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Whole School Paper
Community Day Charter Public School:
By Sheila Balboni, Executive Director
Keeping the Promise: The Massachusetts Charter School Dissemination and Replication Project Massachusetts Charter Public School Association 2007
ABSTRACT Community Day Charter Public School, one of the first independent charters in Massachusetts, opened in 1995 in the city of Lawrence. We currently serve 331 students in grades K-8, most of whom are low-income and Latino. Keys to our success center around a standards-based, academically challenging curriculum that draws on the city's cultural assets; and an individualized teaching approach, in which teachers collaborate with a full-time data analyst to evaluate assessment data and deliver instruction based on students’ strengths and weaknesses. Our success can be shown through our students' strong performance on MCAS and high rates of acceptance by high schools that base admission on academic achievement. HISTORY In 1993, when the Massachusetts Education Reform Act was signed into law, the City of Lawrence, Massachusetts (population 72,000) faced a time of great turmoil. Rates of poverty, teen pregnancy, illegal drug use, and gang violence were among the highest of the 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts (Massachusetts Department of Public Health, 1993). The city had been unable to balance the municipal budget and had been placed under the watchful eye of a state-mandated financial oversight board. The public school district was also faced with a state takeover, due to chronically low test results, high dropout and attendance rates, and loss of accreditation for its only high school (Massachusetts Commissioner of Education, 1998). It was under these conditions that a concerned and dedicated group of parents, teachers and community leaders, among them new immigrants and the children of immigrants, joined together with a common vision of a school that would draw upon the expertise of community members to provide Lawrence children with a rigorous academic program that would prepare them to be successful students and solid citizens in high school and beyond. In September 1995, Community Day Charter Public School (CDCPS), one of the first charters awarded in Massachusetts, opened with an initial enrollment of 112 students in kindergarten through third grade. In each successive year of our first five-year charter (1995-2000) we added grades until we reached our maximum K-8 enrollment of 306. Our first class of eighth grade students graduated in June 2000. Our enrollment for 2007-2008 has increased to 331, in accordance with an amendment to our charter that was approved by the Massachusetts Board of Education on October 24, 2006. DEMOGRAPHICS The student population at CDCPS has consistently reflected the demographic diversity of Lawrence, a planned city, thirty-five miles north of Boston, built for the manufacture of textiles in the 1840s. Lawrence served as a gateway through which generations of immigrants passed in search of mill work and better lives for themselves and their children. Though manufacturing jobs have continued to steadily decline since the demise of the textile industry in the 1950s, Lawrence continues to draw new immigrants, largely from Latin American and Asian countries, and is home to the highest percentage of foreign-born residents in the Commonwealth (MassINC, 2007). In 2006-2007 our school's population was 86% Latino; 10% white; 3% African American, and 1% Asian; 24% of the students were limited English proficient and 18% had special learning needs (Massachusetts Department of Education, Enrollment, 2006). Children growing up in Lawrence are among the most disadvantaged in Massachusetts. Data compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation (AECF) Kids Count initiative ranks Lawrence at #347 out of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns for the percentage (34%) of children ages birth to five years living below one hundred percent of the federal poverty level (Massachusetts Kids Count, 2007). Massachusetts Kids Count also ranks Lawrence #351 for having the highest population of children (75%) in the Commonwealth who speak a language other than English at home (Massachusetts Kids Count, 2007). This provides us with a significant and ongoing challenge, as many of our students do not have the early literacy, social, and vocabulary skills that are essential to their educational success. However, the high percentage (65% in 2006-2007) of low-income students that attend CDCPS has given our school the flexibility to utilize Title I grant resources to implement school-wide programs that offer all students the additional learning opportunities they need in order to succeed academically. MISSION, GOALS AND OBJECTIVES The founders of CDCPS were determined to create a K-8 public school that would discover and support the special characteristics and unique learning styles of each student, and engage each student in meaningful learning experiences leading to the development of knowledge, skills, habits and social competencies and that our “curriculum will be embedded in the reality of city life and will reinforce the positive aspects of our city: its culture, art and economy, its working class history and strong work ethic” (Community Day Care of Lawrence, Application for Commonwealth Charter School, 1994). Following are keys to success in fulfilling our mission:
