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Learning education movement in California, and the
critical issues facing Personalized Learning programs!
The long-awaited UC a-g policy for nonclassroom-based charter school eligibility has finally been approved, after a two year moratorium. The policy was approved by the BOARS Articulation and Evaluation Committee on 11/1/07.
The policy applies to any public, public charter, or private high school in which at least 50 percent of the students receive 80 percent of their instruction off campus. That policy definition applies to virtually all of our members. The two main sticking points that we originally had with the UC policy draft had to do with two areas. The good news is that the language was changed to be much more flexible and realistic for our schools. Here are the two areas that were changed:
1. The original requirement for students to spend at least one hour per week in face to face interaction on the school site for classroom instruction. The language has been changed to the following, which allows a much greater degree of flexibility: Students are expected to spend at least one hour per week per a-g course engaged in interactive instruction and/or academic tutoring/advising. This instruction and/or support may be provided onsite or through virtual means.
2. The original requirement for teachers to have at least five years of experience in the a-g course subject area. The language has been changed to the following, which allows a much greater degree of flexibility: Students taking a UC-approved a-g course are expected to have regular access (i.e., at least weekly) to a teacher who is a subject expert teacher* in that subject area, whether in person or by phone or email. The teacher should be available to answer students' questions about curriculum, explain assignments, and provide feedback on student work.
* A subject expert teacher is defined as an instructor who has taught in a particular subject area for at least three years at the high school or postsecondary level OR has a teaching credential and a bachelor's or advanced degree in the subject area OR has been certified as a Highly Qualified Teacher under the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
Overall, we are very pleased with this final approved policy for nonclassroom-based eligibility and wish to express our appreciation to the UC Board of Regents and the BOARS Articulation and Evaluation Committee for resolving this issue.
APLUS+ member Mountain Home Charter student Tia Thomas finished eighth overall in the 2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C.
Tia is a 7th grader at Mountain Home Charter School. This year was her fourth time representing Eastern Madera County at the National Spelling Bee. Tia has been sent to Washington since the fourth grade. Each year she significantly improves her prior year's performance and finish. Last year she finished 22nd over all and Gov. Schwarzenegger honored her by meeting with her. With Tia's increasing status as one of the favorites in the National Spelling Bee, this year ABC/ ESPN came to her home and Mountain Home Charter School, interviewing many for the short bios that were shown on her in a variety of instances. Tia was featured this year both on Good Morning America and Inside Edition. In addition, this year Tia was taken to the White House and introduced to Laura Bush.
Tia studies her spelling approximately 2-3 hours every day and has done so since the fourth grade. According to Mountain Home Charter school principal, Mike Cox, " Tia loves the competition. Beyond being a spelling champion, Tia is taking Algebra 1, loves to ski in our school's ski program, is a fine musician and is in general just a great kid."
For her exemplary academic excellence as a Personalized Learning student, Tia will also be honored with an APLUS+ Pioneer Award at this year's APLUS+ conference in October. Please join us in congratulating Tia Thomas, her family, and Mountain Home Charter School for this tremendous academic accomplishment.
Jeremy Heckman of Paradise, CA., a senior at APLUS+ member CORE @ The Camptonville Academy charter school, has been selected as one of 234 Distinguished Finalists across the nation in the 2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program, which honors outstanding youth volunteers.
Jeremy is being honored for designing and building a 3,600 square foot "garden outdoor classroom" to give young people in his small town a place to learn about agriculture and the planting/harvesting process. Jeremy spent six months researching and planning a design, raising funds and project supplies, soliciting volunteer assistance, clearing the ground and constructing the outdoor learning center.
