data will be collected 2007-2008 school year.
190

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. It has met expectations but I feel that we can always explore ways to improve.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Specific measurements are collected through counselor and teacher logs of parent contact and monitoring of parent logins to the school's student information system, Powerschool.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Chattahoochee County High plans to continue to increase student activities as the school grows. There will also be continued collaboration with community groups such as the Partners in Education. A "Parent to School" luncheon is one specific activity that has been planned for the 2007-2008 school year.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Encouraging participation of community leaders and role models - Our community is actively involved in supporting our students and their activities. The Ranger Training Brigade at Fort Benning is our Partner in Education and has plans to provide mentors for students. 2. Public relations within the community - Chattahoochee County High submit materials regarding school events to the local newspapers on a regular basis. The school also has a weekly page in one of the papers dedicated to school news We also offer opportunities for community/school relations such as: Spirit Nights, roadside trash pickup with the Chamber of Commerce, volunteering in local nursing homes and hospitals.
3. Engaging business for career mentoring, apprenticeships, and guest speakers Chattahoochee County has begun a mentoring program in conjunction with several local agencies. Juniors and seniors who are academically sound are allowed to enter
191

into a mentoring relationship with the hospital, nursing home, and others so that students may receive practical experience in the field they plan to follow after graduation.
4.
Involvement of Juvenile Court and law enforcement by establishing a close relationship with probation officers and the counselor- There is a much stronger alliance with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the school. The department has allowed the school system to use the school security officer as a truancy officer for the department.
5.
Providing additional opportunities for students in extracurricular activities Chattahoochee County High offers a wide range of extracurricular activities. These activities include athletics, band, art, chorus, JROTC, academic decathlon, Math team, poetry slam, Future Educators of America, and National Honor Society.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

192

193

CHESNUT CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Dr. Angelique Conner and Lynn Deutsch 4576 N. Peachtree Road Dunwoody, GA 30338 678-676-7102

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Conversion Jul. 31, 2000 PK - 5 510 No

Mission
At Chesnut School, we are committed to educating the whole child. We are developing young people who are enthusiastic, knowledgeable, well rounded, physically active and thoughtful. Chesnut students become honorable and contributing citizens who are motivated to achieve their highest potential.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Chesnut Elementary
School
0

Hightower Elementary
School
1.2

Kingsley Elementary
School
1.3

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

496

Diversity

Caucasian

39%

Black

30%

Hispanic

11%

Asian/Pacific Islander

10%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

9%

545

352

98,713 1,589,839

2%

45%

10%

47%

15%

31%

76%

38%

77%

12%

8%

9%

3%

7%

3%

3%

0%

1%

0%

0%

2%

4%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

4%

Gifted

24%

Special Education

7%

44%

8%

4%

4%

2%

30%

10%

9%

5%

9%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

27%

93%

27%

64%

50%

194

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Statewide, Chesnut students out scored their peers in Reading and English Language Arts in all grades except 4th graders. Chesnut students out scored their peers in Math on the Spring 2007 CRCT in all applicable grades (1-5) but 2nd. Chesnut students outscored DeKalb County Students in all content areas. A larger percentage of Chesnut students exceeded expectations in Reading, Math, and English/Language Arts than students in Georgia except 4th grade English/Language Arts and 4th grade Math.
On the 2007 CRCT, 37 percent of all students exceeded expectations, an increase of 7 percent from 2006. Moving students from level 2 on the CRCT to level 3 is a major goal of Chesnut Charter School.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Since the implementation of the CRCT in all grades in 2002, Chesnut has seen a 4 percent decrease in the number of students not meeting expectations in Reading. In 2002, 11 percent of all students did not meet expectations. In 2007, 7 percent of all students did not meet expectations, a significant improvement despite the state implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards and more rigorous testing. Chesnut continues to tackle Reading using a variety of strategies. Chesnut continues to emphasize phonics instruction through the use of the Riggs' Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking.
Chesnut utilizes diagnostic tools to determine if a student has Reading weaknesses and what those weaknesses are. We continue to provide staff development for enhancing teachers' skills in teaching Reading. We utilize SRA Reading Lab. We use ability-based flexible groupings during Reading time. Our teachers and students use technology, such as STAR and Accelerated Reader and other programs to

195

supplement the classroom curriculum. Chesnut teachers focus on vocabulary development. The school sponsors school wide promotions such as Book of the Month, Literacy Week, and other Reading incentives. All these tools have contributed to student achievement in the content area of Reading.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
In Reading, Language Arts and Math, with the exception of the 4th grade, every grade level saw an increase in the percentage of children exceeding expectations. Additionally, in Reading and Language Arts, again with the exception of the 4th grade, every grade level saw a decrease in the percentage of students not meeting expectations. In first grade Reading, the percentage of students exceeding expectations increased from 40 percent in 2006 to 57 percent in 2007. In first grade Language Arts, the percentage of students not meeting expectations dropped 5 points, while the percentage of students exceeding expectations increased by 11 points. In Math, 10 percent more 1st graders exceeded expectations.
In 2nd grade Reading, Chesnut experienced a 2 percent decrease in the number of students not meeting expectations and a 24 percent increase in the number of students exceeding expectations. Second grade saw an even more significant improvement in the area of Language Arts. In 2006, 17 percent of 2nd graders had not met expectations while in 2007 only 10 percent did not. The percentage of students exceeding expectations jumped from 26 to 32 percent.
Third grade Reading scores reflect significant improvement. The percentage of students not meeting expectation dropped from 10 percent to 5 percent and the percentage of students exceeding expectations increased from 30 percent to 45 percent. The percentage of 3rd grade students not meeting expectations in Language Arts fell significantly from 15 percent to 4 percent. Additionally, the percentage of students exceeding expectations increased from 27 to 32 percent. There was a 50 percent reduction in the number of 3rd graders not meeting expectations in Math and an 11 percent increase in the number of students exceeding expectations. Third grade Science scores were a mix, fewer students met expectations, but 6 percent more students exceeded expectations. The results of the 3rd grade Social Studies test showed much improvement. Nine percent fewer students scored at level 1 and 6 percent more students scored at level 3.
In fifth grade Reading, there was a 9-percentage point reduction in the number of students not meeting expectations. There was also an 11-percentage point gain in students meeting expectations. In 5th grade Language Arts, we saw a 6-percentage point decrease in the percentage of students not meeting expectations and a 10 percent increase in the number of students meeting expectations. In 5th grade Math, the percentage of students not meeting expectations dropped from 5 percent to 3. Chesnut also experiened a 10 percentage point improvement in students exceeding
196

expectations in Math. Fifth grade Science scores were a mix, fewer students met expectations, but 12 percent more students exceeded expectations. The results of the 5th grade Social Studies test showed many gains. Only 1 percent of the students scored in level 1 and 43 percent (a 27-percentage point gain from the previous year) scored in level 3.
Fourth grade did not meet established school goals in every content area. Personnel changes, professional learning, and other strategies will be used in 2007-2008 to ensure far greater success.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes. We use cohort data to evaluate our results and accurately measure progress. However, one of Chesnut's greatest challenges lies in the high mobility of most of our level 1 students. In addition to cohort analysis, teachers also track individual students to make sure that the interventions that have been utilized are effective.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
In reviewing the 2006-2007 data, a major area of concern is Math. In order to improve academic achievement in Math, Chesnut will continue to implement the Saxon curriculum for students who have either scored Level 1 on the CRCT or who have been identified by other indicators. We will provide training for the teachers who will be implementing this strategy. We will use differentiated teaching strategies, manipulative and small group instruction to support students. For students with disabilities we will increase the percentage of students in the inclusion model for Math classes.
To improve academic achievement in Science, our teachers will utilize the resources in the Science room and outdoor classroom to support the teaching of Science GPS for a hands-on, experimental approach to active learning and teaching in and out of the classroom. We will provide GPS training for all new Science teachers or teachers new to grade level. We will utilize non-fiction literature connections found in our leveled bookroom to meet individual needs and to reinforce Science concepts. Chesnut will continue to use differentiated teaching strategies to meet individual needs and an experimental approach to generate critical thinking to support students.
While we experienced improvement in 2007, Language Arts scores remain a concern across the grades at Chesnut. Chesnut's instructional plan is data driven and the data
197

shows that Language Arts is a challenge for all students, therefore the solutions are applied across the school. Students will participate in a daily two-hour balanced literary block that will include Reading, Writing/Vocabulary, Listening, Speaking, and Skill Development. We will target students whose CRCT scores range from 775 to 825 for mentoring and tutoring. Students will participate in The Writer's Workshop, with direct instruction in prewriting, drafting, revision, editing and publishing. Teachers will document active engagement and repeated exposure to vocabulary to foster word consciousness. This a key part of our strategy to address both the needs of limited English proficient students (LEP) and those students whose English skills are strong enough to no longer qualify for pull out services but who may still need support. LEP students struggle more in ELA than other students.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. In 2004-2005, only 49 percent of 5th graders scored in the top two levels (engaging and extending) of the Fifth Grade State Writing Assessment. In 2005-2006, 73 percent of 5th graders scored in the top two levels (engaging and extending) of the Fifth Grade State Writing Assessment. This major increase occurred because of the increased focus on writing, grammar, and vocabulary that Chesnut began during the 2005-2006 school year. Teachers spent more time teaching students how to write and practicing the basics necessary to be a good writer. For the 2006-2007 school year, the state changed the way the writing assessment was scored making it impossible to compare the 06-07 scores with previous years.
On the 2006-2007 Georgia Grade 5 Writing Assessment, 87 percent of Chesnut 5th graders met or exceeded expectations. This compares very favorably to the DeKalb County School System where only 66 percent met or exceeded expectations and to Georgia where only 70 percent of 5th graders statewide met or exceeded expectations. Additionally, 17 percent of Chesnut 5th graders exceeded expectations while only 6 percent of DeKalb's 5th graders and 8% of Georgia's 5th graders exceeded expectations. Much of this improvement can be credited to the full implementation of Writer's Workshop and overall emphasis of writing on a daily basis.
2. For the 4th year in a row, all 2006-2007 Chesnut kindergarten students were ready for first grade as measured by the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment Packet (G-KAP). The first year of our initial charter, 2000-2001, only 84 percent of kindergarten students were ready for first grade. Even more significant, in 2000-2001 only 25 percent of Hispanic kindergarten students were ready for first grade. For the fourth
198

year in a row, 100 percent of Hispanic kindergarten students were ready for the first grade.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Chesnut requires families to participate a minimum of 12 times a year. Half of this participation must be earned by activities that are considered "working" such as chaperoning a field trip, making copies for a teacher, cutting out items at home or serving pizza at the PTA Bingo Night. The other half may be earned by donating items or simply attending events. Chesnut Charter School measures parental involvement by the number of families who complete their obligation. For the last few years, well over 95% of the families do fulfill their obligation. Each school year, Chesnut families contribute more and more of their time and energies to the school. By the seventh week of the 2007-2008 school year, Chesnut families have already contributed nearly 1500 hours to the school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. As stated above, we measure the percentages of families who fulfill their obligation. We use a web-based application, K12 AMBIT, to track volunteer hours, recruit volunteers, and email our families. Nearly 6000 hours were logged, but most families only log their required hours. We estimate that nearly 9,000 hours were contributed to the school by parents and members of the community. This is significant because between the end of the 2005-2006 school year and the middle of the 2006-2007 school year, Chesnut Charter School actually shrank, losing nearly 100 families due to changes (apartment complexes being torn down or converted to condominiums). Although we lost 20 percent of our families, we still saw an increase in the number of hours contributed to the school.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? While we have been very successful in encouraging parental involvement, we intend to reach out more to our general community through the churches, apartment complexes, and businesses in our area. Additionally, we plan more meetings that are informational in nature to help parents navigate education. We are also investigating other opportunities to utilize electronic communications to recruit parents and maintain an open communication line.
199

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
We will provide a safe and healthy environment for our students.
1. Under leadership of its' school counselor, Chesnut applied for and received the Recognized American School Counselor Association Model Program (RAMP) designation from the American School Counselor Association. At the time of the award, Chesnut was one of fewer than 2 dozen schools nationally to receive it. 2. The school administration developed a plan to encourage parents and teachers to report maintenance and facility issues. 3. Pathways were paved to the mobile classrooms. The school system removed leaky mobile classrooms. 4. PTA worked to secure a new playground and a new blacktop.
2.
Although much of this goal has been addressed in the parental involvement section, during the 2006-2007 school year, Chesnut Charter school strengthened its partnership with Northside Hospital and Outback Steakhouse as well as initiating new partnerships with Domino's Pizza and Shane's Rib Shack. We also had support from the Atlanta Hawks and Gladiators. Over 200 local businesses supported our annual school auction.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

200

TEST RESULTS 201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

DEKALB ACADEMY OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Contact Information
Maury Wills 1833 S. Stone Mountain-Lithonia Rd. Lithonia, GA 30058 770-484-5865

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Aug. 8, 2005 K - 7 280 No

Mission
The mission of the DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment, Inc. is to educate a student population about the essential need to consider environmental ramifications of technology and other business decisions, via a hands-on, community-oriented instructional curriculum.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

DeKalb Academy of Technology
and the Environment
0

Stoneview Elementary
School
0.5

Marbut Elementary
School
3

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

218

903

866

98,713 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

97%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

2%

0%

10%

47%

89%

97%

76%

38%

6%

0%

8%

9%

0%

0%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

3%

1%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

3%

Special Education

6%

5%

0%

4%

4%

0%

4%

10%

9%

10%

5%

9%

12%

209

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

23%

87%

54%

64%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
DeKalb Academy of Technology and the Environment has reached academic success since its inception. This can been readily seen in the school success in achieving Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) status for school year 2006 and 2007. Students exceeded state and local standards in many categories during first year of the Georgia Criterion Referenced Tests (GCRCT). In addition, the second administration of the GCRCT test results revealed dramatic improvements in most of the content subject subjects excelling over 86% percent of students meeting and exceeding standards in Reading, English, and Social Studies.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
DeKalb Academy seeks to take an approach to teaching and learning with "Relationships, Relevance, and Rigor." These components are vital in engaging teachers and students in the process of being academically successful. There are many initiatives that have been addressed to improve the educational process for children such as, engaging students in meaningful tasks that address various learning styles. The initiatives have proven to be very effective even more with the school's instructional focus of technology and the environment.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
There were significant increases in students meeting and exceeding standards as compared to the previous school year. In Science, there was an 8% increase of

210

students exceeding standards totaling 11% of all students exceeding in Science. In addition, an increase of 7% in Social Studies of students meeting and exceeding standards totaling 19%; a 3% increase in English totaling 19% of students exceeding standards, finally a 10% increase in Reading totaling 19% of students exceeding the Reading standards. As a result of the GCRCT testing, Dekalb Academy of Technology and Environment, Inc. has proudly met AYP status for two consecutive years and has significant gain scores in all academic performance areas.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Measurement of Improvement/Assessment Data: In accordance with its curriculum and goals, and to insure its compliance with the accountability provisions of O.C.G.A. 20-14-30 and 20-14-41, during its of operation, the Academy assessed each student to determine their baseline performance level in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. Additional assessment was based upon test scores, attendance and discipline as recorded in a student's permanent record at any prior school. This data became the baseline against which the first year's performance was measured. Thereafter, the results of the following tools provided baseline data for each successive school year. The annual performance assessment tools was followed:
Administration of Criterion Reference Competency Test (CRCT), Iowa Test for Basic Skills (ITBS), GKAP and the Georgia Writing Assessment in the manner required by law. The CRCT was given to students in all grades. ITBS was Administered to grades 1 through 7. GWA was given to grades 3 and 5. Report cards per DeKalb County School System standards. Weekly progress reports. On a quarterly basis each child's performance was compared to the expected performance improvement to be obtained in that school year. A child scoring below "expected gain" in any quarter was required to engage in a program specifically designed to improve that performance including weekly tutorial but not limited to extra class work, or other needed assistance. Teachers maintained daily records of each child's performance and report the daily grading (homework, class work, test and quizzes, class participation, and projects) by using an integrated school web based system, Ren-Web, which allowed parents to have unlimited access in viewing their child's grades.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
211

There are improvements needed in the are content of Science. Although minimum gains were made in students meeting standards this year, we seek to make improvements in aligning the Georgia Performance Standards and the Science curriculum to be delivered. The Academy is in the process of disaggregating all test data to address percentages of students who did not meet above the 80% on any content level. Tutoring and Individual Intervention Plans are implemented to track and monitor students' progress on a quarterly basis.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
As annual measurable objectives of 95% cohort groups meeting and exceeding standards, we continue to strive for improvements each year to reach that aim. The data revealed that there have been significant gains in students meeting and exceeding standards. For example, in Reading: 97% of first grade students met and exceeded standards, 88% of second graders met and exceeded standards, 73% of third graders met and exceeded standards, and 88% of fourth graders met and exceeded. While 90% of fifth graders met and exceeded Reading standards, 96% of 6th graders met and exceeded standards, and also 79% of seventh graders met and exceeded standards providing an overall total of 88% of all students meeting and exceeding standards in Reading at DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment.
2.
In Math, there were also improvements made with students meeting and exceeding standards with 80% of first graders meeting and exceeding standards, 74% of second graders meeting and exceeding, 77% of third graders meeting and exceeding Math standards, 77% of fourth graders meeting and exceeding standards, 70% of fifth graders meeting and exceeding; and finally, 88% of sixth graders meeting and exceeding Math standards.
3.
Social Studies and English were significant highlights for the academy with an overall average of 89% and 85% respectively of all students meeting and exceeding standards.
4.
In Annual Measurable Objective 8, at least 95% of our kindergarten students were expected to perform at grade level. We had 97% percent of kindergartens perform on grade level based on the administration of the Georgia Kindergartener Assessment (GKAP) Program for 2005-2006. In 2006-2007, 95% of kindergartens performed on grade level according to the (GKAP). The Kindergarten program at the Academy has been a model program and has been committed to ensuring that students' experiences
212

are positive, rewarding, and effective in determining success and readiness for first grade.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parents and DeKalb Academy have placed emphasis on parents learning and utilizing the strategies and methods of instruction so that these elements can be transferable to the home environment. Parents were highly involved in the cognitive process of their children to enhance learning activities and programs. Parents have also received instructional training to expose them to the various techniques of teaching and learning. Parents have been insrumental in attending events and program to properly support students at the academy.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. To establish an effective learning community, parents have also been included and involved in every entity of teaching and learning at the Academy. Parents were required and encouraged to participate in 20 hours of volunteer service to the school. With over 95% of parents having committed to the 20-hour a month requirement, the participation of the parents has been inclusive of classroom instruction and support.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Community participation was measured by charitable contributions, involvement in classroom activity, partnerships with Lithonia-based businesses, assistance or encouragement from DeKalb government officials and the School's general reputation in the community. There were several partnerships formed with Arabia Mountain, which allowed for professional development and student field trips to enhance the ecological/ecosystem awareness and environmental issues in our community. In addition, a partnership with ECO-Watch was developed to educate the students population on environmental health related issues and conversation of air and water. Staff development was initiated between the ECO Watch cooperation and the faculty and Staff of DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment. The school has also established relationships with The Environmental Advocacy Group. These partnerships, in existence with previous partnerships of the Arabia Mountain Alliance, have benefited not only the students and faculty and staff, but the parents. Parents are now involved in conservation and recycling. For example, the school has been responsible for watershed projects in and around DeKalb County in partnership with the DeKalb County Watershed Division. The parents, led by students assisted with ongoing efforts to clean and revitalize the South Ben River. This project took
213

place tri-monthly and served as an environmental service project for interested students, parents, and community.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Students have also been successful in other areas as well; during two academic years 98% of student population was promoted to the next grade, verifying that they have met promotional standards of the DeKalb County School System. Moreover, student enrollment has continued to increase with over 85% of the student body returning reaffirming the commitment to the school and its mission.
2. Using technology to integrate into the curriculum has been instrumental in increasing effective teaching best practices. All teachers developed 100% self-made technology lesson plans that were put into play in daily classroom centers. Each week, teachers were to submit technology plans that reflected differentiated activities that correlated with Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts objectives. Technology and environmental objectives have been met along with GPS standards. All subjects have been infused with environmental and technological themes. Each classroom contained at least 2 computers for student use. Each teacher had a personal laptop, which was used to further the learning and teaching processes in the classroom. A Technology Center has been constructed containing twenty-nine student workstations and one teacher workstation, 4% more than what was required for the 2006-2007 school term. This lab allowed teachers to be more efficient in teaching technology lessons as well as have students complete assignments as a whole group. From kindergarten to seventh grade, all students used a variety of technology resources such as digital cameras, mini computers, scanners, printers, computers, educational software, "read with me" handhelds, video cameras, LCD projectors, online assessment tools, flash drives, microscopes, and listening centers.
3. The environmental projects for the student body have certainly created excitement and a respect for nature and the ecosystem. All students have completed individual and groups projects relative to their classroom unit of study. 4. In Annual Measurable Objective 8, at least 95% of our kindergarten students were expected to perform at grade level. We had 97% percent of kindergarten students
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perform on grade level based on the administration of the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment (GKAP) Program. In 2006-2007, 95% of kindergarten students performed on grade level according to the (GKAP). The Kindergarten program at the Academy has been a model program and has been committed to ensuring that students' experiences are positive, rewarding, and effective in determining success and readiness for first grade.
5.
In Annual Measurable Objective 8, at least 95% of our kindergarten students were expected to perform at grade level. We had 97% percent of kindergarten students perform on grade level based on the administration of the Georgia Kindergarten Assessment (GKAP) Program for 2005-2006. In 2006-2007, 95% of kindergarten students performed on grade level according to the (GKAP). The Kindergarten program at the Academy has been a model program and has been committed to ensuring that students' experiences are positive, rewarding, and effective in determining success and readiness for first grade.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

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216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

DEKALB PATH ACADEMY

Contact Information
Suttiwan Cox 2007 Hermance Drive Atlanta, GA 30319 404-846-3242

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Jul. 1, 2002 5th-8th 265 Yes

Mission
The mission of DeKalb PATH Academy is to create a safe and nurturing learning environment in which refugee, immigrant, and local children from the Chamblee, Doraville, and Clarkston areas in DeKalb County, Georgia can develop the knowledge, skills, and character needed to succeed in top-quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond regardless of their socio-economic and linguistic barriers.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

DeKalb: PATH Academy Charter School
0

Sutton Middle School

Henderson Middle School

DeKalb County

Georgia

3.4

5.1

N/A

N/A

Total Population

270

Diversity

Caucasian

1%

Black

24%

Hispanic

67%

Asian/Pacific Islander

8%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

828

1,224

98,713 1,589,839

31%

38%

10%

47%

40%

33%

76%

38%

21%

18%

8%

9%

4%

8%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

4%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

23%

Gifted

8%

Special Education

6%

11%

5%

4%

4%

29%

34%

10%

9%

8%

11%

9%

12%

226

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

67%

49%

42%

64%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 No No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES

1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
The students standardize test results exceeded our expectations. The outcomes and measurements stated in our charter are:



80% of the students excluding students with IEP, ELL (ESOL), and ELL-M19

(ESOL students who exited ESOL program less than 2 years) whose previous

standardized test records can be obtained will increase their test scores in Reading and

Mathematics each year by 3-5%.



The school will decrease the percentage of students excluding IEP, ELL

(ESOL), scoring at Level 1 in grades 5 through 8 on the Georgia Criterion Referenced

Competency Test in Mathematics and Reading by a minimum of 2% each year until a

rate of 100% has been achieved.



ELL (ESOL) students will increase their raw scores in Language Battery Test

or ACCESS by a minimum of 5 points each year.

Our standardized test results revealed that in ITBS the average gain of students in 7th and 8th grade was 3-7%. The results of CRCT revealed that the average percentage of meet and exceed the minimum requirement in Mathematics of all students is 81.1 % and 83.8% in Reading and English Language Arts. A closer look in comparison of CRCT scores of 2006 and 2007 of each student whose scores could be obtained and compared showed that in 6th-8th grades the average gain of the students is 6 points in Reading and 12 points in Math. English language learners increased their raw scores by more than 10 points in LAB or ACCESS.

227

2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
The area of greatest success was in Mathematics. Our school ranked first among middle schools in DeKalb County in 6th grade CRCT Math with 75% meet and exceed, tied first with a magnet school in 8th grade with 98% meet and exceed, and ranked third in 7th grade with 87% meet and exceed. Other areas of success are Social Studies and Science in 7th and 8th grades and Reading in all grade levels especially native English speakers. Our approaches are commonsense approaches which follow our vision and goals.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
The grades and content areas in which our students' performance improved from the previous year were Mathematics and Science in 6th, 7th, and 8th grades; Reading in 6th grade and 8th grade; Social Studies and Science in 6th grade; and Science in 7th grade. The grade and content area in which our students did not improve was Reading in 5th grade.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes, we have been tracking our student achievement in CRCT in Math and Reading from year-to-year from the first year of our operation in 2002. By tracking each individual students' CRCT scores from one grade to the next grade, we are able to assist our students in the specific areas of their academic need in Reading and Mathematics. We have learned that students who started their 5th grade at PATH and continued until they graduated at the end of 8th grade had the most average gain. The fifth grade test results showed that the average gain in Mathematics was 16 points, whereas in Reading there was a two point average loss. A closer look revealed that many of these students had been in ESOL programs for many years and had regressed through the years. Despite the fact that approximately 27%-35% of our student population was English language learners who function up to four grades below grade level in all subjects, especially English, our test scores in 6th-8th grades are comparable to or better than those of other middle schools in DeKalb County with very few English language learners.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging
228

achievement scores that may exist. The areas of concern revealed by our students' standardized test results are in Reading and English Language Arts for English language learners, especially those who have only a few years of formal education. Many of these students' academic needs had not been identified in their previous schools. Thus, they had not been appropriately served until they came to our school. PATH has addressed this problem by identifying students' academic needs and providing academic assistance accordingly. At PATH various types of academic assistance have been implemented. These students have been placed in small classes in Language Arts and Math. They have received individualized instruction, extra tutorial, and one-on-one assistance. In the past 5 years our tracking of student test results has shown that the English language learners' competency in English increased as they progressed into the next grade. The test results of English language learners who graduated in 2006 revealed that only 7% of the students did not pass Math and Reading. The test results of English language learners who graduated in 2007 showed that all students passed CRCT Math and Reading. It should be noted that some of these students may still need some English assistance in their high school classes even though they have exited the ESOL program because of their ACCESS and CRCT test scores.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Our 8th graders ranked third in 2007 Middle Grade Writing Assessment in DeKalb County behind DeKalb County School of the Arts and Chamblee Middle School. 2. Our 8th graders ranked second in 2007 Algebra I End of Course Test behind Chamblee Middle School. 3. For the ITBS, we were able to track only the results of 7th and 8th grade students because DeKalb County discontinued Grade 6 ITBS in fall 2006. The average gain in 7th grade was 8 % in Reading and 5% in Math. The average gain in 8th grade was 3% in Reading and 4% in Math.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, during 2006-2007 school year the level of parental and community involvement
229

in our school meet our expectation.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure our level of parental and community involvement by tracking participants in all meetings and activities that take place at our school. All participants must sign in. Prior to admission of a student, both the parents and the student are encouraged to visit and spend time at the school. The parents also receive an orientation concerning school mission, high expectations, and personal accountability. Parents and students also sign the PATH to Excellence, a compact that outlines their commitments to the school mission.
PATH believes that good communication is essential to students' success. At PATH parents and students are encouraged to ask questions and discuss concerns promptly. All teachers provide students and their parents with their cell phone numbers for communication. Teachers are responsible to call parents for any concerns they may have immediately.
Since PATH is a school of choice, it accepts students from different areas of DeKalb County. Approximately 75% of the students reside within a 5-10 mile radius, and the other 25% reside within a 30 mile radius. Therefore, to encourage participation from parents who live far away from school, PATH provides after school service for children of these parents. For parents who lack transportation, PATH provides transportation. For parents who need child care services, PATH provides them. In short, PATH will do whatever it takes to encourage parents to come to the meetings. It is no surprise that in some of the meetings the participation rate was as high as 80%. PATH conducts parental meetings at least six times a year. These meetings are designed to assist parents in developing parenting skills and supporting their children to be more academically successful. Fun activities, such as Talent Show, International Potluck, Cultural Celebrations, Music Festival, Art Show, and Science Fair are also planned throughout the year, either during the day, evening, or Saturday so that parents will be able to participate at least in one event.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? PATH has been actively seeking out ways to encourage additional parental and community involvement by designating out-reach liaisons and parent volunteers.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above.
230

1. Our school has been successful in upholding high expectations in student daily attendance for the past 5 years. In 2006-07 our average attendance was 98%.
2. About 20 percent of our 2007 graduates have been admitted to private high schools on scholarships, a magnet school, and DeKalb Early College Academy.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

No. Yes. PATH Academy has a reserve fund of about 8% of the operational expenses.

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

DESTINY ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE

Contact Information
Clarence Callaway 3595 Linecrest Road Ellenwood, GA 30294 404-328-0898

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Aug. 1, 2006 9 - 11 55 Yes

Mission
Destiny Academy of Excellence, a DeKalb Charter School, has a program designed to meet the needs of students who are not currently succeeding in their conventional high school, attending sporadically, or may be in danger of leaving school prior to graduation. Destiny Academy will provide an environment designed to meet the comprehensive needs of these students by utilizing small learning groups and interaction with a multidisciplinary staff that is trained and committed to successfully educating each student.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Destiny Academy of Excellence
Charter School
0

Martin Luther King, Jr. High School

Cedar Grove High
School

2.8

3.5

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

40

Diversity

Caucasian

3%

Black

93%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

5%

2206

1,335

98,713 1,589,839

0%

0%

10%

47%

98%

97%

76%

38%

1%

1%

8%

9%

0%

0%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

13%

0%

0%

4%

4%

5%

4%

10%

9%

7%

10%

9%

12%

239

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

88%

54%

61%

64%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

No

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. The standardized test results did not meet our expectations. Based upon the results from the tests given we learned that the students were not comfortable with standardized tests. Therefore, for the 2007-2008 school year we will test the students more often so that they improve their test taking skills and become more comfortable with testing.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? N/A
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. 2006-2007 was our first year, therefore we are unable to provide a sufficient answer to this question.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, we are planning to track achievement, as well as progress from year to year.

240

5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Unable to provide valid results; we have just begun our second year.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Test Scores. Based on the prior year findings, it was noted that our students did not perform well on standardized tests. Therefore, in an effort to show a better performance effort we have begun a procedure which tests the students on a threeweek interval. 2. After-School Tutorial. Additionally, this year each parent and student were required to sign an academic contract. The contract states that after a three-week grading period, if a student is failing any class, he/she must stay for tutorial and continue to stay until they receive a passing grade.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. No. Our parents/guardians were not as active as we expected, as a result we implemented a parental contract requiring volunteer hours each semester.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We feel parental and community involvement is key to the success of both our students as well as the school itself. Students who have a strong support system reportedly perform better in school and are less likely to exhibit behavioral concerns. We will measure the level of parental involvement through sign-in sheets at parent conferences, parent volunteer indicator board, and parent participation at school functions.
241

3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We have implemented a parental involvement contract, which states that each parent/guardian must complete volunteer hours at the school. We feel that this method will greatly improve morale, attendance, and behavior issues.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Increase attendance percentages. We have been successful in this area due to the start of the shuttle services. 2. Increase parental involvement. Each parent of a student that attends Destiny Academy must complete eight hours of volunteer service each semester. Studies have shown that parental involvement increases a student's academic awareness.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No Yes, 8.49%

242

DOOLY COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Sandra Ferguson 715 North Third Street Vienna, GA 31092 229-268-7751

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County State Charter Sep. 6, 2005 9 12 340 No

Mission
The Charter School shall provide students with a quality, individualized curriculum that will allow students to reach their potential and will foster lifelong learning.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Dooly County High School
0

Crisp County High School
10.3

Knollwood Elementary
School
18.8

Dooly County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

383

Diversity

Caucasian

9%

Black

81%

Hispanic

8%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

1169
38% 59% 1% 1% 0%
0%

447

98,713 1,589,839

0%

9%

47%

94%

77%

38%

3%

10%

9%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

3%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

6%

1%

2%

8%

9%

12%

7%

3%

4%

0%

9%

8%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

84%

66%

97%

85%

50%

243

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP? Is your school in needs improvement?

2007 No. Although the school met AYP in five of the eight academic areas, the school did not meet the overall AMO for academic performance. Yes.