SUCCESS Standardized test results, secondary school placements, independent evaluations, staff surveys, parent surveys, and long wait lists for admission offer evidence that CDCPS is providing a quality public school education for the children and families of Lawrence. The elements identified as most critical to the success of CDCPS are highlighted here. Well Developed, Common Curriculum Aligned to State Learning Standards Our school initially implemented the standards-driven curriculum, instruction, and assessment approaches developed by the Modern Red SchoolHouse (Kilgore, 2003) and the Core Knowledge Sequence of E.D. Hirsch (Core Knowledge Foundation, 2007) to guide our faculty members as they developed a common curriculum based on standards, “acknowledged to be among the most rigorous and knowledge-based” (SchoolWorks, 1999, p. 3). These approaches, which predated the establishment of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, provided our faculty members with a method of teaching content and skills around specific units that included goals, activities, and assessment. As the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks were approved and revised, members of our faculty applied key elements of MRSH and the Core Knowledge Sequence (See Appendix A) as they identified learning goals for each grade and subject, and developed multi-week teaching units aligned to the Curriculum Frameworks. Each curriculum unit currently follows a common format that includes the specific learning standards and sub-standards to be taught, the texts and other materials that support the unit, methods to assess student mastery of skills and concepts, and strategies to differentiate instruction based on individual student needs. (See Appendix B) The units are saved as Word documents that are filed in common folders on the school’s computer network where they can be easily accessed by teachers for implementation, review, and revision. Curriculum units are implemented in accordance with the school year calendars contained in curriculum maps. (See Appendix C) Teachers work in teams at the beginning of each school year to prepare curriculum maps that outline the standards, skills, and content that they will teach each month of the school year (September through June). Heads of School review curriculum maps and their corresponding units to verify that all standards in each subject are met through the grades. Following this review, all curriculum maps and their corresponding units are entered into on-line templates that can be accessed and modified as necessary by teachers and administrators throughout the year. Use of Data to Improve Teaching and Learning Over the course of the last decade, a data analyst employed by our management agency (Community Day Care) has worked closely with faculty members to develop Essential Data for Educators, which provides a structure and process to engage faculty members in frequent and ongoing review of student performance information. In our first four years (1995-1999) faculty members relied on TerraNova (published by CTB McGraw-Hill) test data to measure student progress in reading, English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Our inventory of data sources, processes for data collection, and sharing of achievement data has expanded with the implementation of the following assessments:
In the week preceding the start of each school year the data analyst provides all faculty members with annual and longitudinal test data. Faculty members work in teams to analyze the assessment results for all students and for subgroups of students (e.g., LEP students, students with special education needs, etc.). They review grade-level learning standards for each of the Curriculum Frameworks and prepare curriculum units and maps that outline the standards, skills, and content that will be taught each month of the school year (September through June). In addition, they develop action plans (see Appendix D) that describe the improvement strategies that will be implemented for each class as a whole, along with strategies for individual students requiring added support to meet grade level learning standards. Over the course of the school year, teachers receive common planning time and inservice/professional development days in order to monitor the progress (or lack of progress) of individual students, classes and grade levels, and to seek advice of school administrators and colleagues on how to improve students’ learning outcomes. Mentor teachers provide ongoing support to new and less experienced teachers on how to use assessment results as fully as possible to improve their teaching. Student assessment data also informs the work of our curriculum committee, which is comprised of administrators and teachers representing all programs and grades. Committee members meet throughout the school year to further analyze assessment results in order to identify gaps in curriculum, strategies to meet the individual learning needs of students, instructional materials and tools to supplement the existing curriculum, and topics for professional development. Teachers use the committee's recommendations during the summer months to create new curriculum units and revise existing ones, develop and purchase instructional materials, and present their work in professional development workshops. Implementation of the data analysis model has been the key to improved academic performance at CDCPS. For example, when teachers in the Upper School (grades 5-8) analyzed 2004 MCAS math results they determined that students performed poorly not because they did not know the math, but because they did not understand the questions. Teachers responded by developing lists of English words commonly used in MCAS math exams. They prepared lesson plans and revised curriculum units in math and other academic classes to ensure that students acquired the knowledge of English vocabulary required to correctly read and respond to MCAS math questions at each grade level. In 2006, seventy-four percent of Upper School students at CDCPS achieved a test score of proficient or better in math as compared to the state average of forty-two percent; and none of our students failed the test, compared to twenty-six percent statewide (Massachusetts Department of Education, MCAS, 2006). The data analyst and the faculty continuously seek to refine and improve our data analysis model. In 2006-2007 we developed our own benchmark assessment tests to provide more frequent (fall and spring) monitoring of student progress in relation to the Massachusetts learning standards. Benchmark test results are reported as scores that approximate MCAS performance categories (warning/failing, needs improvement, proficient, and advanced), and teachers use these results to make adjustments to further enhance student learning. English Immersion Model Because eight of every ten families at CDCPS identify Spanish as their first language, teachers at each grade level implement curriculum and teaching methods that stress the development of English language skills across all content areas to ensure student success in every academic subject. Reading, writing and all other academic subjects are taught in English, with native language support delivered by teachers and paraprofessionals fluent in both English and Spanish. Teachers use supplementary curriculum materials such as manipulatives, pictures, multimedia, adapted text, and graphic organizers to engage students at various levels of English proficiency. Teachers encourage students to practice their English-speaking skills by asking them to elaborate on responses to questions and providing frequent opportunities for classroom interactions and discussions. Developing English proficiency begins with our youngest students. In addition to our regular kindergarten for five-year-old children, we also implement an early kindergarten for four-year-old children. Both kindergartens are full-day programs (8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.), geared to assist young students in acquiring a strong foundation for future success. Teachers in early kindergarten classrooms utilize Curiosity Corner (CC), a program developed by the “Success for All” Foundation (www.successforall.com) that promotes children’s development of language, literacy and social skills through cooperative play and hands-on activities (Success for all Foundation, 2004). CC Learning Labs encourage children to circulate freely in the classroom to experience language arts, math and science through dramatic play, creative arts, manipulatives, listening centers, and sand and water tables. Weekly thematic units assure that our program meets the Early Childhood Program Standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. We continue emphasizing English proficiency in all grade levels. As a Reading First School we implement the five areas of reading instruction (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension) that have been determined to help children develop the skills necessary to be fluent and proficient English readers by the end of grade 3 (Armbruster, 2001). Reading instruction follows a three-tier model that is comprised of a core reading series delivered to all students, targeted supplemental interventions for students experiencing difficulty learning to read, and intensive interventions for students with marked reading difficulties. (See Appendix E) Teachers monitor students’ progress in reading and use data collected from reading assessments to develop individualized learning goals for their students. When necessary, they adjust reading groups and recommend further diagnostic testing and interventions for students who are not experiencing progress. For the upper elementary grades, our English language arts program supports achievement of the state standards, which focus on the genres of non-fiction, short fiction, oral tradition (myths, folktales, and legends), poetry, and drama. Teachers carefully select reading materials to ensure that all students, and particularly students learning English as their second language, develop comprehension, writing, grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading skills required for success in all academic subjects. Teachers also engage and challenge their students with novel studies that offer additional opportunities to acquire the core knowledge (see Appendix A) that will prepare them for the academic challenges that they will face in high school. Child-Centered Approach that Meets the Learning Needs of All Students We believe in a child-centered approach to instruction that recognizes that some students will need more time and support than other students to meet academic standards. This is a fundamental premise of MRSH (see Appendix A) that has been embraced at CDCPS. To successfully implement the child-centered approach we maintain an average class size of twenty-two students, staffing that supports a student to adult ratio of