All middle level and high schools in the U.S., along with all Girl Scout Councils, county 4-H organizations, Red Cross chapters, TMCAs and Volunteer Centers, were eligible to select a student or member for a local Prudential Spirit of Community Award last November. More than 7,500 Local Honorees were then reviewed by state-level judges, who selected two State Honorees in each state and the District of Columbia, plus a select number of Distinguished Finalists based on criteria such as personal initiative, creativity, effort, impact and personal growth. Please join me in congratulating Jeremy, his family, and CORE @ The Camptonville Academy for this outstanding honor.
| The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards honor young people in middle level and high school grades for outstanding volunteer service to their communities. Created in 1995 by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the awards constitute the United States' largest youth recognition program based solely on volunteering. Over the past 12 years, the program has honored more than 75,000 young volunteers at the local, state, and national level. |
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| Two young Americans—one high school student and one middle-level student—in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia were recently named State Honorees in the 2007 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards program. These Honorees will receive $1,000 awards, engraved silver medallions, and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., in May 2007 for four days of recognition events |
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Vienna Saccomanno and Alison Helmen, high school students at APLUS+ member Forest Charter School, won 1st place in the Nevada County Science Fair this spring. They went on to compete in the California State Science Fair at USC and won 3rd place in the Behavioral & Social Sciences Division competing with nearly 1000 students across the state. Their project was entitled: Testing the Accuracy of Human Lie Detecting Techniques , and studied people's body language, subtle and gross, when lying. Congratulations to Vienna and Alison,their families, and Forest Charter School for this tremendous achievement!!
From the California State Science Fair Website: http://www.usc.edu/CSSF/
The California State Science Fair is the final science fair of the academic year for students throughout the State of California in grades 6 - 12, serving California's future scientists since 1952. It is hosted by the California Science Center (formerly, the California Museum of Science and Industry).
The 56th annual California State Science Fair was held on May 21-22, 2007. This year there were 969 participants from 380 schools throughout the State who met in competition for awards totaling over $50,000.
CSSF Category Awards: 2007 Behavioral & Social Sciences
Senior Division
First Place Michael J. Vredenburgh, Grade 9
Patient Safety: Testing the Effectiveness of Patient Medication Information Sheets in Communicating Pharmaceutical Risk
Advisor: Mr. Karl Walker
School: Carlsbad High School, Carlsbad, San Diego County
Second Place Anna K. Dewey, Grade 12
Charles D. Dewey , Grade 9
Infrawaves: Nature's Early Warning System
Advisor: Ms. Grace Lee-Chung
School: Corona Senior High School, Corona, Riverside County
Fourth Place Ranae Jabri, Grade 10
The Effects of Audio-Visual Skew and Background Sounds on Human Perception of Video Content
Advisor: Ms. Millie Hackworth
School: Redwood High School, Larkspur, Marin County
Honorable Mention Miriam C. Glicksberg , Grade 11
Are There Distinct Categories of Math Ability?
Advisor: Dr. Annie Darakjian
School: El Camino Real High School, Woodland Hills, Los Angeles County
Honorable Mention Ketaki M. Panse , Grade 9
Math: Are We Born with It?
Advisor: Mr. Harry Post
School: Hemet Senior High School, Hemet, Riverside County
Honorable Mention Sarah T. Silverstein , Grade 12
Attitudes, Exercise, and Stess: A Longitudinal Study of Dental Students, Year 3
Advisor: Mr. James Davis
School: Henry (Patrick) Senior High School, San Diego, San Diego County
Tia Thomas, a seventh grade student at Mountain Home School Charter, (a Personalized Learning K-8 charter school headquartered in Oakhurst, California and a member of APLUS+), has advanced to the next round in the 80th Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Tia is among 286 students competing for the annual title, and has completed four very challenging rounds so far in this year's competition.
This is Tia's fourth National Spelling Bee. Last year, as a sixth grader, Tia finished 22nd out of 286 students. Tia will be appearing on Good Morning America on May 31st. Please join me in congratulating Tia Thomas and her family, along with Principal Michael Cox and the entire staff at Mountain Home School Charter for this tremendous achievement. Below is an article released today from CBS news on the latest from the National Spelling Bee.
WASHINGTON, May. 30, 2007 (AP) The start of the 80th Scripps National Spelling Bee on Wednesday resembled a classroom of students taking the SAT as 286 youngsters from the English-speaking world filled in ovals with their No. 2 pencils.
Along with the 25-word, multiple-choice spelling test, they were also given their only guaranteed moment on the Grand Hyatt's ballroom stage: a chance to spell one word before an audience of parents, friends and judges.