2006 No.
No.

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A
N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. The students at DCHS met the school's expectations in Mathematics and Language Arts. Although the test scores increased in Social Studies and Science, the scores did not meet the expectations set in the charter application.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? In Mathematics and Language Arts, the test scores revealed a 17% increase from the previous year. The school continued to utilize a credit recovery program; however, access was broadened to include before, after, and during school hours. Furthermore, the staff analyzed individual testing data to determine specific academic deficiencies to target during credit recovery programs and while utilizing computer-assisted software.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Grades for students enrolled in the ninth grade increased in Algebra I, Physical Science, and Ninth Grade Literature. In Algebra I and Physical Science, students improved by 19%, and grades improved in Ninth Grade Literature by 5%. Tenth graders improved in two academic areas: Geometry and American Literature by 23%

244

and 8% respectively. The tenth grade students, however, regressed in Biology by 3% and U.S. History by 4%. Similarly, the scores in Economics for twelfth graders decreased from 49% to 32%.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No, DCHS does not track individual student achievement scores from year-to-year. The school analyzes subject area grades, total standardized test scores by classes, and standardized test scores by academic strands.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Areas of concern that are revealed from test scores are subjects in Social Studies and Science. The school has implemented more co-teaching classes to ensure that the teacher of record is highly qualified in all academic subject areas. Subsequently, the school has adopted more frequent benchmark assessments to analyze students' progress in all academic subjects. The data is used to determine individual needs for further remediation during after school and intersession courses.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The charter application includes two academic measures on promotion rates: a) The promotion rate for first-time ninth grade students will increase compared to the previous year's promotion rate and measured by attainment of Carnegie units; b) The percentage of students remaining on track will increase compared to the previous year's promotion rate as measured by promotion/retention ratio. Based on an evaluation of student records, 86% of the first-time ninth grade students was promoted, compared to 81% in previous years. Overall, 81% of all high school students remained on track.
245

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of parental and community involvement exceeded our expectations. The administrative staff scheduled numerous parental and community involvement sessions, especially for students in the Ninth Grade Academy. Furthermore, teachers from the Ninth Grade Academy visited homes at least twice during the academic year.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. DCHS uses shareholder sign-in sheets to determine the number of participants or visitors to the school. Subsequently, the teachers in the Ninth Grade Academy maintain a contact log to document all parental communications. Based on an analysis of the sign-in sheets and teacher logs, the number of parents attending school functions has risen considerably from previous years.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Staff plan to continue home visits and to schedule more parental workshops to assist parents and students in the transition from middle to high school, and from high school to the work force or higher educational facilities.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Dooly County High School's Charter only included academic goals.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

246

TEST RESULTS 247

248

DUNWOODY SPRINGS CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Donna Bennett 8100 Roberts Drive Sandy Springs, GA 30350 770-673-4060

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Conversion Aug. 15, 2005 Pre-K - 5 852 Yes

Mission
It is the mission of Dunwoody Springs Charter Elementary School to educate each individual in our care to the best of our abilities and expertise, to build an environment that fosters learning, respect, and leadership, to aid families in the development of the whole child, and to prepare our children for anticipation in a democratic society and a global economy.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Dunwoody Springs Charter School
0

Woodland River Eves

Elementary Elementary

School

School

1.4

2.4

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

824

835

694

81,982 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

15%

Black

52%

Hispanic

23%

Asian/Pacific Islander

3%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

7%

31%

49%

38%

47%

40%

23%

41%

38%

16%

16%

10%

9%

5%

5%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

8%

6%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

17%

Gifted

7%

Special Education

10%

10%

8%

4%

4%

12%

9%

14%

9%

12%

12%

10%

12%

249

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

63%

46%

37%

36%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Test scores in the 2006-07 school year met our expectations in some areas, but they did not meet our stated targets in a few areas. A primary target when we were writing the charter three years ago was that the percentage of students performing at Level 3 of the CRCT would increase, on average, by 5%. This was based on the expectations that our mobility rate would decrease, our student demographics would remain fairly stable, and our new campus would not be overcrowded because an additional new elementary school was to be built in the city. We also did not have a clear understanding of the roll out of the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) as they related to CRCT rigor. However, since our baseline data was gathered in 2003, we have experienced quite a few un-anticipated events. The new school has not been built, and we had to re-organize our school to accommodate eight portables on the playground. Our mobility rate remains at 59.6%. Our overall student population is currently 852, an increase since the writing of the charter. The number of Limited English Proficient students has more than doubled, increasing to 145 ESOL students from 67 ESOL students. The percentage of students who are economically disadvantaged is now 76%. Although significant portions of our charter were aimed at addressing the needs of urban students with their related challenges, the sheer volume of students entering the charter was not anticipated.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
We were very pleased with the progress our students showed in the percentage of students performing at Levels 2 and 3 across all areas of the curriculum. In 2003, 76% of our students were at Levels 2 and 3 in Reading/Language Arts and Math. In 2005, 91% of our students were at Levels 2 and 3 in Reading/Language Arts and 82%

250

were at those levels in Math. In 2006, after the GPS rollout and the influx of over 280 new students, we had 83% of our students performing at Levels 2 and 3 in Reading/Language Arts and 84% in Math. In 2007, our students performing at Levels 2 and 3 in Reading/Language were 89.1% and 89.4% in Math. This indicates a strong school-wide improvement in both Reading/Language Arts and Math. The consistency in the school-wide gifted and talented teaching approaches has definitely been a factor in this improvement. Additionally, the partnership with GSU brought in 50 teaching candidates whose presence decreased our teacher/student ratio dramatically and thus improved the learning of students who might be considered at risk. Finally, the huge increase in the number of parent volunteers in the building has brought in additional resources and support for student learning in our school. We believe these factors not only counteracted the potentially overwhelming changes occurring in the larger Sandy Springs community, they were the impetus for continued academic progress in the face of these challenges.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Our students demonstrated overall improvement in the area of Reading, Language Arts, as the percentage of students in grades 1-5 scoring on Level 2 and 3 increased from 83% to 89.1% and in Math from 84% to 89.4. Given the huge influx of new Hispanic students, we were pleased with the following CRCT increases in grades 1-5 scoring at or above Level 2 on the CRCT: from 58.15% to 68.55% in Language Arts, and from 66.50% to 80% in Reading. Our first grade Reading and Language Arts passing CRCT scores increased from 18% to 67%, and our 4th grade Reading and Language Arts passing scores increased from 27% to 60%. However, our Special Education level 2 scores decreased in grades 1-5 in the following: Reading from 61.80% to 51.40%, and in Language Arts from 74.2% to 67.80%. With individual goal setting and monthly monitoring, we believe the scores of our special education subgroup will increase for 2007-08.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Longitudinal data collection has not been done in the past at Dunwoody Springs Charter. Given the high mobility rate at the school, the cohort composition would be significantly different from year to year such as to render any results invalid. Under our charter, Fulton County Schools retains responsibility for tracking student progress. According to their checklist, "For each year of operation, the charter school's overall student assessment results will be compared to similar non-charter schools in this School System and that its individual student results will be compared to similar non-charter school students in this System, as well as to its own students' prior performance at non-charter schools.
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5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
We use the disaggregated data supplied by the GADOE when reporting CRCT results. We made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) in 2007 in all subgroups. However, we are aware that our Special Education students did not demonstrate a strong command of the curriculum. We have in place a strategic plan to address these issues. The general approach will entail further implementation of school-wide Enrichment strategies in all classrooms, monthly goal-setting student meetings, and stronger collaboration between classroom teachers and special education teachers.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
We designed an improved Enhanced Language Arts class. We projected that students who are deemed below grade level, after one continuous semester of participation in an enhanced Language Arts classroom, will score 70% on the Harcourt Theme Assessments. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of the children analyzed scored 70% on the theme assessments. Policies and procedures for the ELA class became firmer during the 06-07 school year and students were more successful; 1. New policies regarding maximum class size and minimum attendance was devised; 2. More stringent entry criteria prevented students from entering the program mid-term unless special approval was given by the school; 3. ELA classroom teachers became more familiar with the GPS and are more effective in identifying students and devising appropriate interdisciplinary materials.
2.
Our charter is trying to more effectively introduce our students to their own strengths and responsibilities to themselves and to the community. We wanted to see an improvement in student behavior throughout the school and in the skills of individual students. To foster this aspect of their development, we implemented the following: Interdisciplinary Units which integrate music and physical education, specifically the ORFF Music Program, and Brain Gym exercises; Environmental programs in our Outdoor Learning Center around the replication of the historic Obediah's Well that relates to Social Studies and Science. Using the Child Skill Inventory, we targeted an improvement in identified skill areas by 80%. We administered 347 skills inventory pre-tests to students identified by teachers as children who would most benefit from the programs. Of those, 60 students moved from the school and 144 did not return
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their post tests. Of the 144 returned surveys, 66.6% of parents noted an improvement in the skill areas. The school, however, noted a 35% decline in the number of discipline issues in the school despite a large increase in the school population. We do not attribute these improvements in the areas of personal and community responsibility only to the three approaches list above. We think that it is the combination of all the aspects of our charter working in tandem that have resulted in such improvements. We expect to see continued success in the 2007-08 school year.
3.
Another assessment is the Georgia Writing Test, administered to students in the fifth grade. Our student scoring at a "meets or exceeds" level declined from 67.47% to 63% in 2006-07. We believe that this decline is partially due to the change in the writing test format. However, we have provided many writing professional resources (training) for our staff. With the use of writing workshop and a designated 30 minute daily writing block in the academic schedule, we anticipate an increase in these scores.
4.
Our third and fifth graders participate in the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) so Georgia can compare our state's student performance with student performance in other states. The national average is set at 50% on the tests. Dunwoody Springs Charter students are performing at 51% in third grade. Our students are performing at 50% in fifth grade.
5.
We have seen an improvement in the percentage of students who are chronically absent (15 or more days). The attendance data of 2005-06 indicated that 10% of our students missed 15 or more days. In 2006-07, that percentage dropped to 9.3%. We credit our gradual decline to the increased communication between school and home regarding the importance of attendance through the use of our parent involvement coordinator, more consistent messages from our teachers, and increased interest in classroom activities due to our Urban Studies program and School-wide Enrichment Model. We are working closely with our Pre-K parents this year since our Pre-K students have the highest number of absences.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.
We have seen an amazing increase in parental participation in our school community since the advent of the charter. Volunteers also spent a great deal of the time and talent in our school community. Our end of the year parent perception survey indicated that parents strongly support the various aspects of the charter. The survey results indicate that the parents understood the importance of their role in their child's academic progress. They rated the school with the following results (paraphrased):
253

The school offers a challenging program: 99.5%. My child benefits because this is a charter school: 87.1%. Participation in parent conferences: 97.1%. Volunteering in school: 84%. Parent participation is valued and recognized at this school: 98.5%.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
We measure parental and community involvement through two different tools: PTA membership and actual hours volunteered. PTA membership is simply measured using the traditional PTA methods in place throughout the state. Our membership tripled when we became a charter with 1,002 PTA members. Our PTA membership number for this 2007-08 school year is currently 920. Our staff tracks volunteer hours and our Teacher on Special Assignment serves as a Business Partner Contact. Volunteers can records their hours three ways: By completing the Volunteer Hours Report Form at the Front Desk at DSCS, Completing a card in the Volunteer File Box at the front desk, or On-Line with the Parent Volunteer Coordinator. The total volunteer hours for the first year of our charter totaled 45,879 hours. Our school logged 50,975 hours for the 2006-07 school year. That resulted in approximately 56 hours of volunteer activity per student in our school.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
This aspect of our charter has met with such success that we do not anticipate making any significant changes to the program. We do, however, want to continue to investigate more efficient ways of tracking and compiling our volunteer information so as to make it less time intensive for our parental involvement coordinator. We also continue to offer more parenting classes, such as Lunch and Learn classes.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
One goal was improved teacher preparation. We implemented a school wide enrichment model to promote challenging higher level thinking strategies across all levels and demographics. It is the expectation that all teachers are trained in the teaching of schoolwide enrichment strategies by the 2009-10 school year. We are able to offer both the TAG Strategies class and differentiated instruction classes to our staff each year. An average of 20 teachers per year have been trained in TAG Strategies, with 23 participating in the 2007-08 school year classes. These teachers have written TAG strategy lessons that are bound in notebooks in our school media center and are also available electronically to other teachers on our school server. In the NSDC Standards Assessment Inventory, our staff rated our school with mean
254

scores above 3 (on a 4 point scale) in the following: Leadership, Data Driven Decision Making, and Research Based Strategy Use, Collaboration, Quality Teaching, Resources, and Family Involvement.
2.
Another charter goal was a collaborative partnership with GSU. Through this partnership, DSCS enjoyed a total of about 50 GSU interns and student teachers throughout the school year. The relationship resulted in one new hire for the 2007-08 school year. Teacher and parent satisfaction with the GSU partnership is very high. Both parents and teachers agree that the GSU component of our charter greatly enhances student achievement. GSU gives high rankings to all DSCS teachers and plans to continue the relationship, using DSCS as a model for the other cluster schools which have become part of the program expansion: Sandy Springs Middle School and North Springs High School.
3.
We also worked to improve the general school environment. An indicator of this is the number and percentage of discipline incidents. Despite an increase in the school population since the writing of the charter, the number of discipline incidents dropped dramatically from 531 to 351 in the 2005-06 school year. In the 2006-07 school year, the discipline incidents decreased from 351 to 230 (35% decline).
4.
When we wrote the charter we did not anticipate the large increases in our general population or in our Hispanic population specifically. Our mobility rate of 60% was the impetus for the Transition Classroom alone. However, the large gains in our general population and the almost doubling of our LEP population have made it invaluable to our community. The job of assimilating our new families, many of whom do not have a successful educational history in this country nor their country of origin, has been a challenge. The Transition Classroom allows our school to evaluate and place incoming students, make sure their families are properly oriented and have access to the services they need, and allows our classroom teachers to focus on their curriculum rather than on constantly orienting new students.
5.
Another goal was to increase parental participation. We detail the wonderful successes of our efforts in another area of this report.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

255

TEST RESULTS 256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

FARGO CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Danny Ellis 80 City Hall Drive P.O. Box 267 Fargo, GA 31631 912-637-5466

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Clinch County Start-Up Aug. 14, 2000 K 3 29 No

Mission
The mission of Fargo Charter School, in collaboration with parents, the Fargo community, and the Clinch County Board of Education, is to provide educational opportunities for and to encourage students to strive for excellence. As a result, all children will become competent citizens capable of making responsible decisions when faced with the challenges of the future.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Fargo Charter School
0

Ware Magnet School
16.7

Clinch County Primary School
20.2

Clinch County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

29

Diversity

Caucasian

83%

Black

10%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

3%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

478

441

1,344 1,589,839

69%

58%

58%

47%

19%

39%

39%

38%

5%

0%

0%

9%

4%

0%

0%

3%

2%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

7%

0%

0%

0%

4%

35%

0%

1%

9%

11%

19%

18%

12%

264

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

83%

31%

68%

65%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Yes. Each Fargo Charter School student scored above 300/800 on the CRCT on every subtest with only one exception. (One 3rd grade student scored below 300 on the Science subtest.) Fargo Charter School students scored "exceeds" on 27% of the content areas tested.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
For the fourth consecutive year, 100% of Fargo Charter School students passed the CRCT. This passage rate is attributed to the fact that every student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and instruction is tailored to meet each child's needs. Additionally, FCS purchased Study Island, an online CRCT tutorial program.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Fargo Charter School students scored above the state average in every CRCT content area but one (2nd grade Reading). However, the scores did regress to some degree. The previous year FCS students scored "exceeds" on 51% of the content areas tested, whereas this year only 27% scored "exceeds." These regressions are attributed to the fact that the CRCT is now GPS-based and not QCC-based in Reading, English/Language Arts, Mathematics (grades 1 & 2), and Science (grade 3). Additionally, FCS students were administered the CRCT during the same time period of the Sweat Farm/Bugaboo Fire and actually missed 6 days of school as a result.

265

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes. Former Fargo Charter School students are tracked. Most continue to excel academically, but a few struggle with transitioning to larger schools. (80% of last year's 3rd graders received academic honors during their 4th grade Honors Day program.)
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. On the CRCT female students scored better than male students in Reading, English/Language Arts, and Mathematics. Male students scored better in Science and Social Studies. White students scored better than African Americans and Native Americans in English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies, whereas Native American students scored better than Whites and African Americans in Reading. No ESOL or Special Education students were enrolled at Fargo Charter School during the 2007-2008 school year. In an effort to close the achievement gap among genders and ethnic groups, Fargo Charter School is providing after school tutoring sessions and has begun a mentor/mentee program.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. ITBS Performance: On the fall 2006 administration of the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, Fargo Charter School 3rd graders attained a composite score of 70th percentile.
2. GKAP-R: 100% of Fargo Charter School kindergarteners scored "First Grade Readiness" on the 2006-2007 GKAP-R.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community
266

involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. For the seventh consecutive year, 100% of Fargo Charter School parents attended both Early Release Parent/Teacher conferences, and 100% of parents joined the Parent/Teacher Organization. Parents and community members volunteered on a regular basis, and large crowds attended the parent lunches and the Fall Festival. Additionally, a standing-room-only crowd attended the annual school play.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parent and community involvement is measured by the amount of participation (see number 1 above) and by the annual Parent Satisfaction Survey. For the second consecutive year, the overall satisfaction rate was 100%.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Parental and community support has always been a strength of Fargo Charter School. The most recent parent and community involvement effort has been the creation of mentor/mentee program to assist with closing the achievement gap.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Fargo Charter School students will improve Reading/language abilities by participating in an interdisciplinary curriculum. Ninety-two percent of FCS students are Reading at least one grade level above their actual grade level. Fargo Charter School students passed 94% of Accelerated Reader quizzes taken.
2. Fargo Charter School students will improve Mathematical abilities by participating in an interdisciplinary curriculum. One hundred percent of FCS students are at least one grade level above their actual grade level in Mathematics.
3. Fargo Charter School students will increase learning skills in a safe, inviting, and supportive learning environment. On the Parent Satisfaction Survey, 100% of FCS parents were satisfied with the learning environment. All FCS students received at least one award on Honors Day.
267

4.
Fargo Charter School will create a cooperative working liaison between the school, parents, and the community. Parents and community members volunteered on a regular basis, served on all school committees, and helped with all school functions.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

268

269

270

271

FORSYTH COUNTY ACADEMY

Contact Information
Brad Smith 7745 Majors Road Cumming, GA 30041 770-781-3141 ext. 402102

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Forsyth County State Charter Aug. 15, 2005 9 - 12 93 No

Mission
To provide and engaging, relevant, and rigorous curriculum, supported by positive interactive relationships, in an effort to ensure that students achieve their full academic and social potential and are productive members of the community.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Forsyth County Academy
0

Forsyth Central High School
5.6

South Forsyth High School
0.7

Forsyth County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

78

Diversity

Caucasian

94%

Black

0%

Hispanic

6%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

2084

2815

27,908 1,589,839

84%

85%

85%

47%

1%

3%

2%

38%

12%

7%

9%

9%

1%

4%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

1%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

12%

5%

2%

4%

4%

11%

20%

15%

9%

10%

7%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

12%

17%

7%

14%

50%

272

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. Two of our school improvement goals were to increase EOCT averages and to increase the percentage of first time test takers passing the GHSGT and GHSWT. EOCT scores increased by an average of 3 points per subject area.
GHSGT results were as follows: ELA - 100% pass rate 97.6% AYP proficient or advanced Math - 97.6% pass rate 92.7% AYP proficient or advanced Science - 95% pass rate Social Studies - 92.5% pass rate Writing - 100% pass rate
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? We incorporated a 4 week intensive review prior to each administration of the GHSGT. Students that were going to be tested participated in the daily review sessions which were facilitated by our teachers. Previous years test scores were used to identify schoolwide areas of weakness. These areas were intensely reviewed during the school wide review sessions.
In addition, teachers used diagnostic tests through NovaNET, USA Testprep, and the Georgia Online Assessment System to identify individual areas of weakness. Those areas were remediated during the students regularly scheduled classes.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. All content areas improved. The most improvement was shown in Science and the Math AYP. Our pass last year in Science was 49%. Our Science teacher did an outstanding job in working with all students in this area.

273

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No. We do not have an assessment instrument that would give an accurate comparision.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. We continue to be concerned about our EOCT scores. Teachers are working to identify specific "holes" in the curriculum and will be working more closely with students on an individual basis to better prepare them for the EOCT test. We do not have any subgroups large enough to design something specifically for those groups. We also have not seen any significant differences in the scores from our Special Education or ESOL students.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Graduation Rate - The graduation rate for our school was 95% as calculated by AYP data. We are very proud of the number of students that we have been able to help achieve their goal of achieving a high school diploma. 2. Decrease dropout rate for the school system - The dropout rate for the Forsyth County school system went from 10.35% in the 2005-06 school year to 8.75% in the 2006-07 school year. Although this is a signifcant drop, the school does not feel that this is due only to the charter school. Due to the success of the program at the Academy, many of the local high schools have adopted portions of our program that fit into their repective schools. It is our feeling that these changes are making the difference in the system drop-out rate.
274

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. We have strong support from our parents and community. There was an 80% parent attendance rate at all school events and student conferences. Our main area of concern is in securing community mentors for our students. Although all students had a mentor during the 2006-07 school year, we did not have enough mentors to establish a one-on-one partnership. The community was very supportive in terms of commitment of resources. These resources include financial, as well as other needs.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. The level of parent involvement is measure by finding the percentage of parents that attend our school functions and conferences. Our parent involvment rate was 80%. We do not have a way that we measure community involvement.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We plan on offering several programs in which parents and community members can participate. It is our hope that these programs will attract attendees and will strengthen our relationship with these groups.
As principal, I have made a committment to contact the local civic organizations and will go to meetings to educate the community about our program in hopes of increasing mentor participation, internship opportunities, and other community involvement.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Advisory Program - The Forsyth Academy has established and advisory program that is designed to help students establish a college focus. The program is a combination of several different advisory programs, but it focuses on giving the students a better understanding of life after high school and in how to make the best decision on which post-secondary school would meet their personal needs. Students do career interest inventories, prepare life budgets, research career earnings, research post-secondary options, apply to colleges, study financial investments, prepare presentations, and cover many other topics that are not typically addressed in the academic setting.
275

2.
Mentoring Program - It is the goal of the Academy to find a community mentor for each student. Although this goal has not been met, we were able to pair each student with a mentor by using a small group strategy. This appears to be a good model especially in allowing students to interact with the mentors and their peers. Those students that we feel require the one-on-one mentor approach were paired with individual mentors.
3.
Motivation Time - Twice a week, students prepare a presentation to be shared with the entire student body. The student body gathers in a lecture room and a group of 34 students presents on a topic that they find motivating. These sessions allow students to develop the skills necessary to prepare quality and meaningful presentations. The staff of the school and a selected number of students grade the presentation giving constructive criticism.
4.
Dual Enrollment - 35% of all students enrolled at the Academy last year participated in dual enrollment opportunities with Lanier Technical College.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes

TEST RESULTS

276

277

FULTON SCIENCE ACADEMY MIDDLE SCHOOL

Contact Information
Kenan Sener 1675 Hembree Rd. Alpharetta, GA 30004 770-753-4141 Ext 108

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Start-Up Aug. 12, 2002 6 - 8 381 No

Mission
The mission of the charter school is to execute the instruction of the middle school MathScience curriculum with the help of proven successful methods in a stimulating and supporting environment to prepare the entire student body to their maximum potential in these subjects so that on this basis they will get the most out of their high school MathScience education which is the key for future success.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Fulton Science Academy
0

Hopewell Middle School
1.9

Northwestern Middle School
3.3

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

407

Diversity

Caucasian

57%

Black

21%

Hispanic

4%

Asian/Pacific Islander

14%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

5%

1012

1,200

81,982 1,589,839

68%

77%

38%

47%

12%

12%

41%

38%

9%

4%

10%

9%

6%

3%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

4%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

37%

Special Education

9%

3%

0%

4%

4%

28%

32%

14%

9%

10%

9%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

38%

11%

8%

36%

50%

278

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. Students' CRCT scores increased a few percentage points from last year's CRCT scores for meets and exceeds level.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? FSA students increased their test scores in the following subjects during 2006-2007 school year. 6th Grade: Reading 100% (4% increase), English 99% (3% increase), Social Studies 99% (3% increase) 7th Grade: Reading 98% (5% increase), English 100% (6% increase), Math 97% (4% increase), Social Studies 98% (1% increase), Science 96% (9% increase) 8th Grade: Reading 99% (4% increase), English 99 (3% increase), Math 95% (7% increase), Social Studies 98% (1% increase), Science 94% (6% increase)
We believe that our teaching methods, CMP (Connected Mathematics Project) and FAST (Foundational Approach in Science Teaching), worked even better with GPS standards to achieve the desired results. These methods include investigation based studies and hands-on activities. Team teaching classes, after school tutoring and weekend studies also helped our students to improve their test results.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Improved Areas 6th Grade: Reading 100% (4% increase), English 99% (3% increase), Social Studies 99% (3% increase). 7th Grade: Reading 98% (5% increase), English 100% (6% increase), Math 97% (4% increase), Social Studies 98% (1% ncrease), Science 96% (9% increase).

279

8th Grade: Reading 99% (4% increase), English 99 (3% increase), Math 95% (7% increase), Social Studies 98% (1% increase), Science 94% (6% increase).
Regressed Areas 6th Grade Math 91% (2% decrease), Science 92% (1% decrease).
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes. Each department discusses the CRCT results at the end of the year and compares each grade and each student's score with the previous year. Under the light of these discussions, departments work with our students during the following year to help them increase their academic success. By comparing test results from this year and previous year, Math department creates focus groups and helps them during Math lab team teaching classes.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. N/A
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Goal: Average score of students of FSA Middle School who are administered the Stanford 9 Test (Equivalent ITBS Scores are available) in the content area of Mathematics will be higher than the average score of a match pair group of students in the District every year the test is administered.
Progress towards goal: Exceeded district average. We do not have match pair group data but we do have the FSA and county data. Indicator of Progress: Fall 2006 ITBS Results for Mathematics clearly show the FSA success in this area. FSA & District Comparison Math Percentage: 72% / 60%
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2. Goal: Average score of students of FSA Middle School who are administered the Stanford 9 Test (Equivalent ITBS Scores are available) in the content area of Science will be higher than the average score of a match pair group of students in the District every year the test is administered.
Progress towards goal: Exceeded district average
We do not have match pair group data but we do have the FSA and county data. Indicator of Progress: Fall 2006 ITBS Results for Science below clearly show the FSA success in this area. FSA & District Comparison Science Percentage: 76% / 61%.

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.
Yes, the level of parental and community involvement in our school met our expectations. We have achieved a high level of parental and community involvement as indicated in the volunteer hours log.

2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.

We keep a log book of volunteer hours to measure the level of parental and

community involvement we have. Here are the outcomes: Volunteer Hours Log

Fulton Science Academy Middle School

August 2006-July 2007

Media Asst.

Academic Office

Total Hrs Ctr Teachers* PVO** Sports Competitions Help

Aug 274 7

5

222 25

8

7

Sept 501 9 44

400 22

15

11

Oct 388 22 25

299 10

22

10

Nov 169 16

22

99

5

21

6

Dec 169 9

16

98

0

40

6

Jan 240 9

25

130

0

62

14

Feb 265 15

15

132

0

91

12

Mar 284 22

9

110

0 132

11

Apr 480 26

12

266

0 166

10

May 849 22

60

622

0 140

5

Jun

5 0

0

5

0

0

0

Jul

4 0

0

15

0

0

1

3628 157 233

2398 62 697

93

281

3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Our school's PVO (Parent Volunteer Organization) continues to function as a great support and cooperative arm of our school. By working collaboratively with the PVO and having an `open door' policy we efficiently make decisions on issues including parent communications, fundraising, community partnerships and school spirit. Additionally, our parents and staff work outside the school at various events.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. One of our goals in the charter is that the percentage of total students participating at regional or national sicence competitions, Science fairs and alike at the end of the first three year period will be higher than that of a similar groups of students in the district.
In 2006-2007 school year we received great results in Science Olympiad. Our Science Olympiad team won 1st place in Regionals and 2nd place in State. 15 FSA Students represented Georgia in the National Science Olympiad in Wichita, Kansas and we received 29th place out of 60 schools.
Also, one of our students Mark Stathos won first place in the district level of Science Fair.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes Yes, 15.87%

282

TEST RESULTS 283

284

285

286

287

288

FUTRAL ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Larry L. Jones 180 Futral Road Griffin, GA 30224 770-229-3735

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Spalding County Conversion Aug. 15, 1998 PK - 5 624 No

Mission
The mission of Futral Road Elementary is to provide a nurturing environment that ensures learning for all for life.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Futral Road Elementary
School
0

Crescent Road
Elementary School
1.4

Jackson Road
Elementary School
2.1

Spalding County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

594

Diversity

Caucasian

73%

Black

21%

Hispanic

3%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

401

435

10,561 1,589,839

82%

70%

49%

47%

13%

26%

45%

38%

1%

1%

3%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

3%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

9%

Special Education

13%

0%

0%

1%

4%

2%

2%

6%

9%

9%

12%

14%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

49%

29%

69%

64%

50%

289

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Our students' standardized test results met our expectations in several areas. Futral Road has focused on increasing progress of all students. A primary focus was and continues to be increasing performance of both black students and students with disabilities. School wide this goal was achieved in all areas. Mathematics and Reading/Language Arts showed substantial gains in both areas.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Fifth grade scores showed the greatest growth in all areas of the CRCT. ( Math: 11% increase, Reading 11% increase, English Language Arts 18% increase). 5th Grade Writing Test scores were also a strength in 5th grade. These scores exceeded state, system and regional percentages. Expectations were not met in 1st grade Reading or Math (Decreases of 9% and 16% respectively). Second grade Math also showed a decrease in performance for students who met or exceeded on the CRCT, while increasing performance in Reading. Instructional strategies were effective in most grades and content areas, with the exception of first grade.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Students' performance improved in second grade Reading from 92% to 95%, meeting or exceeding on the CRCT. Scores for second grade English/Language Arts also increased from 85% meets/exceeds to 91% meets/exceeds. Third through fifth grades showed increase in all areas, with the exception of a 3% decrease in 4th grade English/Language Arts. Fifth grade writing test scores showed 92% of students meeting or exceeding expectations, while state, system and RESA percentages ranged from 70%-76% meeting or exceeding expectations. Fifth grade also made significant gains in the areas of Reading, Math, and Language Arts. (99% meets/exceeds in Math, 95% meets/exceeds in Reading, 96% meets/exceeds in English/Language Arts)

290

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Teachers are beginning to track student performance from year to year on a studentby-student basis by creating portfolios on children. Children are being assessed more frequently and only research based interventions are being implemented. At this point, tracking from year to year primarily focuses on children who are identified as not meeting standards on the CRCT and are being served through the Early Intervention Program. However, we also use testing data from the previous year to plan instruction for all students in each grade. We have also used these scores to identify areas in need of improvement for our teachers. Teachers at Futral Road have completed "Improvement Plans" focused on identifying areas in which they can improve and how they plan to do this.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
While we have made gains in closing the achievement gap between white students and students with disabilities and minorities, we still have significant gaps in achievement between these groups. We are also looking to better serve our students in the EIP program in all grades. Our first grade test scores were, in large part, negatively affected by the scores made by EIP students. We are researching and looking to implement research based interventions for these students. Continuing to pair students with an adult mentor and using standards-based instruction will be a part of the plan for helping these students. We are also implementing a plan to provide an enrichment period each day. This time will be used to provide intensive instruction focused on specific educational needs of students (i.e., Reading fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension in different groups during this period). We are also developing a pyramid of interventions to better aid our students in need (both high and low achieving students).
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
Fifth Grade CRCT Fifth grade scores showed an 11% increase in Reading and Math. An 18% increase
291

was made in English/Language Arts on the CRCT. This area and the following three have been promoted by using several strategies, instructional programs or methods. Among these are a focus on professional learning, school-wide enrichment, and research-based decision making. We continue to use three early release days per year to provide staff with professional learning based upon the needs of our school. We also use our Personnel and Professional Development Design Team to create a professional learning plan for our staff. They have used a survey to poll staff as to which areas of professional learning they feel they need most. We also continue to use the 13th Day, a program based on Renzulli's school-wide enrichment model. This provides our students with a wealth of experiences that help improve their learning. Finally, we are focusing on using research based interventions. One way we will provide these interventions is through a daily enrichment period. We will use this period to provide interventions targeted at students' specific needs (i.e. Reading fluency, vocabulary development ).
2. Writing Tests showed that 92% of students met or exceeded standards.
3. Minority test scores improved in all areas, as measured by the CRCT, Writing Test and ITBS. 4. Test scores of students with disabilities improved in all areas, as measured by the CRCT, Writing Test and ITBS.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parent and community involvement during the 2006-2007 school year met our expectations. We continue to receive strong support from both our parents and community. We gained an additional three partners in education during the school year and had tremendous support from them. Support ranged from help with fundraisers to volunteers in our classrooms. We also had help from one partner with copying. Our parents have assisted with everything from school picture day to helping with sight words, to providing "goodies" for teacher appreciation week. They also help with practically any other academic need at our school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We have used a new computer system to track volunteer hours logged at our school When a volunteer logs in the system maintains the time each person is present. It is
292

also good for recognizing parents and volunteers for their service. Last year our volunteers logged a total of 2,236 hours. These hours are only during the school day. Many more hours were logged during after school events.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
We plan to provide more informative and educational opportunities for our parents and stakeholders. We also plan to have functions that are about community development. One way we will do this is to offer gatherings of a more social nature (i.e. Starry Night: A program where families are invited to Futral Road Elementary to picnic on the lawn and let the children play and offer stargazing with professors from a local college.) We will also have more instructionally focused events such as math curriculum nights, family reading nights, etc. Another way we are encouraging involvement is through improved communication. We will do this with a monthly newsletter and calendar that will go home with students and be distributed to other stakeholders such as Partners in Education. We will also continue to offer programs such as Love and Logic for Parents.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Students who have been enrolled at the school for at least three continuous years will become self-reliant, productive and creative citizens who have developed and display self-esteem, respect for all, the desire to learn and think independently, and the strategies to reach their greatest potential. Students will display their value of education and will show confidence in their abilities as learners. One way that this has been evidenced is in the decrease in discipline offenses requiring out of school suspensions.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

293

TEST RESULTS 294

295

296

297

298

299

300

301

GATEWAY TO COLLEGE ACADEMY

Contact Information
Robert A. Wigfall 555 N. Indian Creek Drive Clarkston, GA 30021 678-891-3220

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Aug. 22, 2005 10 - 12 120 No

Mission
The mission of the Gateway to College Academy is to recover high school dropouts ages 16 through 20 (grades 10-12) and re-channel them into the educational pipeline. This mission is accomplished through collaboration between Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) and DeKalb County School System (DCSS). The Academy offers students the option of completing high school while concurrently receiving credit toward an associate degree and provides counseling toward other alternative means of high school completion as needed. Serving students who are eligible to attend DeKalb County High Schools, the Gateway to College Academy provides an alternative to the stigma of a GED and provides a true "gateway" for students into higher education.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Gateway to College Academy
0

Southwest DeKalb
High School
3.1

Columbia High School
3.1

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

117

Diversity

Caucasian

5%

Black

93%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

1823

1,371

98,713 1,589,839

0%

0%

10%

47%

98%

98%

76%

38%

0%

0%

8%

9%

0%

0%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

1%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

0%

0%

4%

4%

11%

3%

10%

9%

302

Special Education

0%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

22%

6%

9%

9%

12%

49%

67%

64%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Given our population of students, our standardized test results were remarkable. Although we have no true peers (given that we are a unique early college dropout recovery model for the state of Georgia), our student test scores on the GHSGT were excellent compared to other alternative high schools in our community. Our students performed particularly well on the English/Language Arts and Writing portions of the GHSGT, scoring 100% (for first time test takers) on the English/LA portion. Given that our students have been out of school or not attending regularly prior to coming to our Academy, students perform extremely well on these tests. Our students struggle the most with the Science and Social Studies portions since they often come to us with credit deficiencies in these areas but are required to test with us immediately because of their accumulated HS credits earned.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
During the first semester, students participate in remedial/review courses in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics as well as other areas. These courses in particular help students prepare for the English/LA, Writing and Mathematics portions of the GHSGT. Furthermore, each student is assigned a Resource Specialist upon entry into our Academy. The Resource Specialists work with students on test-taking strategies, test anxiety issues, etc. Our small class sizes in a mature, nurturing environment all contribute to student successes.

303

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. This is only the second year of test results for our Academy and we have small numbers of students. Our students performed very well both years on the English/LA portion of the GHSGT, but with 100% pass rate in the 2006-07 year, we did see improvement from the previous year. On the other end of the spectrum, Science is an area where our students typically do not perform well and the average pass rate dropped slightly in 2006-07 compared to 2005-06 for that area.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Because our students enter at all different grade levels with a variety of academic gaps, we do not consider grade levels frequently at all. That does not seem to be a useful characteristic for us to track with our students. We focus more on progress toward HS diploma requirements as well as accumulated college credits earned. We also track the students based upon how many semesters they have been in our Academy.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. With a very small student population, we struggle to disaggregate our data. Nevertheless, all of our students are, by definition of our target population, "at risk" students. Our students are behind in credits for their age and typically have attendance issues when they enroll in our Academy. Therefore, we do not focus on attempting to identify further subgroupings, especially since our data pool is already so small. In areas where our students are not performing as well as we wish (e.g., Science and Social Studies GHSGT), we are implementing supplemental workshops to assist students. Because our students must often take GHSGT tests in these areas before they have had a chance to enroll in any related coursework designed to prepare them for these tests, it can be a very demoralizing experience for our students. We are hoping to improve not only pass rates but also morale with these workshops.
304

ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Our students must take college placement tests prior to entry into dual enrollment classes. The COMPASS (college placement test) is administered to new students each semester near the end of the first term. Our students perform very well on these placement tests, especially given that they do not yet have a high school credential. Again, we have small numbers of students, but including all students who have tested since Fall 2005, we have found that half of the students placed out of Learning Support (remedial) Reading; 43.2 % placed out of Learning Support Writing; 17.1 % placed into collegiate level Mathematics; 34.7 % placed into collegiate level English (requires placing out of BOTH LS Reading AND LS Writing); 13.6 % placed into ALL collegiate level courses (i.e., no Learning Support remediation coursework was required). 2. We have slightly more students taking GHSGT each year. We struggle to improve our participation rate on this since students avoid taking the tests when they know they are not properly prepared for them. Our participation rate last year was 67 % and this year we increased this to 72%. 3. Our students are required to earn a grade of "C" or better in first semester classes in order to progress into mainstream college classes. Once enrolled in mainstream college classes, students must maintain a 2.0 GPA or higher. Students who are required to enroll in Learning Support classes must complete each required area within a maximum of 3 attempts or 12 semester hours (whichever comes first) for each required area (English, Mathematics and/or Reading). 4. Our pass rate for first time test takers (11th graders) was 100% for English/LA; 77% for Mathematics; 90% for Writing. All of these meet our stated goals in our charter. We did not have stated goals for pass rates for the Science and Social Studies portions of the GHSGT.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. During the 2006-07 year, we had good parental attendance at the Information/Assessment sessions, Orientation and Open House. We also have parent representatives on our Board of Directors along with other community partners. Both
305

Georgia Perimeter College and DeKalb County Schools support our Academy daily and we work closely with our partners at Portland Community College and also our colleagues at the University System of Georgia's Office of P-16 Initiatives.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We use attendance at meetings as one indicator of parental and community involvement in our Academy. Attendance and participation has been higher in the 2006-07 year than in the 2005-06 year. We also include parents in key meetings and discussions related to the academic progress of their students. Parents generally welcome this opportunity to participate in plans for their student's success. We also feel that our students are as important as the parents and other members of the community for our success. If our students do not feel that we meet their needs, then we have no reason for existence. Therefore, we began conducting student satisfaction surveys this past year to evaluate our ability to meet the needs of our students.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We hope to add community partners to our Board of Directors in order to formalize additional community involvement. Furthermore, we are increasing the number of mailings to parents during the 2007-08 school year.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. One of our goals was to meet "AYP" each year. Because of the small numbers of students, we do not have enough data for an AYP calculation to be determined for our Academy. 2. Attendance is a key issue at the Gateway to College Academy, since we are a dropout recovery program. Spring 2007 data indicate that our students had an overall attendance rate of 90.2 %. Compared to previous attendance records (prior to entry into our Academy), we are very proud of our students' records in this area. 3. Our charter states that all teachers will meet the NCLB definition of highly qualified teachers and shall hold current professional certificates (valid in GA) issued by the PSC. We also promised to pay our teachers according to the DeKalb County Schools pay scale. We have fulfilled both of these obligations. Furthermore, we have had excellent employee retention during these first few years of start-up for our charter
306

school.
4.
After two years, we have our first two graduates. Although our retention rate has not been as high as we would like to see eventually, we understand that our retention rate will likely always be lower than we would like given our student population; also, we expect to improve our ability to retain students as our Academy matures and as our community develops a better understanding of our program. We are encouraged by the increasing numbers of students who should be graduating this coming year.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, 21% of last year's operating budget was left in reserve at the end of the fiscal year.

307

308

HAPEVILLE CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Contact Information
Jannard Rainey 3535 South Fulton Ave. Hapeville, GA 30354 404-767-7730

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Start-Up Aug. 2, 2004 6 - 8 434 Yes

Mission
The mission of Hapeville Charter Middle School is to prepare each student, academically and socially, to succeed in a college preparatory high school environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Hapeville Charter Middle School
0

Paul D. West Middle School
3.9

KIPP Charter School
1.7

Fulton County

Georgia

N/A

N/A

Total Population

448

Diversity

Caucasian

6%

Black

78%

Hispanic

12%

Asian/Pacific Islander

2%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

956

287

81,982 1,589,839

1%

0%

38%

47%

83%

96%

41%

38%

14%

1%

10%

9%

2%

1%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

2%

Gifted

5%

Special Education

8%

3%

0%

4%

4%

5%

0%

14%

9%

14%

6%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

68%

87%

76%

36%

50%

309

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

No.