approximately 10:1, and a regular school day (8 a.m. - 4 p.m.) that is longer than most public schools. These staffing levels and the additional instructional time afforded by the longer school day provide teachers with increased opportunities to discover the special characteristics and unique learning style of each student, and to make adjustments in teaching to ensure that every student will make progress in relation to grade-level learning goals. Our classes include students with disabilities, limited English proficiency, and other learning needs. In grades K-4 a two-person teaching team (2 teachers, or 1 teacher and 1 teacher assistant) is assigned to each classroom. In grades 5-8, classroom teachers are teamed with academic specialists with whom they share responsibility for teaching academic subject matter for one or more grade levels. At all grade levels (K-8), classroom teachers, special education teachers, counselors, and therapists collaborate extensively to support each student’s educational progress, avoiding the use of “program” labels (e.g., LEP, SpEd), which can diminish the belief that each child's educational success is a shared responsibility. To facilitate this further, every student at CDCPS has his/her own set of Personal Education Goals (PEG). The PEG (see Appendix F) is much more than a report card; it is an individualized learning plan that identifies the student’s strengths in counterpoint to those areas in which he/she will need additional support to meet grade-level learning standards. PEGs are shared with students and parents several times per year, reinforcing our philosophy that the responsibility for student achievement must be shared. Teachers share PEGs with parents during parent-teacher conferences. Bilingual staff members provide translation of PEGs during these conferences, and written translation of the entire PEG is provided upon request. The narrative portion of the PEG describes the student’s achievement in Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies; etc. based on a rubric with a numeric scale (ranging from “0” for unsatisfactory to “4” for excellent). The Action Plan portion of the PEG contains specific learning goals relating to subject-area skills; it also outlines actions and services needed to support the attainment of these goals. These actions and services are designed to reflect the student’s needs. They may include one-to-one tutoring or small group instruction; instructional support or counseling in a student’s native language; or opportunities to accelerate learning for students who quickly master grade-level content. A variety of activities, such as homework help, tutorials, MCAS preparation and community service learning are offered during the after-school hours during the school year. A month-long summer program that offers opportunities for remedial academic support is delivered each July. Management Structure Our school benefits greatly from the knowledge, expertise, and management services provided by Community Day Care of Lawrence, Inc., a private, non-profit organization with a well-established reputation as a leader in the early care and education field. One full-time Executive Director oversees Community Day Care, Inc. and Community Day Charter Public School. A shared central administration manages accounting and finance, building maintenance and repair, data management and analysis, fundraising and program development, human resources, information technology, special projects, and public relations. This cohesive management structure offers efficient delivery of administrative services and supports collaborations with respect to curriculum development, sharing of best practices, fundraising and program development. CDCPS has implemented many of the successful practices developed by Community Day Care over the last forty years. These best practices include establishing welcoming environments where parents are regarded as partners in their children’s learning experiences; celebrating children and families from many cultures; and collaborating with health and human services agencies to deliver services to support children’s cognitive, intellectual, social-emotional and physical development. Most recently Community Day Care and CDCPS have joined together to fully align our preschool/early learning programs with the Success for All Curiosity Corner curriculum, which will facilitate the transitions of young children from preschool to Kindergarten and Kindergarten to grade one. We have also brought staff members from both organizations together to develop the Project for After-School Learning (PAL). PAL brings CDCPS educators, who have expertise in developing and delivering instruction aligned to K-8 learning standards, together with CDC professionals, who have expertise in effective youth development. Our goal is to create a replicable after-school model that better utilizes out-of-school time to help students attain proficiency in English language arts and math, a requirement of No Child Left Behind. Collaboration with the management organization has enabled us to secure private foundation and government grants to provide experienced faculty members with opportunities for professional growth through dissemination activities. In response to numerous requests resulting from publicity concerning our outstanding academic results, CDCPS joined with Community Day Care in 2004 to launch the Community Partners Initiative (CPI) (www.cpieducate.org). In the interest of