Charter Compact Signed

Pictured (left to right) Diana Lam, Headmaster of the Conservatory Lab Charter Public School, Superintendent Carol Johnson, Mayor Thomas Menino, School Committee Chairman Rev. Gregory Groover, and Charter School Headmaster Kevin Andrews are surrounded by children from charter public and district public schools as they sign an historic compact to ensure greater collaboration between the two types of public schools.

Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, charter school leaders, and officials from the Boston Public Schools signed an historic Compact to create more collaboration and cooperation between charters and the Boston district. The Gates Foundation is providing funding to support the Compact.

The District-Charter Compact will create a framework to broaden choice for parents, facilitate the sharing of innovative practices, expand opportunities for shared teacher professional development, expand student and family supports, and develop a common school accountability instrument to identify root causes of underperformance.

“I started this term as Mayor saying that the time for pitting traditional public schools against charter schools was over,” said Mayor Menino. “Today those words become reality and the students of this city will be the better for it, no matter where they go to school.”

“This Compact will bring together charter and district leaders, principals and teachers to advance a common mission: to ensure that we provide the best possible educational opportunities for Boston school children,” said Kevin Andrews, Chairman of the Boston Alliance for Charter Schools and Headmaster at Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester.

Seven New Charter Schools, Including First Replication Schools, Open in Boston

Seven new charter public schools opened their doors in Boston recently as a new era of expanded choice and opportunity got underway.

These schools include the creation of the first charter “networks,” in which existing high-performing charters are opening new schools, and the first “in-district” charters, which are charters that operate in partnership with districts and have more autonomy than traditional district schools. Bridge Boston, which is based on the successful Epiphany School in Boston, also opened this month and will eventually serve 335 elementary school children.

After a four-year battle, the state Legislature approved a new education reform law last year that will allow charters to double the number of seats they offer in high-need school districts, providing high quality educational opportunities for thousands of new families. In February, the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education approved 16 new charters statewide, including 11 in Boston, one in New Bedford, one in Springfield, two in Lawrence, one in Salem.

Seven of the Boston charters opened their doors for the 2011-2012 school year - as did the Alma del Mar charter school in New Bedford.

The seven new Boston charters include:

• Brooke 2 (Part of Edward W. Brooke Charter School network)
  • Grades K-8, Enrollment: 475, Opened Aug. 10, 2011
    

• Excel Academy Chelsea (Part of Excel Academy Charter School network)
  • Grades 5-8, Enrollment: 224, Opened Aug. 23, 2011

• MATCH Community Day Charter Public School (A partnership between MATCH and Community Day Charter in Lawrence to focus on English-Language-Learners)
  • Grades K1-12, Enrollment: 700, Opened Aug. 29, 2011

• UP Academy Charter School of Boston (in-district charter)
  • Grades 6-8, Enrollment: 500, Opened Aug. 29, 2011

• Grove Hall Preparatory (Part of Roxbury Preparatory Charter School network)
  • Grades 5-12, Enrollment: 600, Opened Aug. 30, 2011
    

• Bridge Boston
  • Grades K1-8, Enrollment: 335, Opened Sept. 7, 2011

• Boston Green Academy (in-district charter)
  • Grades 6-12, Enrollment: 595, Opened Sept. 7, 2011

The other approved schools will open next year.

A new routine structure is key at Alma del Mar charter school

The New Bedford Standard Times profiled the new Alma del Mar charter public school, which opened its doors for the first time in late August. When fully enrolled, the school will serve 360 children in grades K-8.

Click here to read the full story on South Coast Today.

For Sturgis, a second foundation for education

Sturgis Charter in Hyannis had so many children on its wait list, it sought and received an expansion of its charter from the state to increase its enrollment. Now, the school is opening a sister school in order to handle the demand for seats. The Barnstable Patriot newspaper has the story.

Click here to read the story online.

Charter Public Schools Top State MCAS Rankings

Twenty Massachusetts charter public schools ranked Number 1 in the state on various 2011 MCAS measurements, including several urban charters whose students are predominantly minority and low-income.

These charters include those that enroll children from some of the state’s lowest performing school districts, including Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Lawrence - as well as rural districts in Central and Western Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley.  And they are outperforming schools from the wealthiest communities in Massachusetts.

Congratulations to the teachers, parents, administrators and, of course, the kids! We are proud of these Number 1 rankings because it shows that given the right opportunities, children from all backgrounds can achieve at the highest levels.

Schools that ranked first in the state based on the percentage of children who scored proficient or advanced are:

• Boston Collegiate (Boston) – Grade 10 English & math
• Boston Preparatory (Boston) – Grade 10 math
• Edward Brooke (Boston) – Grades 5, 7 & 8 English and Grade 8 math
• Excel Academy (Boston) – Grade 8 English & Grade 7 math
• Community Day (Lawrence) - Grade 6 math
• Community Charter School of Cambridge - Grade 10 math
• Hilltown (Haydenville) – Grade 7 English
• Benjamin Franklin Classical (Franklin) - Grade 8 English
• Advanced Math & Science Academy (Marlboro) - Grade 10 English
• Four Rivers (Greenfield) - Grade 10 English, Grade 12 Biology
• Francis W. Parker (Devens) - Grade 10 English
• Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion (Amherst) – Grade 4 math
• Martha’s Vineyard - Grade 10 English
• Sturgis (Hyannis) - Grade 10 English
• Pioneer Valley Performing Arts - (Hadley) - Grade 10 English

Schools that ranked first in the state based on the state’s “Growth Model,” which measures academic progress of students over time:

• Benjamin Banneker (Cambridge) 6th grade English
• Excel Academy (Boston) 5th grade English
• MATCH (Boston) 10th grade Math
• Neighborhood House (Boston) 7th grade English
• Pioneer Charter School of Science (Everett) 8th grade Math
• South Shore (Norwell) 10th grade English

The urban schools on the lists enroll predominantly minority and low-income children, who historically have achieved at levels far below students in suburban schools. More than 90% of students who attend Edward Brooke, Boston Prep, Benjamin Banneker, Community Charter School of Cambridge, MATCH, and Community Day are African American or Hispanic, while nearly three-quarters come from low-income families. Among Community Day’s students, 83% come from families whose first language is not English. At Excel Academy, 45% of the children come from families whose first language is not English. And in spite of what you may have read elsewhere, all but two of the urban schools have special needs populations ranging between 14% and 16%.

Charters have proven successful in closing the achievement gap that has plagued our education system for decades. With expansion now underway in underperforming districts, thousands more families will be able to take advantage of the opportunities charters offer.