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Hapeville Charter School students met school expectations in all areas with the exception of Math (schoolwide) and 6th Grade Science.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Hapeville Charter Middle School students scored higher than all other schools of similar comparison in all other catagories except for a 1% difference in Reading.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Hapeville Charter Middle School improved in the following areas schoolwide from 2006 to 2007: Reading Scores: 80.5% to 86.6% English/LA Scores: 82.0% to 88.7% Science Scores: 51.5% to 57%
Hapeville Charter Middle School did not improve in the following areas schoolwide from 2006 to 2007: Mathematics Scores: 59.5% to 55.7% Social Studies Scores: 85% to 81%
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes. Hapeville Charter Middle School does track student achievement from year-toyear by comparing the scores from the Northwestern Evaluation Assessment Test and

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the CRCT.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Hapeville Charter Middle School's areas of concern are Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science. We plan to address these concerns by incorporating differentiated instruction in all classrooms, but especially those classrooms with students who have disabilities and those who have lagging achievement scores. Differentiated instruction applies an approach to teaching and learning so that students have multiple options for taking in information and making sense of ideas. The model of differentiated instruction requires teachers to be flexible in their approach to teaching and adjusting the curriculum and presentation of information to learners rather than expecting students to modify themselves for the curriculum. Classroom teaching is a blend of whole-class, group and individual instruction.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Dual language concept--Everyday, students receive instruction in their native language provided by their classroom teacher and 1 hour a day of second language instruction. Spanish as a second language or English as a second language-- provided by certified and experienced second language teachers. 2. Connected Mathematics--Hapeville Charter Middle School uses this program because all students should be able to reason and communicate proficiently in Mathematics. With the use of this program, students gain knowledge and skill in the use of the vocabulary, forms of representation, materials, tools, techniques, and intellectual methods of the discipline of Mathematics, including the ability to define and solve problems with reason, insight, inventiveness and proficiency.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Hapeville Charter Middle School parents and the community met all school
311

expectations. They were instrumental in raising funds for the school, donating computers, and supporting Hapeville Charter Middle School's faculty and staff.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Hapeville Charter Middle School measures parental and community involvement by the amount of participation from year to year. A log book is kept for the amount of parents and community organizations/businesses contributing time to the school.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Parent and community involvement is encouraged by frequent reminders of important dates. Monthly meetings are being held to remind parents of Parent Rights and Responsibilities. Ads are placed in the school's newsletter to remind readers of important meetings and events. A sign is placed outside of both buildings to remind parents and the community about meetings. There is a large calendar at the entrance of both buildings as a reminder of the month's important events.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Hapeville Charter Middle School's charter states that when comparing the group mean scores of students schoolwide in Science, Hapeville will exceed the group mean scores of demographically similar schools in the Fulton County School System. Hapeville achieved this goal. 2. Hapeville Charter Middle School's charter states that when comparing the group mean scores of students schoolwide in Reading, Hapeville will exceed the group mean scores of demographically similar schools in the Fulton County School System. Hapeville achieved this goal. 3. Hapeville Charter Middle School's charter states that when comparing the group mean scores of students schoolwide in Language Arts, Hapeville will exceed the group mean scores of demographically similar schools in the Fulton County School System. Hapeville achieved this goal. 4. Hapeville Charter Middle School's charter states that when comparing the group mean scores of students schoolwide in Math, Hapeville will meet or exceed the group mean
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scores of demographically similar schools in the Fulton County School System. Hapeville achieved this goal.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes. Hapeville Charter Middle School reserves 25% of its operating budget to cover summer salaries and textbook purchases.

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314

315

316

317

318

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL

Contact Information
William L. (Bill) Moon 3260 Covington Highway Decatur, GA 30032 404-499-8969

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Start-Up Aug. 12, 2002 K - 6 344 Yes

Mission
The International Community School provides refugee, immigrant, and local children with an international education at the elementary school level. The school explores and celebrates cultural differences in a challenging, nurturing, and intentionally multi-ethnic environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

International Community
School
0

Avondale Elementary
School
0.3

Forrest Hills
Elementary School
0.9

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

333

Diversity

Caucasian

24%

Black

54%

Hispanic

3%

Asian/Pacific Islander

9%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

11%

409

227

98,713 1,589,839

5%

5%

10%

47%

89%

90%

76%

38%

2%

2%

8%

9%

2%

1%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

3%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

20%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

4%

15%

9%

4%

4%

9%

4%

10%

9%

7%

13%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

57%

95%

90%

64%

50%

319

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
The ICS charter stipulates two criteria for performance on standardized tests: (1) that "the ICS goal will be that 10% of students at Level I in Reading and/or Math in the previous year will raise their scores to Level II, and at least 10% of students at Level II will raise their scores to Level III in the current year. The percentages of ICS students at Level 1 in 2005-2006 who reached Level II in 2006-07 were... Reading: 65% (21/32), Math: 37% (12/29). The percentage of ICS students at Level II in 20052006 who reached Level III in 2006-07 were... Reading: 10% (8/95) and Math: 2% (2/96): (2) that all ESOL students will pass the ESOL exit examination after two full years of ESOL at ICS. Of the students enrolled in ESOL FY06, 44 remained at ICS FY07. Of these 44 students, 2 exited after one year, and six after two years. Thus the ICS percentage of exited students after two years for these grade levels was 18%. However, by the end of three years 22 students who entered in 2004-05 (or 50%) had exited. Of 8 kindergarten students enrolled in ESOL FY05, none had exited by the end of the two year period, FY07. We believe that this expectation was not realistic, and in fact not in keeping with the experience and practice of schools with ESOL programs, especially because many of our students had little or no oral English when they arrived at ICS. In addition, these students have made significant improvement in their English-language skills and this is borne out by the results of their CRCT Reading scores over a three-year period. ICS intends to gather more statistics on these students for the next annual report.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
We were pleased with the improvement in students' Reading results on the CRCT across all grade levels. The percentage of students moving from Level I to Level II in Mathematics across grade levels was also gratifying. We believe that our programs and the commitment of our teachers and volunteers who serve our students are responsible for these improvements. The school has the following programs that

320

benefit underachieving students: School-Within-the-School (for recently arrived immigrant children who are illiterate in their native languages), Reading Recovery for our first grade students who are not reading at grade level, individual tutoring both during the day and in the After-School Program. Saturday School (begun for the older siblings, parents and grandparents of our students).
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Overall, student performance was up across all grade levels. On the specific criteria ICS selected for performance on standardized tests, significant percentages of students at each grade level moved from Level I to Level II in Reading. We were particularly pleased with the improvement from first to second grade (80% moved from Level I to Level II) and from second to third grade (83% moved from Level I to Level II). As regards students moving from Level II to Level III in Reading, we were pleased with the improvement from first to second grade (16%) and from fifth to sixth grade (23%). On this same criterion for Mathematics, a significant percentage of students (37%) moved from Level I to Level II across all grade levels. We are pleased with the improvements from grade 2 to grade 3 (43%), from grade 3 to grade 4 (50%) and from grade 4 to grade 5 (63%). However, on this same criterion, we note that of 53 students at Level I in Reading in grades 2, 3 and 4 in 2005-06, only 2 advanced to Level III in 2006-07. We also note that of 3 students at Level I in Math at fifth grade level in 2005-06, none advanced to Level III, and of all students at Level II in Math in 2005-06 (96) only 2 advanced to Level III (in fifth grade).
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes. See above as regards our tracking of CRCT scores in Reading, Mathematics and ELA.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
As noted above, we were very pleased with overall improvements in CRCT Reading scores. Students also made impressive gains in ELA scores. Overall, improvements in Math scores were not quite as high, and at certain grade levels considerably lower than the gains in Reading and ELA. We understand one of the reasons for this lag: that when ELL students first come to the U.S. they do not take the Math exam. So for some students the second-year Math score is not indicative of the real progress they
321

have made. Nevertheless, we will look carefully at these differences and determine what we can do to improve our approach to Math instruction for our ELL students. ICS uses the Everyday Mathematics program, and the EDM company has just published new Math texts for ELL students. Teachers will begin to use these books as soon as possible, and we believe that these new materials will bolster Math instruction with this group of students. ICS will soon have a graduate student at Emory University helping us with our data analysis, so that we will be able to disaggregate test data among our sub groups (ESOL students, Title One students, special needs students, etc.) as part of a longitudinal study ICS is committed to doing. Analyzing overall test results on a yearly basis is important work. More important is to know how the test results relate to internal assessments of the teachers and at what rate individual students improve their work over time.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
Individual Education Plan. The ICS Charter states that the school "will develop an IEP for students who do not meet minimum standards on tests as defined by DeKalb County Schools." IEPs were written for these students.
2.
Parent-Teacher Conferences. ICS charter states that "every year, each `family unit' will have participated in at least one parent-teacher conference." All parents participated in at least one parent conference.

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.

We were and continue to be very pleased with the very high level of parental and

community involvement in the life of our school. Because of language challenges,

very demanding work schedules and transportation challenges, our students have

more difficulty participating in meetings and activities than do most of our American

families. However, we are now finding non-traditional ways of gathering our

international families (e.g. Saturday meeting with one national or language group).

Some of the ways that are parents and community members are involved in the life of

our school include:



Service on committees such as Health Committee, Mission Effectiveness

Committee, Outreach Committee, ad-hoc groups studying race and diversity issues.



Direct assistance to our Title One families.

322



Assistance to teachers and after-school staff with tutoring individuals and

groups, Saturday School, School-Within-the-School (for recently arrived students

illiterate in their native languages as well as English).



Assistance to staff on school-based extra-curricular activities (Peachtree

Junior road race, soccer program, Girl Scouts, UN DAY, Spring Fair, Spring Auction,

school-wide potlucks, class meetings and potlucks, etc).

2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
Last year we counted over 200 parent and community volunteers at ICS on a monthly basis. There were over 75 volunteers assisting us in the After-School Program alone. This strong level of participation continues in the 2007-08 school year. ICS now has an Advisory Council of prominent business and educational leaders in the Atlanta area. The honorary chair of the Council is former U.S. Labor Secretary Alexis Herman. In addition, the school receives on average 10-15 visitors every week. Many of these visitors help the school with our outreach programs and contacts with political, corporate, and foundation leaders.

3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
We have recently hired a part-time Parent Volunteer Coordinator (PVC) who is helping us to form a new International Parents-Staff Association (IPSA). At the beginning of the year, we collected the volunteer commitment forms from most of our parents, and the PVC is now matching the parents to the list of volunteer opportunities created by our staff.

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. School-Wide Celebrations and Events. The ICS charter states that "every year, each `family unit" will have participated in at least one school-wide activity or celebration." Very large turnouts from all communities represented at ICS were noted at events throughout the year, especially at a family potluck in September, the UN DAY celebration on October 25, 2006, the Spring Fair on April 12, 2008 and the Field Day on May 31, 2007. 2. Diversity. In part, the charter goal in this section indicates that "the school will
323

maintain the same degree of student, teacher and staff diversity in terms of national, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds as it had at is opening [in 2002]...ICS will seek to overcome the communication, cultural, and practical barriers that often result in the refugee population not knowing of the availability of ICS as an appropriate educational option." Over the years, ICS has worked very closely with several refugee agencies (e.g. Refugee Family Services, Jubilee Partners, Refugee Resettlement Agency, International Rescue Committee, etc.) to ensure a significant pool of applicants from many different countries to the school. We believe that the communities are well-informed about ICS, both through the agencies and by word-ofmouth from current ICS parents. The school has been able to maintain approximately a 50-50 balance of U.S. and immigrant children by securing an approximately equal number of applications from both groups.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, 9% of total operating revenues

324

325

326

327

328

329

330

331

332

333

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Wanda M. Mallard 2237 Cutts Drive Albany, GA 31705 229-431-3384

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Dougherty County Conversion Aug. 3, 2005 K - 5 419 Yes

Mission
The mission of the International Studies Elementary Charter School is to develop high academic skills, an understanding of international ideas, cultural diversity, responsible citizenship, as well as critical and compassionate thinking. Students enrolled in the school will become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand and respect the differences of others.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

International Studies
Elementary Magnet
0

Turner Elementary
School
1.6

Sylvester Road
Elementary School
1.7

Dougherty County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

432

537

531

16,224 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

7%

Black

83%

Hispanic

8%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

2%

9%

12%

47%

96%

85%

86%

38%

1%

5%

1%

9%

0%

0%

0%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

5%

Gifted

1%

Special Education

7%

0%

0%

0%

4%

0%

0%

3%

9%

11%

10%

11%

12%

334

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

77%

94%

90%

76%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Our students are increasing in their knowledge as measured by the CRCT, however, maintaining that increase in some areas and not regressing is where we are focusing our attention. Student achievement increased in Reading for grade two. Fourth grade student scores increased in the areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math. Additionally, fifth grade students increased their performances in Reading and English/Language Arts as measured by the CRCT. However, we have acknowledged the decrease in student performances in the area of Reading for grades two, four, and five. English/Language Arts is also a matter to be addressed for grades four and five. Our students did not meet our expectations in all areas as measured by the CRCT but they did make gains. We will maintain these expectations and work collectively to meet or exceed them.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Student achievement increased in Reading for grade two. Fourth grade student scores in the areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math. Additionally, fifth grade students increased their performances in Reading and English/Language Arts as measured by the CRCT. The percentage of the kindergarten population meeting or exceeding Mathematics academic promotion standards as measured by Dougherty County promotion policy grew. ISECS continues to utilize the researched best practices of the Reading First Initiative along with the principles and practices of the IB/Primary Years Program. The integration of technology to facilitate the learning process has increased student engagement and productivity. All of the classrooms within our building have been equipped with 21st century state model technology.

335

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Student achievement increased in Reading for grade two. Fourth grade student scores increased in the areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math. Additionally, fifth grade students increased their Reading and English/Language Arts as measured by the CRCT. The percentage of the kindergarten population meeting or exceeding the Language Arts academic promotion standards as measured by the Dougherty County promotion policy had a slight decrease. However, we have acknowledged the decrease in student performances in the area of Reading for grades two, four, and five. English/Language Arts is also a matter to be addressed for grades four and five. We have already implemented the changes we feel that will positively impact these areas and look forward to the improvement.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
We continue to analyze and discuss the strengths and weaknesses indicated by a variety of assessments and as measured by the CRCT. The daily schedule allows for one hour collaboration daily among the grade levels. Areas of concern that impact the entire grade level are written in our school improvement plans and in each grade level's reflection. This reflection is a weekly collection of evidence that gauges how successful we are in strengthening content domains that we agreed upon within the grade level. Vertical articulation of academic concerns takes place within our scheduled staff development days or faculty meetings. This is useful in that we are able to discuss possible instructional gaps or events that specifically impacted progress or regression of learning. The administration and members of the leadership team are still receiving on-going support to further their understanding and application of data analysis.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
Student achievement increased in Reading for grade two. Fourth grade student scores increased in the areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math. Additionally, fifth grade students increased their Reading and English/Language Arts as measured by the CRCT. However, we have acknowledged the decrease in student performances in the area of Reading for grades two, four, and five. English/Language Arts is also a matter to be addressed for grades four and five. We have already implemented the changes we feel that will positively impact these areas and look
336

forward to the improvement.
The 13% to 1% decrease in student performance as measured by the CRCT have been identified within our school improvement plan. Teaching support staff along with administration identified specific strategies and materials to remediate/accelerate these areas and noted effective methods for subgroups. The daily schedule was redesigned to allow for fifteen additional minutes of English/Language Arts instruction to strengthen content domains. Reading will continue to be a protected block for grades K-3 as mandated by the Reading First Initiative. Grades 4 and 5 Reading instruction will be monitored as well. Math instruction will be impacted positively by the use of new textbooks that are aligned with the Georgia Performance Standards. The use of the correlating manipulatives and other materials will provide for quality problem-solving experiences and application of skills.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. ITBS GOALS THIRD GRADE Benchmark: By spring 2006, 80% of the third grade students will score 80 or better on each of the English/Language Arts sub-test of the ITBS.
FIFTH GRADE Benchmark: By spring 2006, 80% of the fifth grade students will score in the 65th percentile or better on the Reading subtest of the ITBS.
Benchmark: By spring 2006, 80% of the fifth grade students will score in the 65th percentile or better on the Math subtest of the ITBS.
At this time , we have no building level data in regards to the ITBS scores of our student population.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The percentage of parent volunteers increased by 4% based on the previous year results. We had a total enrollment of 419 students and our records indicate that 284
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parents of those students completed volunteer hours. That is 68% and our goal is to continuously improve and achieve 100%. Parent involvement is addresed within our school improvement plan, workshops, and PTO meetings.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parental involvement is recorded and maintained by our Parent Liaison. Parents are often reminded of their obligation of eighteen hours through memos, newsletters, and meetings. The accountability statements frequently sent home reflect parental involvement in their child's education. The community involvement is recorded through sign-in sheets, scrapbooks, public articles, and student portfolios. Our students and staff benefit from the resources within our community and our goal is to increase the impact of those resources.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? ISECS is committed to serving our students, parents, and community. We will continue to use different means of communication such as memos, newsletters, workshops, special events, and family centered activities to encourage their involvement. Teachers are very focused on utilizing the resources within our community to accomplish learning goals and provide our students with actual life experiences.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. To decrease the number of discipline referrals Kindergarten Discipline referrals will not exceed 10% of the present student enrollment. First Grade Decrease discipline referrals by 20% each year for a two year period. Second Grade Discipline will not exceed 15% of the present second grade enrollment during any given year. Third Grade Discipline will not exceed 5% of the present third grade enrollment during any given year. Fourth Grade Discipline will not exceed 15% of the present fourth grade enrollment during any
338

given year. Fifth Grade Discipline will not exceed 15% of the present fourth grade enrollment during any given year.
The data on discipline referrals for the 2006-07 year supports the following: k-33%, 1st-20%, 2nd-46%, 3rd-46%, 4th-45%, and 5th-68%. The 06-07 population on each grade level varied and highly impacted the percentages. It was realized that we did not meet our goal of reducing the number of referrals in some grades however we will continue to use the IBO learner profile in a practical way to help our students take responsibility for their own behavior. Additionally, we experienced a shortage of certified teachers in a couple of classes and thus experienced some inconsistency in care givers. This had an impact on our numbers of discipline referrals.
2.
To actively and continuously involve parents and community stakeholders in planning and decision making in the school. We involve our parents and community stakeholders in several facets of school operation. We utilize our Charter School Board and the Parent Advisory Council in planning and decision-making capacities. Our parent liaison surveys parents for topics of need and plans workshops. She brings in community stakeholders to do the workshops. Our parents volunteer daily in varied activities around the school. They must provide 18 hours of volunteer time per family. This increased involvement reflects a deeper understanding of our instructional approach and realization of the school mission.
3.
International Studies Elementary Charter School was successfully authorized as a provider of the International Baccalaureate Organization's Primary Years Programme during the 2006-07 school year. This authorization is good for three years. ISECS will be evaluated at the end of this period. ISECS is a sixth year Title I Distinguished School. ISECS has been recommended by the State Superintendent of Schools, Kathy Cox, to be a National Blue Ribbon School.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

339

TEST RESULTS 340

341

342

343

344

345

346

347

JENKINS-WHITE CHARTER

Contact Information
Marva Tutt 800 15th Ave. Augusta, GA 30901 706-737-7320

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Richmond County Conversion July1, 2006 PreK-5 396 Yes

Mission
Jenkins-White Elementary Charter School will develop responsible productive citizens who will adapt to our ever-changing society, enrich our world, acquire a thirst for knowledge, and demonstrate respect for one's self and others.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

JenkinsWhite Elementary School
0

Wilkinson Gardens Elementary School
0.6

Collins Elementary
School
0.8

Richmond County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

386

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

99%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

470

420

32,368 1,589,839

3%

0%

22%

47%

95%

100%

73%

38%

1%

0%

2%

9%

0%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

0%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL Gifted Special Education

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

0%

0%

0%

2%

9%

13%

19%

6%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

97%

96%

94%

67%

50%

348

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 No Yes

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 No No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Somewhat. While we made AYP, we still have a long way to go.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? We had the largest growth for the county in third grade. Our students gained 20 percentage points. The instructional strategy included teacher's fidelity to teaching Reading comprehension.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Third-fifth grade students improved in both Math and Reading.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, we compare teachers' annual scores along with students' annual scores to determine growth from year to year. We also analyze individual test sections so that teachers can improve instruction in those areas.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.

349

We need to place a more comprehensive focus on Math and advanced readers. We also need to create an instructional action plan for students with disabilities.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. DIBELs scores improved in all grades except second.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Partially. We are creating more ways to involve parents, other than through classroom parenting. We encourage them to assist with fundraisers, programs, and other projects here at the school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parent sign in sheets, roll call, and teacher documentation.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Monthly volunteer training, mini honor's days, parent/student activities, PTA activities
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. We were able to mentor our young men through an initiative called "Real Talk," with local men from the community.
350

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

351

352

353

354

355

356

357

358

KENNESAW CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Catherine Montini 1370 Lockhart Drive Kennesaw, GA 30144 678-290-9628

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Cobb County State Charter Sep. 1, 2002 K - 5 568 No

Mission
The mission of the Charter School is to provide students with a world-class learning opportunity by maintaining a caring learning environment; working with parents and local communities to develop the intellect and character of the students who choose to attend the school; utilizing innovative teaching techniques delivered by a superior faculty; and offering a challenging curriculum that prepares children for lives of leadership in a rapidly changing world.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Kennesaw Charter School
0

Big Shanty Elementary
School
0.4

Kennesaw Elem School
2.1

Cobb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

554

Diversity

Caucasian

43%

Black

38%

Hispanic

4%

Asian/Pacific Islander

7%

American

1%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

7%

783

875

106,163 1,589,839

54%

55%

48%

47%

23%

21%

29%

38%

13%

13%

14%

9%

5%

4%

4%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

6%

7%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

7%

4%

12%

5%

4%

13%

4%

11%

9%

15%

9%

12%

12%

359

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

32%

32%

24%

34%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. The students' standardized test results met expectations. Students are assessed in the fall and spring on the ITBS. This is a norm-referenced assessment that measures student achievement in comparison to other students nationwide. Our students showed growth in Math and Reading. Our students were assessed in the spring using the CRCT. These scores also showed growth in Math and Reading for grades 3 & 5.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? The Reading scores showed the most progress. We used the AR program to provide supplemental instruction.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Our students showed improvement in all areas and grades.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized

360

test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. We will provide a better testing environment and better preparation for taking the test.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Chancellor Beacon Standards-Based Assessment Unit Test. Tests were given at the end of each nine-week period in the core subject areas. Comprehensive analysis of unit tests were conducted to provide the teacher with an ongoing guide to student instructional needs. 2. Student Learning Plan (SLP). The SLP is a customized educational plan for every student. This learning plan is developed through the collaborative efforts of parents, teachers and students. This living document reflects factors including teacher observations and assessment outcomes. The SLP is modified based on classroom performance and attainment of student goals. The SLP is evaluated at the end of the school year for student articulation purposes. 3. School Climate Assessment. An annual School Climate Survey of parents, students, and staff is conducted. The purpose of the survey is to gather information regarding what students, parents, and staff think about the school and their ideas on how the school can be improved in areas such as curriculum, leadership, parent support, student learning, school safety, and facilities. The survey provides critical feedback on stakeholders perception and serves as a guide for improving school services. 4. Classroom Assessment. Classroom assessments includes student portfolios, class observations, interviews, quizzes, demonstrations, rubrics, student work folders, project-based learning products, essays, and performance tests. The classroom assessments are used to demonstrate knowledge and provide teachers with data upon which to base decisions with regard to core curricular mastery of competencies.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community
361

involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of parental involvement exceeded our expectations. Parents logged over 18,000 hours of volunteer time.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We log the hours that parents and community help our school. Parental hours: over 18,000. Community hours: fewer than 300.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We will work closely with the Kennesaw Business Association to develop relationships to create opportunity for community involvement. We will continue to require 20 hours of parent volunteer time for each student at the school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Promoting Maturity: The school fostered a sense of self-respect, self-confidence, and self-control within each student through group process skills and cooperative learning; peaceful means of conflict resolution; respect for the rights of others; and the promotion of accepting responsibility for one's actions. Progress was made. 2. Accelerating Intellectual Growth: The school pursued excellence in the application of thinking and problem solving strategies, enabling students to master work place and character competencies, the use of technology as a learning tool, and the application of data analysis skills and research methodology. Progress was made. 3. Guiding Toward Independence: We teach strategies for quality performance and stress the value of high expectations in the pursuit of excellence. We promote the development of skills for accessing the information highway, study skills for life-long learning, and tactics for the exploration of career options in a global economy. Progress was made. 4. Balance and Perspective: We encourage the development of academic and career skills; the exploration of the humanities and fine arts; the recognition of both achievement and individual differences; parent and community involvement in the
362

process; a heightened awareness of community needs and goals; and an understanding of the importance of regional and global citizenship. Progress was made.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

363

364

365

366

367

368

369

370

KIDSPEACE SCHOOL OF GEORGIA

Contact Information
Patricia Swint 101 KidsPeace Drive Bowdon, GA 30108 770-437-7233

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Carroll County State Charter Sep. 27, 2004 4 - 12 60 Yes

Mission
KidsPeace Charter School will provide educational services designed to promote the sound academic achievement as well as the social, emotional, and physical health of all students by preparing them for and returning them to a less restrictive program or community environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

KidsPeace
0

Jonesville Middle School
2.3

Bowdon High School
0.3

Carroll County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

59

Diversity

Caucasian

56%

Black

41%

Hispanic

2%

Asian/Pacific Islander

2%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

388

490

14,485 1,589,839

76%

79%

73%

47%

13%

16%

19%

38%

4%

1%

4%

9%

0%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

8%

4%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL Gifted Special Education

0%

2%

0%

1%

4%

0%

13%

16%

10%

9%

100%

17%

11%

14%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

100%

64%

64%

54%

50%

371

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 No No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Yes. Although the student mobility rate is high and the average length of enrollment is 8 months with students enrolling and withdrawing throughout the school year, there was an earnest effort and 100% participation from the students during testing. Although a high percentage of students enrolled in KidsPeace School are functioning well below grade level and all are serviced educationally through an IEP with the primary exceptionality of severe emotional behavior disorder, the results on the standardized tests do not indicate the achievement and progress the students are making in their education as well as their personal growth.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
The results on the standardized tests do not indicate AYP requirements, but students are progressing both academically and behaviorally while enrolled in KidsPeace School of Georgia. Through pre and post testing, using the Stanford Achievement Test (9th Edition), academic progress is monitored. The school also utilizes different forms for tracking behavioral improvements. This information is reviewed quarterly to indicate whether any changes need to be made. The school also uses a variety of incentive-based programs to encourage student progress and success.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Performance improvements each year are difficult to determine due to the high enrollment and withdrawal rate of the students throughout the school year. KidsPeace School does not have students enrolled in the school year after year to determine progress and/or areas needing improvement. Again, utilizing various data gathered on individual students throughout their enrollment in the school, progress could be

372

measured as well as changes made to the school program, such as learning models used, behavior interventions used, and what teaching strategies are working best to meet the varying needs of the students.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. KidsPeace School is unable to accurately track and compare student test scores from year to year due to the average length of enrollment in the school and students not being enrolled in the school one year to the next. KidsPeace School does analyze and use data from each year's test results to develop instructional programs that provide differentiated instruction, changes in teaching strategies, and other areas that could help to improve the school and student learning.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. An area of concern is Reading and Math scores from both state standardiazed tests scores as well as results from pre and post testing using the Stanford Achievement Test (9th Edition). Because these two areas are of concern, the school has utilized title money to hire a Reading and Math specialist. Along with these two new specialty teachers, the school implemented the use of laptops and a new Math software program to supplement the current curriculum. With this implementation of both the specialists and the software program, KidsPeace will hopefully see an improvement in test scores in these two areas as well as other content areas.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. KidsPeace School will continue to monitor the promotion/retention rates of the students. The information gathered on individual students as well as the school as a whole, will be used to improve and develop instructional strategies to meet the varying needs of the students while enrolled in KidsPeace School.
373

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. No. There is limited to no parent/legal guardian involvement with regards to the the school and the students enrolled. With the majority of the students in legal custody of either the Department of Juvenile Justice and/or the Department of Family and Children Services.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Due to a high percentage of students enrolled in KidsPeace being in the custody of the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and/or the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), this area is not being measured at this time.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? The school will continue to hold quarterly board meetings, which are open to the public. The purpose of the meetings are to report the school's success, improvements or changes needed to meet the educational needs of the students, concerns related to the education of the students, and review of finances to name a few. Ideas and feedback will be utilized by the board to make improvements for the students, teachers as well as other stakeholders involved in the school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. KidsPeace is currently conducting a capital campaign to raise money to build a gymnasium and aquatics center. The facility is slated to also provide additional classrooms, a training area, and a larger library. With this new facility, students will be provided additional extracurricular activities to develop and enhance their education, health and fitness, and character building. 2. KidsPeace School and residential facility will continue to cultivate resilience with the youth of Georgia. KidsPeace works with children from all over the state who are dealing with emotional and behavioral issues, mental health problems, and have been identified as at-risk and unable to be productive members of the community. Through differentiated instruction and assessment, character education, providing respect, care, and dignity, KidsPeace will provide the students an opportunity to learn and start
374

developing goals for their future.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

375

376

377

378

379

380

381

KINGSLEY CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Karen Graham 2051 Brendon Drive Dunwoody, GA 30338 678-874-8903

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Conversion Sep. 3, 1989 PreK - 5 387 No

Mission
The mission of Kingsley Charter School is to promote high expectations for students, faculty and staff while encouraging each to develop and utilize unique and diverse strengths in a nurturing and creative environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Kingsley Elementary
School
0

Vanderlyn Elementary
School
0.7

Chesnut Elementary
School
1.7

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

352

882

496

98,713 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

45%

Black

31%

Hispanic

12%

Asian/Pacific Islander

7%

American

1%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

4%

77%

39%

10%

47%

5%

30%

76%

38%

2%

11%

8%

9%

14%

10%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

9%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

8%

Gifted

30%

Special Education

9%

4%

4%

4%

4%

36%

24%

10%

9%

13%

7%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

27%

3%

27%

64%

50%

382

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES

1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Kingsley Charter School students' test results met expectations in the content areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math on the 2007 Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT). As stated in our Charter, each year we will attain scores, which are a minimum of 10 percentage points (or more) above the county average on all grade levels tested. The tables below demonstrate Kingsley's test scores were a minimum of 10 percentage points or above the county average at all grade levels tested. This accomplishment was achieved through the collaborative efforts and hard work of our entire staff, the support of our parents, and the hard work and desire of our students to succeed in school.

2007 CRCT Reading Scores

DeKalb

Kingsley

Difference

Grade 1

831

859

+28

Grade 2

837

857

+20

Grade 3

825

846

+21

Grade 4

824

848

+24

Grade 5

821

837

+16

2007 CRCT ELA Scores
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

DeKalb
821 820 821 822 825

Kingsley
845 834 835 843 837

Difference
+24 +14 +14 +21 +12

383

2007 CRCT Math Scores
Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5

DeKalb
822 820 821 822 825

Kingsley
849 834 835 843 837

Difference
+27 +14 +14 +21 +12

2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Areas of success revealed by our test scores include the following categorical increases from the 2005-2006 to the 2006-2007 school year.
All students category increased in the content areas of Reading/English/Language Arts; from 91.6 % to 93.2 %. All students category increased in the content area of Math; from 92.6% to 93.9%. African American students' scores (only subgroup) increased in the content areas of Reading/English/Language Arts; from 89.8% to 91.7%. African American students' scores (only subgroup) increased in the content area of Math; from 84% to 90.0%.

We believe our Reading scores increased due to our focus on the following:
Establishment of Leveled Text Book Room Differentiated Reading instruction provided through guided Reading groups and literatures circles Use of formative assessments to guide instruction Continuous feedback given to students on their work Additional Reading instruction provided in our Afterschool Tutorial/Enrichment Program Modeling and support given to teachers by our Literacy Coach
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
The percentage of all students meeting and exceeding standards increased from 2006 to 2007 in the content areas of Reading and Language Arts grades # 1, 2, 4, & 5. Grade 3 was the only grade level that did not demonstrate an increase in the percentage of students meeting or exceeding standards. Even though there was no percentage increase, 95% of our third grade students met or exceeded standards in Readings and 90% of our third grade students met or exceeded standards in Language

384

Arts. In the content area of Math, Grades 2 and 3 were the only grades that did not demonstrate an increase in the number of students meeting or exceeding standards. Even though there was no percentage increase, 88% of our second grade students and 90% of our third grade students met or exceeded standards in in Math.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. It would be difficult to compare student progress over time due to the transition from QCC to GPS. Between 2005 through 2009, different grade levels and content areas have switched from QCC with scale scores of 150-450, and GPS with cut scores of 650-950 making it impossible to compare.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. A major area of concern revealed by our test results was the content area of Science. The percentage of students not meeting standards in grades 3, 4, and 5 increased significantly even though the percentage of students exceeding standards increased. Our plans to address this concern include the following:
Increase the number of critical Science experiences for all students all grades; Create a school-wide Science word wall to reinforce vocabulary of the Georgia Performance Standards; Broadcast on CCTV students performing critical Science experiences during the morning announcements.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Under our charter, there is an expectation that 94% of our Kindergarten students will obtain a readiness score for first grade as measured by the GKAP-R. The results of Kingsley's 2007 GKAP-R scores revealed that 96% of our students were ready for first grade. 2.
385

At Kingsley, we expect our students to score a minimum of 10 or more percentage points higher than the county average in Reading and Math on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS). Effective Fall 2006, only students in grades #1, 3, and 5 were tested in DeKalb County.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. During the 2006-2007 school year, the level of parental involvement met our expectations. We expected our parents to meet the required 16 hours stated in the Parental Involvement Contract. We met our goal. Upon further analysis of the data, however, we identified a decrease in the average contract hours per family. We believe the decrease can be attributed to the expectations we have of our parents. We expect parents to log in their volunteer hours electronically using the K12 Ambit System if they have access to a computer. We noticed a declining trend in the average hours per family since we implemented the K12 Ambit System.
The level of community involvement exceeded expectations. Our Partners in Education combined with members of the local business community continued to support the educational programs of the school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We track the number of hours volunteered by our parents through the K-12 Ambit System. During the 2006-2007 school year we averaged 18 hours per family.
Parental involvement is also gauged by participants who sign their names to our sign in sheets at each meeting or various events. High sponsorship by the community and the number of willing volunteers for our events are also an indication of involvement.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? At all parent meetings, held once a month, we now have one or more interpreters as well as the Talk and Listen system. Our last parent meeting of the year is focused on parent/volunteer recognition. Last year, we had some families exceed 125 hours of service. We encourage our families to help with various causes such as Jump Rope for Heart, the School Walk for Diabetes, and Pinwheels for Whirled Peace. Our Kingsley Kampout encourages children to explore nature and Science in a fun, stress free environment while spending the night with their parents in tents on their elementary school playground.
386

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Surveys and questionnaires will be used by the Charter Council to determine satisfaction with the learning environment and the partnership between the school, parents, partners, and community. The goal is to establish and maintain a satisfaction rating of 94%.
A survey was presented towards the end of April to help with planning for the upcoming year. Results from the 2006-2007 survey are as follows:
97.4% of parents stated they were satisfied with their child's educational experience.
92.9% of parents stated they understand the Principal's vision for the school.
94.6% of parents stated that their suggestions were considered/acted upon by the school.
97.4% of parents stated the terms and philosophies of the Charter are being carried out.
95.5% of parents stated the school curriculum reflects Charter goals.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

387

TEST RESULTS 388

389

390

391

392

393

394

395

KIPP SOUTH FULTON ACADEMY

Contact Information
Marina Volanakis 1286 East Washington Avenue East Point, GA 30344 678-278-0160

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Start-Up July 7, 2003 5 8 236 Yes

Mission
The mission of KIPP South Fulton Academy is to strengthen the knowledge, skills, character, and physical fitness of students in South Fulton County, thereby creating opportunities for success in top-notch high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond the classroom.