sharing our best practices and programs, CPI provides an opportunity for our faculty members to hone their presentation skills and prepare high-quality professional development materials to share at workshops, seminars and professional development institutes. Dedicated, Competent Staff We employ highly qualified individuals willing to take responsibility for each student’s success, and we provide the structures and supports that help our staff grow professionally. Our formal evaluation system provides our staff with constructive feedback and helps them develop skills in classroom management, curriculum, differentiated instruction, standards alignment, and meeting the diverse learning needs of our student population. Faculty members are encouraged to be consistently reflective on practice and to constantly seek to improve their skills. We offer extensive professional development opportunities in order to develop and retain talented educators. Prior to the start of each new school year, administrators, teachers and assistant teachers (paraprofessionals) participate in an intensive, week-long, building-based, professional development institute and orientation. Experienced faculty members take primary responsibility for planning and delivering the presentations and hands-on curriculum alignment/refinement activities offered as part of the institute, which have a primary focus on helping students master the learning standards of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes. In addition, faculty members prepare annual professional development plans aligned to students’ learning goals. The goals of these professional development activities are to help teachers increase their content knowledge, their pedagogical skills, and to enable them to obtain/retain certification in their appropriate subject/grade level. To meet these goals, teachers attend workshops and conferences sponsored by the Massachusetts Department of Education, in-house trainings offered by qualified experts, and courses or seminars offered by colleges and universities. We provide tuition reimbursements for staff pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's Degree in education or in a subject-area field. In this way, assistant teachers (paraprofessionals) who wish to become teachers are encouraged and supported, and all members of our staff receive financial support for professional development, which is provided for in the school’s budget and through aggressive efforts to secure government and private grants. Much of our professional development takes place in-house. Teachers participate in peer observations, grade level meetings, study groups, and committees. We assign “Mentor Teachers” with expertise in curriculum design and a demonstrated track record in facilitating student achievement to provide instruction and support to our new teaching faculty. Teachers also develop their skills in our team-taught classes. The model allows teachers to learn from each other, and provides an opportunity for new teachers to develop their skills by working with more experienced teachers. Parent Participation and Involvement The participation and involvement of parents in all aspects of school life contributes to a culture of collaboration and a school climate focused on meeting each student’s learning needs. The Parent Advisory Board (PAB) and the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) provide structures that encourage parental engagement, as well as opportunities to work with school staff members to create a community that values learning and hard work. The PAB offers a regular schedule of evening meetings (with Spanish translation for those who need it) that are open to all parents. In addition, a core group of Spanish-speaking parents developed Padres en Acción (Association of Parents in Action), a PAB sub-committee that works with other parents, teachers and administrators to highlight cultural diversity. The PAC works in tandem with the PAB to welcome, inform and support parents of children receiving, or potentially in need of, special services. Our school's Bylaws stipulate that our Board of Trustees include members of the PAB, giving parents an active and influential voice in the governance of the school. PAB members were instrumental in the development of our code of conduct. Focusing on the core values of respect for oneself and others, the code of conduct sets high expectations for behavior and citizenship for all members of our community: students, faculty staff, and family members. PAB members were also directly involved in developing a uniform dress code for CDCPS students in an effort to eliminate status dressing and to create a group identity for the school. Parents are encouraged to play an active role in their children's education by communicating regularly with their children’s teachers and participating in parent/teacher conferences. Parents attend secondary school placement information nights and MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) Test information meetings. Parents also organize social, cultural and fund raising events, and volunteer their time to offer assistance in the classroom, office, library, and on field trips. Bilingual/Bicultural Parent Liaisons and Parent Educators from Community Day Care have supported our efforts to maintain a high level of parent involvement and participation. We facilitate this by scheduling evening and weekend hours for meetings and activities, using interpreters and