"Macaroni _ what does it mean?" asked 14-year-old Michael Yeh of Kokomo, Ind., exercising his right to ask for a definition before correctly spelling the popular kids' food often served with cheese.
The multiple choice test (worth 25 points) and the preliminary oral round (worth three points) served to narrow the field to 90 or so spellers, who advanced to the quarterfinals Wednesday afternoon. The semifinals and finals take place Thursday, with the champion crowned in prime time on ABC for the second consecutive year.
The winner receives $35,000 cash, a $5,000 scholarship, a $2,500 savings bond and a complete set of reference works.
The oral round was hardly taxing for the top spellers. Tia Thomas, 12, of Coarsegold, Calif., back for her fourth national bee, correctly spelled "flagrant." The audience laughed when pronouncer Jacques Bailly defined "ninety" as "being one more than 89" for 13-year-old Mary Harrington of Vineyard Haven, Mass.
Aishwarya Pastapur of Overland Park, Kansas, made her feelings known by wearing a T-shirt with the words "mishpelt werds eeritate me." She displayed no irritation whatsoever by correctly spelling "enumerated."
Kate Weir, 13, of Christchurch, New Zealand, traveled far to participate, and she must have felt the wait was even longer when she was kept at the microphone while the judges conferred over her Kiwi-accented spelling of "eeriness." Her spelling was eventually replayed over the loudspeakers before it was declared correct.
There were a few flubs, however. Ten-year-old Seher Sethi of Rhinebeck, N.Y., let out a sigh after misspelling "pallbearer." Christian Wilks, 10, of Freeport, Ill., tried to put an "a" and an extra "l" in "felony."
During the breaks, the ballroom was vibrant with spellers who have become fast friends during their short time in Washington _ and some who have formed a camaraderie over the years. Matthew Evans, a 12-year-old from Albuquerque, N.M., who is also appearing for the fourth time, excitedly compared notes with Tia following the multiple choice test. Matthew said he got 24 correct.
"My favorite word was actually word No. 25!" Matthew exclaimed.
And what is that word?
"Bewusstseinslage," he said, defining it as state of consciousness and pronounced bay-VOOHST-seins-lahg-eh.
And why is it his favorite word?
"Just because it's so weird sounding."
Thirteen-year-old Samir Patel of Colleyville, Texas, was scheduled to take part in the morning's final oral round. Samir has finished third, 27th, second and 14th in his four national bees and is considered by many the favorite to win.
"I feel I've been trying my hardest for the last few years and it hasn't worked out," Samir said. "But life is not completely about the spelling bee and I've learned to realize that. But I will be very disappointed if I don't win."
Sierra Charter School has announced that their charter petition was recently approved by Fresno Unified School District on April 18th for a full 5 years!
Sierra Charter School had been previously sponsored out of Mono County but was serving the majority of their students in Fresno County. The school had established its administrative offices and a learning center in Fresno County as well. As with other APLUS+ member schools, Sierra needed to find a new sponsor in Fresno County and establish a local presence in order to maintain its learning center operations in Fresno County. According to Lisa Marasco, Sierra's positive track record made the difference with the district in granting a full five year term. Please join me in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Lisa Marasco and her entire staff at Sierra Charter School for this tremendous accomplishment!
After a very long and courageous two-year effort led by Jan Jablecki at CORE @ The Camptonville Academy to find a sponsor in neighboring Butte County in order to establish a local presence and maintain their learning centers in Butte County, CORE Butte Charter School won approval of their charter petition at the Butte County Office of Education (BCOE) on April 9, 2007.
The petition, which was presented on appeal, was approved for an initial two-year term. The basis for the BCOE staff recommendation to approve the charter was the outstanding track record of the replicated charter, CORE @ The Camptonville Academy, an APLUS+ charter member. CORE's strong performance on the API, as well as their track record of fiscal responsiblity, laid the groundwork for overturning the refusal by Golden Feather School District. CORE Butte will be an independent charter with accountability directly to the BCOE. Please join me in extending our heartfelt congratulations to Jan Jablecki and her entire staff at CORE @ The Camptonville Academy for this tremendous accomplishment!
Five APLUS+ members schools have just announced that they have been accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).