Demographics

KIPP Charter School

Distance from Charter

0

School (in miles)

Walden Middle School
0.9

King Middle School
1

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

287

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

96%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

274

587

81,982 1,589,839

0%

3%

38%

47%

89%

91%

41%

38%

9%

5%

10%

9%

0%

1%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

6%

6%

1%

4%

4%

9%

4%

14%

9%

12%

14%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

83%

92%

87%

36%

50%

396

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Yes. One of the chief indicators that our district looks to in evaluating a charter school's success is the extent to which the performance of the students in the charter school exceeds that of students in similarly situated district schools. We were very pleased that our students' performance in 2006 - 2007 exceeded that of students in all comparable district schools on almost every significant measure. On the CRCT, for example, our fifth grade KIPPsters earned the third highest passing rate in Reading, and the highest passing rate in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, of all ten public elementary schools in the Tri-Cities Cluster. Our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders, meanwhile, earned the highest passing rate of all eight public middle schools in South Fulton County in all five subject areas. Similarly, when our eighth graders took the ITBS in the fall of 2006, their mean national percentile rank was the highest of all eight public middle schools in South Fulton County in all five subject areas. On the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment, KIPP South Fulton Academy's eighth graders earned the highest passing rate of all eight public middle schools in South Fulton County, and the fourth highest passing rate among all public middle schools in the Fulton County Schools System. On the Grade Five Writing Assessment, KIPP South Fulton Academy's fifth graders earned the second highest passing rate of the ten public elementary schools in our cluster, and the third highest passing rate of all 23 public elementary schools in South Fulton County. Because our students are thus outperforming their district peers in all grade levels and all subject areas, and by every standardized performance measure, we feel that that they have not only met, but indeed exceeded our expectations.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
We were pleased with our test scores in virtually every area. Not only did our students' passing rate on the CRCT exceed that of students at other public schools in our community, but we surpassed state and district averages in almost every area as

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well. We are particularly proud of our students' achievement in Science and Social Studies, where KIPP South Fulton Academy's passing rate on the CRCT exceeded the district average at all grade levels, and by significant margins in several grades. In Science, for example, KIPP South Fulton Academy's passing rate on the CRCT exceeded the district average by 14 percentage points in the seventh grade, and by 18 percentage points in the eighth grade. In Social Studies, our passing rate exceeded the district average by 11 percentage points in the seventh grade, and by 10 points in the eighth grade. Our students have thus surpassed the district average despite the fact that the Fulton County School System includes some of the most affluent communities and the highest-performing schools in the state of Georgia.
These scores also represent a marked improvement over our previous year's CRCT scores in Science and Social Studies; in 2005-2006, only our seventh graders exceeded the district average in Science and Social Studies, while our fifth and sixth graders lagged behind. Even where our students did exceed the district average, they did so by no more than 5 percentage points.
We attribute this success in Science and Social Studies to a few different strategies that we put in place last year. First, we dedicated more time in our student's schedule to Science and Social Studies classes. With our extended school day schedule, we are able to give our students about 360 minutes per week each of Science and Social Studies instruction at least two hours per week (or 72 hours per year) more than at most traditional middle schools. In addition to extended time for Science and Social Studies during the regular school week, our students receive additional instruction in these subjects during our Saturday school program. As part of our Saturday school program, every student participated in a Social Studies fair, for which they had to complete an extensive research project about a specific state, country or region; students were also required to complete a Science fair project that included explanation and data analysis of an experiment they designed. Through these and many other hands-on projects and activities, our students fully engaged with the Social Studies and Science curricula and gained an in-depth, lasting understanding of the information and ideas therein.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Our primary measure of student academic improvement is the nationally normreferenced Iowa Test of Basic Skills. (See response to question #4 below.) In 20062007, our students' mean national percentile rank improved in almost every subject area and grade level. We were particularly pleased with our fifth graders' growth in all three core subject areas; their mean national percentile rank improved by 14 points in Reading, 13 points in Language Arts, and 23 points in Math between the fall and spring administrations of the ITBS. Our seventh graders also made impressive gains, increasing their national percentile rank by 7 points in Reading, 4 points in Language Arts, and 9 points in Math from the previous year. The only area where our students
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actually regressed was in sixth grade Reading; the mean national percentile rank of that cohort of students dropped from the 60th percentile at the end of their fifth grade year, to the 56th percentile at the end of their sixth grade year. We attribute this regression largely to a change in teachers that occurred toward the end of the first term of the school year; we lost our sixth grade RLA teacher in mid-September, and we were unable to replace him with the caliber of teacher that our students really needed to make the kind of academic gains we hoped to see. We have hired a new sixth grade RLA teacher this year, however, and at the same time our seventh grade RLA teacher is well aware that she must make up for some lost time with her students this year.
Our school as a whole also fared better on the CRCT in 2006-2007 than we did in the previous year. With the exception of two tests, our passing rate in every content area and grade level was higher in 2007 than it had been in 2006. Our sixth grade team posted the most impressive gains; we moved from 86% passing to 99% passing in sixth grade Reading; from 83% passing to 97% in Language Arts; from 55% passing to 89% passing in Math; from 52% passing to 68% passing in Science; and from 87% passing to 92% passing in Social Studies. The only two areas where our passing rates actually dropped between spring 2006 and spring 2007 were fifth grade Science and seventh grade Math; these were the two areas where new Georgia Performance Standards were introduced in 2006-2007, so year-to-year comparisons are not especially meaningful.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
In order to measure student improvement from year to year, we administer the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) in the fall of the fifth grade year, in the spring of the fifth grade year, and then every spring thereafter. The first test administration (fifth grade fall) gives us baseline data for every student, and the spring data shows us growth, both for each individual child and for the cohort as a whole. Because this test is vertically aligned, it enables us to analyze our students' academic growth more effectively than a criterion-referenced test would. Our goal is for each cohort of students to improve their mean national percentile rank by an average of five percentile points per year. Over the course of four years at KIPP South Fulton Academy, therefore, we expect each cohort of students to improve by and average of twenty percentile points in each subject area.
Last year's eighth grade class was the first group to complete all four years at KIPP South Fulton Academy, and they met this goal of an average 20 percentile-point gain in all three core subject areas. Over their four years at KIPP South Fulton Academy, our founding class moved from an average 38th percentile to the 61st percentile in Reading; from the 40th percentile to the 69th percentile in Math; and from the 40th percentile to the 77th percentile in Language Arts. Our second class of students has
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already met the 20-point improvement goal as well, though they have only been at KIPP South Fulton Academy for three years. During their first three years, last year's seventh grade class grew from an average 26th percentile to the 52nd percentile in Reading; from the 27th percentile to the 55th percentile in Math; and from the 39th percentile to the 59th percentile in Language Arts.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. One set of CRCT results that gave us cause for concern was in the area of fifth grade Reading. This was one of only two areas where KIPP South Fulton Academy's passing rate on the CRCT did not exceed the average for the Fulton County School System and for the state. Specifically, 85.5% of our fifth graders passed the Reading portion of the CRCT, while 90% of the district and 86% of fifth graders statewide passed the Reading component of the test. Although we did improve in this area from the previous year (only 74% of our fifth graders passed the Reading test in 2006), these scores concern us nevertheless because fifth grade Reading is a gateway test; under state law, students cannot be promoted to the sixth grade unless they pass both the Reading and Math components of the CRCT.
Furthermore, we were disappointed that, of the 11 students who did not pass the fifth grade Reading test, 5 were students with special educational needs. In fact, only one of our fifth grade special education students did pass the Reading portion of the CRCT. This data indicates that we need to look closely at our special education program and consider how we can better support those students who have special educational needs, especially in the area of Reading remediation.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. One of the academic goals set forth in our charter is that each year at least 90% of our eighth grade students will pass the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment. The 2006-2007 school year marked the first year that we had eighth graders in our building, and thus our first opportunity to assess progress toward this goal. We were pleased to have met this goal on our first try, with 91% of our eighth grade students meeting or exceeding standards. Our passing rate thus surpassed both state (67%) and district (80%) averages by a substantial margin.
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2. One of the academic goals set forth in our charter is that each year at least 90% of eighth graders who complete Algebra I will pass the Algebra End of Course Test. In our first year with an eighth grade class, we achieved this goal. In the 2006-2007 school year, 21 out of our 38 eighth grade students took Algebra I. All 20 of these students took and passed the End of Course Test in Algebra; 18 of those 20 students exceeded standards. 3. We expect that 75% of fifth graders, 80% of sixth graders, 85% of seventh graders, and 90% of eighth graders will pass the Georgia CRCT in each of the five core subject areas each year. In 2006-2007, we made substantial progress toward this goal, far exceeding our target in many areas, and at least meeting our target in all but two areas. The only two areas where we did not achieve our goal were sixth grade Science and seventh grade Math. Only 68% of sixth graders passed the Science portion of the CRCT, and 76% of seventh graders passed the Math portion. We did, however, meet our goal in Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies in all four grade levels, and in Science and Math in the other three grade levels. 4. We expect that our students' passing rate on the CRCT will exceed that of similarly situated public schools in all subjects and all grade levels. We measure progress toward this goal by comparing our fifth graders' passing rates to those of the other public elementary schools in the Tri-Cities cluster, and by comparing our middle school students' passing rates to those of the seven other public middle schools in South Fulton County. Using this comparison, we hit or surpassed almost every target. Our fifth graders earned the third highest passing rate in Reading, and the highest passing rate of all 10 elementary schools in the cluster in Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. Meanwhile, our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders earned the highest passing rate of all eight public middle schools in all five subject areas. 5. The goals set forth in our charter also include an expectation that all seventh grade students complete a well-organized lab report, demonstrating that he or she has successfully: (a) formed a hypothesis about a scientific question; (b) designed a scientific experiment to test the hypothesis;(c) conducted the experiment (d) gathered, organized, and analyzed data; and (e) drawn appropriate conclusions. We achieved this goal in 2006 - 2007. As part of our Saturday school program this past winter, all of our students were required to design and conduct an experiment, and then present a project reporting and analyzing their data for a school-wide Science fair.
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PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Parents and community members contributed richly to the success of KIPP South Fulton Academy in 2006 -2007.
Parents at KSFA were expected to keep abreast of their student's academic progress on a regular basis. Parents gauged their child's academic progress by their child's daily homework agenda, by attending regular parent/teacher conferences, and by reviewing student grade reports, which were sent home four times each quarter. In addition, all KIPP South Fulton Academy parents were provided with a list of the staff members' cell phone numbers, so that they could ask questions, make suggestions, and express concerns whenever necessary.
Parents were encouraged to visit at any time and to volunteer in the front offices and in classrooms. Parents were recognized for their volunteer efforts at KIPP South Fulton Academy's annual parent appreciation dinner. The school also hosted regular family nights, including the Fall Open House, a family movie night, and a potluck dinner to build community among parents and between parents and the staff.
KIPP South Fulton Academy parents were also encouraged to join our KIPP Parent Association (KPA), an active parent group that raised funds for the school, assisted with special events, and recognized staff. The KPA met monthly, and the President of the KPA, as well as several other parent representatives, sat on the KIPP South Fulton Academy Board of Directors.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure parental and community involvement by assessing the level of volunteerism by parents and community members, and by the dollars contributed to our school as a result of school and parent fundraising efforts.
2006 2007 was a great year for volunteerism at KIPP South Fulton Academy. We had a number of community and corporate groups come in and complete substantial volunteer projects, including groups from the Catholic Heart Work Camp, Macy's, and Deloitte Consulting. The parents of our students were our most faithful volunteers, however. Parents helped out in our office, organized the annual Fall Festival and holiday parties for our students, assisted with our fifth grade promotional ceremony, first eighth grade graduation, and field day, helped organize our school library, served on our Board of Directors, organized daily events for Teacher Appreciation Week, and chaperoned countless field trips, both locally and out of state. At our annual Parent Appreciation Dinner last year, we awarded over 50 KIPP t-shirts and polos to parents who had gone above and beyond to support our school.
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We were also pleased with the results of parent and school fundraising efforts in 2006 2007. The KIPP Parents Association spearheaded several fundraisers and raised over $5,000 to support activities at KIPP South Fulton Academy. The school also received financial support from the community through a variety of individual donations and private, corporate, and government grants. These fundraising efforts yielded a total of over $356,000 in contributions to KIPP South Fulton Academy.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? One of our major areas of focus this year is the development of our parent association. While we have experienced some degree of success in the past with our own homegrown parent group, we believe that we can reach a higher level of effectiveness and accountability by affiliating ourselves with the Georgia Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Our parent group voted this fall to become an official PTA, and they have already signed up over 100 members. They have identified five key objectives for the year, and they have formed a committee for each one.
One of the PTA's objectives is to establish a parent university program, through which they will bring in speakers to lead workshops for our parents on Saturdays during our Saturday school sessions. These workshops will cover a range of topics, such as parenting skills, standardized test preparation, high school options, and financial planning for education. We hope that the parent university program will spark even greater parental participation in our school, and will yield a community of parents who contribute positively to their children's education.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Our charter includes goals to measure the effectiveness of KIPP South Fulton Academy's character development program. Developing students who share certain core values that we believe are essential in building strong scholars, citizens, and leaders, is a fundamental component of the KIPP program. In 2006 2007 we worked to instill our four core values in each of our students through a variety of techniques and strategies, including: character lessons for all students during our summer school program; a year-long "Life Skills" class for all fifth graders; delivery of "life lessons" about character during our all-school morning meetings; using sports an other extra-curricular activities as vehicles for building character; and taking our students on field trips specifically designed to enhance their character skills. Although we believe that these efforts have paid off in visible improvements in our
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students' ethical beliefs and choices, we have not implemented all of the accountability systems described in our charter's character goals. In most cases, we found the systems described to be too difficult to administer and track on a schoolwide basis. We are therefore in the process of developing a new, school-wide system for holding students accountable for character development, and we expect to implement this system fully in the second term of our charter.
2.
Our charter also includes goals designed to measure the effectiveness of KIPP South Fulton Academy's physical fitness program. We believe that an essential component of our mission must be to ensure that all of our students understand the importance of personal health and fitness, and that they develop habits of a healthy lifestyle. In 2006 -2007 we hired a full-time Athletic Director, who teaches physical education classes for all four grade levels and coordinates our extra-curricular sports program. We also continued our school-wide running program, and encouraged all of our students to participate in the Strong Legs Run, an official road race that benefits Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. Approximately 50% of our students, as well as several parents and staff members participated in the race, and all participants crossed the finish line. The event allows participants to choose between a 5K and a 2K distance, which allows students to tailor their goals to their own fitness levels. Finally, our Athletic Director also administered physical fitness tests to our students at the beginning of the year and then at regular intervals throughout the school year, and he saw marked improvements in the majority of students.
3.
Finally, our charter includes a student attendance goal. We stress the importance of student attendance in our Student/Parent Handbook, in our orientation sessions for new parents, and in the weekly parent newsletters we send home throughout the year. As a result of these efforts, student attendance was very high in 2006 -2007. Of the 223 students enrolled at KIPP South Fulton Academy last year, only one was absent more than 15 days.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes Yes. We have built our budget to include a reseve representing approximately 9% of our total operating expenses.

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TEST RESULTS 405

406

407

408

409

410

411

KIPP WAYS ACADEMY

Contact Information
David Jernigan 80 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd, NW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-475-1941

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Jul. 14, 2003 5 - 8 280 Yes

Mission
The mission of KIPP WAYS Academy is to prepare students for top quality high schools, colleges, and the competitive world beyond by instilling in each student a commitment to scholarship, teamwork, integrity, and other "WAYS to success."

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

KIPP West Atlanta Young Scholars Academy
0

Kennedy Middle School
0.9

Turner Middle School
1.3

Atlanta Public Schools

Georgia

N/A

N/A

Total Population
Diversity
Caucasian Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaskan Native Multiracial

286
0% 100% 0%
0% 0%
0%

457

441

49,773 1,589,839

0%

0%

9%

47%

99%

100%

85%

38%

0%

0%

4%

9%

0%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

6%

0%

0%

3%

4%

10%

6%

9%

9%

14%

20%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

79%

95%

90%

75%

50%

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PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes, our students' standardized test results exceeded our expectations. Our students did exceptionally well on the 5th & 8th Grade Writing Assessment, the CRCT, as well as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills. With only a few exceptions, our students exceeded the district and state averages on these tests. Our school was named a STAR CRCT School by the Atlanta Journal Constitution for ranking #4 in the state of Georgia for 8th grade Mathematics.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Our fifth grade students performed very strongly in only their first year at KIPP WAYS Academy. 86% of them passed the 5th grade writing assessment, compared to 70% of students in Georgia and 68% of students in Atlanta. With the extra time KIPP WAYS Academy provides, we are able to schedule an extra 90 minutes of explicit Language Arts/writing instruction each day. Our fifth graders also performed extremely well on the CRCT, matching or outperforming the state average in all subjects except Social Studies.
Our sixth graders also posted significant gains in student achievement. 93% of our students passed Reading and Math and 96% passed Language Arts.
Our seventh grade scholars significantly outperformed the state and district averages (in many cases more than 20%), with 99% of the students passing the Social Studies and Language Arts tests.
Our eighth grade students, who represent our first class of students at KIPP WAYS Academy, posted the most impressive test scores with 100% of the students passing ALL sections of the CRCT. 95% of them passed the 8th grade writing test, compared to 67% in the state of Georgia and 63% in Atlanta Public Schools. On the Iowa Test

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of Basic Skills, they scored in the top quartile in two subject areas (84th percentile in Language Arts and 76th percentile in Mathematics). This level of performance is almost unheard of in any urban school and is a tribute to the students' hard work over the past four years. The additional time on task and tough-love approach to discipline truly underpin the school's success in launching these students beyond even our own expectations.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Our fifth grade CRCT scores improved significantly in Reading (9%), Language Arts (7%), and Math (5%) but dropped by 2% in Social Studies. Our fifth grade Science scores also dropped, but this was the first year of the new GPS curriculum and test.
Our sixth grade CRCT scores improved from last year in Reading (8%), Language Arts (4%), Math (12%), and Science (3%). The Social Studies scores dropped by 1%.
Following a very strong performance in 7th grade last year (with 100% passing 3 different subjects), we did experience some regression in scores this year (11% in Reading, 10% in Math, 15% in Science, and 1% in Social Studies). The Language Arts scores went up 2% from 96% to 98% passing. It's important to note that although the CRCT scores did drop a bit in 7th grade, the results were still much higher than the state and district average in all subjects.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Our school uses the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) to measure growth from year to year. As a nationally norm referenced test, this is the only statistically correct way to measure growth, and therefore we administer the test each year to our students. This analysis has allowed us to truly dig deeper into our instruction. The results of this year-to-year analysis are provided in the supplementary documents section. They clearly point to significant growth in our students in nearly every subject.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. When disaggregating our data, there are few noticeable trends of lagging achievement. Our students who qualify for free or reduced lunch actually outperform
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our other students in many cases. Although our special needs students tend to perform much stronger than special needs throughout the state and district, we see this as an area of growth. In the 2007-2008 school year, we will introduce a second learning specialist to work with students with special needs. We are confident that this additional resource will support the continual growth of our special needs students.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Each cohort of students at KIPP WAYS Academy will improve its average national percentile ranking in Reading, as measured by the ITBS or a similar nationally normreferenced test, an average of five percentile points per year over the course of four years.
Over 4 years, the Class of 2011 cohort grew 11.2 NCEs in Reading, which is 2.8 NCEs per year. Any growth in NCEs represents more than normal educational growth, and although 11.2 NCEs is significant, we did not meet our ambitious goal.
2. Each cohort of students at KIPP WAYS Academy will improve its average national percentile ranking in Language Arts, as measured by the ITBS or a similar nationally norm-referenced test, an average of five percentile points per year over the course of four years.
Over 4 years, the Class of 2011 has grown 18.8 NCEs, which is 4.7 NCEs per year. The cohort jumped from 52.6 to 71.4 in four years. This represents significant academic growth.
3. Each cohort of students at KIPP WAYS Academy will improve its average national percentile ranking in Math, as measured by the ITBS or a similar nationally normreferenced test, an average of five percentile points per year over the course of four years.
The Class of 2011 grew from 47.8 to 66.3, representing an average eof 4.6 NCEs (round to 5) of growth per year (18.5 NCEs over four years). 4. 90% of eighth graders completing Algebra I will pass the End of Course Test in Algebra I.
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This was our first class of 8th grade students, and we decided to place every 8th grade student in Algebra I. 75% of the students passed the End of Course test, which is significantly better than the district average for high school students. We were very pleased with this performance, even though it did not meet our ambitious goal of 90%. 5. Every seventh grader will write a well-organized lab report, demonstrating that he or she has successfully: (a) formed a hypothesis about a scientific question; (b) designed a scientific experiment to test the hypothesis; (c) conducted the experiment (d) gathered, organized, and analyzed data; and (e) drawn appropriate conclusions.
This goal was met as every student in 7th grade completed several lab reports over the course of the year.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, the parental and community involvement was very strong during the 2006-2007 school year. Our KIPP Team Alliancce (KTA) was very active with fundraising events and parental involvement activities. The KIPP Parent University (KPU) was also very successful and saw an increase in attendance.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure our success in parental involvement by documenting the number of volunteer hours that our parents spend at the school as well as the number of parents who are engaged in their child's education by checking and signing their homework every night. Although we do not track this data as closely as we should, we can confidently report that our parents are very engaged. On a mid-year parent survey, 87% of parents reported either being satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of education their child is receiving at KIPP WAYS Academy.
We also track our success with engaging the community in our work. One way we measure this success is by tracking the amount of private dollars we are able to attract to the school. During the 2006-2007 school year, we secured nearly $700,000 in contributions.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? The school's KTA has formed working committees to get more parents involved in
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specific tasks. Groups of parents are engaged in planning the school's career day, teacher appreciation week, as well as several fundraising and community events. Parents participate in the sports booster club as well as the band booster clubs.
During the 2006-2007 school year, we were able to send the entire 8th grade class to Ghana, West Africa for 10 days. Our parents and community partners were instrumental in making this happen (especially Delta Airlines who donated all of the plane tickets for the trip). This year, we hope to increase parental and community involvement by launching the effort much earlier and forming tasks force in which parents can participate.
Finally, we are also starting a new class for parents to learn about African History. This class will be offered on Wednesday evenings for interested parents and community members.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
By the end of their fifth grade year, 100 percent of all students will be able to adequately define each of the five "Ways to Success" and will be able to describe examples of times when each has been demonstrated in the WAYS Academy community. This is a focus of the school's 5th grade summer program and is integrated throughout the life skills curriculum in 5th grade. We have been successful in meeting this goal each year.
2.
Average daily attendance at KIPP WAYS Academy will be 90% in year one and will remain at or above that level throughout the life of the charter. The school began measuring attendance according to NCLB standards (% of students absent 15 or more days). In 2006-2007 school year, 2% of students were absent 15 or more days (compared to 3.8% in 2005-2006 and 4.1% in 2004-2005).
3.
For each day that school is in session, an average of 90% of students will complete and turn in all homework assignments. Homework completion is consistently at or above 90% due to the school's strict homework enforcement policy.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
417

Yes Yes. 15%

TEST RESULTS 418

419

420

421

422

423

424

LEWIS ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE

Contact Information
Dr. Patricia Lewis 8009 Carlton Rd. Riverdale, GA 30296 770 909-6697

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Clayton County Start-Up Sep. 6, 2005 K - 5 280 Yes

Mission
Our Mission is to provide a challenging, engaging, and meaningful curriculum that nurtures in each child "Holistic Excellence" and the ability to achieve their maximum potential. The Academy will prepare students to become lifelong learners and "Future World Leaders" in our global society.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Lewis Academy of Excellence
0

Harper Elementary
School
0.8

Church Street Elementary School
1.2

Clayton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

287

Diversity

Caucasian

1%

Black

94%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

1%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

813

924

51,815 1,589,839

2%

2%

6%

47%

65%

83%

73%

38%

25%

5%

13%

9%

1%

6%

4%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

7%

5%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

3%

11%

6%

6%

4%

3%

2%

4%

9%

8%

8%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

71%

88%

79%

74%

50%

425

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Lewis Academy of Excellence achieved AYP for the second consecutive year. Our students' standardized test scores met our expectations in Reading, English, Language Arts and Math, but did not meet our expectations in Science in grades third, fourth, and fifth.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? The CRCT data showed that 82% of our students met or exceeded standards in Reading and 74.8% met or exceeded standards in Language Arts. In second through fifth grade, 78% met or exceeded standards in Math while 84.5% met or exceeded standards in Social Studies. In order to reach our desired results, our Master Schedule included a three-hour block of literacy for all grade levels, a one-hour block for Science, and ninety minutes for Math.

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
In second grade, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in Reading and Math increased from the previous year. In first grade, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding expectations in Reading increased from the first year. However, in third, fourth and fifth grade, our students showed a significant decline in Social Studies. Fifth Grade students also showed a decline in Science, Math, and Language Arts. This decline was partially due the decreased enrollment in fifth grade from 40 to 10 students and half of them were Special Needs students.

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4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, data analysis has been used to compare test results for our students from the 2006 Spring test results to 2007 Spring test data. The comparison of data allows us to target strengths and weaknesses of students to improve instruction. Teachers also track individual students to make sure that the interventions that have been utilized are effective.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. The Major area of concern is in the area of Social Studies for students in third, fourth, and fifth grades. Only 55% of students met or exceed standards. In order to improve on Social Studies, textbook materials will be purchased that correlate with standards and daily instructional activities will be aligned with the standards. The master schedule will include one hour daily of Social Studies instruction.
Lewis Academy of Excellence's instructional plan is data driven. The data shows that students in first, fourth, and fifth grades scored below 75% in Language Arts and first grade students scored below 75% in Math. Students will participate in a threehour balanced literacy block daily which will include Reading, Writing/Vocabulary, Grammar, Listening, Speaking and Skill Development. We will target students whose CRCT scores range from 775 to 825 for mentoring and tutoring. Early Intervention Prevention (EIP) classes have been created to assist students who are not meeting standards in Reading and Math. The curriculum for our first grade students will include more hands-on manipulative in Math.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Reading Mastery Plus End of Unit Test: 85% of our students are obtaining mastery by passing all end of unit Reading Tests. Students are making excellent progress using this curriculum.
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2. Saxon Math End of Unit Tests: 85% of our students are obtaining mastery by passing all end of unit Math tests. 3. Fifth Grade Writing assessment: Our fifth grade students are encouraged to score at level four and five on the Georgia Writing Assessment. Our third grade students are encouraged to score at level three and above. 4. GKAP Scores: By the end of the 2006-2007 school year, our GKAP scores indicated that all our kindergarten students were ready for first grade. 5. The Iowa Test of Basic skills is administered in third and fifth grades. Data from this test is used to determine the strengths and weaknesses of students and set curriculum.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. No, parental and community involvement is fantastic for attending programs. However, parents were not actively involved in fundraising efforts and in leadership roles. We plan to get more parents involved as PTO officers and in sponsoring events to benefit the school.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure parental involvement in four ways. All parents are required to volunteer 15 or more hours per year. Parents are also expected to join PTO, to attend Special Programs, and to participate in fund raisers. In every area except for fundraising, parents have been very supportive. Our special programs are usually packed to the point where there is no parking available and there is standing room only in our big gymnasium.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We have elected a PTO President who is encouraging parents to take a more active role in the school. We are also providing more opportunities for parents to be actively involved.
428

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
We will improve the skills and use of technology by students as well as the use of technology as an instructional tool by teachers. Lewis Academy of Excellence has a computer lab with twenty five computers and a media center with twenty computers. Students in grades kindergarten through fifth utilize the lab on a daily basis. Students will learn keyboarding skills and software was purchased to assist students with Reading and Math skills. All computers have internet access which allows students to conduct research.
2.
To provide learning experiences via field trips and service, trips are planned for students to attend the Georgia Capitol in January, Chick-fil-A Corporation, Etowah Historic Indian Mounds, Washington D.C., Nursing Homes, Georgia Aquarium, and many more "learning" field experiences.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No Yes 10 %

429

TEST RESULTS 430

431

432

433

434

435

436

437

MARIETTA CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Christy Tureta 368 Wright Street Marietta, GA 30064 770-580-4430

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Marietta City Start-Up Aug. 10, 2006 K 5 172 No

Mission
The mission of the Charter School is to provide students with a world-class learning opportunity by maintaining a caring learning environment; working with parents and local communities to develop the intellect and character of the students who choose to attend the school; utilizing innovative teaching techniques delivered by a superior faculty; and offering a challenging curriculum that prepares children for lives of leadership in a rapidly changing world.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)
Total Population
Diversity
Caucasian Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaskan Native Multiracial
Special Populations
ESOL Gifted Special Education

Marietta Charter School
0
180
37% 53% 2% 2% 0%
6%
0% 7% 7%

Hickory Hills
Elementary School
0.8

West Side Elementary
School
0.9

Marietta City
N/A

Georgia
N/A

279

360

7,853 1,589,839

8%

40%

19%

47%

38%

45%

44%

38%

47%

9%

29%

9%

1%

2%

2%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

5%

4%

5%

3%

33%

4%

15%

4%

1%

7%

6%

9%

13%

14%

11%

12%

438

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

28%

81%

43%

62%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Marietta Charter students meet or exceeded some of the expectations from the state mandated CRCT. Since this was Marietta Charter's first year, the school will create an annual School Improvement Plan (SLP). The SIP will be aligned with the Georgia School Accountability Indicators and include detailed action plans for each of the stated objectives.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Highlighted areas of success and progress revealed by the CRCT scores were among first and fifth grade students. 97% of our first grade students met or exceeded Reading standards while 91% met or exceeded Math standards. 90% of our fifth grade students met or exceeded Reading and English Language Arts standards. The results from the state GKAP-R assessment revealed that 97% of our kindergarteners were ready for first grade skills.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. This was Marietta Charter's first year so we didn't have previous scores to compare.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.

439

Yes, Marietta Charter tracks student achievement by comparing Fall to Spring ITBS scores and vertically aligning scores received on the CRCT.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Marietta Charter disaggregated test data among subgroups and has implemented several strategies to address the areas of concern. Teachers will use both computerbased and scannable assessment tools to monitor student growth on priority academic issues. Other strategies include after school tutoring, small group and inclusion instruction emphasizing individual learning styles, and individual learning plans created by teachers and parents.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Marietta Charter students in first through fifth grade were administered the ITBS in the Fall and Spring. Below are the results from each grade level in Reading and Math. Although our intent is for students to make one year level of progress, many students already exceeding aren't reflected in the results. First grade Reading: Fall 1.5 to Spring 2.2 First grade Math: Fall 1.4 to Spring 2.0 Second grade Reading: Fall 2.5 to Spring 3.0 Second grade Math: Fall 2.0 to Spring 2.8 Third grade Reading: Fall 2.6 to Spring 4.0 Third grade Math: Fall 2.4 to Spring 3.4 Fourth grade Reading: Fall 3.9 to Spring 4.5 Fourth grade Math: Fall 4.1 to Spring 4.6 Fifth grade Reading: Fall 5.3 to Spring 6.5 Fifth grade Math: Fall 4.8 to Spring 6.2
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.
440

Marietta Charter School encourages families to volunteer 30 hours each school year. Each family documents these hours through our computerized School Check-In system and calculates the different ways those hours are accumulated. Many families assist the students inside the classrooms, while other families donate goods or services. Because this was Marietta Charter's first year open, it was difficult to determine the level of parental and community involvement and whether our expectations were met. The school has already created a PTA and School Advisory Council responsible for encouraging community business partnerships.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
Marietta Charter conducts an annual school climate survey of parents, children, and staff. The purpose of the survey is to gather information regarding what students, parents, and staff think about the school. They also have the opportunity to share their ideas on how the school can be improved in areas such as curriculum, leadership, parent support, student learning, school safety, and facilities. Survey results will provide MCS with critical feedback on stakeholder perceptions and will serve as a guide for improving school services. Marietta Charter expects families to volunteer 30 hours each school year. The hours are documented through a computerized system. School Check-In, that calculates the hours and disseminates how those hours were served. For example a parent might volunteer 5 hours in the classroom as a Mystery Reader, while volunteering 5 hours completing projects for the classroom at home. Some volunteer hours are received in the way of donations of supplies, goods, or services.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
For 2007-2008 school year Marietta Charter will implement a School Advisory Council. This council will be created by parent, teacher, and community representation. The school will continue to increase awareness about the school's PTA and its functions as well as increase membership. With the support of PTA, Marietta Charter provides several Parent Nights that explain curriculum topics and Family Fun Nights that encourage "togetherness" time through enrichment activities. Marietta Charter will seek companies or individuals willing to be a Partner in Education.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Marietta Charter School will compare promotion rate levels annually and follow the
441

district and state promotion and retention guidlelines. Students who did not achieve a level 2 or 3 on the CRCT in Reading and Math were not promoted until attending summer school, taking a retest and/or given a plan for accelerated, differentiated or additional instruction.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

442

443

444

445

446

447

448

449

MERCER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Contact Information
Julie Nichols 201 Rommel Avenue Savannah, GA 31419 912-965-6700

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Chatham County Conversion May 14, 1998 6 - 8 802 Yes

Mission
In alignment with the Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools June 2006-2007 "To ignite passion for learning and teaching at high levels." Vision Statement: "From school to the world. All students prepared for productive futures."

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Mercer Middle School
0

Total Population

874

Diversity

Caucasian

20%

Black

72%

Hispanic

5%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

10%

Special Education

9%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

71%

Tompkins Middle School
1.7

Oglethorpe Charter School
3.9

Chatham County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

431

396

33,156 1,589,839

2%

41%

26%

47%

97%

51%

66%

38%

0%

1%

4%

9%

0%

3%

2%

3%

0%

1%

0%

0%

0%

3%

2%

3%

0%

0%

1%

4%

2%

27%

11%

9%

17%

9%

12%

12%

90%

32%

60%

50%

450

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes Yes

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Yes. Mercer Middle School made AYP. Mercer students met or exceeded state standards at 83.98% in Reading and 59.13% in Mathematics. While our focus continues to be to set high expectations, student performance on standardized tests indicated there were areas that needed to be addressed. The test scores of 6th grade Math students were lower than expected. Upon further investigation of the data, it was noted that the GPS roll-out had not taken place in 5th grade. Mercer staff was pleased to note a continuation of significant gains in subgroups and target populations. Professional Learning Communities continue to provide a rich culture of discussion focused on monitoring, implementing, and evaluating the best teaching practices that enhance the improvement of student learning.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Mercer Middle School has put into place a focused and collaborative approach to learning that permeates every aspect of academic performance. Professional Learning Communities (PLC'S) are held once a week at each grade level to examine student work and best practices. We began to expand the PLC's to include content based meetings that allowed teachers to focus on best practices in their planning and delivery of instructional material. Professional Learning activities remain focused on areas of specific need for student academic achievement. Training continues in Daily Oral Language, Six Elements of a Math Lesson, Differentiated Instruction, and Writing in the Content Areas. As a result of emphasis in these areas Mercer is able to see the positive impact on student achievement. Student trends on CRCT Mathematics from 2004-2007 indicate that students with disabilities continue to make significant gains. The spring 2007 CRCT in Reading results showed that 89% of the 8th grade students were able to meet or exceed the standards and 91% met or exceeded the standards in English/LA. At 7th grade 88% of the students were able to meet or exceed the standards in Reading and 82% met or exceeded the standards in

451

English/LA. 6th grade CRCT Reading scores indicated that 88% of the students met or exceeded the standards and 82% met or exceeded the standards in English/LA. Mercer continues to be proud of the gains made in Language Arts and Reading.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Mercer's 8th graders continued to show improvement in Reading, Math, and English/Language Arts. The results of the MGWT indicated 64.4% of the students met or exceeded the standards. The decline from the previous year is based on this being the first year of the standards based test. The roll-out of the GPS and curricular changes are attributed to the lack of noted improvement in Science across the grade levels, and 6th and 7th grade Math. Overall, Mercer students continue to make gains in targeted subgroups and students with disabilities.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
The Mercer design, data, and differentiated instruction team (the 3D team) plays an important role in student improvement strategies which include the comparative analysis of one grade to another or even one classroom to another. Teachers are encouraged to take advantage of the data information that is available in the data room. The media specialist and the media clerk maintain current, accurate, and reliable files that will help teachers in the development of effective instructional strategies. The 3D team meets to evaluate data and revise the school accountability plan. It is the evaluation of data that helps drive the continuous focus on academic progress at all grade levels. As scores are compared and evaluated for success or improvement determinations are made as to the best placement of instructional personnel.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
Mercer has identified particular areas of concern revealed by standardized test scores to include: Math (6th, 7th, 8th grade Geometry), and Science (6th, 7th, and 8th). Mercer's design and data team continuously review and assess data to determine effective instructional strategies and to monitor student progress. Professional learning has a curricular focus and enhances the weekly PLC's and departmental sessions to develop curriculum calendars. Mercer's School Accountability Plan helps to focus attention on school retention rates, parental involvement, and office
452

referrals related to disruptive behavior that interferes with total school improvement. The design and data team meets regularly to help ensure the success of interventions provided to targeted subgroups as outlined in the accountability plan.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. To maintain a three year trend that demonstrates an increase of 8th grade students meeting or exceeding state mandated proficiency levels on the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment: In 2006, Mercer scored at 358 on the Georgia Middle Grades Writing Assessment. This met system and RESA proficiencies and was one percentile point behind the state proficiency level. The most dramatic increase (64%) was in the number of students who exceeded the state proficiency target. Mercer hoped to continue the progress in the 2007 writing test. However, in moving to a standards based test, the first year's results were not what Mercer had anticipated. Out of 267 students, 165 or 62% met the standard and 6 or 2% of the students exceeded the standard. This was in line with the state results of 63% meeting the standard and 5% exceeding the standard. As Mercer plans for the upcoming year, school wide focus on expository and persuasive writing will take place in the Raiders Always Write (RAW) practice writing tests.
2. To increase student performance Reading and Language Arts as evidenced by the number of students who moved successfully through the advanced ninth grade literature and composition class: In 2007, 65 % of the students taking the test met the standards and 35% exceeded the standards of proficiency on the End of Course Test for a 100% passing rate. This is a positive trend that impacts the entire school and sets the foundation for increased scores in the domains of literary comprehension and Reading skills and vocabulary acquisition.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Mercer parents continue to be active and involved in various aspects of student instruction at Mercer. Opportunities to showcase student talents, academic achievements, and products draw the greatest parental response.
453

2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Mercer continued to monitor and measure parental and community involvement in the 2006-2007 school year. PTA agendas, minutes from meetings, and sign-in sheets are used to retrieve data. PTA/Family Night participation began with 267 attending the August 2006 Open House. September had 136 people attending. The response for October dropped to 51 for PTA. November saw 138 people attending PTA/Family Night. In December the band and chorus performed before 216 people. In January 78 people responded to PTA/Family Night.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Mercer continues to support the continued growth of our PTA. We continue to recruit a parent representative from each homeroom to act as a liaison with the PTA board, the school, district and community. Mercer hopes to establish a Parent Learning Community that will focus on school improvement. Parent participation has increased on the School Council. Meetings are held each month to discuss issues around school improvement.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Beginning in 6th grade, students develop writing and self-assessment techniques that will form the foundation of their total talent portfolio. The total talent portfolio contains samples of the evolving academic work and enrichment activities from 6th to 8th grade. It is especially helpful to 8th graders applying to magnet high schools. Mercer implemented a school wide writing plan to promote writing across all content areas. Formal training in Writing in the Content Area will continue for the large number of new staff members.
2. To implement a comprehensive, sequenced career education program in grades 6, 7 and 8 that provides a smooth transition from middle school to high school. Mercer students participate in a comprehensive business education program that helps them to make a smooth transition to high school and identify career goals. In conjunction with new state initiatives, students participate in a course of study that will prepare them for high school requirements. These courses include Business Information and
454

Technology, and Consumer Home Economics Career and Technology.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

455

456

457

458

459

460

MORGAN COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Jean Triplett 1640 Buckhead Road Madison, GA 30650 706-342-5040

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Morgan County Conversion Aug. 6, 2005 3 5 730 Yes

Mission
At MCES, we will provide maximum learning experiences for all children so they may explore and expand their talents and abilities.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Morgan County Elementary School
0

Morgan County Primary School
1.7

Greensboro Elementary
15.5

Morgan County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

730

Diversity

Caucasian

64%

Black

30%

Hispanic

3%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

734

621

3,283 1,589,839

62%

11%

64%

47%

31%

77%

31%

38%

3%

10%

3%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

2%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

10%

Special Education

11%

1%

5%

1%

4%

1%

6%

6%

9%

14%

15%

13%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

43%

45%

76%

42%

50%

461

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Using the CRCT test results from 2004 as a baseline, our goal is to have all students make an average gain of 8 percentage points over the five-year term of our charter in the areas of Reading and Math. In addition, we are tracking the progress of AfricanAmerican students in the same manner.
This year's standardized test scores exceeded our expectations using 2006-2007 CRCT scores. All students and the African-American subgroup showed a positive gain in Reading and Math when compared to the 2004 baseline. Reading scores for all students indicated an eight point gain for the year. African-American students showed a nine point increase this year. All Math students posted an 11 point increase this year, and African-American students' scores increased by 22 points this year. We are pleased to be making excellent progress toward our five-year charter goal with an average gain of 8.6 points for all students in Reading, and an average gain of 8.8 points for Math for all students since 2004.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
According to our 2007 CRCT results, students in all grades improved Reading scores by a significant amount. Several measures were either continued or newly adopted this past year that contributed to the success. Teachers worked in collaborative groups to assess academic needs according to the previous year's test scores and planned strategies to foster improvement. Morgan County Schools enlisted the help of parents, the community, and the University of Georgia in continuing a program designed to work with at-risk students in their communities and churches. The collaborative effort, Partners for Advancing Student Success (PASS) continues to have a positive impact.
Students in all grades improved Math scores by an average gain of 11 points on the 2007 CRCT. African-American students showed the most improvement of any of the