translated materials, and providing child care for parent-teacher meetings. Through our relationship with Community Day Care, CDCPS families are able to take advantage of a variety of no-cost programs and services for families with young children, pre-natal to age four. Enhancing and Sharing the Resources of the Community Our mission indicates, in part, that our “curriculum will be embedded in the reality of city life and will reinforce the positive aspects of our city: its culture, art and economy, its working class history and strong work ethic” (Community Day Care of Lawrence, Application for Commonwealth Charter School, 1994). Therefore, we reach out to cultural clubs and community-based organizations to encourage our students and families to participate in the many no-cost and low-cost cultural and recreational activities that these groups offer throughout the year. Our children and families attend and participate in Hispanic Week (Semana Hispana), which celebrates the diversity of Latin cultures, through food, dance, and music each June. Over Labor Day Weekend the St. Alfio Society sponsors free concerts as part of the Feast of the Three Saints, a celebration of the city’s Italian American community. On Labor Day, the Bread and Roses Festival celebrates the important role that Lawrence played in the organized labor movement through its participation in the Bread and Roses Strike of 1912. We welcome talented professional artists affiliated with the Essex Art Center into the school to provide lessons and host exhibits for CDCPS students. We bring students to the Lawrence History Center/Immigrant City Archives to examine collections that document the lives of the many immigrant groups that made the city a microcosm of American settlement, bringing the study of United States history alive for our students. Students from Phillips Academy, retired professionals from GROUP (the Gillette Retiree Outreach Program), and musicians from the Northshore Youth Symphony Orchestra supplement the efforts of school staff to provide our students with additional opportunities for academic support (MCAS Prep and Homework Club), enrichment and recreation activities (violin instruction, dominoes club, Legos club, basketball, cross country, etc.) during the summer and after school during the school year. Taking advantage of Lawrence's unique arts and cultural assets helps us strengthen the relationships between and among our students, parents, faculty and the broader community. Efforts to teach CDCPS students about the importance of being responsible citizens and preservers of Lawrence history are enhanced through our involvement in renovating three historically significant buildings and using these as schools. Our school facilities include a mansion owned by the first mayor of Lawrence that was later converted to a convent, and the old public library building, constructed in the 1890s. Grants from local private foundations dedicated to preservation of the community’s history supported the costs associated with the restoration of the library building, as well as the conversion of a once blighted and abandoned lot into a playground. This private investment provided a solution to a challenge faced by charter schools with respect to the financing of their facilities, saved a treasured landmark, and infused an economically distressed neighborhood with a new vitality that has stimulated significant additional investments and renovations. MEASURES OF SUCCESS We use a variety of assessments to measure progress in attaining the accountability goals of our charter and achieving the mission of our school. Standardized Test Results All students in grades 3-8, including students with special learning needs and students with limited English proficiency, participate in the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) tests, which measure student performance based on the learning standards in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Our students have consistently achieved the highest MCAS scores in Lawrence (Massachusetts Department of Education, MCAS, 2006) and they frequently achieve some of the highest scores in the state (see Appendix G), earning us the following recognition on both state and national levels:
Secondary School Placement and Performance One of our accountability goals states that “Students graduating from CDCPS will have choices for secondary school, including acceptance into secondary schools that base admission on student achievement, and will demonstrate adequate preparation once there” (Community Day Charter Public School, Charter School Accountability Plan 2005-2010, 2004, Goal 8). To measure our success with regard to this goal, we analyze secondary school placement results for each graduating class of eighth grade students and track the secondary school performance of CDCPS graduates through annual surveys administered by telephone and e-mail contacts with the graduates, or with their parents. Since our first class of eighth grade students graduated in June 2000, sixty percent of our graduates have enrolled in private secondary schools that base admissions on academic performance, including some of the most competitive high schools in the country: Phillips Andover, Phillips Exeter, Brooks, Governor’s Academy, St. Paul’s School, The Pingree School, The Dublin School, Miss Hall’s School, Central Catholic High School, Presentation of Mary Academy. Former CDCPS students have been successful in both private and public