Announcing their recent WASC accreditation are Gold Rush Charter School, Long Valley Charter School, Merced Scholars Charter School, Sierra Charter School, and Vista Real Charter High School. With these announcements, the APLUS+ Network Association, in just over three years, now has 69% of its eligible member schools accredited, with 89% either accredited or candidates for accreditation.
Also announcing that they will be receiving their final WASC results later this Spring are Carter G. Woodson Charter School, Plumas Charter School, The Learning Choice Academy (TLC) Charter School, and W.E.B. DuBois Charter School. Receiving their results later this Spring from initial committee visits are Crescent View Charter High School and Crescent View West Charter High School.
An article by Jeff Rice, Founder and Director of the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Network Association, describing the growing California Personalized Learning movement, is featured in the Winter 07 Threshold Magazine on pages 9-12. You can read the article at: http://www.ciconline.org/thresholdwinter07
Threshold magazine is produced by Cable in the Classroom in partnership with the State Educational Technoloby Directors Association. The entire Winter 07 magazine edition is dedicated to the vision of and need for personalizing learning for students in the 21st century. The following summary of the Winter 07 Threshold edition was provided:
The end is near for the one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning that has dominated American schools for most of the past century. Instead, that outdated model must be replaced by schools designed to better support individualized instruction enhanced by technology, as detailed in the new issue of "Threshold: Exploring the Future of Education" from Cable in the Classroom and the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The research has been clear for decades: individual students learn through different learning styles; at different paces; and through various physical, emotional, and environmental challenges and limitations. They also learn with different interests and passions, and to varying degrees of success in different social and physical environments. The issue on personalized education features: (1) Personalization strategies and tools for teachers; (2) A discussion with education experts on personalization, technology and their hopes for the future; (3) Personal computing for students; (4) How to use assessment tools to personalize instruction; and (5) Best practices from a professional development model program from New Mexico.
As described on its website at www.ciconline.org , Threshold is a forward-looking quarterly journal for district, state, and national education leaders. Launched in 2003, it features nationally-recognized experts offering provocative ideas, opinions, and research at the intersection of education and technology. The content for each issue is developed in partnership with a leading education organization with a stake and expertise in the topic at hand, meaning readers are guaranteed authoritative perspectives on the key educational issues of the day. Past partners have included: Council for Chief State School Officers, National PTA, Institute for Educational Leadership, NASA, National School Boards Association and many other significant organizations. Past topics have included: emergency preparedness, high school reform, textbooks and digital content, math and science education, and others.
The Jacquelin Hume Foundation, based in San Francisco, has announced a pledge of $33,875 toward the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Research Project.
The APLUS+ network and APLUS+ member schools are currently ramping for the official launch of the project on July 1, 2007. APLUS+ would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the Jacquelin Hume Foundation for its support of the Personalized Learning Research Project.
Caprice Young, President and CEO of the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA), recently announced a pledge of $10,000 on behalf of the Association to support the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Research Project. The project will last a duration of three years, and will demonstrate both the value-added benefit of the Personalized Learning model for struggling students who came from a rigid traditional classroom model, and the diversity of students successfully served by the Personalized Learning model.
The APLUS+ network and APLUS+ member schools are currently ramping for the official launch of the project on July 1, 2007. APLUS+ would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the CCSA for its support of the Personalized Learning Research Project.
APLUS+ Personalized Learning schools have made significant improvement in their schoolwide API (Academic Performance Index) results. For two consecutive years, APLUS+ schools have outperformed the California state public school average in API schoolwide scores and growth point averages.
- In 2005, 73% of APLUS+ Personalized Learning member schools met their API schoolwide growth target. That beat the state average of 68%.
- In 2005, APLUS+ member schools averaged a 31 point growth in their API. By more than 50%, that beat the state public school average of 20 points growth in their API.
- APLUS+ member schools also beat the state average in graduation rates in 2005. The statewide average was 83.3% of schools meeting graduation rate requirements; the percentage of APLUS+ schools meeting graduation rate requirements was 91%.
- In 2006, 68% of APLUS+ member schools met their API schoolwide growth target. By more than 30%, that beat the state average of 52%.