462

subgroups with an average Math test score increase of over 22 percentage points in one year.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Reading: The percentage of fourth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Reading Test increased from 87% in 2006 to 94% in 2007.
Math: The percentage of fourth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Math Test increased from 87% in 2006 to 94% in 2007.
The percentage of fifth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Math Test increased from 95% in 2006 to 99% in 2007.
Language: The percentage of fourth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Language Test increased from 91% in 2006 to 93% in 2007.
The following areas did not improve according to 2007 CRCT results, but remained at a high level of performance:
Reading: The percentage of third graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Reading Test decreased from 96% in 2006 to 93% in 2007.
The percentage of fifth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Reading Test decreased from 98% in 2006 to 95% in 2007.
Math: The percentage of third graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Math Test decreased by one percentage point from 96% in 2006 to 95% in 2007.
Language: The percentage of third grade students performing in levels two and three on the CRCT Language Test dropped from 96% in 2006 to 91% in 2007.
The percentage of fifth grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Language Test decreased from 94% in 2006 to 89% in 2007.
Science: The percentage of third grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Science Test decreased from 94% in 2006 to 80% in 2007.
463

The percentage of fourth grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Science Test decreased from 95% in 2006 to 88% in 2007.
The percentage of fifth grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Science Test decreased from 90% in 2006 to 77% in 2007.This year was the first year of implementation of new Georgia Performance Standards.
Social Studies: The percentage of third grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Social Studies Test remained the same at 94% in 2006 and 2007.
The percentage of fourth grade students scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Social Studies Test showed no change from 96% in 2006 to 96% in 2007.
The percentage of fifth graders scoring in levels two and three on the CRCT Social Studies Test decreased from 94% in 2006 to 93% in 2007.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. MCES tracks students' test scores from year to year by comparing each student group's test scores from the previous year. The school serves grades three through five; scores are recorded from the second grade through fifth grade to assist teachers in setting goals for individual students. The Morgan County School System also tracks CRCT scores every year in a cumulative spreadsheet that includes grades 1 8; the spreadsheet is used by MCES to track progress of our current and former students as they progress through the school system.
At the beginning of the school year, each teacher records standardized test scores for his/her students from their previous school year records. Individual goals are set for the students. Each teacher's class group scores are analyzed for areas of strength and weakness. Teachers meet collaboratively and compile the class group scores into grade level test scores in order to set educational goals and expectations for each grade level and/or special area group. At the end of the year, the scores are compared to the previous year's scores to document progress toward stated goals.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Even though our test scores are high, language is a target area for improvement.
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CRCT scores based on the percentage of students performing on levels 2 and 3 in the category "All" in 2007 indicated a slight drop in test scores third grade from 96% to 91%, and a drop in fifth grade test scores 94% to 89%. Fourth grade scores improved from 91% to 93%.
Eighty-four percent of African-American students in third grade scored in levels 2 and 3 in language on the spring 2007 CRCT; there was an 8 point gap compared to the category "All." This subgroup has improved from an 11 point gap on the 2005 2006 CRCT. Fifth grade African-American students' scores indicated 86% scored levels 2 and 3 on the test; the gap between this group and "All" was three points. Eighty-six percent of fourth grade African-American students scored levels 2 and 3; the gap was three points compared to "All."
The special education subgroup showed gains in language in grades three and four. Eighty percent of third grade special education students scored levels 2 and 3 on the 2006 - 2007 CRCT; this was an improvement from last year's 63%. The gap between scores compared to the group "All" was 11 points. This was a dramatic decrease from 2005 - 2006 CRCT points gap of 33 points. The percent of fourth grade special education students scoring in levels 2 and 3 was 87%; the point gap was six points, compared to 22 points in 2005 - 2006. Fifty-eight percent of fifth grade special education students scored levels 2 and 3 on the test, a decline from last year's 79 percent. The gap in points also increased from five points in 2005 2006 to 31 points 2006 - 2007.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. In 2006 2007, MCES fifth grade students were administered the Georgia Grade 5 Writing Assessment. Aligned with the new Georgia Performance Standards, the test is a more rigorous measurement of how students write. In the past, we have used the percentage of students scoring in each level to determine progress in writing. The labeling of the levels has changed, and will necessitate a change in our method of calculation. Previously, we reported on the percent of students scoring in the highest two levels (5 and 6); those who performed satisfactorily (levels 3 and 4); and those who did not perform well (levels 1 and 2). Using the new 5th grade writing test scoring, we will now report the percent of students who "did not meet the standard"; "met the standard"; and "exceeded the standard." Using this year's scores, we will begin a new baseline for comparison with future test scores to show progress.
In 2006 2007, MCES administered a voluntary pretest that followed the new writing standards to assess students' needs in writing. The test, scored by the University of
465

Georgia, provided valuable feedback for developing instruction that would benefit students. Seventy percent of 5th grade students did not meet the standard on the pretest; 27% met the standard, and 3% exceeded the standard. The results of the 2006 2007 Georgia Grade Writing Assessment were as follows: 26% did not meet the standard; 61% met the standard; and 13% exceeded the standard. These scores will be used to set goals and plan writing instruction.
2. Each year, students in all grades at MCES take a pre-test in Math. The results are used to assess students' strengths and weaknesses in order to plan effective Math instruction. The tests are given again at the end of the year to determine students' progress in Math.
In 2006 2007, third grade students scored 56.8% on the Math pretest. Their end of year scores averaged 78.5% producing a gain of 21.7 percentage points. During the same period, fourth grade students scored 56.9% on the Math pretest and 81.8% on the posttest. The fourth grade scores increased by 24.9 percentage points. Fifth grade scored 41.6% on the pretest, and 67.6% on the posttest. The fifth grade group gained 26 percentage points. As students move through the grades at MCES, the results in Math diagnostic testing show a larger points gain than each previous year of school.
3. In 2007, MCES used Accelerated Reader program's STAR Reading Test as one measure of academic growth in Reading during the year. The indicator we used was the Pre and Post Test Mean Differential. The post-test is given in May.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parent and community involvement was high during 2006 2007. Even though the total number of volunteers decreased, the figures are at a high level. The number of volunteers decreased from 371 in 2005-2006 to 365 in 2006 2007. There was also a decrease in the number of hours people contributed to the school. Parent and volunteer hours decreased from 4123 in 2005 2006 to 3690 hours in 2006 2007. We attribute the decline in numbers to the fact that volunteers and volunteer hours are not always recorded (volunteers do not always log their hours in the log book), and the figures fluctuate from year to year. We are very pleased with our volunteer program and contributions these people make to our school.
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2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. The parent and volunteer program at our school is managed by the school's Parent/Volunteer Coordinator. The level of parent and community involvement is measured primarily by a sign-in sheet that logs number of hours volunteered and type of service provided. The sign-in sheet has been successful in keeping track of the number of parents and community members who volunteer, as well as the number of hours each has contributed.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We feel that our parents and community already do an outstanding job of volunteering their time and expertise at our school. Our school's Parent/Volunteer coordinator will continue to manage volunteer efforts for the school. We will continue to encourage parents to volunteer by working with our school's Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). We will seek to continue to expand our partnerships with the community through the Partners in Education program and other local business contacts. We will continue our current collaborative relationships with the Madison Chamber of Commerce, Wal-Mart, and McDonald's. MCES will continue to foster the relationship with the University of Georgia through our school system's Partnership for Advancing Student Success (PASS) program, a program designed to assist at-risk students. As in the past, we will honor our parent and community volunteers at the end of the year during a special recognition program.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. One of our school's goals over the life of the charter is to provide professional learning opportunities in order to provide enriching experiences for all students. Work continued this year on the implementation of the Georgia Performance Standards with an emphasis on challenging all students.
Morgan County Elementary School continues to use the Working on the Work framework developed by Phillip Schlechty. The framework outlines ten design qualities as the basis for creating learning experiences that are appropriate and engaging for all students. This year teachers met on a regular basis for collaborative planning, Collegial Conversations, and Descriptive Review sessions.
During the 2006 2007 school year, three Descriptive Review sessions were held. Teachers shared their classroom experiences with successful strategies designed to
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increase rigor in the instructional program. These discussions focused on enriching all students' learning through various methods such as tiered assignments, accelerated content, student choice, and depth of information. Faculty meetings included instruction regarding formative and summative assessments and their role in a standards based classroom. In addition, two Collegial Conversations with faculty and staff were held to discuss important education issues.
2.
One of our school's overall goals is to communicate effectively with parents. Communicating curriculum standards and student progress is a part of this on-going goal. The school will measure the level of parent satisfaction with our communication efforts and achieve a 90% parent satisfaction level with our efforts. There was no baseline data available when the goal was set.
Methods for communicating with parents were discussed during collaborative team meetings. The feedback from these meetings was used to design and implement a variety of methods for communicating with parents.
Flyers were sent home to parents to inform parents about the school's open house. MCES held the open house on September 12, 2006 to help parents understand the school's curriculum, Georgia Performance Standards, and Phillip Schlechty's Working on the Work (WOW) framework for learning. This meeting was also used as an opportunity to explain how teachers and the school would be communicating with parents. During 2006 2007 the school's main website was upgraded. Parents were given a list of goals and expectations for students. Routines were established for reporting of students' weekly progress. Teacher websites included information about learning goals, homework, and special projects. Parents were urged to check the school's and teachers' web pages for important information on a regular basis.
At the end of the 2006 2007 school year, a parent satisfaction survey was administered. As part of the survey, parents were asked, "Are you satisfied with the communication our school provides to parents?" The parents had an opportunity to comment and offer suggestions. The survey showed 99% of parents were satisfied with the school's communication efforts. This was a 4% increase in satisfaction compared to the previous year.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

468

469

470

471

472

473

MORGAN COUNTY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Dr. Betsy T. Short 993 East Avenue Madison, GA 30650 706-342-3475

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Morgan County Conversion Aug. 6, 2007 PK 2 778 Yes

Mission
Our mission, as a community of learners, is to support and challenge students as they begin to develop their individual academic and social potential.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Morgan County Primary School
0

Morgan County Elementary School
1.7

Social Circle Primary School
12.8

Morgan County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

734

Diversity

Caucasian

62%

Black

31%

Hispanic

3%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

730

414

3,283 1,589,839

64%

67%

64%

47%

30%

25%

31%

38%

3%

3%

3%

9%

1%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

4%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

1%

Gifted

1%

Special Education

14%

0%

1%

1%

4%

10%

6%

6%

9%

11%

12%

13%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

45%

43%

49%

42%

50%

474

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. First Grade Out of 267 students, 40% (107 students) scored in Level 3 and 56% (149 students) scored in Level 2 on the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT. Out of 267 students, 24% (63 students) scored in Level 3 and 67% (180 students) scored in Level 2 on the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT. Out of 266 students, 33% (89 students) scored in Level 3 and 55% (146 students) scored in Level 2 on the Math 2006-2007 CRCT.
Second Grade Out of 231 students, 54% (124 students) scored in Level 3 and 40% (93 students) scored in Level 2 on the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT. Out of 231 students, 28% (65 students) scored in Level 3 and 63% (146 students) scored in Level 2 on the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT. Out of 231 students, 30% (69 students) cored in Level 3 and 60% (139 students) scored in Level 2 on the Math section of the 2006-2007 CRCT.
Our students made AYP and met and surpassed CRCT goals we set for them.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? First Grade On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 56% of First Grade students scored in Level 2 and 40% scored in Level 3. First Grade students performed well in Vocabulary and Comprehension domains.
On the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 67% of First Grade students scored in Level 2 and 24% scored in Level 3. Students performed well in Grammar/Phonological Awareness/Phonics and in Sentence Construction domains.

475

Second Grade On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 40% of Second Grade students scored in Level 2 and 54% scored in Level 3. Second Grade students performed well in the Vocabulary and Comprehension domains.
On the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 63% scored in Level 2 and 28% scored in Level 3. On the Math section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, more students (60%) scored in Level 2 than on the Math section of the 2005-2006 CRCT (44%).
Instructional Strategies and Approaches for First and Second Grade Students The same instructional strategies and approaches are used for First and Second Grade students. First and Second Grade teachers are divided into clusters of 3 to 5 teachers. The majority of the clusters consist of 4 teachers. Teachers meet in their clusters weekly during a common planning time and follow our established protocol to collect and analyze student data. First, during the cluster meeting, teachers select the skill focus and develop an appropriate pre-test. Teachers in a cluster use the same pre-test and they administer the pre-test in a standard manner. They also score the pre-test and report the data in a standard manner. After collecting the pre-test data, they implement selected instructional strategies. In the next cluster meeting, teachers report and analyze the pre-test data and discuss which instructional strategies have worked well and which strategies did not work well. The teachers identify struggling students and form small, flexible instructional groups. They also plan large and small group instruction for other students. The teachers decide which teachers and/or paraprofessionals will instruct which students. They also plan the time and place for the small and large group instruction. There are regular education and special education teachers within the majority of the clusters, as well as paraprofessionals. All of the students in a cluster belong to all of the teachers in the cluster, not just to the homeroom teacher. After supportive instruction has been provided, teachers administer the same post-test in a standard manner. They then score and report the data to one another in the next cluster meeting. Instructional decisions are made based on the data. Other small, flexible groups may be formed and more intensive instructional strategies may be implemented. Another focus will also be established. The protocol is constantly repeated. Teachers and paraprofessionals insure that students master skills in this way. In summary, teachers within clusters analyze student work and data, explore instructional strategies, schedule students for instruction within the cluster and for extended learning time, revise instruction based on data and communicate all of this to parents.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
First Grade On the Reading section of the 2005-2006 CRCT, 8% of First Grade students scored in Level 1; 64% scored in Level 2 (above the state percentage); and 28% scored in Level
476

3.
On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, students performed better than the previous year. Only 4% scored in Level 1; 56% scored in Level 2; and 40% (a significant increase) scored in Level 3.
On the ELA section of the 2005-2006 CRCT, 17% of First Grade students scored in Level 1; 69% scored in Level 2 (above the state percentage): and 14% scored in Level 3.
On the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, only 9% scored in Level 1; 67% scored in Level 2; and 24% scored in Level 3 (a significant increase from the previous year).
Our school goal was for 82 of the students identified as possibly scoring less than 815 on the ELA section of the CRCT, at least 12 of the 82 would score 815 or higher. This goal was achieved.
On the Math section of the 2005-2006 CRCT, 7% of First Grade students scored in Level 1; 47% scored in Level 2; and 46% scored in Level 3. However, on the Math section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, the percentage of students scoring in Level 1 rose to 12%. 53% scored in Level 2 (an increase from the previous year) and 35% scored in Level 3 (a decrease from the previous year).
Second Grade On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 54% of Second Grade students scored in Level 3, significantly higher than the 28% of the same students that scored in Level 3 the previous year in First Grade. More scored in Level 3 than the Second Grade students of the previous year, as well.
On the ELA section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 29% of Second Grade students scored in Level 3, an increase from the 24% of the same students on the ELA section the previous year in First Grade. They also scored higher than the 2005-2006 Second Grade students.
Our school ELA goal for Second Grade students was of the 88 identified students who scored 815 or less on the ELA section of the CRCT in First Grade (2005-2006), at least 12 of these students would score 815 or higher. Our students surpassed this goal. 40 of the 88 identified students scored 815 or higher.
On the Math section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 10% scored in Level 1; 60% scored in Level 2: and 30% scored in Level 3. The previous year in First Grade, these students had 7% in Level 1; 47% in Level 2; and 46% in Level 3.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move
477

from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes, we track students from year to year. The baseline and completed GKAP-R reports are maintained in each student's permanent file, along with DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills) reports. We track each student's DRA (Developmental Reading Assessment) progress on fluency and comprehension, beginning in First Grade. We also track each student's progress on the locally developed checklists for Reading, Language Arts, and Math. The final checklists are filed in each student's permanent record, along with the summary report cards. Teachers collect writing samples and writing assessments and these are maintained in an on-going Writing portfolio that travels with students from one grade level to the next. Classworks (a computer-based diagnostic-prescriptive program) reports are also tracked, and each student's history can be viewed and printed. Students who are served by EIP (K-2) or by the Reading Discovery program (First Grade only) are also evaluated on a regular basis, data is analyzed on an on-going basis, and maintained in the students' permanent files. Individualized instruction is based on each student's needs. Teachers and parents can view a child's file to compare academic growth from year to year.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
We are concerned about Kindergarten students who scored "Not Ready" (2 students) or "Ready with Assistance" (6 students) for First Grade on the GKAP-R and/or did not master the majority of the skills on locally developed skills checklists for Math and Language Arts. We retained 11 Kindergarten students for the 2007-2008 school year in an effort to better prepare them for First Grade.
We are also concerned about all students in First and Second Grades that scored in Level 1 for Reading, ELA, and/or Math.
First Grade On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 4% (11 students) scored in Level 1. On the ELA section, 9% (24 students) scored in Level 1 (Research was a weak area) and on the Math section, 12% (31 students) scored in Level 1 (Data Analysis and Probability is a weak area). Three First Grade students were retained in First Grade for the 2007-2008 school year in an effort to better prepare them for Second Grade.
Second Grade On the Reading section of the 2006-2007 CRCT, 6% (14 students) scored in Level 1. On the ELA section, 9% (20 students) scored in Level 2 (Sentence Construction and Research were weak areas); and on the Math section, 10% (23 students) scored in Level 3 (Number and Operations as well as Data Analysis and Probability were weak
478

areas).
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Kindergarten teachers administered GKAP-R specified sections the first 10 days of school to establish baseline data on each student. This instrument was one measure used to identify students in need of more intensive instruction. These identified students were served by the Early Intervention Program (EIP). Volunteers and mentors also worked with identified students, and some visited the counselor for weekly group sessions. Identified students were also invited to Excel (after hours Language Arts program) and/or to the extended year Spring Intersession (4 half days).
At the end of the 2006-2007 school year, 2 students scored "Not Ready for First Grade", 6 scored "Ready with Assistance" and 229 scored "Ready for First Grade". The GKAP-R is one instrument used to determine if a student is prepared to begin First Grade.
2. First and Second Grades Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) Classroom teachers, Early Intervention Program (EIP) teachers, and selected paraprofessionals have been trained to administer and to score the DRA.
First Grade At the beginning of each school year, appropriate personnel administer the DRA to all students. Each assessment is scored and students are then listed in an Excel spreadsheet according to Reading level. Students are evaluated by the DRA at least once every 9 weeks. Reading groups may change according to the students' needs.
Second Grade At the end of the First Grade year, appropriate personnel administer the DRA to all students. Each assessment is scored. Each student's last Reading level is recorded on the report card at the ending level and the beginning of Second Grade Reading level. Children are also listed in an Excel spreadsheet according to Reading level. Students are evaluated by the DRA at least once every 9 weeks. Reading groups may change according to the students' needs.
479

3. Kindergarten Students
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELS)
DIBELS are a set of standardized, individually administered measures of early literacy development sponsored by the University of Oregon. Short (one minute) fluency measures are used on a regular basis to monitor students' pre-Reading skills. EIP teachers use DIBELS to assess students' Initial Sounds Fluency (ability to recognize and produce the initial sound in an orally presented word) and Letter Naming Fluency (letter identification). Students are assessed in Fall, Winter, and Spring to monitor their progress. During the 2007-2008 school year, students who have scores of 15 and below are served by the Early Intervention Program (EIP). (Cut-off score may vary from year to year). 49 Kindergarten students have been identified as needing intensive instruction in pre-Reading skills and will be served by EIP.
4. Kindergarten, First and Second Grades
Classworks is an integrated learning system software program with standards-based curriculum. Students progress from assessments and mastery of objectives and standards. The program monitors time on task to guide teachers in assignments for individuals. Teachers view and print individual reports. Kindergarten, First, and Second Grade students use this program during Math and Reading instruction daily. The program assists teachers in monitoring each student's progress on specific skills.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, parent and community involvement met my expectations during the 2006-2007 school year. Mentors spent a total of 1460 hours working with "mentees", high school interns logged 893 hours working with students, parents volunteered 3320 hours, and PTO members volunteered 15 hours on various projects. By Sept. 11, 2007, volunteers logged 227 hours.
Volunteers typically tutor students in Reading, Math, and Language Arts, and also assist with special classroom events and activities. Volunteers assist Music, Art, Spanish, and P.E. teachers with special activities and events throughout the year. PTO members volunteer for bulletin boards, the Fall Festival, and other activities. Parents and community members also help with car duty daily.
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2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We have a computer software program that tracks volunteer/mentor hours and categorizes volunteers (mentors, classroom volunteers, field trips, PTO activities, etc.) One counselor coordinates the volunteer/mentor programs, and her goal is to have at least one volunteer for every classroom and a volunteer assigned to every student referred for the mentor program. The counselor visits various community clubs and groups to explain the program and to recruit volunteers. With the counselor's efforts and with the software tracking program, we have good results for our program.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? This year, we gave each family a magnet with School Council meeting dates and contact information. We also increased the types of information provided on our system and school web-sites. Teachers have been encouraged to have web pages. Our student information system has a messenger capability that we use to e-mail and/or phone parents about events, and student attendance. Teachers send weekly or monthly newsletters to parents. We post activities and events on signs around the school. We recognize parents and community volunteers with a breakfast and with prizes. We have a close relationship with the local newspaper and reporters often come to the school to cover special events that include volunteers.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Utilize time more efficiently and effectively.
We organize instructional time in the most efficient manner for the personalization of instruction. The operation of the school day (when, where, & with whom) is designed to meet the specific needs of students. We consider all students to be general education with each student having unique instructional needs. We have 3 to 5 regular education teachers per cluster and Special Education teachers and paraprofessionals also work within clusters to meet the specific needs of students. All of the students in a cluster are the responsibility of all the teachers in the cluster. Small, flexible instructional groups are formed based on progress monitoring data.
2. Utilize the skills and talents of the staff more effectively.
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We created a true collaboration of general education and support programs. Regular education teachers, along with Special Education, Gifted, EIP teachers and paraprofessionals plan together within clusters and within whole grade level teams to analyze data and form small, flexible instructional groups to teach identified students the specific skills they need. Teachers and paraprofessionals skilled in teaching specific skills provide the instruction, although not all of the students may be assigned to that teacher's homeroom or Reading class. For example, during Math instructional block, the teachers and paraprofessionals in a cluster may provide specific skill instruction to several small groups of students while others are instructing larger groups of students.
3. Make school services more accessible to parents.
The School Council consists of the principal, 1 teacher, 1 paraprofessional (also a parent), and 4 parents. The council meets quarterly to review budgets, instructional programs, and school policies. The council has a school e-mail account and each student's family was given a magnet printed with the e-mail address and meeting dates. The council provides feedback from the community to school administrators and vice versa.
Parents are encouraged to volunteer as academic tutors and mentors and to volunteer for classroom activities, field trips, events. The counselor provides training for volunteers and mentors.
One teacher will host "How to Help Your Child Read" workshops for parents later this year. Counselors will host parenting workshops, as well.
4. Make each student more successful in his/her learning.
Clusters (includes regular and special education teachers) of teachers devote time at least one time per week to review student data and to plan interventions. They implement the interventions. The following week, the cluster will review and adjust intervention strategies. Appropriate personnel works with the student. This progress monitoring continues until the student masters the skill(s). Teachers use informal classroom assessments, such as observations, work samples, teacher-student conferences, and running records as well as formal assessments, such as writing assessments, pre & post-tests, classworks lessons, benchmark checklists, and the DRA to collect data on students.
482

5.
Improve Student Behavior Management
We are implementing Effective Behavioral and Instructional Strategies (EBIS) for the 2nd year. The 2006-2007 year end summary indicated a 53% decrease in office referrals from the previous year, resulting in 191.5 hours of time saved for administrators dealing with behavioral referrals. More importantly, students were in the classrooms receiving instruction. At the end of the 1st school month of 20072008, we had 6.35 average daily office referrals, a significant decrease from our baseline data and a slight increase from the previous year's data for the same time period. Our students and parents are supportive of the program, and teachers use monthly data to plan positive behavioral instruction

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

483

484

485

NEIGHBORHOOD CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Jacqueline M. Rosswurm, PhD 688 Grant Street Atlanta, GA 30315 404-624-6226

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Aug. 11, 2002 K 5 309 No

Mission
The mission of the Neighborhood Charter School is to provide a learning environment for all students that demands high educational standards and high levels of parent/guardian involvement and responsibility.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Neighborhood Charter School
0

D. H. Stanton Elementary School
0.6

Parkside Elementary
School
0.7

Atlanta Public Schools
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

308

Diversity

Caucasian

48%

Black

39%

Hispanic

2%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

11%

426

544

49,773 1,589,839

0%

4%

9%

47%

97%

83%

85%

38%

1%

7%

4%

9%

0%

2%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

4%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

6%

0%

7%

3%

4%

1%

9%

9%

9%

7%

13%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

23%

97%

83%

75%

50%

486

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Our students' standardized test results did and did not meet our expectations. They met the expectations in that our students did extremely well on the state required assessments in the 2005-2006 school year. On the average the following percentage of all of our students met or exceeded standard on the state assessments: Reading 93.7%; English/Language Arts 90.5%; Mathematics 80.3%; Science 81.2%; Social Studies 91.3%. These results were better than the school district's average across all tests. They did not meet our expectations in that in all subject areas the percentage of students meeting or exceeding the standard did not increase over last year's results. The percentages did increase in Reading and Language Arts. However, there was a slight decrease in the percentage that met or exceeded the standard in Science and a significant decrease in the percentage that met or exceeded the average in both Mathematics and Social Studies.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
There was some improvement in the area of Reading and Language Arts from last year. The teacher centered professional development in these areas may have supported those improvements. Many of our teachers and associate teachers also used the area of literacy as topics for their self studies. There was a significant improvement in the scores of the fourth grade in the literacy area over their scores as third graders. Once again that could be attributed to the professional development of the teachers, as well as the careful placement of students in fourth grade classes. Our classes are heterogeneously grouped. Therefore, the placement and establishment of those learning groups is critical.

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.

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This is looked at longitudinally. Example - last year first grade, this year second grade. Therefore, First grade is the baseline. Grade 1,2,3, 4 60 students; Grade 5 20 students. Improvement Grade 2: Reading, Grade 3 Language Art, Mathematics, Science. Grade 4 Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies. Grade 5 Reading, Language Arts. Regression Grade 2 Language Arts (-2%), Mathematics (-5.8%). Grade 3 Reading (-1.8%), Grade 4 Mathematics (- 19%). Science (-3.6%), Grade 5 Mathematics (- 3.7%). Science (13.8 ), Social Studies (2.7%)
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We generally look at students' scores in a general longitudinal manner, comparing one grade level's scores with the next year's grade level scores. This gives a more realistic picture of student success. However, because our grade levels are small (2060 students) and even though there is little turnover in our student body, our students' overall success is greatly affected by the change of any students, because we may not be comparing a true cohort of students. In the future we plan to track the cohort group of students.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. We are once again pleased with overall performance of our students on the state assessment. However, in spite of the overall success, there are some concerns about our performance. The area of Mathematics is a growing concern school wide. We are also concerned about the particular decreases on subtests at various grade levels. In particular the scores of students as they move from 3rd grade to 4th grade. The faculty spent time during preplanning examining test result trends of our students. With that information, we then set goals at each grade level. In addition, this coming year we have established an Academic Assistance Program in our school. This initiative has been developed to assist students who struggle within the classroom, but who do not qualify for other services. Although the program will not center around test preparation, our goal is to improve the skills of the students in that program. Those better-developed skills should result in better test results.
488

ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. With a student count as small as ours, (3rd grade 60; 5th grade 20), the significance of the ITBS scores at grade level is limited. However, we do look at these scores as a whole to see if our classes are maintaining success rates. Comparing this year's scores against last years, we see the following Spring 2006 The average of 3rd grade scores was at the 4th grade level; NPR - 56. The average of 5th grade scores was at the 6th grade level; NPR - 61. Spring 2007 The average of 3rd grade scores was at the 4th grade, 7th month level; NPR - 73 The average of 5th grade scores was at the 6th grade, 8th month level; NPR - 65
2. Promotion Rate: The Neighborhood Charter School prides itself on the level at which its students learn and are able to successfully be promoted to the next grade level. This year we retained only 5 students, promoting 98% of our students
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Our parental and community involvement exceeded our expectations for this past year. For our 280 families we had 7250 hours recorded. That represents 144% of the required hours. Although these numbers were slightly lower than last year's proportionately, we are still quite pleased with the family involvement in our school. We continue to find that the computerized, improved, user-friendly volunteer hour tracking system helps our families make sure that they record their volunteer time. We also believe that the established culture of involvement of our families helps set an expectation with all of our families that they are expected to volunteer and are welcome at our school at any time.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure parent involvement through volunteer hours, as well as the parent participation review components. This process measures parent involvement in parent- teacher conferences, parents participating in various school communication tools as well as volunteer times. By reporting this to our families three times a year,
489

parents are constantly kept informed of their status with these requirements as outlined in our parent and family contract.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
First, we will continue to communicate with our families in a very consistent manner through our weekly courier and our student weekly progress reports. Second, we will continue to offer a variety of ways for parents to get involved in our school. We always make sure that parent teacher conferences are held at times that are sensitive to parental needs and schedules. Families know that they are important to us in the education of their children. Our volunteer opportunities continue to expand to include events that all of our families may enjoy and want to participate. We are also considering a more personal connections between our families through a "buddy" system for all new families into our school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Diversity: Our school continues to focus on an excellent education for all of its students. With the most diverse student population within the city of Atlanta- 39% African-American, 48% white, 11% multi-racial and 2% Asian, Hispanic or other ethnicities and 30% of our students coming from single parent families our student body continues to succeed at high levels. We celebrate our diversity on an ongoing basis with our children and their families.
2.
Leadership: The management structure has remained stable and creative. We have proven our ability to recruit and maintain a teaching staff of unparalleled skill. The Executive Director/Principal has been with the school since it started. This continuity of leadership has helped this school through the difficult task of rebuilding after the fire and dealing with all related challenges. The faculty of the school has established a leadership team to provide training and support to the exceptional staff of the school. A by-law now allows the Board of Directors' chair to serve 2 consecutive terms, which supports continuity of leadership.
3.
Charter Renewal: This was the fifth year of our charter agreement, which required our school to apply for a renewal of their charter. This process was a very comprehensive one, including all stakeholders. We are proud to say that we successfully applied for and were granted a 10-year renewal of our charter, making us possibly the first 10 year renewal in the state.
490

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, presently we have approximately 2% in our reserve fund.

491

492

493

494

495

496

497

498

ODYSSEY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Andy Geeter 1485 Highway 34 E Suite B-1 Newnan, GA 30265 678-423-5155

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Coweta County State Charter Aug. 12, 2004 K - 5 163 No

Mission
Odyssey School seeks to create a learning environment that values, respects, and educates each child and builds upon children's natural love of learning so that every child can be an independent and lifelong learner.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Odyssey School
0

White Oak Elementary
School
1.3

Newnan Crossing Elementary School
2.9

Coweta County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

152

Diversity

Caucasian

76%

Black

14%

Hispanic

2%

Asian/Pacific Islander

3%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

5%

696

597

20,751 1,589,839

71%

50%

70%

47%

15%

32%

22%

38%

8%

10%

5%

9%

2%

2%

1%

3%

0%

1%

0%

0%

4%

5%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

11%

3%

3%

1%

4%

7%

9%

9%

9%

9%

11%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

13%

25%

39%

34%

50%

499

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Generally, the standardized test scores for our students did meet our expectations based upon previous trends and student data. Changes to the CRCT over the past several years have made individual score comparisons problematic; however, points of comparison can be made through the use of percentage scores. Unfortunately, due to our small size, the failure of one student to pass a section of the CRCT brings down the percentage score for that test down a minimum of 3.33%, sometimes making it hard to separate instructional weaknesses from a couple of children having a bad test day.
In looking at percentages from the spring administration only, and comparing the passing percentages for all subject areas with the state average and the Coweta County School System, our students' passing percentage exceeded both the county and the state averages in all subjects for grades 1-3. This is perhaps the best indication of a trend. The students taking the 3rd grade test last year began as 1st grade students at Odyssey. Therefore, the school's first year was their first CRCT experience. Although these students' scores did not exceed the county that year, they have risen each year in every subject area, save a dip of 3 percentage points (82%79%) on the 2006 Math test last year (followed by a 17 percentage point increase (79%-96%) and a 10 percentage point dip for Reading (100%-90%) on the 2007 exam. Using their passing percentages as a guide, the expectation would be that this cohort would drive scores up on the 2008 exam, in some ways "clearing a path" for the classes following them.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
When comparing the 2006 and 2007 testing years, the percentage of students exceeding the standard rose for every grade in Reading and English/Language Arts except for 5th grade. In fact, every grade except 5th had at least one third of the students exceeding the standard. Looking at the 2007 5th grade class as a cohort

500

however, you see that the score in both areas did exceed the percentages attained by this class when in 4th grade the previous year. Our 3rd grade class also posted significant gains, with an average increase of 12 percentage points in Reading, English/Language Arts, and Math scores over last year's 3rd grade class.
Of the students exceeding the standard in Reading, 65% of them had spent more than one year at Odyssey. Several of these students attained perfect scores on tests. In English/Language Arts, the percentage of students exceeding the standard was about 74% and for Math the figure was around 76%. In looking at the 2005, 2006, and 2007 CRCT results, there is a clear progression in terms of test scores at the early grades. In 2005, Odyssey's CRCT scores did not exceed the county scores in any subject until 4th grade. In 2006, our scores exceeded the county and state for almost all subjects for 1st and 2nd grades. The 2007 CRCT results show Odyssey students passing their county peers for all subjects at grades 1-3.
The increase in passage percentages of students as they move through the grades and the statistics regarding the percentage of students exceeding the standard on tests serve as a strong indication that Odyssey's teaching philosophy of meeting each child at their point of need, coupled with multi-age grouping, is working. Further, students who enroll at the school in the early grades, are educated in accordance with this philosophy, and remain at the school are continuing to perform well as they push into the upper grades. It is our expectation that these passage rate increases will continue this year, moving 4th grade scores higher than last year.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
In undertaking a comparison of score percentages, a 6 percentage point difference will be considered "significant" as this number indicates that at least two students failed to pass a section over the previous year. Utilizing this percentage, there were areas of significant progress for the following subjects: 2nd grade ELA and Math and all 3rd grade subjects except for Science. Highlights in this area include a 100% passage in 2nd grade Reading (the second year in a row) and 3rd grade Social Studies (up from 89% in 2006).
In using the same standard to define regression (a drop of more than 6 percentage points), significant declines were seen in 4th grade English/Language Arts, Science and Social Studies as well as 5th grade English/Language Arts, Math, and Science. Lowlights of this area include a drop of 40 percentage points in 5th grade Science and 22.5 percentage points in both 4th grade English/Language Arts and Science.
Although we did exceed the state and county for all subjects on the 1st grade test, Odyssey did experience a decline in the overall passage rate for English/Language Arts and Math for this grade. With our small cohort size however, this means that a total of three students did not pass each section. One student failed to pass either
501

section and is being retained, one has an IEP and another had excessive absences. In English/Language Arts, only one of the three students not passing missed meeting the standard by more than three points.
In looking deeper at the numbers, it becomes quite evident that Reading is a key to overall performance on the CRCT. Of our 15 students who failed the Reading portion of the CRCT, all but one failed multiple sections of the test. This pattern holds true for English/Language Arts, where 16 of 19 students failing this section also failed at least one more section. Math results were also consistent though less pronounced, with 17 of 23 students failing more than one section of the test. On the Science test, 17 of 22 students failing this section of the test also failed at least one more test section. In 14 of these cases, the student also failed the Reading section and in 14 of these cases they also failed the Math section of the test. On the Social Studies test, all 6 students failing the test also failed Math and 5 of the 6 failed Reading.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes, we track both cohorts (2006-3rd grade to 2007 3rd grade) as well as individual students. Odyssey maintains student cohort records for the CRCT. This is kept on an Excel file and can be manipulated for data analysis. Students can also be tracked within the cohort so one can see for example how many students who began in Cohort 6 (1st grade students during the 2004-2005 school year) continued at Odyssey in subsequent years and whether the sub-cohort data for these students is consistent or significantly different from the cohort as a whole.
The school also maintains data for individual students and can check year to year test score progression. However, there are limits to the validity of this data in doing direct comparisons as most tests have changed from being QCC-based to being GPS-based since our first year of testing in 2005.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
In examining our test data by cohorts, the only significant statistic of concern is with our present 5th grade class (cohort 4). For this group, the percentage of students passing each test is lower than the previous year's results with the exception of Math which spiked in 2006, but then fell once again in 2007. It is also one of two cohorts with the least number of original students (8).
Looking at data across grades, there are concerns with all subjects in 4th and 5th
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grade with the exception of Social Studies. We are addressing this concern in several ways including a "jump start" after school Math program in September and plans for another "jump start" Math for just 4th and 5th graders in January-March and a "jump start" Reading and English Language Arts program in January-March, provided funding can be secured. Teachers in our 4th and 5th grade classes are also being more aggressive and intentional about identifying students with academic concerns. Our curriculum specialist is reviewing the standards with our teachers to ensure that they are being addressed in classes.
In terms of disaggregating data among sub-groups, roughly 37% of minority students failed the Reading section of the CRCT, which is up slightly from last year but does confirm a negative trend (14.8% in 2005, 32.1% in 2006). In English/Language Arts, the percentage was 33.3%, also a negative trend (11.1% in 2005, 28.6% in 2006). The failure rate in Math was 37%, which is down slightly from the high of 43% in 2006. In Science, the failing percentage for minority students was 37%, up from 25% in 2006 and 14.2% in 2005. Lastly, the Social Studies failure rate was 11.1%, which is down significantly from the 25% failure rate of last year.
During the 2006-2007 school year, Odyssey had 12 students with IEP's for special education services, excluding cases of articulation problems. Of the 12, 50% failed the English/Language Arts section, with 33.3% failing Reading, 41.6% failing Math, 44.4% failing Science, and 22.2% failing Social Studies. However, the sample is so small that, on subject tests that all grades take, each child not passing counts is 8.3%. On the Social Studies and Science tests, the figure is 11.1%.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The direct performance goals in our charter deal with CRCT scores. According to the charter, 80% of students attending Odyssey for two years will have improvement in their CRCT scores in Reading, English/Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies and that 90% of students attending Odyssey for three years will experience positive growth. However, our samples are so small that the score of one student in a cohort can drop them below the 90% threshold.
Elements of the CRCT, specifically Reading and English/Language Arts for all grades in 2006 and Science and Math for some grades beginning with 2006 testing, have been realigned to a GPS-based assessment. This has changed the scoring scale has made it inaccurate to make direct QCC-based and GPS-based score comparisons.
The only tests with a three year comparable span would be Social Studies in grade 5
503

and Math in grades 3-5. A two year comparison can now be made in Reading and English/Language Arts across the grades.
In examining Reading scores, most cohorts are seeing between 40%-65% of students raising their Reading scores over a two-year period with comparable percentage gains. The general trend with Math still indicates that the majority of test scores for students in the first year of the cluster fall, but rise the following year when the student is in the second year of the cluster. Sometimes however, the score in year three, though higher than the year two score, is still lower than the year one baseline score.
2. Although not listed in our charter as a performance objective, all students in 3rd and 5th grades took the ITBS in the fall of 2005, fall of 2006, will take the test this fall. At this point, there are no students who have taken the test at Odyssey twice, through students in cohort 4 will be the first to do so this year.
In looking at our 5th grade students from the 2005 and 2006 testing sessions, cohort 2 (5th grade in 2005-2006) scored approximately four points higher on the average standard score than cohort 3 (5th grade in 2006-2007) in Reading and approximately 6 points higher in Mathematics. In Language, Social Studies, and Science, cohort 3 outperformed cohort 2 by a range of 7-13 points on the average standard score.
Upon examination of our 3rd grade students from the 2005 and 2006 testing sessions, cohort 4 (3rd grade in 2005-2006) outscored cohort 5 (3rd grade in 2006-2007) by 7 points on the Average Standard Score in Reading. Scores were comparable in all other areas except Science, where cohort 4 outscored cohort 5 by 10 points on the Average Standard Score.
3. Although not addressed in our charter, Odyssey has administered the Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) to our students and uses the results to guide student instruction and the use of leveled readers. Presently, the books in the library are being labeled to reflect the DRA Reading level code for easy identification by the student.
4. Although not addressed as a performance objective in our charter, Odyssey began to administer the GMADE, a norm-referenced group Math assessment. Students are assessed using the GMADE at least twice a year and the results are used to guide Math instruction and highlight areas of weakness for students and in instruction.
504