high schools; Ninety-one percent of our former students have graduated from high school on time (in four years), as compared to sixty-two percent of students from all Massachusetts urban districts, and forty-one percent for the district of Lawrence (Massachusetts Department of Education, Four-Year Graduation Rate, 2006). Eighty percent of our former students who have graduated from high school are attending colleges and universities throughout the United States, from Bates College in Maine, to Pomona College in California. Parent Satisfaction A number of indicators give evidence of the confidence parents have in CDCPS. Applications for admission via the lottery system far exceed available seats. Since 2002 the average annual waitlist for admission has exceeded 700 children. Our annual retention rate, which averages 97-98% (children leave only when the family moves out of the city), further shows that families of children who attend our school are not disappointed. Parent responses to surveys (a regular part of our school-wide assessment) have consistently shown a high degree of satisfaction with the quality of teaching, school management, accessibility, school-home communication, class size, and curriculum (Community Day Charter Public School, Parent Questionnaire, 2006). Staff Satisfaction Our faculty includes a mix of veteran teachers who helped to found and open the school, experienced professionals making a mid-life career change, and recent college graduates with a passion to teach in an urban setting. These diverse professionals come together in a school where classroom doors are always open and teachers are encouraged to seek advice and support from peers and administrators to identify the instructional strategies and curriculum resources that will help their students to become more successful. Teachers describe the levels of collaboration and support as extensive, creating a working environment that produces a high degree of professional satisfaction (Massachusetts Charter School Association, 2007). Our school’s support for teachers includes a commitment to providing opportunities for professional growth and career advancement. All three of our current Heads of School (Early Learning, Lower School, and Upper School) were first employed as classroom teachers at CDCPS. BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF CHARTER PUBLIC SCHOOLS As public school educators in a high-poverty urban community, our greatest challenge is to ensure that we give entering children the time and individualized instruction required to master literacy and social skills essential for academic success, ensuring that when they graduate, they are well-prepared to succeed in high school and beyond. In this paper we have discussed the practices and strategies that teachers, parents, board members, students and independent evaluators have identified as contributing to our students’ achievement. There is considerable agreement with respect to these success identifiers.
Our charter status has contributed to the implementation of these methods and practices. The autonomy accorded to charter public schools reduces administrative layers often present in larger school districts. Our management structure consists of an Executive Director who reports to a Board of Trustees comprised of parents, educators, legal and financial experts that are dedicated to the success of the school. The Executive Director supervises three Heads of School, and each Head of School (Early Learning Center, Lower School and Upper School) works with an instructional team that shares accountability for student achievement. This structure gives the educators, who know their students best, the flexibility to determine the instructional programs and services that will best meet their needs. Having this flexibility contributes to our faculty's belief that they are respected and trusted as professionals (Charter School Project School Questionnaire, 2007). We believe that CDCPS has also demonstrated its capacity to respond to the unique pressure on charter schools to be both successful in developing and disseminating innovative programs, while simultaneously ensuring the academic proficiency of its students. Doing so requires highly competent and energetic educators who respond in positive ways to these challenges. Perhaps Mary Chance, our Head of Upper School, best defined the key to our success, “We are a school under construction always looking for ways to improve.”
About the Authors Sheila Balboni has been the Executive Director of Community Day Care for more than thirty years. She is an original founder of Community Day Charter Public School and has been its Executive Director since its inception. Ms. Balboni holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Newton College, a Master’s Degree in Education from Framingham State College, and a Master’s Degree in Education, Administration, Planning and Social Policy from Harvard University. Sheila is a past president of the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association. Susan O'Neill joined Community Day Care and Community Day Charter Public School in 2000. She has more than twenty-five years of successful experience as a grant writer, grants’ administrator, teacher and counselor for public schools and private nonprofit agencies. Ms. O'Neill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish Language and Literature from Brandeis University and a Master’s Degree in Education from Salem State College.