- In 2006, APLUS+ member schools averaged a 23 point growth in their API. That, by more than double, beat the state average of 11 points growth in their API.
The Walton Family Foundation recently announced a pledge of $147,650 to support the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Research Project. The project will last a duration of three years, and will demonstrate both the value-added benefit of the Personalized Learning model for struggling students who came from a rigid traditional classroom model, and the diversity of students successfully served by the Personalized Learning model.
The APLUS+ network and APLUS+ member schools are currently ramping for the official launch of the project on July 1, 2007. APLUS+ would like to extend its heartfelt appreciation to the Walton Family Foundation for its support of the Personalized Learning Research Project.
The APLUS+ Network Association is proud to announce that thirteen APLUS+ member schools have received notice this summer from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) that they have received accreditation! This now increases our WASC accredited member schools to a total of 22 of 39 eligible schools (serving secondary students) in our network (or 56%!). Receiving WASC accreditation in Summer, 2006 are the following APLUS+ member schools:
Connecting Waters Charter School: 6 year Accreditation
The Classical Academy Escondido: 6 year Accreditation The Classical Academy Oceanside: 6 year Accreditation
Delta Charter High School: 3 year Accreditation
Dehesa Charter School: 3 year Accreditation
FAME/BASIS Charter School: 3 year Accreditation Forest Charter School: 6 year Accreditation
Golden Valley Charter School: 3 year Accreditation
Modoc Charter School: 6 year Accreditation
Shasta Secondary Charter School: 6 year Accreditation
Somis Academy Charter School: 2 year Accreditation
Stellar Secondary Charter School: 6 year Accreditation
The graduating Senior Class of 2006 from Personalized Learning schools currently in the APLUS+ Personalized Learning Network Association have either been accepted to or will plan on attending in Fall 2006 the following list of 100 Universities and Colleges nationwide. Several Colleges and Universities listed below will have more than one student from the APLUS+ network attending. This list will be updated as additional Colleges and Universities confirm acceptance throughout this Spring and Summer.
American River Community College, Sacramento
Antelope Valley College, Lancaster, CA
Arizona State University- (national merit scholar - honors college)
Azusa Pacific University
Baldwin and Wallace College
Brown University
Butte College
Brigham Young University
Cabrillo College
California Baptist
California State University, Chico
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Humboldt
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, San Marcos
California State University, San Diego
California State University, San Francisco
California State Unuversity, Stanislaus
Cal Poly, Pomona
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
California Culinary Academy San Francisco
Catholic Diocese of Denver
Chapman College
College of the Desert
College of the Redwoods Community College
College of the Sequoias
College of the Siskiyous
DeAnza College
Dartmouth
Dominican University, San Rafael, CA
Evangel University
Feather River College
Fresno City College
Fresno Community College
Fresno Institute of Technology
Fresno Pacific University
Fullerton Community College
Galen College
Goucher University – Boston
Harvard
Heald College
IT Tech, Seattle , WA
Jacksonville State University, Florida
Lassen College
Lewis and Clark College
Las Positas
Los Angeles Harbor College , Los Angeles , CA
Los Angeles Recording School
Masters College
Merced College
Mira Costa College
Mira Mesa Community College
Modesto Junior College
Moorpark College
National University
New York University
Occidental College
Oregon State University
Oxnard College
Pacific Junior College
Palomar College
Penn State University
Pensacola Christian College in Florida
Point Loma Nazarene
Reedley Community College
Riverside Community College
Saddleback Community College
San Jacinto Community College
Shasta Community College
Sierra College
Simpson College, Redding
Simpson University School of Education
Southern Oregon University
Thomas Aquinas College, Ojai, CA
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of Colorado, Boulder
University of New Hampshire
University of Oregon
University of Santa Clara
University of Southern California
University of Utah
University of Virginia
Ventura College
Ventura Community College, Ventura, CA
Wagner College, New York
West Hills Community College
West Point
West Valley College
Westminster College
Westwood College
Whittier College
Willamette University
William Jessup University
Yuba College
THE CLASSICAL ACADEMY
N E W S R E L E A S E
A charter petition for a new high school in Escondido was approved Tuesday, November 15 th, by the Escondido Unified High School District Board. The petitioners, headed by Robert Goode and Cameron Curry, are currently operating two very successful K-8 charter schools in San Diego County, the Classical Academy in Escondido since 1999, and the Coastal Academy in Oceanside since 2003. The Classical Academies, whose unique characteristic is “personalized learning”, are operating to meet the needs of parents wanting an active role in their students education, while offering optional classes conducted by credentialed teachers.