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain.
Yes, the level of parental involvement met our expectations. Odyssey requires families to commit at least 10 service hours to the school per year. During the 20062007 school year, everyone completed their hours with the exception of some families whose children chose not to return to Odyssey or who completed 5th grade. One of our challenges is creating enough opportunities for parents to fulfill hours in meaningful ways, and making the best use of their talents. Through volunteer opportunity sheets and the use of sign-up sheets in the classroom, we are doing a better job of matching time and talent.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures.
Our level of parental support is measured through the use of log-in sheets. Further, parents not completing hours by April were given written letters, followed up via email and phone calls if necessary as reminders. These parents had their hours checked off in the office as they completed volunteer assignments. Again, the families of everyone who returned to school this year completed their volunteer hours.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school?
Our prime parental outreach for this school year is PTA involvement. Under new leadership, the PTA has almost tripled from the number of members in the 2006-2007 school year. This organization is taking on a number of significant fundraising projects and has raised interest amongst the parents in being a part of the life of the school.
As far as community outreach, the Board of Directors is completing a strategic plan which will lead to a capital campaign during this school year. Additionally, early plans are underway for a benefit concert in the spring. Our second annual golf tournament increased the number of players slightly and corporate sponsors significantly.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No Yes . 03%

505

TEST RESULTS 506

507

508

509

510

511

512

513

OGLETHORPE CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Kevin Wall 707 Stiles Avenue Savannah, GA 31415 912-201-5075

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Chatham County Start-Up Aug. 16, 1999 6 8 405 No

Mission
Partnering with parents to inspire students to pursue educational excellence.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Oglethorpe Charter School
0

DeRenne Middle School
1.7

Hubert Middle School
1.8

Chatham County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

396

Diversity

Caucasian

41%

Black

51%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

3%

American

1%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

3%

920

465

33,156 1,589,839

16%

0%

26%

47%

77%

98%

66%

38%

2%

0%

4%

9%

2%

0%

2%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

1%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

27%

Special Education

9%

0%

0%

1%

4%

22%

1%

11%

9%

9%

17%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

32%

68%

91%

60%

50%

514

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Our historical data trends indicate that Reading, Language Arts, and 7th & 8th grade Social Studies are our stronger content areas. Despite our lower than expected writing scores, we still managed to score well above the local and state averages. We are making progress in our Math and Science content areas but not consistently at all 3 grade levels like we are in Reading and Language Arts. There are a number of instructional strategies that have contributed to these successes.
2. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
Oglethorpe's students improved from the previous year in the following grades and subject areas:
8th-grade English/Language Arts from 95% meeting or exceeding to 97% meeting or exceeding
8th-grade Math from 83% meeting or exceeding to 93% meeting or exceeding 7th-grade Science from 73% meeting or exceeding to 84% meeting or exceeding 8th-grade Social Studies stayed the same at 94% meeting or exceeding 6th-grade Reading from 89% meeting or exceeding to 90% meeting or exceeding 6th-grade Math from 64% meeting or exceeding to 69% meeting or exceeding 7th-grade Reading from 92% meeting or exceeding to 94% meeting or exceeding It should be noted that some grade levels and subjects are showing a significant
percentage of students exceeding standards 47% percent of 8th graders exceeded standards in English/Language Arts; 46% of 7th-graders exceeded standards in Social Studies; and 33% of 7th-graders exceeded in Science.
Oglethorpe's students did not improve or regressed from the previous year in the following grades and subject areas:

515

6th-grade English/Language Arts regressed two points from 90% meeting or exceeding to 88% meeting or exceeding
7th-grade English/Language Arts regressed one point from 96% meeting or exceeding to 95% meeting or exceeding
7th-grade Math regressed six points from 89% meeting or exceeding to 83% meeting or exceeding (test went from QCCs to GPS).
6th-grade Science regressed six points from 65% meeting or exceeding to 59% meeting or exceeding
7th-grade Social Studies regressed one point from 95% meeting or exceeding to 94% meeting or exceeding
8th-grade Science regressed eight points from 91% meeting or exceeding to 83% meeting or exceeding.
3. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Yes, Oglethorpe tracks students using the cohort model. We compare the ITBS scores of the same group of students as they move from grade to grade, removing any students who have left our school. Results from students who took the ITBS in fall of 2003 and the same students who took the ITBS in fall of 2005 were:
Science from 6th to 8th grades - 68% to 62% = -6 change Sources of information from 6th to 8th grades 72% to 67% = -5% change Reading from 6th to 8th grades 64%to 66% = + 2% change Language from 6th to 8th grades 64% to 68% = +4% change Mathematics from 6th to 8th grades 57% to 57% = No change Social Studies from 6th to 8th grades 66 % to 66% = No change
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
To address lagging Math, Science, and special education scores, Oglethorpe will do the following: Continue to employ an additional Math teacher at 6th and 7th grade during the
2007-2008 school year, allowing both grade levels of students to receive eight hour-long blocks of Math instruction. An additional 8th grade Math teacher has been added in 2007-2008 school year to increase the amount of time in Math instruction. In 8th-grade, students only received 4 hours of instruction in Math a week during the 2006-2007 school year. Despite spending half of the amount of instructional
516

time with one teacher in 8th grade Math compared to 6th and 7th grade Math, we saw our greatest gains in 8th grade Math. All 8th grade Math students received small group in-school tutorials and Saturday tutorials. Friday tutorials were also implemented.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. In algebra for high school credit, Oglethorpe students maintained high expectations on the end-of-course test. In spring of 2007 EOC algebra 1 testing, 22 out of 23 students taking the test met or exceeded the standard. Sixteen of the 23 students tested (70%) exceeded standards.
2. Oglethorpe students going into 9th grade seem to compete very well with the other county students in getting accepted to the specialty high schools in Savannah such as Savannah Arts High School, Jenkins High School, and Johnson High School.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. 1. Oglethorpe's parents are required by the family contract to provide volunteer service to the school yearly to receive a reenrollment packet for the next year 10 hours for single families and 20 hours for couples. This volunteer service can be provided by attending school events and parent trainings, providing gifts in kind or monetary gifts, supervising field trips, attending sports events, etc. All parents also must have two parent conferences yearly, and must agree to supervise homework and support the uniform and discipline code of the school. Parents are invited to participate in all school-wide events.
Three parents are elected yearly by the parent body to serve on Oglethorpe's governing board. Community members are invited in as guest speakers, as Junior Achievement teachers (8th-grade only), to judge competitions like the Science Fair and participate in assemblies. Community members also are invited to "shadow" students during National Shadow Day.
2. All parents are required to perform at the same volunteer level, although many
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choose to exceed the required hours. Parents who experience difficulties during the year may write hardship letters to the principal. Only 14 students of 384 total (4%) did not return to Oglethorpe because of issues related to the family contract.
Parents also are encouraged to evaluate Oglethorpe's academic program each year through surveys. Results are included in the school's school improvement plan.
3. Parental involvement is high at Oglethorpe, and it is one of the most critical components of our successful academic program. However, we could always increase the number of parent trainings. Last year, the annual "Looking Ahead To High School" parent meeting and Math/Science family night were two very popular events. This year, parents have requested a Math tutorial to assist their students with Math homework. One of the items on the school improvement plan for the 2007-2008 school year is to continue to develop more partnerships with the local community and to continue to develop a positive relationship with the Savannah-Chatham County Board of Education, our local authorizer.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parents are required to log their school involvement hours on our AMBIT tracking system. Our parents also recieve a graded report card related to meeting their required hours spent at the school (20 hours for couples and 10 hours for single parents)
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We have started a PTA this year.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Providing a state-of-the-art facility continues to be one of our strategic goals for the 2007-2008 school year.
The voters of Chatham County also approved E-splost funding, with $21 million allocated to build a new facility for Oglethorpe Charter School. We are in the process of trying to identify possible areas to build our new school.
2. Teachers are being provided a number of professional development opportunities,
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including attending state conferences and district trainings. Grade level data meetings are conducted weekly focusing on student work to ensure that remediation measures are in place for those students not meeting the standard in the core content areas. Enrichment strategies are being implemented for those students that are meeting the standard in all of the core content areas.
3.
Oglethorpe Charter prides itself on preparing students for the "next level" high school. Our counselor assists students in preparing high school applications to specialty programs. Many of our students are able to apply for the specialty high school programs at Savannah Arts Academy, Jenkins High School, and Johnson High School.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, 5%

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520

521

522

523

524

PEACHTREE CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL

Contact Information
Steven Donahue 4664 North Peachtree Rd. Atlanta, GA 30338 678-676-7702

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

DeKalb County Conversion Aug. 1, 2001 6, 7, 8 995 No

Mission
Through a spirit of teamwork Peachtree Charter Middle School supports students in realizing their academic and personal dreams.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Peachtree Middle School
0

Chamblee Middle School
1.2

Sequoyah Middle School
3.2

DeKalb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population
Diversity
Caucasian Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaskan Native Multiracial

1022
45% 27% 20% 5% 0%
3%

997

777

98,713 1,589,839

23%

3%

10%

47%

53%

14%

76%

38%

12%

72%

8%

9%

8%

9%

3%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

2%

2%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

9%

Gifted

32%

Special Education

13%

5%

38%

4%

4%

41%

5%

10%

9%

9%

8%

9%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

33%

49%

93%

64%

50%

525

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP?

2007 Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? Yes.

2006 No, Peachtree did not make AYP in the area of Mathematics. (Subgroup population of Hispanic students) Yes.

2005 No
No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
The student test scores met our expectations. The state report card is based upon the school Making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) through student achievement on the CRCT exam administered each spring. Peachtree made AYP because of student success on the test and will remain on the Needs Improvement list until we make AYP two consecutive years.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
I want to highlight specifically our measured test results on the state report card in the area of Mathematics. Peachtree showed an overall improvement in our passing rate on Mathematics for our total school from 77.7% in the year 2006 results to 79.8% for 2007. Additionally, the pass rate for our Hispanic population increased from 46.8% passing to 52.8% passing. This is significant because this test (Mathematics) and subgroup (Hispanic) are the areas we were unsuccessful in the 2005 and 2006 AYP reports. We altered an instructional strategy in the area of ESOL delivery services. The ESOL students were mainstreamed into the core academic classes of Mathemtaics and Language Arts. The ESOL specialist worked cooperatively with the academic teacher in a collaborative delivery model. I believe this approach assisted with improved student achievement.

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3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. The content and subgroup areas of improvement: Content area Mathematics - improvement was shown in total student population by 2.1%; improvement was shown in subgroups: Black, 0.1%, Hispanic, 6.0%, White, 1.4%, Multi-racial, 27.7%, ELL, 7.9%.
Content area Reading / ELA - improvement was shown in total student population by 2.1%; improvement was shown in subgroups: Black, 2.1%, Hispanic, 3.1%, White, 2.1%, Multi-racial, 7.6%, SWD, 2.0%, ELL, 5.9%, ED, 4.4%.
Areas that did not improve or regressed - In Reading / ELA our Asian Pacific Islander scores dropped 2%, and in Mathematics our SWD scores dropped 10.2%.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We track the same set of students' scores to determine how well we have done in teaching the required curriculum. The CRCT score measures that specific year's progress so it cannot predict the potential performance for the next year. If a student scores 817 in Math this year he or she is at grade level. It can not be used to determine that the student will score at least 817 or better next year.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Our area of greatest concern is the sub-groups of Hispanic/ELL and SWD. The Hispanic subroup showed improvement last year but the SWD's regressed. Each of these populations is critical to making AYP this year. The school and system are stressing the co-teaching approach and training has been provided to all of our ESOL and Special Education teachers. The training stresses the importance of quality instruction at all times. We have developed a teaming schedule that allows our special education teacher to be paired with one subject specific teacher during the day. The two teachers have a common planning time to develop quality lessons. The ESOL teachers are also content-qualified for Math or ELA and also have common planning time to work with the cooperating teacher.
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ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Charter Goal 6 (a) stated that we would track our level I students and make a 6% gain over three years if we had continuous enrollment of the student for all three years in the area of Reading. We have 236 students that were with us for all three years from grades six to eight. In sixth grade, 23 of these students scored level I in Reading. From the group that was with us for all three years, 9 of the students still scored in level I. Our projected goal was 6% improvement, we fell just short at 5.93%. This is tremendous growth, and we are very proud that fewer than 10 students scored in level I from our original incoming sixth grade class.
2. Charter Goal 6 (b) stated the school would track our level I students and make a 6% gain over three years if we had continuous enrollment of the students for all three years in the area of Mathematics. We have 236 students that were with us for all three years from grades six to eight. In sixth grade 50 of these students scored level I in Mathematics. From the group that was with us for all three years, 21 of the students still scored in level I. Our projected goal was 6% improvement, we met and exceeded that goal with a 12.28% increase.
3. Charter Goal 6 (d) states that discipline referrals and in school suspensions shall be reduced by 2% annually. For the 2005 - 2006 school year, Peachtree had 209 total suspensions. For the 2006 - 2007 school year, Peachtree had 179 total suspensions. The school wide discipline plan was successful and met our goal by showing an improvement of 30 fewer suspensions, equating to a 14.35% improvement.
4. Charter Goal 6 (c) stated all Peachtree teachers would use technology effectively and appropriately. The school system valued the technology usage of the Peachtree teachers so well that the school was selected to pilot along with one high school a program called "Parent Access." This software allowed parents the opportunity to have real time access to the grades their student earned. The teachers were required to attend training and become familiar with the program to assist the school system in identifying problems that could be corrected prior to the program rolling out systemwide.
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PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Peachtree Charter Middle School had a very good showing of parental support throughout the year. One of the biggest issues that was discussed was consolidating three separate entities, The Governance Council, PTA and the school Foundation into one organization representing the ideals of the Charter. This endeavour took many meetings, involved all of our stakeholders and was accomplished at the conclusion of the 2006- 2007 school year. Our new organization is the Peachtree Parent Teacher Charter Council. The school has a very good representation by parents, and stakeholders at every activity, be it an athletic event, academic program, open house, music, or extra curricular event.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. The school has notebooks arranged by grade level to record the parent's name and involvement activity. In the prior years we had a software system that was used to track volunteer opportunities but the cost was not fiscally responsible to run that program on a yearly basis. A good measure of how our school is viewed by parents and the community is that for the school years 2004 - 2005 and 2005 - 2006 we were listed on the state AYP report as a failing school yet still had an application pool and waiting list of over 130 students / families wanting to attend Peachtree. This school year (2006 - 2007) we made AYP and our waiting list is still over 130 students. Our students score very well on standardized tests and our students are very well prepared to enter high school.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Peachtree has an active volunteer base that works directly with the school on a daily basis. Beyond these individuals we have over fifty different committees that work together with the school to provide support in many areas. A sampling of committees involving parents are: school pictures, registration day, school dance, campus beautification, magazine sale, cultural arts, team parents, school directory, newsletter committee, partners in ed, hospitality, school tours, feeder school liaisons, etc. Each of these groups enlists a number of volunteers to be active within the school and community.
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OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
Peachtree had two academic goals related to Math and Reading listed in our charter. One additional goal that should be noted is the improvement in reducing the number of level I students in eighth grade. During the 2005 - 2006 school year, 101 eighth grade students failed one or both sections of the promotion required CRCT test. This number dropped to 61 students failing one or both sections during the 2006 - 2007 school year. The 40% reduction in potentially retained students was a tremendous improvement.
2.
Peachtree had a goal of involving a minimum of five community organizations / business partners throughout the year to enhance student life and global awareness. The Peachtree Community is fortunate that we have a business partnership with Northside Hospital. The Hospital provides a monetary donation to the school to support a clinic worker. The employee works part time and addresses issues from sick and injured students to checking our immunization records. This donation and medical support greatly improves the quality of care our school can provide because we want our students immunized and in good health throughout the year.
3.
Peachtree has purchased the three-year site license for Project Wisdom to assist with Character Education and Cultural awareness. The SGA representatives read a passage from Project W each day during morning announcements. These daily messages are then reflected upon during first period class with the teachers and students.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

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531

532

533

534

535

RIDGEVIEW CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Karen Cox 5340 S. Trimble Road Sandy Springs, GA 30342 404-843-7710

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Conversion Aug. 7, 2006 6 8 573 No

Mission
Promote academic excellence for our diverse community by: 1) Providing a progressive educational community, grades K-12, that includes parent, staff, and community collaboration; 2) Supporting seamless curriculum transitions between the elementary and middle school and between the middle and high school; 3) Enriching the International Studies Magnet and International Baccalaureate programs offered at Riverwood High School; and 4) Promoting an international focus at the elementary and middle schools.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Ridgeview Charter School
0

Sandy Springs Middle School
6.3

Holcomb Bridge Middle School
7.6

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

587

719

677

81,982 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

30%

Black

19%

Hispanic

45%

Asian/Pacific Islander

1%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

4%

24%

40%

38%

47%

46%

27%

41%

38%

23%

24%

10%

9%

3%

4%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

5%

4%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

13%

Gifted

22%

Special Education

8%

11%

9%

4%

4%

15%

23%

14%

9%

10%

12%

10%

12%

536

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

57%

61%

39%

36%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP? Is your school in needs improvement?

2007 No, RCS missed the AYP target of 58% passing rate in several subgroups. Yes, 2nd year in a row not making AYP, primarily due to performance of LEP/ELL group.

2006 No
No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes
No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. CRCT Stated Target Evaluation An analysis of the CRCT data compares student performance to the targets as identified in our charter. We did not have the 2005-06 data at the time of the charter proposal deadline and elected to use the 2004-05 data as baseline. To give a complete record, however, we include all data in this report. The bulk of our charter targets involve increasing the percentage of students in each grade level that met or exceeded (Level 2 or Level 3) CRCT standards in Reading, Math and English/Language Arts.
Coordinated by grade level and Reading, Math, and ELA scores, the uploaded Data Sheet shows RCS met or exceeded five (5) of its specific targets. RCS failed to meet four (4) targets, three of which were in the sixth grade. Specific demographic subgroup targets are discussed later in this report.
Our entering 6th graders did not meet our targets, especially in Math. Our 7th graders exceeded targets in Reading and Language Arts, but also struggled in Math. Our 8th graders exceeded our targets across the board, but their Math performance was not as

537

strong as Reading and Language Arts.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? We are pleased with the success of our 7th and 8th grade students in all academic areas. We attribute the 7.8 point improvement from the baseline to the MYP practices and procedures put in place since the charter. Of particular significance is the increased collaboration between our staff and the increased common planning time. These have allowed our teachers to finely tune their new units to meet the needs of the individual students and collaborate on the most effective methods for delivery and assessment of our students. United by a common goal and vocabulary, the efficient use of time on our learning teams has resulted in a more focused curriculum and a more accurate evaluation of student progress.
Another program that has shown marked success is the Reading Intervention Program (Read 180). Students who are scoring below the 45th percentile on a nationallynormed Reading test, (such as the ITBS) and are not served in a two class period SEC or ESOL program are placed in the Reading Intervention Program instead of a world language. In 2005-06, none of the students who met the above criteria passed the CRCT in Reading. After one year in the program, 87% of these students passed this portion of the CRCT. Of special interest is the performance of our SWD students, all of whom participated in Read 180. Of the 15 SWD students who participated in Read 180, 100% of 8th graders and 86% of 7th graders passed the CRCT in Reading. This means that only one out of fifteen SWD students in Read 180 did not pass the CRCT in Reading. The success of this program has led Riverwood High School, our feeder high school, to include it in their pending charter proposal.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Please refer to the uploaded Data Sheet for student performance charts in reference to this question. We did not have the 2005-06 data at the time of the charter proposal deadline and elected to use the 2004-05 data as baseline. To give a complete record, however, we include all data in this report.
Our sixth grade students scored 1.2 points higher in Reading than did the previous year's sixth grade class. Our eighth grade class scored well above the previous year's class in all three subject areas: Reading +6.2, Math +11.9, Language Arts +10.7.
Our seventh grade class saw a decline when compared with the previous year's seventh grade class in all three subject areas: Reading -4.0, Math -13.2, Language Arts -5.1. Our sixth grade class also saw a decline when compared with the previous year's sixth grade class: Math -5.6, Language Arts -3.7.
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4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
CRCT Grade Level Cohort Analysis In the next two years, we will be able to determine if student cohort performance improved as compared to their performance the previous year. Fulton County Schools is in the process of implementing a comprehensive student data system that will allow us to accurately access individual student progress as well as cohort progress. At the writing of this report, we can only offer the most generalized of cohort data. Another factor affecting our report is that the new GPS assessments interrupted the integrity of the longitudinal CRCT data flow.
Despite these limitations, we can assess broad trends in student cohort performance in the only class for which we have a complete three year record. We see that there was a marked improvement in student cohort performance. The Reading scores improved by +5, Math by +9, and Language Arts by +8.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.
Our goal is to improve the performance of each student at Ridgeview Charter School. We completely disaggregate our data to identify the needs of each individual student and to analyze the progress of students in every subgroup.
After a complete analysis of our data, our specific areas of concerns are three: 1) the performance of all students in Math, 2) the performance of our sixth grade class, and the performance of specific subgroups. We will detail the progress of these subgroups and the efforts we are taking to meet their unique needs in other sections of this report.
Using our disaggregated data, we send reports to each teacher using the Stop Light System. Students who are succeeding have data that is coded green. Students who are borderline have data coded yellow. Students in need of intensive assistance have data that is coded red. Using this system, teachers can differentiate their classroom instruction appropriately and efficiently, and special programming can be offered to those most in need.
Another intervention program targets all students. The PASS (Panthers Academic Support System) is used by teachers who have identified a student who would benefit from additional academic assistance before school or during the class break. In
539

addition, we offer an Extended Learning Program for students identified by subgroup. The Extended Learning Program is open to students four days a week, with two days spent on Math skills and two days spent on Reading or Language Arts skills.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Grade 8 Georgia Writing Assessment (MGWA) We were generally pleased with the GA Writing Assessment scores. The test assesses two genres: expository and persuasive. Narrative writing is no longer tested.
Our total Mean Scale Score was 211, below the county average (219) and above the RESA (209) and the state average (207). Seventy-eight percent (78%) of RCS students met or exceeded standards, well above the state average of 67% and in line with Fulton County Schools' average of 80%.
Eighty-three percent (83%) of RCS eighth graders participate in regular programming.
Our stated goal was that 15% of students would earn the "exceeds" rating; we did not meet our goal. There was a similar drop across the state. The "exceeds" category declined from 13% (2005-06) to 5% (2006-07).
These data indicate that we need to help our teachers more fully understand the new state writing standards, ensure our MYP cross curricular writing activities reflect the standards, and focus on the recently added persuasive genre.
2. ITBS Performance Our ITBS performance was consistently above the national average (50%) during our testing cycle in Fall 2006.
Reading 54% Math 56% Language 56% Social Studies 57% Science 58%
We schedule the ITBS in the fall to accommodate the spring CRCT. This means the ITBS evaluates RCS students in the current year based on their learning from the prior year's activities. Consequently, we are pleased that our students do well, but
540

we do not look to the ITBS as a strong measure of our school's progress toward our stated goals nor as the best indicator of individual students' learning.
3. Specialty Demographic Programming - In addition to general academic offerings, we have identified three specialty demographic groups where we focus particular attention. The first group is comprised of students in the upper level Math classes of Algebra I and Geometry which earn students credits toward high school graduation.
Our goal was to see 80% of our students exceed on the EOCT in Algebra I. Unfortunately, only 60% of our 2006-07 Algebra I students and 72% of our Geometry students exceeded on the EOCT. However, 100% of our students passed the Geometry EOCT. Eighth grade students in general classes, however, did very well in Math. Longitudinal analysis of their cohort indicates they achieved an 8.9% improvement in the Meets/Exceeds percentage on the CRCT since 6th grade.
We did not have the minimum subgroup size of SWD students with only 44 students qualified to be in the subgroup. However, RCS students exceeded our target by 14 points, with only 35% scoring in Level 1 on Math. Our target was 49%.
4. Heritage Language Program - Twenty-seven students participated in the Heritage Language program. Seven of these 27 showed such marked improvement in their bilingual language skills that they met the criteria for inclusion in the typical ELA classroom. All seven of those students were "newcomers" in the country, meaning they lived in the USA less than one year. Only three out of 27 did not show an improvement in their language skills. The success of this program has led Riverwood High School, our feeder high school, to include it in their pending charter proposal.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parents of 82% of RCS students volunteered a total of 11,586 hours last school year. This represents an average of 22.2 hours per family. This is being established as our baseline data.
RCS has a mobility rate of approximately 35% and a significant portion of our student body only attended our school for a few months and then transferred. This makes the capture of parent involvement challenging.
We had parent involvement records for 639 students who attended RCS at any point last year. Of that number we captured 487 full year parent involvement records.
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Unfortunately, our Parent Hour Tracking System did not capture information about family relationships. As a result, families with multiple children may have had all their volunteer hours attributed to only one child. Therefore, we believe that the numbers for families meeting hourly goals and partial hourly goals should be higher. We will work to improve our system this year.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure in a variety of ways. 1) We use PTA membership numbers. 2) We track volunteer hours both through an on-line computer program (TRAXX) and through sign-in sheets. 3) We track business partners through signed partnership agreements which we keep on file at the school and with the county. We currently have six (6) active business partners who support academic, social service, and teacher support programs. 4) We also have an active non-profit parent support organization, the Ridgeview Charter School Foundation (RCSF), which supplements activities at the school. In the 2006/07 school year, the RCSF provided financial support for a Band and Chorus trip to New York City where the students performed in Carnegie Hall, and an orchestra trip to Savannah, where students performed for the Georgia Music Educator's Association's annual conference. The Foundation also enhanced the sports program at RCS by sponsoring a cross-country team, girls' softball team and boys' baseball team. This year the Foundation is proud to be supporting the first ever RCS football team and girls' volleyball.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We are pleased with our high levels of parental and community involvement. However, we will continue to reach out to parents who are new to our community and/or our educational system through: monthly parent workshops, a series of community meetings at our feeder schools, cluster-wide family activities (such as music concerts), open houses, and scheduled tours of our school. Our bi-lingual parent liaison is instrumental in successful programming for our Hispanic community.
We will continue our interaction with the community through our PTA, our RCSF, and our involvement in city events and activities such as the development of a city park adjacent to our campus.
Most significantly, our area high school, Riverwood, is applying for charter status this year. If approved, they will continue the MYP through the tenth grade and continue with the Diploma Programme through the twelfth grade. Under their charter proposal, we will share governance opportunities and teacher teaming, creating a seamless grade 6 through 12 learning experience for our students.
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OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. RCS Objective Two: To more effectively address the emotional intelligence issues of our students.
We had planned to assess this objective through results on the Fulton County Student Survey. Since our charter was approved, however, Fulton County has stopped administering the survey. We will replace it with the Georgia Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted with the Center for Disease Control and establish a baseline this year. We will assess the 6th and 8th grade responses to the School Climate Question "I like school." In 2006-07, 97.3% of sixth graders and 93.2% of eighth graders responded positively to that statement.
2. RCS Objective Four: To increase teacher training, collaborative and creative planning, and more effectively assist in the implementation of teacher training in selected programs and curricula.
We have made significant progress toward training our staff. Regards IB Training: 1) 29 staff have completed Level 1 (only 9 are required by IBO), 2) 2 staff have completed Level 2 in addition to level 1, 3) 1 staff has dual training (subject and coordination). Regards In-House Training: 1) All staff completed in-house MYP Level 1 training, and 5 MYP Unit Writing workshops. 3. RCS Objective Four: To increase teacher training, collaborative and creative planning, and more effectively assist in the implementation of teacher training in selected programs and curricula. We have also created collaborative and creative planning avenues as evidenced in the number and quality of instructional units being designed and implemented.
Teacher Participation Levels: 1) 31 staff have completed MYP instructional units, 2) 3 staff have units in progress, 3) 34 staff out of 53 (64%) staff who were eligible have created or are working on units.
4. We are following an aggressive time schedule to become a fully authorized Middle Years Programme school. We have submitted Application A for authorization and had a successful site visit conducted by an IBO consultant. The feedback was very positive about our progress made in one year. We have completed the International
543

Baccaulaureate Organization's (IBO) unit creation and teacher training requirements. We are currently working on the IBO Application B and anticipate that we will earn full authorization as an MYP IBO school next year.
5.
RCS Objective Two: To more effectively address the emotional intelligence issues of our students. We have fully implemented our mentoring program, PAWS, (Panthers Always Want Success). Approximately ten to twelve students have been assigned to each adult staff mentor who will remain their mentor during their entire middle school career. They meet eight times throughout the school year to align with the start of school and grading periods. Students with Special Needs have been assigned to SEC teachers as designated by their case load and depending on the student's Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and Newcomer/Beginner ELLs have been assigned to ESOL staff.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

544

545

546

547

548

549

ROCKDALE CAREER ACADEMY

Contact Information
Timothy S. Melvin 1064 Culpepper Drive Conyers, GA 30094 770-388-5677

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Start-Up Jul 31 2006 PK and 9-12 1200 No

Mission
The mission of Rockdale Career Academy, an award winning, technologically innovative learning community, is to ensure students achieve academic, social, and career success by providing a supportive environment that identifies, encourages, and develops each student's interests and abilities to prepare tomorrow's workforce today for a fulfilling, productive career.
Demographics

The Rockdale Career Academy is not a home school and therefore no demographic data is available. Testing data is reported through the district.

Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Total Population

Diversity

Caucasian

%

Black

%

Hispanic

%

Asian/Pacific Islander

%

American

%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

%

Special Populations

ESOL

%

Gifted

%

Special Education

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

550

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

%

%

%

%

%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? N/A

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. RCA is a shared-time facility serving students from three different high schools. The school averages on standardized tests mirrored the performance averages of the sending schools when adjusted for the varying participation rates of the three schools.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? On EOCT scores of repeat 9th graders, those students attending RCA tended to have higher scores than those that did not elect to attend RCA and remained in the base high school. No specific instructional strategy was used in the EOCT-based classes that accounts for this difference. However, the nature of a career academy and the infusion of relevance that is inherent in the model provided enhanced motivation that transferred from one class to another and seems to account for the score differentials.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. School-year 2006-2007 was the initial year of operation for the Rockdale Career Academy and serves as the benchmark year for measurement of student progress. Accordingly, a report of annualized student progress will be available at the end 2007-2008.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move

551

from grade to grade). Explain. Yes. As a shared-time facility with students coming from three different high schools to major in a career and technical field of study, student performance on the ASSET and Work Keys certification is being tracked from year to year.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. As a shared-time facility, our student population is more transient than a traditional high school and may not be scheduled for course-work in a deficit area while at RCA. However, the ASSET and Work Keys preparation training used at RCA addresses key literacy and numeracy issues found across most standardized testing platforms. Thinkgate software has been purchased by our district to assist in the disaggregation of data to help us identify trends among AYP subgroups.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The charter goal states: The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma will increase five percent for years 1-5 of the Agreement. The 2004-2005 school year will be the baseline year. The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma for 2004-2005 was 97%. The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma for 2006-2007 was 97%. This goal is in progress.
2. The charter states: There will be a five percent increase in the percentage of students attending the Charter School who participate in the Asset Test for years 2-5 of this Agreement. The 2006-2007 school year will be the baseline year. For the 2006-2007 school-year, 85% of RCA students tok the ASSET Test. This goal is in progress.
552

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parent and community involvement for 2006-2007 met expectations. Throughout the year, we had strong participation of parent and community members in community forums, open houses, and parent's nights. Additionally, each of our 18 different program areas maintain advisory committees comprised of parent and community volunteers.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Through active participation in parent nights, community forums, open houses, and advisory committees. During the 2006-2007 school-year, we had substantial turn-outs each time RCA hosted an event. The local Chamber of Commerce even maintains a special sub-committee of its Partners in Education committee dedicated to supporting RCA.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? In addition to involvement through participation on program level advisory teams, we also encourage participation in continuing educational activities offered through the school's partnership with DeKalb Technical College and Georgia Perimeter College. It is our expectation that by involving the parents and community in furthering their own educational interests through the school, we will build stronger commitment toward supporting the school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. The charter states: There will be a ten percent increase of students in Rockdale County Schools earning dual seals on their high school diplomas for years 1-5 of this Agreement. The 2004-2005 school-year will be the baseline year. For 2004-2005, there were 216 students who earned a dual seal. For 2006-2007, there were 260 students who earned a dual seal. The result was a 20% increase during the first of charter operations. This goal was met.
553

2.
The charter states: There will be a five percent increase, in years 1-5 of this Agreement, of graduates from Rockdale County Schools enrolling in technical colleges. The 2004-2005 school-year will be the baseline year. For 2004-2005, there were 39 students enrolled in technical college upon graduation. For 2006-2007, there were 126 graduates enrolled in a technical college upon graduation. The result was a 323% increase in during the first year of charter operations. This goal was met.
3.
The charter states: The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma will increase five percent for years 1-5 of the Agreement. The 2004-2005 school year will be the baseline year. The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma for 2004-2005 was 97%. The attendance rate of students earning a technical seal on their high school diploma for 2006-2007 was 97%. This goal is in progress.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

554

SCHOOL FOR INTEGRATED ACADEMICS AND TECHNOLOGIES

Contact Information
Monica Bomengen 22C Mountain Moorings Drive P.O. Box 1402 Highlands, NC 28741 404-229-2222

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Jul. 1, 2002 9 - 12 53 No

Mission
The mission of SIATech, in its partnership with the Job Corps and the U.S. Department of Labor, is to break the cycle of poverty and underachievement for youth who have dropped out of the traditional education system and are now enrolled in the Federal Job Corps Program.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

School for Integrated Academics
and Technologies
0

Douglass High School
2.5

The School of the Arts at Carver
3.5

Total Population

88

2201

158

Diversity

Caucasian

3%

Black

93%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

2%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

0%

0%

99%

97%

0%

1%

0%

1%

0%

0%

0%

1%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

14%

0%

0%

8%

10%

9%

3%

Atlanta Public Schools

Georgia

N/A

N/A

49,773 1,589,839

9%

47%

85%

38%

4%

9%

1%

3%

0%

0%

1%

3%

3%

4%

9%

9%

9%

12%

555

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

78%

74%

82%

75%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? Yes

2006 No Yes

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 No Yes

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
In the summer of 2006, our charter management company "cleaned house," and we started over in July with an almost completely new staff, including me. We exceeded our expectations on the Winter 2006 GHGST results, with double-digit increases in all areas (regular education students scores) compared to Winter 2005. For example, our pass rate in Social Studies increased by 54% from the previous winter. Even our Math scores increased, though we had a teacher whose content area was Social Studies who secured a one-year provisional Math certificate. In the Spring 2007 tests, we plateaued with Science and Social Studies from the Winter 2006, but we increased another 17% in pass rates for regular education students in Math. English also increased again, and 100% of our Writing students passed, even the special education students.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
We implemented small-group lessons throughout our content areas, which was a company-wide initiative throughout all 15 of our charter schools in 5 states. This strategy was particularly helpful in Math. In Social Studies, the teacher began using a vocabulary Word Wall, along with decreasing the time spent on lecture and "test prep" activities. Our new English teacher was very experienced and connected well with the students.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.