School Contact Information Community Day Charter Public School
Appendix A
Key Elements of Modern Red SchoolHouse (MRSH) and Core KnowledgeÆ Sequence Implemented at CDCPS Modern Red SchoolHouse (MRSH)
The Core Knowledge Sequence of E.D. Hirsch The Core Knowledge Sequence supports attainment of academic excellence as it provides children with the opportunity to establish strong foundations of knowledge grade by grade. CDCPS followed Core Knowledge recommendations as they developed and implemented a Preschool-Grade 8 curriculum that is:
Appendix B Community Day Charter Public School Curriculum Unit for History and Social Science Adapted from the Unit Authored by Charles A. Easley Unit Title: Lawrence in the Industrial Revolution I (1840’s to 1860) - No. of Lessons: 14-16 Overview: This is a supplemental unit to incorporate the history of Lawrence into the coverage of U.S. history for this period. Lawrence was a planned city designed to be a model of the best that industrialization could offer. The planners truly believed that industry was the wave of the future, would provide for their own prosperity, and also provide a better life for the workers. They designed a clean, modern city that provided safe working conditions and a way to improve the individual worker’s lives over a short period of employment. Massachusetts History and Social Science Learning Standards:
Resources: The American Nation (Prentice Hall), Chapter 14; America, A Narrative History pp. 496-506; and Students will learn the following concepts and skills:
Lesson 1: This lesson introduces the Industrial Revolution and the experience in Lawrence Do Now: What is Lawrence known for? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps:
Lesson 2: Lawrence, a social experiment by progressive industrial thinkers Do Now: What industry drove the Industrial Revolution? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps:
Lesson 3: Immigration into the US between 1780 and 1860 and Lawrence’s experience Do Now: What was the Essex Co. plan for Lawrence? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps:
Lesson 4: Students begin their research into Lawrence history. Do Now: What was the first nationality to immigrate to Lawrence, and why? Aim: Students will learn about Lawrence and the experiences of the populace during the introduction of the Industrial Revolution and the beginning of mass immigration into the US through research with primary sources provided by the Lawrence History Center. Steps:
Lesson 5: Students work on research projects Do Now: What was the primary product produced in the mills of Lawrence? Aim: Students will learn about Lawrence and the experiences of the populace during the introduction of the Industrial Revolution and the beginning of mass immigration into the US through research with primary sources provided by the Lawrence History Center. Steps:
Lesson 6: Students work on projects: Do Now: What was the Great Stone Dam famous for? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps: a. work with groups on projects Lesson 7: Students work on projects Do Now: What was the importance of the Essex Co. to the development of Lawrence? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps: a. work with groups on projects Lesson 8: Students work on projects Do Now: What source of power did the mills of Lawrence depend on? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps: a. work with groups on projects Lesson 9: Students work on projects Do Now: Was the development of the steam engine important to the development of Lawrence? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps: a. work with groups on projects Lessons 10-14: Students present projects Do Now: What was the importance of the Wood Mill to Lawrence? Aim: Students will learn:
Steps: a. Students present projects and turn in work
Assessment of Student Learning: Students will demonstrate learning through completion of a research project. Suggested research topics include:
Strategies to Support Differentiation: Provide students with choices with respect to methods and topics, including individual projects:
Appendix C Community Day Charter Public School Sample Curriculum Map: Grade 8 History and Social Science 2006-2007 September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
Appendix D
Community Day Charter Public School Action Plan Template
Teacher: Subject/GradeLevel: Target Area:
Appendix E
Three-Tier Reading Model K-Grade 3
Appendix F
Community Day Charter Public School Personal Educational Goals
Community Day Charter Public School has standards driven curriculum based upon integrated skills and standards related to each subject taught at the school. Subject content supports the skill development of students. Progress in understanding subject content as well as progress in developing skills are assessed at regular intervals. This progress is essential to the student’s growth as a learner. Progress Report / Reporte de Notas
Language Arts / Lenguaje
Math / Matem·tica
Science / Ciencia
Social Studies / Estudios Sociales
Spanish / Español
Physical Education / Educación Física
Arts / Artes
Community Standards / Normas Comunitarias
Comments
Modifications (if needed) / Modificaciones (si es necesario)
Goals for Next Term / Metas para el PrÛximo PerÌodo
Action Plan / Plan de Acción
Signature of Teacher(s) Signature of Parent
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