Members of the board noted the proven track record of the petitioners who have been operating since 1999 in Escondido with outstanding test scores, excellent financial operation, and a strong business model. Several parents from the large group in attendance spoke about their experiences with the Classical Academies and urged the board to approve the charter and allow the start-up of the new high school.
It was reported that the state has already approved a start-up grant of $180,000 for the school and an additional $65,000 was raised recently at a fundraising gala.
The group is planning to begin operation of the new high school in August 2006.
APLUS+ hosted its third annual conference in Sacramento on October 19-21, 2005. The event was attended by more than 240 representatives from nearly 40 APLUS+ member schools and 20 APLUS+ Preferred Partners.
The 2005 APLUS+ Network Conference was its most successful to date, and nearly 3/4 of attendees rated their overall conference experience as either very good or excellent! The 2005 APLUS+ Network Conference featured two highly respected keynote speakers: Rae Belisle, Chair of the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools (ACCS), and Dr. William Ellerbee, Deputy Superintendent of the School and District Operations Branch of the California Department of Education. Senator Bill Morrow (R-San Diego) was also honored as the APLUS+ Network's 2005 Legislator of the Year for his exemplary leadership in supporting the Personalized Learning movement.
Plans are already in the works for APLUS+' Fourth Annual Conference in October, 2006.
The third annual APLUS+ Network Conference is scheduled for October 19-21, 2005 at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference center in Sacramento. The annual APLUS+ network conference is open to representatives from all APLUS+ member schools, APLUS+ Preferred Partners, and special invited guests.
The theme of our 2005 APLUS+ Network Conference will be aligned with our network's overall theme for the coming year, “Demonstrating our Commitment to Academic Excellence” . Taking the steps to tangibly demonstrate the academic value and success of the Personalized Learning model and of our network schools is the next critical plateau in our network's growth. This year's 2005 Conference builds and expands upon our successful conferences of the previous two years. Highlighting our 2005 Conference are several suggestions from past conference attendees for improvements, including many more teaching related sessions, more roundtable discussions, more opportunities for networking among attendees, and a network-wide best practices curriculum and project exhibition! In addition, our conference will feature exhibits and presentations from our APLUS+ Network Preferred Partners. An informal network “no-host” reception will kick off our first evening together on Wednesday, followed by our network's formal reception at the conclusion of the first day's conference activities on Thursday. Our 2005 Conference network reception will also feature, by popular demand, the return of the APLUS+ Network Singers, who will add a number of new songs to entertain our conference attendees!
As always, this year's APLUS+ Network 2005 conference is exclusively dedicated to the current issues and information of critical importance to Personalized Learning school administrators, staff, teachers, and board members. We are honored this year to welcome several new session presenters with renowned expertise in their subject areas, our most popular session presenters from last year, as well as principal representatives from both charter school advocacy groups, CCSA and CSDC/CharterVoice, and from the California Department of Education. More than two dozen sessions covering a wide variety of topics relevant to Personalized Learning schools will be provided. Virtually everyone representing Personalized Learning schools, including board members, parent council members, teachers, school directors, principals, business managers, and administrative staff members will find valuable information, best practices, tools, and resources to help enhance and improve their educational and administrative programs and processes.