556

We improved in all 4 content areas of the GHSGT, as well as Writing, from 20052006 to 2006-2007.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, we did do that. We could compare the scores to the previous year, but they did not indicate improvement by the same students over one year from the previous one, because of our open entry/open exit model. Most of our students spend 9 to 14 months in Job Corps, so we did not have a typical four-year cohort high school.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. N/A. Our charter expired June 30, 2007.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. For students enrolled two or more years in the charter school, they will: Over the five-year period for the charter school, meet Georgia standards as measured by the Georgia High School Graduation Test (GHSGT)/or End-of-Course Exams in all tested areas including Reading, Math, and English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies and will meet the future state-established requirements for acceptable high school performance. (i.e., 70% of students passing state mandated tests or equal to the future state-established requirement for acceptable high school performance)
We did not have any students who were continuously enrolled for two years in the program. The average length of stay of a student in Job Corps is seven months.
2. Job Employability and Vocation Education By the end of the 2003-2004 school year, eighty percent (80%) of SIATech students enrolled for two or more years in the program will complete vocational training or career preparation in a particular field of study. Of this group, 80% of
557

students will secure employment in their minor emphasis portfolio vocation or career field study, or enter higher education, within 60 days of graduation.
We did not have any students who were continuously enrolled for two years in the program. The average length of stay of a student in Job Corps is seven months.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of parental involvement was what we expected, which was almost nonexistent.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We had negligible parental involvement. It can be measured by attendance at IEP meetings, responses to surveys, and response to contacts of parents by teachers and the Graduation Coach. Because we knew that our charter was expiring and that our management corporation had decided to reconstitute the school as a state-sponsored special charter school to apply for a 2008-2009 opening, we did not attempt to conduct measurements this year.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Our charter expired June 30, 2007.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Invest In and Develop All SIATech Charter High School Staff
We sent all of our content area teachers and our teaching assistant to Round Tables, which are content-specific gatherings of SIATech teachers from around the country. We sent our clerical staff to training sponsored by SIATech. Our graduation coach participated in all GaDOE-sponsored trainings. Our principal attended 4 SIATechsponsored management training institutes.
558

2. Ensure Systematic Analysis of Data and Information
We conducted a monthly data analysis update on every student, tracking their performance in academic classwork, on standardized tests, and in Job Corps vocational courses. This update was summarized in spreadsheet form with information provided by each teacher, who served as a case manager for a group of students.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, the school only has a reserve of $12,700 (about 1% of expenditures.)

559

560

SEDALIA PARK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Patricia Thomas 2230 Lower Roswell Rd. Marietta, GA 30068 770-509-5162

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Cobb County Conversion Aug. 31, 1957 K - 5 740 Yes

Mission
MISSION: Our Belief and Mission Statement stated by students and staff daily: I believe I will achieve and succeed. I celebrate learning.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Sedalia Park Elementary
School
0

Eastvalley Elementary
School
0.5

Powers Ferry Elementary School
0.6

Cobb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

734

574

484

106,163 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

30%

Black

38%

Hispanic

20%

Asian/Pacific Islander

6%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

6%

52%

20%

48%

47%

21%

41%

29%

38%

14%

33%

14%

9%

6%

1%

4%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

7%

5%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

9%

Gifted

5%

Special Education

10%

8%

18%

5%

4%

7%

1%

11%

9%

11%

9%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

53%

33%

92%

34%

50%

561

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES

1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.

Our goal was to have 90% of our students meet or exceed state standards in Reading

and Math. We fell short of this goal.

CRCT 2006 Reading

All students Students enrolled 3yr.+

1st 91%

meets & exceeds

exceeds

2nd 94%

95 %

45%

3rd 89%

96 %

28%

4th 85%

97 %

40%

5th 89%

94%

24%

CRCT 2006 Math Meeting / Exceeding Standards

All Students Students Enrolled 3 yr.+

1st 86% meets & exceeds

exceeds

2nd 82%

95%

44%

3rd 91%

97%

32%

4th 78%

97%

34%

5th 90%

98%

45%

2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
On the new 5th grade State Writing Assessment, 84% of our students scored proficient. This was above state and district averages. Fifth grade teachers used direct writing instruction and taught the students to use the rubric to score papers and develop next steps.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.

562

Second, third, and fifth grade scores showed an increase in the percent of students meeting state standards in Reading. The percentage of students enrolled for 3 or more years at Sedalia Park who met or exceeded state standards increased at every grade level over 05-06 results. In the area of Math only 3rd grade's results did not regress. First and second grade Math scores dropped 8 percentage points.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Sedalia Park has a transient rate of 46 percent so tracking from one year to the next is not looking at the same student population. However, we do track students who have been enrolled for 3 or more years in our building which supports our charter goal. This is a more stable population and allows us to determine the value added to students who remain in our building. Our goal is to have 40% of these students exceed state standards in Reading and Math. The goal was accomplished in second and fourth grade in Reading and in second, fourth and fifth grade in Math.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. An area of great concern is our SWD in both areas Reading and Math. Only 43.9 % of our SWD met standards in Reading/Lang. Arts and 50% met standards in Math. The Special Ed. team now meets with the principal every other week to monitor student progress, discuss what is working, and study the book Students With Disabilities Can Make AYP. We increased inclusion in 4th and 5th grade by using a collaborative model.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. There was a slight increase overall on ITBS which is administered in Sept. to 3rd and 5th grade students. Reading scores for 3rd grade students increased by 5 points and 5th grade scoes increased by 4 points. In Math scores for 3rd grade students incrased by 6 points and 5th grade scores increased by 4 points.
563

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. During the 06-07 school year with the new charter came an expectation that all parents would volunteer a minimum of 5 hours for the school. This increased parent involvement.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parents submit volunteer forms to our Parent Teacher Association. During the 07-08 year volunteer hours will be tracked by a computer program in the front office. Surveys are also used to track parent and community involvement. On the 2007 School Improvement Survey 92% of our parents agreed with the statement that "I am encouraged to play a role in helping this school to be a better place." 96% of parents agreed that "The school makes parents feel welcome." 94% agreed that " The school staff involves parents in achieving the goals of the school."
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? This year more parent information meetings have been scheduled. Parents are invited to ride the bus with their students on the first Saturday tutoring session so that they can learn ways to work with and encourage their child at home. The Parent Liaision has created a parent blog that will be added to the school web site.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Sedalia Park has a character goal that states: Students will demonstrate positive character traits by adhering to the behavior expectations stated in the Contract for Learning. Parents, teachers, and students sign the Contract for learning. On the 2007 School Improvement Survey 59% of students agreed that students behave so that learning can take place. 86% of parents agreed with this statement and 73% of staff members agreed with this statement.
564

2.
Goal to provide a safe learning environment: Office behavior referrals was reduced by 100 referrals over the 06-07 school year. On the 2007 School Improvement Survey completed in Jan.2007: 96% of parents agreed with the statement that "School rules are enforced by teachers and administrators." 93% of students agreed with the statement that "School rules are enforced by teachers and administrators."
3.
Teacher collaboration is an important part of our school improvement plan and a major strategy to increase student achievement. On the 2007 School Improvement survey, 79% of the staff agreed with the statement there is strong vertical alignment between grades/sujects/levels at this school. 89% of the staff agreed with the statement, "staff members at my school feel empowered to try new instructional approaches."
4.
Communication between home and school is critical for high student success. On the 2007 School Improvement survey, 98% of our parents agreed with the statement that "I am satisfied with the level of communication from this school." and "The school regularly communicates curriclum expectations."

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

565

566

567

568

569

570

571

572

SPALDING DRIVE CHARTER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

Contact Information
Christine M. Young 130 West Spalding Drive Sandy Springs, GA 30328 770-551-5880

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Conversion Aug. 6, 2003 PK - 5 620 Yes

Mission
Spalding Drive Charter is committed to providing an excellent education with the belief and expectation that all students will learn, achieve, and succeed.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Spalding Drive
Elementary
0

Heards Ferry Elementary School
2.1

High Point Elementary
School
2.7

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

599

Diversity

Caucasian

23%

Black

28%

Hispanic

38%

Asian/Pacific Islander

3%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

7%

482

771

81,982 1,589,839

50%

14%

38%

47%

11%

17%

41%

38%

33%

59%

10%

9%

2%

3%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

6%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

14%

Gifted

13%

Special Education

12%

22%

35%

4%

4%

10%

5%

14%

9%

17%

10%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

58%

40%

74%

36%

50%

573

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
As a whole, Spalding Drive Charter students' standardized test scores remained stable, with 87% of the overall student body meeting or exceeding standards on the CRCT in Reading and Mathematics. This was consistent with our 2005-2006 test scores. Since our baseline data was collected in 2003, our school has seen a 5% increase in overall population, an increase of 5% in the number of students qualifying for free/reduced lunch (approximately 67%), and a 9% increase in students who have Limited English Proficiency (30% of the student body at the end of last year). Our mobility rate stands at 49%. In the face of these challenging demographic changes as well as dealing with the implementation of the more rigorous GPS standards, we are very satisfied our standardized test scores remained relatively constant overall.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Without extensive study, we cannot conclusively correlate test score progress directly to a particular strategy or approach given the number of variables present in any child's individual progress. However, we can point to some approaches we think are contributing to our students' success. The gains in Mathematics may be attributed to the implementation of our bi-weekly before-school Math club. Students report to their assigned Math club at 7:15 a.m. to participate in Math games and interactive Math activities (no worksheets!) that reinforce Math concepts. The extensive utilization of SuccessMaker Enterprise in grades one through five on a daily basis allowed students to receive individualized remediation and/or acceleration in Reading, English/Language Arts, and Mathematics. Additionally, we believe the heterogenous grouping in the upper grades for Science and Social Studies encourages a greater variety of critical thinking skills. These opportunities are capitalized upon by the teachers who are being trained in teaching approaches utilized in the Talented and Gifted program. Additionally, Spalding Drive Charter was able to keep its average class size last year at 16 to 1. This provided for more direct instruction and time for individualizing the learning to meet the needs of the students.

574

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
As the school entered the second year of GPS Reading and English/Language Arts implementation, we experienced some slight gains in the areas of Reading and english/Language Arts. The increase in the English/Language Arts Level Three scores may be attributed to our above grade level students only Reading at a grade level above while still focusing on the "on grade level" skills. The previous year, the above grade level group completed the full year ahead curriculum. The staff felt this put the students at a disadvantage when taking the CRCT based on the phrasing and the emphasis of the standards. A decline was seen in first grade Mathematics. The GPS curriculum requires that students be able to read it, write it, and explain it. Our students with Limited English Proficiency may be able to complete the Math computation piece but have difficulties with the other components. The phrasing of the questions also can be confusing for non-English speaking students. With time and experience, we expect these scores to improve. Science scores in grades three through five also showed a decline with the implementation of the GPS standards. Several adjustments in the method of Science delivery especially to the third grade have been made for this academic year.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.
Spalding Drive's original charter goals did not call for a longitudinal study. In our renewal charter, we have two objectives in Reading and Mathematics that are set-up in this fashion. Over the past three years, Spalding's mobility rate has averaged around 49%. The high mobility rate makes it difficult, even in a longitudinal study, to make accurate comparisons of a group over time. With the implementation of the GPS standards, our data in this objective has become particularly skewed. Unofficially as a school, we do study specific groups' progress from year to year. Additionally, we keep electronic data portfolios for each child which contain an Individualized Learning Plan (ILP), work samples, student Reading fluency voice recordings, and student personal reflections. The electronic portfolio moves with the child from grade level to grade level during his/her time at Spalding Drive. Upon completion of fifth grade, a copy of the portfolio is sent to the receiving middle school and a copy is provided to the parent.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging
575

achievement scores that may exist. Fourth grade scores have historically presented a challenge at Spalding Drive. This past year, the scores in that grade level improved. It is our intent to continue that trend especially given the fact that a higher number of third grade students were required to attend summer school and re-take the Reading component of the CRCT last summer. Almost all of our students passed on the second attempt. We are also carefully monitoring our second grade students this year, since they seemed to struggle on the testing as first graders. Hopefully as language acquisition and Reading comprehension are improved, we will see the same improvement and confidence in their academics. Along the same vein, the first grade teachers are paying special attention to students struggling with Reading, knowing the impact seen in Mathematics as well for these students. One new initiative Spalding will be implementing this year is called Save One Student (SOS). Staff who are assigned morning hall duty will work with identified students in Reading utilizing SRA. SRA will also be used in the lower grade levels for students performing below grade level to provide extra support to the daily lesson.
Writing is another school weakness. Our writing scores vary from year to year due to our mobility and the fluctuation of our LEP population. This year grades K-2 have adopted the Lucy Calkins writing program and are participating in a staff development course where they brainstorm, plan, and observe the process in action. Teachers in grades three and five are participating in a cluster training on Reading, writing, and fluency. This should assist them with being able to guide their students' writing to meet the new Georgia state rubric standards.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Spalding students in grades three and five took the Fall ITBS. The fifth grade students demonstrated an increase in the average mean percentile score in Reading and Mathematics. In Reading, the average mean percentile improved by 2%, while Mathematics scores saw a 6% increase. The ITBS mean average was above the 50% on this norm-reference test in total Reading and total Math in both grade levels.
2. Fourth grade CRCT scores improved across the board. The Reading scores showed a 6 percentage point (80 to 86) increase in the number of students scoring at Level 2 and Level 3. In English/Language Arts, the students went from 72% Level2/Level 3 to 87% Level 2/Level 3. This is a dramatic 15 percentage point increase. Fourth grade students demonstrated a 5 percentage point increase (78 to 83) on Level 2/Level
576

3 in Mathematics.
3. Second grade CRCT scores exhibited growth over the previous year as well. In Mathematics, the percentage of students scoring at a Level2/Level 3 increased from 85% to 91%. Level 3 Reading scores also demonstrated a significant increase from 33% to 49% of the second grade students achieving at this level. As a side note, only four second graders scored at a Level 1. With our considerable Limited English Proficiency population, this is an admirable accomplishment.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Spalding made gains with its parental involvement last year. Over 7,000 hours were logged. The two parent liaisons and the PTA are working in unison to educate parents on volunteer opportunities and how to assist their children with school matters. Our community involvement remains strong. Spalding Drive Charter was the first school to sign a joint-use agreement with the City of Sandy Springs to create Spalding Drive Park. We were a site for Hands On Atlanta in the fall and Volunteering for a Better Sandy Springs in April. The ROTC from the high school came to Spalding on a weekly basis and listened to our first graders read through our Ear Force initiative. In May, these same students received training from Junior Achievement and then re-delivered the program in a day long workshop to our students. In addition, the Sandy Springs Women's Club came to Spalding on a weekly basis to volunteer to work with individual students as needed. We plan on continuing and expanding all of these initiatives this year.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Spalding measures parental and community involvement through a TRAXX registration system and parent sign-in sheets to school wide events. This information is transferred to a database spreadsheet with each family listed. The total hours of individual parent involvement are calculated by one of our Parent Liaisons each month. This information is provided to the parents on a quarterly basis so that they may self-monitor their school involvement. The TRAXX system tabulates overall volunteer hours in the school for each month.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? To encourage additional parental and community involvement, Spalding hosted two
577

New Parent breakfasts - one in the fall and one in January - last year. PTA meetings have been scheduled to be in conjunction with other school events to maximize parent participation. PTA board meetings are now held at the school instead of rotating at the homes of the various PTA officers. Our school newsletter is "user" friendly and goes home twice per month simultaneously in two languages. With the assistance of our Title I funding and the Latin American Association, Spalding Drive sponsored an eight-week evening Parent University last spring. All parent communications are disseminated in three different languages - English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Parental and community involvement improved tremendously last year at Spalding Drive Charter. During the 2005-2006 academic year only 24% of the families met their eight hour volunteer commitment. Last year approximately 73% of Spalding's families met a ten hour volunteer commitment. Not only did our percentage of volunteer involvement increase by 49% but those families each met the challenge of volunteering at least an additional two hours more than the previous year. Spalding Drive's PTA will once again receive the Golden Apple for increasing volunteer hours. Last year the PTA was recognized by the North Fulton Council of PTAs with several prestigous membership awards.
2. A behavioral/classroom management consultant worked with staff on a monthly basis to improve the staff's classroom management strategies and provide strategies for specific students. This resulted in more class time on task versus time spent correcting inappropriate student behavior. In addition, office discipline referrals experienced an overall 15% decrease from the previous year. Out-of-school suspensions saw a 36% decline and in-school suspensions decreased by 45%.
3. Teachers at Spalding Drive are encouraged to receive add-on endorsements in the areas of ESOL and Gifted. Currently, with the exception of kindergarten, each grade level has at least two teachers with one of these endorsements. Instead of the traditional pull-out programs at each grade level, Spalding utilizes these teachers as the homeroom/general classroom teacher. This provides the students the additional support of "best practices" throughout the academic day instead of a 45-minute-a-day segment. In addition, two members of the administrative team hold Gifted endorsements.
578

4.
This past year Spalding Drive took technology one step further and began creating electronic portfolios for its students. This process is being phased in over a three-year period. Last year, kindergarten and first grade teachers began scanning in performance assessments, writing samples, fluency voice recordings, and personal student narratives on a CD. This CD is then passed to the next grade level. At the end of fifth grade, a copy of the CD will be made. One copy goes to the parents for their records and the original follows the student to the middle school.
5.
Technology is an integral component of Spalding Drive's Charter. Fourth grade students learned how to create and design their own web pages last year, while fifth graders learned the art of video production. Staff also worked on integrating technology into their daily instruction. Approximately 87% of the certified staff incorporated some form of technology (videostreaming, Knowledge Box, Promethean Interactive White Boards, etc.) into their lessons in all four of the major content areas (English/Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies) at least twice last year.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?
TEST RESULTS

Yes Yes, approximately 5% of the Cost Center budget was carried over for the 2007-2008 academic year.

579

580

581

582

583

584

585

586

TALBOT COUNTY CHARTER ALTERNATIVE ACADEMY

Contact Information
Jerome C. Harris 515 West Tyler Street P.O. Box 515 Talbotton, GA 31827 (7060665-8098

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Talbot County Start-Up Aug. 27, 1998 6 - 12 18 No

Mission
The mission of the Talbot County Charter Alternative Academy (TCCAA) is to reduce the dropout rate, increase graduation rate, increase scores on all required standardized tests, and increase the number of college and vocation bound students. The Academy assists tribunal students with developing self-esteem, and the willingness to abide by the code of conduct.

Demographics
Talbot County is not a home school and therefore no demographic data is available. Testing data is reported through the district.

Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Total Population

Diversity

Caucasian

%

Black

%

Hispanic

%

Asian/Pacific Islander

%

American

%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

%

Special Populations

ESOL

%

Gifted

%

Special Education

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

587

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

%

%

%

%

%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP?

2007 N/A

2006 N/A

2005 N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? N/A

N/A.

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. No, the students of TCCAA did not meet our expectation on CRCT, ITBS, or EOCT. Most of our high school and middle school students were only at our school for a short period of time, not the complete 180 days. Therefore, they were not able to utilize the diverse methods of learning we offer at TCCAA. TCCAA students did meet our expectations on the GHSGT. TCCAA had a very sucessful rate of students passing the GHSGT.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? TCCAA had a sucessful rate of students passing the GHSGT. Science 57% passing rate Mathematics 85% passing rate Language Arts 85% passing rate Social Studies 57% passing rate Writing 71% passing rate TCCAA utilized the GHSGT practice guide as an instructional strategy.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.

588

There was minute improvement in Math, Science, and Social Studies. There were no sixth grade students enrolled at TCCAA during the 2006-07 school year. Therefore no comparison could be made. The eighth grade students' test results regressed during the 2006-07 school year. The passing rate in Reading dropped from 50% to 46%. Language Arts passing rate dropped from 100% to 23%.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, TCCAA requests students' test scores upon enrollment. The same student test scores are tracked and compared two years after returning to the feeder school.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Areas of concern are Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading and Writing. We have implemented a three year school improvement and restructuring plan: to increase the number of students meeting and exceeding CRCT, GHSGT, ITBS, and EOCT tests. TCCAA will utilize the 21st century after school program, Novanet, Links to Learning, CRCT Coach, and Key train as resources for this plan. The students will be split into small groups, so that all areas of concern can be addressed. SE students are tutored by SE teachers from the feeder school as a memorandum of agreement through the Talbot County Board of Education. TCCAA did not have any ESOL students during the 2006-07 school year.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. TCCAA uses weekly grade reporting. This academic measure allows students to identify failing grades. It gives these students a chance to improve their grade point average. It allows the students to see which skills they have and have not mastered. It gives them the opportunity to work on weak areas before report cards are due.
2. Reviewing each core area subject is another academic measure used by TCCAA.
589

Inside each folder is a list of all assignments. This review allows the students to see any missed assignment. They can submit missed assignments and request extra homework to increase their grade point average.
3. Daily classroom activities are used as an academic measure by TCCAA. Students have a chance to dissect sentences on the board, create paragraphs with each member of the class making a contribution. Students use their problem solving skills to correct Mathematical errors. This academic measure allows the class to identify low skill areas and to master that skill. The students' competitive nature becomes more apparent as their self-esteem elevates. Classroom participation becomes greater and skill levels increase.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. During the 2006-07 school year parent and community involvement was outstanding. Our students volunteered their time in area nursing homes, senior citizens centers, and the family connection center. As a result of the students' willingness to provide services as needed, participation from the community has soared.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. TCCAA measures the level of parent and community involvement by the number of parents and community members that participate in fundraisers, chaperon field trips, programs given by the school, board meetings, and parent/teacher spotlight conferences. Fundraisers 85% Field trip chaperons 80% Program Participants 90% Board meetings 75% Parent/Teacher conferences 95%
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? TCCAA plans to encourage additional parent and community involvement by keeping the lines of communication open between the staff, student, parents, community, and family members. We will continue to have an open-door policy extended by the principal and the director. We will continue to instill in our students respect, honesty,
590

and etiquette that will encourage parents and the community to be involved.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. To reduce the dropout rate TCCAA will: Stress to our students the importance of education. Work one-on-one with students that have learning difficulties. Utilize the recovery program to help students gain units to get in their correct grade.
2. TCCAA will assist students with developing self-esteem and the willingness to abide with the code of conduct set forth by the Talbot County Board of Education by Offer counseling. Offering anger management classes.
3. TCCAA will provide a nourishing educational environment to its students that is aligned with the school system's curriculum. This will assure that our students will have a smooth transition back to their regular school environment. 4. TCCAA will increase the graduation rate by offering our students all the necessary tools to meet graduation qualifications. Recovery Program. Required and Elective classes that are offered at the feeder school.
5. TCCAA will offer alternate educational programs such as: 21st Century program. Novanet. Links to Learning. Key train.
591

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

592

TALIAFERRO COUNTY CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Tret Witherspoon 557 Broad St. Crawfordville, GA 30631 706-456-2575

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Taliaferro County Start-Up Aug. 1, 2001 PK - 12 241 Yes

Mission
To Educate Students in a Safe Environment.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Taliaferro County School
0

Union Point Elementary
13.8

Washington -Wilkes
High School
15.1

Taliaferro County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

242

Diversity

Caucasian

12%

Black

79%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

8%

357

474

242 1,589,839

50%

39%

12%

47%

42%

58%

79%

38%

4%

1%

0%

9%

0%

0%

0%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

4%

1%

8%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

19%

2%

0%

0%

4%

5%

9%

0%

9%

18%

10%

19%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

94%

84%

64%

94%

50%

593

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP? Is your school in needs improvement?

2007 No. Taliaferro County Charter School missed making AYP by only one student. Yes. Currently in year 5 of needs improvement.

2006 No.
Yes.

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 No
Yes

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Though improvement was made during the 2006-2007 year, more improvement is needed. Faculty and staff were expecting our school to make AYP and it did not happen.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Areas of success and progress revealed by our test scores include the following: Increased CRCT test scores in 1st grade Math and Reading, 2nd grade Language Arts, and Math, 4th grade Reading, Math, Social Studies and Science, and 5th grade Math.
CRCT scores of all students in Math was increased by 2%. GHSGT test results include 75% in Reading/ELA.
Growth in these areas may be attributed to having an instructional coach on staff during the 2006-2007 school year, and the assistance of a Math consultant. Lastly, the exemplary teaching of Pre-K, first, second, and third grade teachers played a vital role. Taliaferro Co. Charter School's high school English teacher uses best practices in assisting her students in passing the GHSGT. In addition, high school teachers and the assistant principal implemented and monitored a GHSGT study course to assist students in preparing for the test.

594

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. No growth, or a recession occurred in the following areas: GHSGT Reading/ELA, Math; CRCT scores in Math; CRCT scores in Reading/ELA.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes, student achievement is tracked and reported from year to year. Data such as CRCT, GHSGT, end-of-course testing, and attendance from each domain is tracked, graphed, and presented to faculty, board members, and parents.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Major concerns are in the areas of Reading/ELA and Math of African American students, and with attendance.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Students in grades K-8 will use the SRA/McGraw-Hill materials for Direct Instruction. In addition, students in grades K-3 will follow the guidelines set forth by the Reading First Program. A strong focus on Reading in the early years will enable students to succeed in all academics.
Even with the assistance of SRA/McGraw-Hill materials and the guidelines set forth by the Reading First Program, Reading, and English continue to be a major concern for African American students as the achievement gap is extreme between African American students and Caucasian students. 2. Mathematics will be taught using Houghton-Mifflin following the QCC and GPS. The I Can Learn Lab will continue to supplement the Math program in grades 5 through 8 and Learning Logic in grades 9 through 12.
595

The above implementations have resulted in increased CRCT Math scores in grades 1 through 8 by 2% from 2005-2006. During the 2005-2006 school year, GHSGT test scores were 100%. During the 2006-2007 school year, test scores dropped to 56.2%
3. Unless otherwise directed by an IEP, students with special needs will be included in the tested ability levels of all.
Even though students with special needs have been taught in inclusion classes, it has not been in a true co-teaching role, but more of a facilitating role. No time has been provided for teachers to collaboratively plan. The results have been students with special needs scoring below 50% in almost all content areas.
4. The Accelerated Reader program will be continued as an incentive enhancement as well as an instructional tool.
The Accelerated Reader program has not been utilized to its full potential. As a result, an Accelerated Reader Committee has been established to initiate active involvement of elementary and middle school students on a daily basis
5. GHSGT: Math Scores decreased from 91% in 2006 to 53.9% in 2007 GHSGT: ELA Scores decreased from 100% in 2006 to 75% in 2007
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. As a new principal of Taliaferro Co. Charter School, I am not sure of the level of involvement from last year. However, there was a tremendous turn-out at our open house to begin the 2007-2008 school year. An academic pep rally is scheduled for October 19, 2007 with parents and the community being invited.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parental involvement was measured in various ways, including a self survey, number of parents who volunteered, home involvement, attendance at PTA meetings and parent seminars, chaperoning, and parent conferences. Parental volunteering was measured in various ways, including a self survey and volunteer logs that recorded the
596

names of the parents who volunteered and in what way these parents volunteered. It included activities such as tutoring, office helper, etc. Attendance at PTA meetings and extracurricular activities showed a decrease.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Three early release days are scheduled during the 2007-2008 year for parent conferences. During these early release dates report cards will be given out. Also, an academic pep rally has been scheduled to honor students that have made the honor roll and demonstrated exemplary practices during the first 9 weeks. The community is invited to attend the pep rally.
A "State of the School" meeting will be scheduled for November to address the AYP Needs Improvement status of the school. At this meeting, data will be presented along with the school improvement plan.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. SAT Scores - SAT scores reflected regression from 2006 to 2007.
2. Post-secondary Degrees - There has been a significant increase in the number of graduates pursuing post-secondary degrees. 3. Graduation Rate decreased from 85% in 2006 to 75% in 2007. 4. Drop-out rate has not been reported to me for 2007. 5. GHSGT Scores in Social Studies and Science has not been published on DOE's website and are not available for me to report at this time.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

597

TEST RESULTS 598

599

600

601

602

603

604

605

606

607

608

609

610

611

TEACH CHARTER HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Ali Ozer 4100 Old Milton Pkwy. Alpharetta, GA 30005 770-475-3223

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Start-Up Aug. 14, 2006 9 10 116 No

Mission
The Technology Enriched Accelerated Charter High School believes first and foremost in building a family. We rely on students, parents, faculty, staff and the broader community to collaborate on developing best practices for being professional, staying safe and doing the right thing. TEACH is a partnership for learning whose goal is to empower students to achieve in academics and succeed in life.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

TEACH Charter High
School
0

Milton High School
3.1

Alpharetta High School
4

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

187

Diversity

Caucasian

37%

Black

53%

Hispanic

1%

Asian/Pacific Islander

2%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

6%

2090

2042

81,982 1,589,839

86%

61%

38%

47%

6%

16%

41%

38%

3%

6%

10%

9%

3%

13%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

3%

4%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

8%

Gifted

9%

Special Education

10%

1%

2%

4%

4%

21%

28%

14%

9%

6%

11%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

42%

3%

10%

36%

50%

612

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP? Is your school in needs improvement?

2007 No. TEACH met the academic criteria but did not make the second indicator, which was attendance. No

2006 N/A
N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A
N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. In the 2006 - 2007 school year, TEACH students were tested on End of Course Tests (EOCTS) in Algebra I, Geometry, Physical Science, Biology, and 9th Grade Literature and Composition. TEACH students outperformed the state and system averages in Algebra I, Physical Science, and 9th Grade Literature and Composition. In Biology and Geometry TEACH students performed higher than the state average but lower than the system average. Overall TEACH students performed well in the standardized testing areas.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? One area that deserves attention is the Algebra I EOCT scores. TEACH students outperformed all of the high schools in the system. Since this is the first year of the school we will need to validate our assumptions, however, it appears that one-to-one tutoring and targeted instruction for students who need extra help is the strategy that produced the results.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Not available since 2006 - 2007 was our first school year.

613

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We intend to do this. The 2006 - 2007 school year established the baseline data for us to be able to do the progress tracking.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. ESOL students' achievement was particularly low in the standardized testing. We addressed the issue by restructuring our ESOL program to provide more English instruction and focus on core competencies in the core classes.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The school size in this first year is not large enough to provide any other comment on these related measures. Only one student took SAT and only 4 students took AP examinations.
2. Many of our students did exceptionally well in academic competitions across the state. Our students were awarded first place in the State Science Fair; INTEL EXCELLENCE in COMPUTER SCIENCE AWARD; one second place and two third places in the State Technology and Engineering Fair; and a SUPERIOR rating in the State Media Festival competition.
614

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Parental involvement is one of our priority areas. Parents in the 2006 - 2007 school year established the TEACH Parent Volunteer Organization to coordinate the community involvement in our school. For a first year operation PVO has been successful and met our expectations.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. The following accomplishments of PVO indicate the degree of parental involvement in the school: 1. PVO established with a membership of 25% of the parents. 2. International Night is organized by the PVO with 50% participation from the students and parents. 3. Career Day is organized by the PVO. It was a huge success with several events running all day. 4. Two parent board members are elected and they served at the board during their term. 5. Regular Governing Board meetings are attended by parents. 6. Parents attended Curriculum Night and parent teacher conferences at the scheduled times. Turn out was more than 50% at each of the events. 6. School adopted uniform dress code policy for students. The change is mainly requested by and welcomed by the parents. 7. Each month PVO provided a faculty luncheon to staff and faculty.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Being a new organization PVO is about to take major strides in its course. TEACH administration and the Governing Board welcomes every opportunity to work together with PVO and involve more parents in the school. To this effect, regular monthly meetings with PVO are scheduled through out the year. A common calendar is established to streamline the planning and use of resources effectively. A parent subsite is allocated to PVO on the school website to increase effective communication among the school community. The school newsletter has a page for the PVO news every week.
615

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Staff satisfaction according to the Fulton County Survey is 3.4 on a scale from 1 to 4. Fulton County average in this area is 3.2.
2. Parent satisfaction survey indicates a mean of 3.286 on a scale of 1 to 4 in the area of providing challenging educational program. The system average is 3.213.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No Yes, 5%

616

TECH HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Elisa A. Falco 1043 Memorial Drive Atlanta, GA 30316 678-904-5091

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Aug. 11, 2004 9 - 12 247 Yes

Mission
The Tech High mission is to maximize the learning of every student by delivering an integrated curriculum focused on engineering, medical Science, information technology, and business leadership.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Tech High Charter School
0

Southside Crim High High School School

0.6

1.3

Total Population

206

1006

603

Diversity

Caucasian

4%

Black

96%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

0%

2%

0%

94%

98%

4%

2%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

0%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

2%

1%

1%

6%

0%

13%

5%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

66%

81%

38%

Atlanta Public Schools
N/A

Georgia
N/A

49,773 1,589,839

9%

47%

85%

38%

4%

9%

1%

3%

0%

0%

1%

3%

3%

4%

9%

9%

9%

12%

75%

50%

617

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. EOCT Test results did not meet expectations in all areas. In Language Arts and physical Science, results exceeded expectations. Math results were disappointing compared to previous years.
We just administered Georgia graduation tests for the first time. Results in Language Arts and writing exceeded expectations (all but 1 student passed the writing test on the first attempt).
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? Physical Science EOCT results were the most impressive. From semester 1 to semester 2, there was an increase of 31% in students exceeding expectations. This increase was the result of a change in methodology that the teacher implemented with the semester 2 students. (we are on block schedule, which allows for instructional changes from semester to semester). This teacher implemented a mastery learning system where students had to meet a minimum requirement of 90% on all assessments. Multiple attempts are allowed after students attend tutorials. This approach, though very unpopular with students at first, resulted in a greater number of students mastering a greater number of concepts, thereby producing 40% exceeding expectations on the EOCT.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. The following grades / content areas showed improvement: 9th grade: 9th grade Literature, Physical Science 11th grade: American Literature (results were very good, this was the first time

618

administering this exam).
The following grades / content areas remained about the same as last year: 10th grade: Biology
The following grades / content areas regressed from last year: 9th grade: Algebra 1 9th / 10th grade: Geometry
Other: 11th grade: US History (results did not meet expectations, but this was the first time administering this exam); Economics (only 2 students took this course via Georgia virtual school; both students passed the EOCT.)
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We track groups of students from year to year. We also compare student performance in different content areas from year to year. This helps us analyze difficulties that might be unique to particular student groups.
We are also able to analyze content area methodology, teacher training, and parental support. Starting in the 2007-2008 school year, we are going to track achievement by advisement cohort based on our advisement program that will be fully implemented.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Some of the lagging achievement scores may be attributed to the fact that students are in these subgroups, however, many students who need remediation when they enter high school have never received special education services and, therefore, cannot be placed in a subgroup until they are identified as special education.
We are very concerned about Math deficiencies that are present in at least 1/3 of all students that enter our school as 9th graders.
Our small class sizes address some of these issues, but students need to re-learn various fundamental Math concepts.
619

ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Promotion rates: 9th to 10th grade: 95% of 9th graders were promoted to 10th grade. 10th to 11th grade: 97% of 10th graders were promoted to the 11th grade. 11th to 12th grade: 98% of 11th graders were promoted to the 12th grade.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. Parent meetings were consistently well-attended. An average of 50-75 families were in attendance at each meeting.
Community partnerships continue to increase each year. By the end of this year, we solidified our partnership with Junior Achievement. Our involvement with JA will increase our involvement with community organizations by increasing job shadowing opportunities and well-established programs that JA runs and that are relevant for our students.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Parental involvement: 1) record of volunteer hours 2) parent satisfaction survey 3) participation on governing board 4) parent meeting attendance 5) Parents of Tech High (PTH) fundraisers 6) PTH sponsored events
Community involvement: 1) number of job shadowing experiences for each student 2) number of partnerships established 3) funds, services, or other resources donated by community partners
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3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? 1) We plan to publish a quarterly report to all stakeholders as opposed to previous annual reports. Quarterly reports will keep stakeholders more engaged in how their individual contributions produce school-wide results.
2) We plan to increase parent involvement by tracking parent volunteer hours more accurately. In the spring we will report out on the completion of volunteer hours.
3) The Parents of Tech High (PTH) executive board will meet on a monthly basis with the administrative team. These frequent meetings will increase communication between stakeholders.
4) We plan to assist the PTH with providing parenting workshops for parents who struggle with managing their teens' behavior or academic progress.
5) We are strengthening our partnership with Georgia Tech as their robotics team (The Robo Jackets) have agreed to sponsor our robotics team until we are selfsufficient. We plan to advertise this partnership to promote other similar partnerships.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Number of students in our dual enrollment program.
2006-2007 - 18 student enrolled, 16 completed programs & received certifications 2007-2008 - 28 students enrolled

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS 621

622

623

TECHNICAL CAREER ACADEMY OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA

Contact Information
Douglas L. Bolen P.O. Box 80571 Athens, GA 30608 706-283-8223

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Oglethorpe County Start-Up Sep. 15, 2002 11 12 17 No

Mission
TCA redirects underachieving young adults (16-21) that may have become at-risk and through placement into a non-traditional setting, utilizing career-based learning in academics, and integrating workplace concepts/environments, endeavors to better position them for entry into postsecondary education and/or careers.

Demographics
TCA is not a home school and therefore no demographic data is available. Testing data is reported through the district.

Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Total Population

Diversity

Caucasian

%

Black

%

Hispanic

%

Asian/Pacific Islander

%

American

%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

%

Special Populations

ESOL

%

Gifted

%

Special Education

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

624

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

%

%

%

%

%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? N/A

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes, they did although not as well as some previous classes. All areas could still be improved, as well as the ability of the TCA to assist in such growth and development. This class of 2005 2007 had an average age of 17 years and had earned an average number of 6.8 H.S. credits prior to admission to the TCA. There were significant academic deficits and behavioral issues to be overcome.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? The TCA utilizes two main standardized assessment processes (other than the GHSGT implemented this year). They are the TABE and Work Keys by ACT. Upon admission the students are pre-tested on the TABE for Reading and Math. They are also pre-tested on Work Keys for Applied Math, Locating Information, Observation and Reading for Information Measurements. Upon graduation they are post-tested on these same assessments for demonstrated level gains.
The average TABE level was 6.4 on the Math pre-test and 7.8 on the Reading pretest. The post-test scores demonstrated a 2.7 and 1.1 level gain respectively. Regarding the Work Keys measurements the level gains/losses were within the level 4 on each measurement scale.
The TCA strongly believes that the most important outcome for the long-term benefit to the student is that they have been assisted in learning how to learn more effectively and efficiently. Thus these tools receive great emphasis.

625

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. The TCA curriculum model does not embody the scope/depth repetitive nature of the usual academic core courses. The courses do build upon each other cumulatively and with the competencies being integrated and relevant to the workplace expectation in these areas. Thus the second year is not merely a more complex reflection of the first year. The pre-test and post-test of academic core competencies again measure growth and development. There were some minimal individual student performance regressions noted.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. The TCA does not implement this type of institutional study.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Refer to the response for item #2 above. The TCA focuses upon very low achievers within the spectrum of achievement levels as indicated by their admissions profiles. They represent students that have been lost or are soon to be lost to the other school districts. Although we lose 51% of those referred to us we graduate 49% of these. In actuality that is a "recovery rate".
The TCA continuously focuses upon workplace competencies and strives to enable students to make significant gains in these and not just in academic competencies.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. The TCA utilizes the WIN web-based career exploration/planning and instructional materials, PLATO, and other software (such as O-NET) and published materials or
626

additional resources. These focus upon the academic core competencies. The National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) Workplace Readiness Assessment instrumentation forms the basis for the TCA mainstream curriculum.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. No, there still could be improvement in these areas. The TCA will continue to strengthen the emphasis upon parental/TCA contractual agreements regarding their involvement; administratively initiated conferences regarding student attendance, student behavior, and student performance; grade report interpretation, and increased representation on the Board of Directors.
General community and business/industry involvement remains the weakest aspect.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. It is measured simply by monitoring frequency, quantity, and quality of participation, input, etc. where appropriate and also the growth of positive working relationships.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Refer to item #1 above. Also, more business/industrial representation on the Board of Directors will be achieved.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. GOAL #1: 75% of the students will reach or exceed the entry level workplace skills for their specific career areas, as measured by Work Keys, by the time they have completed their TCA experience.
MET: All of the 2007 graduates have met this standard for the career areas selected through O-NET and Work Keys.
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2. GOAL #2: 75% of the students will complete their TCA experience.
IN PROGRESS: 91% of the 2007 graduates have met this standard, however, others in the class are in the process of completion. Some of them even started later in the school year initially.
3. GOAL #3: 70% of the students who complete their TCA experience will have obtained employment in their chosen or related field, or will be continuing to pursue further education.
MET: 100% of the 2007 graduates have met this standard.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year? Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

Yes Yes, 25.6%

628

UNIDOS DUAL LANGUAGE CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Dell Perry 4475 Hendrix Drive Forest Park, GA 30297 404-361-3494

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Clayton County Start-Up Aug. 8, 2006 K 2 215 Yes

Mission
Our mission is for our students to be able to read, write and speak Spanish and English and to respect and learn from people who are different from themselves.

La misin es que nuestros estudiantes pueden leer, escribir y hablar en espaol e ingls respetando y aprendiendo de la gente que es diferente a ellos.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Unidos Dual Language Charter School
0

Hendrix Drive
Elementary School
0.2

Edmonds Elementary
School
1.2

Clayton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

137

Diversity

Caucasian

1%

Black

55%

Hispanic

39%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

4%

252

430

51,815 1,589,839

10%

8%

29%

34%

47%

51%

6%

3%

0%

0%

8%

4%

6%

47%

73%

38%

13%

9%

4%

3%

0%

0%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

33%

Gifted

2%

Special Education

4%

16%

29%

6%

4%

2%

1%

4%

9%

12%

11%

10%

12%

629

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

81%

91%

92%

74%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes. The results of the 1st grade Math portion of the CRCT were a little bit low, but that was expected since all Math instruction in kindergarten and 1st grade is in Spanish and the CRCT is in English.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? One area of concern for parents and people unfamiliar with dual language education is that academic achievement in English Reading/Language Arts will suffer as a result of being taught in Spanish. We were pleased that our CRCT scores did not indicate that our students' academic achievement in English Reading/Language Arts is less than students in a traditional monolingual program.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. 2006-2007 was our first year. We do not have data to compare.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. Yes. This year we will use results from the GKAP, Dibels, ITBS, CRCT, and the IPT (Spanish language test) to track achievement.

630

5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. Although not surprising since all Mathematics instruction is in Spanish, results of the Math portion of the CRCT (given in English) were low for our 1st graders. In an effort to address this concern, we have mapped the curriculum to be sure that we pay special attention to the areas that were weakest on the CRCT. We also have an EIP teacher who goes into the Math classes and works with students individually or in small groups on standards that students have not mastered according to the Acuity Benchmark testing.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Increase student achievement in English Reading as measured by the percentage of 1st and 2nd grade students who score in levels 2 and 3 on the CRCT. In 2006-2007 we collected baseline data for 1st grade. In 2007-2008 we will collect baseline data for 2nd grade.
2. Increase the percentage of students who advance their level in Spanish Reading as measured by the IPT (IDEA Spanish language proficiency test). In the 2006-2007 school year, the IPT was administered to students in kindergarten and 1st grade. Their second administration will be in the spring of 2008. The test will be administered to new kindergarten students each year in the fall.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes. The level of parental and community involvement exceeded our expectations. Parents regularly attended PTA meeting and volunteered at school-sponsored events including the classroom assistance, special events, field trips, and parental workshops.
631

2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. When students enroll, parents sign a Letter of Commitment agreeing to 10 hours of service to the school. We measure parental and community involvement through volunteer logs, attendance sheets, and teacher reports. These documents verify that parents are committed to the school. In addition, 97% of parents in the 2006-2007 school year chose for their children to remain at the school for 2007-2008.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We promote parental and community involvement by maintaining an open and inviting school environment in which parental participation is valued. We will set and adjust meeting and conference times to align with parents' availabilities. In addition, we use multiple modes of communication including the school website, an online public access school events calendar, weekly notices and reminders, and targeted communication to inform parents and community about events and opportunities at the school.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Schedule instruction using the 70-30 model for all students in kindergarten and 1st grade.
During the 2006-2007 school year, the 70-30 dual language instructional model was strictly followed. 2. To have all teachers trained in the SIOP model.
During the 2006-2007 school year, the administrative team was able to offer on site SIOP professional development for all staff members. All staff who completed the course earned 3 PLUs. 3. Students will respect and learn from people who are different from themselves.
We have addressed this objective by hiring staff members who come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds and by structuring culturally and linguistically balanced classrooms.
632

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

633

634

UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY ACADEMY

Contact Information
Gerard F. Consuegra, Ph.D. 2050 Tiger Flowers Dr., N.W. Atlanta, GA 30314 404-753-4050

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Atlanta Public Schools Start-Up Aug. 1, 2002 K - 8 339 Yes

Mission
The charter school's mission is to create a learning environment that allows students to excel academically and socially. We believe that all students can succeed and most will excel. We will instill a thirst for knowledge in our students, provide continued staff development, take tremendous measures to include parents in their children's educational advancement, and include the community in creating and maintaining a successful institution of learning.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

University Community
Academy
0

Finch Elementary
0.2

Capitol View Elementary School
1.1

Atlanta Public Schools
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

354

459

228

49,773 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

0%

Black

99%

Hispanic

0%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

1%

0%

0%

9%

47%

98%

96%

85%

38%

0%

2%

4%

9%

0%

0%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

1%

2%

1%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

7%

0%

0%

3%

4%

2%

4%

9%

9%

8%

4%

9%

12%

635

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

77%

95%

88%

75%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
Student performance on the state standardized tests did meet our expectations as demonstrated by the fact that 31 of 36 subtests Grades 1-8 met or exceeded the state targets of 300 (QCC-based tests) and 800 (GPS-based tests). This translates to an 86.1% level. Additionally, the performance on such tests resulted in the school achieving Federal AYP standards for the fourth consecutive year and achieving the designation of a Georgia Distinguished School for the second consecutive year.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
The areas of Reading, English/Language Arts, and Mathematics represented significant successes again this year. Most grades exceeded the state targets by over 10-20 points. Faculty recognizes the importance of Reading and devotes substantial time to meeting the students' needs in this area. Diagnostic testing is used to identify weaknesses and focused instruction to address those weaknesses is used. A variety of strategies are used including tutoring, small group instruction, additional staff to work with struggling students, and phonics instruction. Mathematics instruction was enhanced through principal-led clinics where the principal, and accomplished Mathematics educator, conducts demonstration lessons regularly in classrooms. This process allows him to demonstrate effective strategies for teachers to use and to identify students with weaknesses that can be addressed with additional instruction. The school also engaged staff from Georgia Tech and the Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC) to conduct on-going staff development on the new Georgia Performance Standards (GPS). In addition to clarifying new state expectations, the training focused on instructional strategies and activities to enhance Mathematics instruction. Again last year, teachers were

636

formally observed several times during the year by the EMO staff, EdFutures, Inc., and teachers were provided with written feedback. Teachers were encouraged to implement EdFutures' Six Elements of High Quality Instruction (high expectations, higher order questioning, meeting individual differences, active teaching, student engagement, and instructional grouping practices).

3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.

Direct comparison of change from 2005 2006 to 2006 2007 is difficult for three

reasons:



Standard score criteria changed from 300 to 800 for some grades/subtests

(Staff is not aware of an equating study that allows valid comparisons between QCC

and GPS-based scores.)



All grade level scores represent different cohorts of students



Student mobility causes differences in student enrollment.

Recognizing that year-to-year comparisons have inherent validity issues, the following are grade levels/subtests that showed improvement (Note all mean scores were rounded to whole numbers):

Grade 1 Language Arts: increase of 7 Grade 3 Mathematics: increase of 7 Grade 3 Social Studies: increase of 8 Grade 4 Language Arts: increase of 1 Grade 5 Reading: increase of 6 Grade 5 Language Arts: increase of 17 Grade 5 Mathematics: increase of 5 Grade 7 Science: increase of 10 Grade 7 Social Studies: increase of 3

Similarly, the following are grade levels/subtests that showed regression (Note all mean scores were rounded to whole numbers):

Grade 1 Reading: decrease of 6 Grade 2 Reading: decrease of 1 Grade 2 Language Arts: decrease of 3 Grade 4 Reading: decrease of 2 Grade 3 Reading: decrease of 23 Grade 4 Mathematics: decrease of 18 Grade 4 Social Studies: decrease of 1 Grade 5 Social Studies: decrease of 2 Grade 5 Language Arts: decrease of 14 Grade 6 Reading: decrease of 6

637

Grade 6 Language Arts: decrease of 5 Grade 6 Science: decrease of 6 Grade 6 Social Studies: decrease of 7 Grade 8 Reading: decrease of 13 Grade 8 Language Arts: decrease of 6 Grade 8 Mathematics: decrease of 15 Grade 8 Science: decrease of 21 Grade 8 Social Studies: 12
Staff recognizes that some of these changes were quite small (absolute value of 0, 1, 2, 3) and are not likely statistically significant. Other changes suggest genuine successes and/or problems. Grade 6 scores generally were lower than the previous year and represent a continuing problem from Grade 5 cohort of students that was reported last year. Grade 8 scores were generally lower, however, as reported last year, the 2005-2006 cohort of students had exceptionally high performance scores; consequently lower Grade 8 scores were not a surprise. Other trends noted include lower scores in upper grade Social Studies and lower scores in lower grade level Reading.

4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain.

As reported in last year's annual report, formal efforts to track student cohorts are

difficult due to computer limitations. A new data tracking system, also suggested in

last year's annual report, was devised for diagnostic Reading data and was used this

year to track improvements from fall to spring. As feasible, this system may be

expanded to other performance measures, especially if the school is able to obtain

electronic files of performance scores. Analysis of Reading diagnostic tests from fall

to spring showed the following:



Grade level equivalency, as measured by the Gates MacGinitie Reading test,

showed a schoolwide average increase of .6 for Grades K-8



Grade level equivalency, as measured by the Gates MacGinitie Reading test,

showed 6 of 20 classes increased by 1.0 or more (The school's target was a minimum

of 1.0 increase) for Grades K-8



Lexile scores, a measure of Reading level as determined by the Scholastic

Reading Inventory, showed a schoolwide average increase of 101 for Grades 1-8



Lexile scores, a measure of Reading level as determined by the Scholastic

Reading Inventory, showed 5 of 11 classes increased by 100 for Grades 1-5 (The

school's target for Grades 1-5 is 100)



Lexile scores, a measure of Reading level as determined by the Scholastic

Reading Inventory, showed 4 of 6 classes increased by 50 for Grades 6-8 (The

school's target for Grades 6-8 is 50)

638

5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.

Review of data from state testing and local assessments suggests the following areas

of concern:



Reading: Grades 1, 6



English/Language Arts: Grades 2, 5, 6



Mathematics: Grades 4, 6



Science: Grade 6



Social Studies: Grade 6,



Writing: Grade 5

Most of the common areas of weakness are associated with Grades 5, and 6. Results of staff evaluations showed similar concerns, in particular Grade 6. Due to substantial increases in enrollment, new staff members have been hired resulting in a stronger teaching staff for those grade levels. During the summer orientation and data review, all staff were provided with a school and grade-level performance review and expectations were outlined. The school has committed to continued professional development on the new GPS and instructional strategies to enhance higher level instructional expectations and performance. Writing instruction has been made a schoolwide priority with the expectation that improved writing instruction will affect writing performance at the tested grade levels of 5 and 8. At the writing of this report, fall 2007 diagnostic testing has been completed, and teachers will use the data to address areas of weakness among students. Teachers will be asked to provide particular emphasis on students with identified weaknesses.

The University Community Academy staff continues to disaggregate test data among subgroups that exist in the school including special education students and free/reduced lunch students (there are no ESOL students in the school). As has been the practice for several years, special education students are being provided with supplemental instructional activities in pullout and small group delivery models. Other students with needs are being identified and provided with additional support including a "special needs" (MOID) program, and in-school and after-school tutoring.

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ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES

In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1.
Over the five-year period for the charter school, students will meet Georgia standards as measured by the Georgia Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests in all tested areas including Reading, Math, and English/Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies (e.g., Scale Scores of 300 or greater).

Year 5 represented a transition year for establishing targets for performance and analyses of the school's performance. Consistent with the original charter, written approximately six years ago and approved by the district and state five years ago, the school was to have all students at state standards and meeting national norms by the conclusion of Year 5. These targets are indeed high standards, and considering the high poverty level of the student population and low baseline performance data of incoming students, staff and the charter school board recognized that the Year 5 targets were not likely to be met. Review of data over the past 4 years, particularly Years 3 and 4, indicated that achieving incremental targets calculated to meet the Year 5 goals (i.e., meeting state standards and meeting national norms) was not possible. Therefore, a revised strategy was established for Year 5, consistent with the charter renewal process and subsequent state acceptance of the charter for Years 6-10.

Performance Criteria and Targets

The school's revised performance criteria are listed below.



Meet or exceed federal AYP as measured by the Georgia State Accountability

Program (i.e., Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests in all tested subjects)

each year of the school's operation and for a period of 5 years.



Improve performance on the Georgia Criterion Referenced Competency Tests

by 3 percentage points each year (Grades 3-8) in each subtest.

2. Yearly targets, consistent with the five-year goal, will be established following a review of the first year of student performance.
As described in Item 1, a fifth year process to establish targets of all students at or above state standards the school's charter was moot since meeting such targets was not feasible. The new charter for 2007 2012 indicated revised targets to be met.

640

PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The level of parental and community involvement did not meet our expectation because we did not have an active parental involvement component when the school opened in 2006, due to the late release of Title I funding, which supports the parent and community programs. The three-month delay compelled the parent liaison to postpone the opening of the parent-community programs until November 2006. The late release of the Title I funds also delayed efforts to get information out to the community regarding the services University Community Academy had made available to parents and adult community members. A further consequence of the delay in Title I funding was that many parents never received the calendar of events sent, which would have been mailed to them had the funding been released in early September.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. The level of parental involvement was measured by the attendance of parents at the events sponsored by the UCA Parent Liaison. The Parent Liaison sponsored two parent-centered workshops, one conference, and one parent-teacher-student forum. The total attendance for all programs was 24 parents, representing approximately 100 students.
Those who attended the Parent Liaison sponsored programs stated that they believed the programs were informative and worthwhile, however, attendance was poor due to the lack of funding which was necessary to pay for postage and the program materials. Furthermore, the same parents attended all programs with a maximum attendance of 24 attendees at only one parent workshop, and planning was deemed inadequate because the same parents continually planned the events.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? Programs to encourage parents, seniors, and community members are being planned for the year, and a parent center is being created in the school as a center for events and programs. Included will be a commons for collaboration with the PTA; a workplace for parent workshops; a classroom for studying; and a meeting hall for solicitations, collecting data; and for getting general information out to the community. The parent liaison hopes to develop a "calling post" for the school to provide advance notice of school events, to develop partnerships with businesses, and to assist in serving the needs of our children, our parents, our school, and the surrounding community.
641

OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1.
The approved charter contract, approved by Atlanta Public Schools and the Georgia State Department of Education does not include charter goals other than those listed under Academic Charter Goals, above.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

Yes

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

642

643

644

645

646

647

648

649

650

651

652

653

654

WALTON CAREER ACADEMY

Contact Information
Mark Peevy 212 Bryant Road Monroe, GA 30655 770-207-3150

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Walton County Start-Up Aug. 1, 2006 10 - 12 282 No

Mission
The WCA's mission is to ensure a viable "21st" Century Workforce. It is a joint venture formed as a partnership between Walton County Public Schools, Athens Technical College, and our local business community.

Demographics
WCA is not a home school and therefore no demographic data is available. Testing data is reported through the district.

Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Total Population

Diversity

Caucasian

%

Black

%

Hispanic

%

Asian/Pacific Islander

%

American

%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

%

Special Populations

ESOL

%

Gifted

%

Special Education

%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

%

655

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

N/A

Is your school in needs improvement? N/A

2006 N/A N/A

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. We began EOCT testing for the first time this year. We have now established a baseline and will use it for comparison in the coming year.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? 2006-2007 was used to establish our baseline. We will look at areas of improvement in the future.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. N/A. We tested for the first time this year.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. No. Our students are shared between two base high schools and our classes are not discrete by grade level.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist.

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Economics will continue to focus on core learning objectives needed to prepare for EOCT. We will work to improve Economics scores in the future as compared to our baseline established this year.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Work Ethic--we began measuring work ethic (attendance, lack of tardies, appearance, etc.) among our students this year. We will use our results this year as a baseline for future comparison. 2. GPA--we began measuring GPA improvements for students who attend WCA. We will use this data as a baseline to measure overall improvement as a part of our programs. 3. More than 70 students met or exceeded ASSET cut-off scores to be dual-enrolled in technical college programs at the WCA while still in high school.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Our Board of Directors is comprised of a majority of parents and/or community business leaders. We also hosted a "WCA on Display" event that was extremly well received by the public. Work-based learning opportunities have grown steadily throughout the year indicating that employers want our students.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure our parental and community involvement primarily by looking at our business community involvement. We have over 50 local businesses who are willing to participate in work-based learning opportunities for our students. We have also built a strong partnership with our Chamber of Commerce, and we are teaming with them to host a Small Business Resource Center on our campus that is available to our at-large business community as a development tool.
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3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We regularly host business leaders in our classes, and we actively recruit them to support our programs. We will work with our business partners to write grants that will provide specific training for their businesses. We will also increase the availability of students for work-based learning opportunities.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Walton Career Academy, in concert with Walton County Schools, will exceed the majority of USDE benchmarks in Perkins's accountability measures in Years 1-5 of this Agreement. We met this goal in 2006-2007.
2. Walton Career Academy will cause Walton County Public Schools to produce dualseal diploma graduates. The number of dual seal diplomas will be substantially the same as are the number of college prep diplomas in Years 1-5 of this Agreement. The "06-07 report card" information is not yet available.
3. The WCA will cause the percentage of Walton County students dual-enrolled in technical college programs to increase in Years 1-5 of this Agreement. We met this goal in 2006-2007, and new programs are being planned to further increase the percentage.
4. Twenty-Five percent (25%) of Walton Career Academy students will participate in a work-based learning program. The school will provide opportunities for job shadowing, internships, and apprenticeships. We increased our enrollment this year, and will will continue to look at new avenues to allow more students to access this program.
658

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

659

WALTON HIGH SCHOOL

Contact Information
Catherine Mallanda 1590 Bill Murdock Road Marietta, GA 30062 770-578-3225

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Cobb County Conversion Sep. 1, 1975 9 - 12 2559 No

Mission
Walton High School's mission is to educate students who are well prepared to meet the challenges of their post-secondary goals. Walton High School pledges its resources to the development of the whole student, addressing academic, social, emotional, and career needs while fostering attitudes of good citizenship, cultural awareness, lifelong learning, and compassion.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Walton High School
0

Pope High School
2.5

Wheeler High School
2.9

Cobb County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population
Diversity
Caucasian Black Hispanic Asian/Pacific Islander American Indian/Alaskan Native Multiracial

2608
78% 4% 2% 13% 0%
2%

1906

1929

106,163 1,589,839

82%

44%

48%

47%

6%

34%

29%

38%

3%

10%

14%

9%

6%

8%

4%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

2%

4%

4%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

0%

Gifted

29%

Special Education

9%

1%

7%

5%

4%

25%

21%

11%

9%

12%

8%

12%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

2%

4%

27%

34%

50%

660

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain. Yes, our AP participation rates continue to grow while still maintaining a consistent passing rate. Walton's SAT scores over this charter are higher than the previous charter. As with the national trend, we had a slight decrease in SAT scores last year. We continue have scores that are among the highest in metro Atlanta despite the slight decrease in last year's scores.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result? We continue to participate in College Board training programs. We also offered the gifted endorsement course at Walton last year and had 30 more teachers become gifted endorsed. We continued to train teachers in peer coaching.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. Student achievement has continued at a high level relative to the rest of the state and to demographically similar high schools. We have increased the percent of pass plus scores on the GHSGT in all subject areas.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We track our students' participation in the Advanced Placement program. In particular, we monitor the Excellence and Equity Index reported by the College Board in the Summary of Grades. This index, which reports the participation of seniors on

661

AP courses, has shown an increase.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. While approximately 60% of our students enroll in honors and Advanced Placement courses, we continue to review and revise the on-level curriculum through horizontal and vertical team collaboration.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. SAT- while the scores last year had a slight decrease that mirrored the national trends in SAT scores, Walton's scores were among the highest in the metro area and are above the national average. The SAT scores over the length of the current charter continue to be higher than the scores from the previous charter. 2. Advanced Placement participation- participation rates have continued to grow each year while still maintaining the same pass rates.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, our parents continue to give generously of their time, money, and talent.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure the involvement through monetary contributions, time given, and attendance at important functions. Our PTSA won an award for the most memberships in the State of Georgia. The Walton Facilities Foundation continues to have a high amount of contributions. Our PTSA has a waiting list for parents that want to volunteer during the day at key points in the school. Our open houses were
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well attended.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? With the charter renewal petition, we had multiple opportunities for parents to come and review our past success and see the plans for the future. This also gave us the opportunity to express our appreciation and detail how their involvement leads to student success.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. Personal and Social Responsibility- Community service continues to be a major priority for unifying club efforts. We have continued to track the amount of community service being done by individual students and by clubs.
This year we provided different programs for students during our enrichment block to encourage our students to make wise social choices. The enrichment block continues to give students the opportunity to make choices about their time, supporting the goal of personal responsibility.
2. Improvement through Collaboration - This year we have been working on our charter renewal petition. This allows the faculty, staff, and community to review and revise what Walton is doing. We plan on gaining local school board approval in September and then submitting the petition to the state board.
We also have multiple opportunities for curriculum teams to discuss improvement initiatives and to implement them. An example would be vertical teaming with the middle school as the new Math curriculum has expanded. 3. In Pursuit of Excellence for All - This is Walton's motto. We are dedicated to supporting efforts in the arts and athletics. This year Walton's athletic program won the Director's Cup at the AAAAA level. This was due in part to our two state championships in girls tennis and baseball. Our band had their highest finish at the National Level.
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FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

664

665

WHITFIELD COUNTY CAREER ACADEMY

Contact Information
Phillip Brown 2300 Maddox Chapel Road Dalton, GA 30721 706-876-3600

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Whitfield County Start-Up Jul. 1, 2005 9 - 12 700 No

Mission
The mission of the Whitfield Career Academy is to create a pathway of learning that enables students to achieve success.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Career Academy
0

Phoenix High School
1.8

Southeast Whitfield County High School
3.8

Whitfield County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

352

Diversity

Caucasian

69%

Black

0%

Hispanic

28%

Asian/Pacific Islander

0%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

2%

116

1,413

13,216 1,589,839

58%

57%

62%

47%

9%

2%

2%

38%

30%

38%

32%

9%

0%

1%

1%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

3%

2%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL

7%

Gifted

0%

Special Education

17%

2%

7%

11%

4%

0%

7%

9%

9%

0%

12%

10%

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

53%

0%

55%

56%

50%

666

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

Did your school make AYP?

2007 No. Did not make AYP in Math.

Is your school in needs improvement? Yes

2006 No. Did not make in second indicator. No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 N/A
N/A

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
2006 - 2007 was the second year that the Whitfield Career Academy had been in operation. In reviewing both the GHSGT results and the EOCT results, overall student achievement declined from year one to year two. Possible reasons for that decline could include an increase in special populations and overall enrollment, the introduction of the ninth grade into the overall school climate and fluctuating teaching staff in key tested areas, including geometry.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
One area of particular interest was the increase in student performance on the algebra 1 EOCT. Most of the students taking the algebra 1 EOCT were ninth graders that took the course for a full year rather than a semester. When comparing the scores, 31% of those students that took algebra 1 for one semester passed the test while 57% those that took it for a full year passed the test, for a 26% increase. When looking at the Science portion of the GHSGT, students improved their scores in 3 of 5 strands, with the largest increase of 12% being in the strand of structure/properties of matter. Teachers attributed this increase in part to a content specific review prior to the testing window.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed.
In reviewing the GHSGT results, there was an increase in student performance in several specifc strands. The strand of data analysis in Mathematics increased by 5%; the strand of world studies in Social Studies increased by 6%; and the strand of cells and heredity in Science increased by 6%. Students taking the economics EOCT

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increased their scores from 52% passing at the end of fall semester to 69% passing at the end of spring semester.
Overall, student performance on the Social Studies section of the GHSGT declined, especially in the strand of US history to 1865. Student achievement in geometry on both the GHSGT and the EOCT continue to need improvement with less than 50% of students passing the EOCT and with the geometry strand scoring lowest of all Mathematics strands on the GHSGT.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We currently have two year's worth of student achievement data for grades 10 - 12 but only one year of data for 9th graders. Teachers use test data to look for areas of strength and weakness. Because of the nature of the EOCT, it is difficult to compare the same group of students. Teachers within content areas meet together and study test scores associated with those areas to pinpoint strands that need extra emphasis.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. With overall student performance decreasing, vocabulary development lends itself as an area where the entire school can focus. Content area teachers are reviewing vocabulary to select their key 50 - 100 words. These will be used as initial focus activities at the beginning of class. Technical teachers will integrate those same content words into their classes so that students will constantly have opportunities to use them. Another high school in the system has also shared vocabulary activities and assessments with the Career Academy which teachers plan to utilize. The ELL staff has increased to two full time teachers which will have a tremendous impact on our limited english learners. We are also looking to increase our ESS teaching staff to provide more students more specialized instruction.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. 1. Increasing the number of students that graduate with a dual seal diploma is one of the
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performance objectives set forth in the charter. The graduating class of 2006 included 28 people, 7 of which had a dual seal diploma or 25%. In 2007, the graduating class of 59 had 17 students graduate with a dual seal diploma or 29%. The administration, faculty, and staff have established a common intellectual mission that all students will be given the academic and technical training needed to be able to graduate ready for college and career. In an effort to begin preparing our ninth grade students for such a path, most ninth graders are enrolled in a Tools for college and career course that includes an on-line, digital instructional component.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. The Whitfield Career Academy would always like to increase the level of parental and community involvement. We had a bilingual parent coordinator that served the school twice a week and assisted teachers with parent contacts. Teachers were encouraged to contact students' parents on a regular basis, either by phone, e-mail, or through written notes. Each technical area had its own program committee, made up of local experts in their fields that served as advisors and kept the instructors current on the skill sets and needs of the industry.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. Sign-in sheets are kept in the front office as a record of parents and community members that visit the building. Some teachers maintain a record of parent contacts. We use the "Connect-Ed" communication system to keep parents informed of upcoming events and important information. We believe that parents and the community feel welcome and outside groups often request the use of the multipurpose room for activities. Parents serve on program committees for each technical area.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? During the 2007 - 2008 school year, the Whitfield Career Academy has made available to parents the "Parent Portal" component of Infinite Campus, the school system student data system. Parents with internet access can maintain communication with teachers through e-mail and can log on to check their student's attendance, schedule, and grades. We continue to have a bilingual parent coordinator and she has taken on the responsibility of creating a newsletter that will be sent home once every 4 1/2 weeks in both English and Spanish. We also continue to make extensive use of the "Connect-Ed" communication system to notify parents of student absences and notices. The Board of Directors has refocused its role into helping to provide
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community resources for teachers and students.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. During the first year of operation, the Whitfield Career Academy did not make AYP because we were unable to attain our second indicator of having 15% or less of our students missing 15 or more days. With the help of our Administration, Graduation Coach, attendance office staff and teachers, we were able to reach our goal of improving attendance. For the 2006-2007 school year, the Whitfield Career Academy had 0 students that had 15 or more absences, a statistic which we are very proud.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS

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671

WOODLAND ELEMENTARY CHARTER SCHOOL

Contact Information
Ruth Baskerville 1130 Spalding Drive Atlanta, GA 30350 770-551-5890

Basic Facts
District Type Opened Grades Served Enrollment Title I School

Fulton County Conversion Sep. 1, 2000 K 5 870 Yes

Mission
It is the mission of Woodland Elementary School to provide a high quality education for each student and an optimum learning environment that will aid in the development of the total child for participation in a democratic society and a global community. This educational process is a cooperative effort between home, school, and community.

Our focus is to provide students with a foundation in academic and social skills so that they achieve academically to their highest potential; learn to think critically and act responsibly; maintain dignity and self-worth; and appreciate customs and heritages.

Demographics
Distance from Charter School (in miles)

Woodland Elementary
School
0

Spalding Drive
Elementary
2.1

River Eves Elementary
School
3.6

Fulton County
N/A

Georgia
N/A

Total Population

835

599

694

81,982 1,589,839

Diversity

Caucasian

31%

Black

40%

Hispanic

16%

Asian/Pacific Islander

5%

American

0%

Indian/Alaskan Native

Multiracial

8%

23%

49%

38%

47%

28%

23%

41%

38%

38%

16%

10%

9%

3%

5%

8%

3%

0%

0%

0%

0%

7%

6%

3%

3%

Special Populations

ESOL Gifted

10%

14%

8%

4%

4%

12%

13%

9%

14%

9%

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Special Education

12%

Free & Reduced Lunch:

% of Total Population

46%

12%

12%

10%

12%

58%

37%

36%

50%

PROGRESS & PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

ADEQUATE YEARLY PROGRESS (AYP) INFORMATION

2007

Did your school make AYP?

Yes

Is your school in needs improvement? No

2006 Yes No

For more information on this school's AYP results, please see www.gadoe.org, then go to AYP Report.

2005 Yes No

ACADEMIC TEST SCORES
1. Did your students' standardized test results meet your expectations for them? Explain.
While the students at Woodland continue to excel academically, our CRCT results for 2007 did not totally meet our expectations. Our Reading percentages for students meeting or exceeding minimum standards range from 88% in third grade to 96% in first grade. Four of the five grades showed a slight decrease (5% or less) in the Reading percentages. Our fourth graders showed the largest increase in CRCT percentages for Reading in 2007. Our continued goal is to reach 95% on the Reading portion of the CRCT for all grade levels by 2011. Our current percentage is 92% and so we are confident that this goal will be met. In Math, we experienced the same mixed results. All grade levels except second grade had 87% + students meeting or exceeding minimum standards. This was the first year that our second graders were tested using the GPS curriculum. They scored on the 75%, but we are implementing strategies this year to improve this percentage score in 2008. Excluding the second grade scores, we have currently met our five-year goal (91%) on the Math portion of the CRCT, by having 92% of our students meet or exceed standards.
2. Highlight areas of success and progress revealed by your test scores. For these areas, did you use any particular instructional strategy or approach to achieve the desired result?
Across the board, we see many areas of success on the 2007 CRCT. We would highlight our first and fourth grades as showing the highest gains in percentages from 2006 to 2007. While all grade levels analyze data and look closely at areas of strengths and weaknesses, we attribute this increase to a united effort of the teachers to utilize all available best practices in their classrooms. Differentiated instruction, extensive training with a curriculum specialist, and precision teaching with our "at

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risk" students were effective instructional strategies that achieved the desired results. Our first grade students scored at the 96% on the Reading portion of the CRCT and 92% on the Math portion. This achievement is exceptional because this was the first year for the implementation of the GPS curriculum. In Math, our overall percentage for students meeting or exceeding minimum standards was 98%.
3. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance improved from the previous year. Describe the grades and content areas in which your students' performance did not improve or regressed. The percentage of fifth grade students exceeding standards on the Reading and Language Arts portion of the CRCT increased 20% and 15% respectively. In first grade, in Reading and Language Arts, students exceeding standards increased 13% and in Language Arts, there was a 17% increase. In Language Arts, our fourth graders exceeding standards increased by 10%. There was mixed results in other grade levels with the only two areas of concern being in Reading for our fourth graders. There was a 10% drop in those exceeding standards. In fifth grade, there was a 12% decrease in exceeding standards in the area of Math.
4. Do you make any effort to track student cohorts from year-to-year by comparing, for example, the scores of last year's sixth grade scores to this year's seventh grade scores? (i.e., comparing the same group of students as they move from grade to grade). Explain. We have been able to look at data of students who have been at Woodland for 2 or more years and have been able to document that these students met or exceed standards on the CRCT for each year they have been enrolled at Woodland. With the use of our new Student Achievement Management System and our county Checkpoints Assessments, we are now better able to track test data of cohort groups.
5. Describe particular areas of concern revealed by your students' standardized test results and how you plan to address them. In addressing this question, describe the efforts you have made or plan to make to disaggregate test data among subgroups (e.g., identified special education students; students who qualify for free or reduced lunch; ESOL students; etc.) and address any lagging achievement scores that may exist. All of our subgroups are doing well. We are continuing to improve the percentage of students exceeding standards on the CRCT. Goals have been included for each grade level in our Strategic Plan to address these areas of improvement.
ACADEMIC OTHER MEASURES
In the space below, select up to five (5) other academic measures (e.g., SAT scores, promotion rates, AP test results, ITBS performance, etc.) stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas.
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1. On the fifth grade Georgia Writing Assessment, our goal was to reach 78% of the students meeting or exceeding minimum standards. In 2007, 85% of the fifth graders reached this goal.
2. Seventy-four percent of all students in grades K-5 met the benchmark goals for the Basic Literacy Tests taken in 2006-07. This test assesses students in three areas of literacy: phonics, sight words, and comprehension.
3. Among students taking the GKAP-R in 2007, had 95% of our kindergartners were assessed at ready for 1st grade with a score of 161 or better. The other 5% scored ready with assistance for first grade.
4. Woodland students in grade one, three, four and five consistently outperformed students in our cluster (similar demographics) on the CRCT in 2007.
5. Woodland students exceeded the Fulton County average percentages on the Fall 2006 ITBS in grades three or five in Reading. In Math, our students met the Fulton County average percentage.
PARENT/COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
1. During the 2006-2007 school year, did the level of parental and community involvement in your school meet your expectations? Explain. Yes, the level of parental and community involvement in your school met our expectations. We have 18 business partners and over 85 community volunteers that come to work with our students on a one-to-one basis. Our total volunteer hours were 11,941 for 2007.
2. How do you measure the level of parental and community involvement in your school? Report on the outcome of each of those measures. We measure parental and community involvement by the number of volunteer hours, PTA membership, the number of parents who attend our parent workshops, and new parent orientations. Ninety-five percent of Woodland families completed seven or more hours of volunteer time, eighty-three percent of those completed the required
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ten hours. One hundred and thirty-four parents attended Parent Involvement Days activities in 2007. Three hundred and seventy-five attended the parent workshops that were offered monthly. In all, Woodland logged 25,437 volunteer and parent involvement hours.
3. What efforts do you plan to make to encourage additional parental and community involvement in your school? We will continue with our current plan which has been very effective. Our Parent Liaison Coordinator is continuing to assess and improve our Parent Involvement Program. This year we are offering a series of Lunch and Learn sessions to assist our parents in creating a more effective parent-teacher team working for the benefit of our students.
OTHER CHARTER GOALS
In the space below, select up to five (5) goals stated in your charter and report on your progress in each of these areas. These goals should be different from the academic goals listed in response to the prompt in the "Academic Other Measures" section above. 1. WECS parents participated in the Fulton County Parent Perception Survey in 200607. One hundred percent of our parents Agree or Strongly Agree that "Woodland offers a challenging educational program." Ninety-five percent of parents felt that "school personnel treated their child in a fair and consistent manner."
2. One of our goals was to have a minimum of 10 teacher-created Social Studies and Science units incorporating gifted strategies and authentic assessment strategies by 2011. At this time, we have 12 teacher created units that are being implemented in the classrooms.

FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

Did school have surplus at the end of the 2006-2007 school year?

No

Did school have a reserve fund? If so, what percentage?

No

TEST RESULTS 676

677

678

679

680

681

682

683