Beginning August 2005, our long-time friend and colleague, Diane Grotjohn, will be joining APLUS+ on a part-time basis (2 days per week equivalent) for the 2005-2006 school year as the network's new Member Services Consultant. As you know, Diane has served for years with APLUS+ Member Excelsior Education Center in Victorville, and through her longtime experience with Excelsior's model program and under Director Chuck Gehrke's expert guidance, has developed broadbased expertise in a number of important areas that can benefit our network members both individually and collectively. These areas of expertise include:
- WASC Accreditation
- Human Resources Policies and Procedures
- Teacher Credentialing
- NCLB Highly Qualified Teacher Requirements and Processes
- Curriculum Development
- Teacher Training/Development Programs
- Assessment and Testing
Diane will be available to provide consultation services to our members in these specific areas. In addition, Diane will help facilitate the compiling of network best practices to share with our members. We are also working on the possibility of having Diane facilitate more intensive regional training programs for teachers and/or administrators to cover these subject areas in greater detail for those needing it. Welcome aboard, Diane!
After sailing through the State Senate with unanimous, bipartisan support from California State Senators, SB462, the learning center waiver bill for highly accountable non-classroom charter schools, was denied by the Assembly Education Committee. SB462 was sponsored by APLUS+ and authored by Senator Bill Morrow. After the bill failed to receive enough votes to pass through Committee on a straight party line vote (8 Democrats against and 3 Republicans in favor), Assembly Chair Jackie Goldberg offered to move the bill to 2 years to enable us to try to find a compromise solution.
APLUS+ will continue to work with all interested parties to find common ground on which to support a solution to this issue.
APLUS+ network member Liberty Family Academy (LFA) announced this week
that it has received notice from WASC confirming that LFA has been approved
for candidacy status. LFA will have 2 1/2 years to complete its self
study process. Congratulations to Jessica Gillis and all the staff, teachers,
parents, students, board members and others in their achievement to further
demonstrate Liberty Family Academy as an exemplary Personalized Learning
charter school!
APLUS+ member Pacific View Charter School of Oceanside (San Diego County)
announced yesterday that it has been granted full 6 year accreditation
from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Congratulations
to Gina Campbell, Sharon South, and all the staff, teachers, parents,
students, board members and others in this monumental achievement to
further demonstrate Pacific View Charter School as an exemplary Personalized
Learning charter school!
APLUS+ member and pioneer trailblazer, Circle of Independent Learning
(COIL) charter school of Fremont, was granted the state's first ever
SB740 funding determination five year waiver by the Advisory Commission
on Charter Schools (ACCS) during yesterday's meeting in Sacramento. As
you may know, up until now the CDE and ACCS had limited the lengths of
SB740 funding determinations to no more than 3 years, even though the
regulations state that funding determinations can be for as many as 5
years. in the first two + rounds of funding determinations, the CDE had
taken a conservative approach as to the length that they were willing
to recommend, and this caused much frustration among charter schools
that were seeking funding stability indicators for loans, facilities,
and other critical operations purposes.
COIL's five year funding determination is a landmark, groundbreaking
achievement in the SB740 funding determination process. Congratulations
to Mary Musgrove and all of the staff, teachers, parents, students, board
members and others who have made the Circle of Independent Learning a
model Personalized Learning charter school!
APLUS+ member Modoc Charter School, a Personalized Learning program,
has announced that they received notice this week that their school has
been approved as a "Candidate for Accreditation...Approved by the
Schools Commission of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges." Their
term of candidacy will run through June 30, 2006.
Forest Charter School of Grass Valley, a Personalized Learning charter
school program and member of APLUS+, announced that it has been granted
an interim term of accreditation by the Western Association of Schools
and Colleges (WASC) Executive Director. The term of accreditation for
Forest Charter School will run through June 30, 2006.
The granting of interim accreditation for schools by the WASC Executive
Director is a prestigious accomplishment following an initial site visit,
and particularly rare for charter schools classified under independent
study guidelines. According to the WASC Accreditation handbook, “Interim
accreditation is for schools that meet the WASC criteria for full accreditation
and have a history and support system indicating a high quality program
that can be sustained into the foreseeable future.” The WASC evaluation
committee report, following their initial site visit to Forest Charter
School, commended Forest Charter School for “building a program
that develops responsibility and discipline and excellent preparation
for life”, and further commended the school’s leaders and
teachers for their “enthusiasm, preparation, and care for Forest
Charter School students”. According to Forest Charter School Director
Sandy McDivitt, "This important acknowledgement from WASC validates
the hard work and dedication of our teachers and staff to the high educational
quality and standards of our Personalized Learning charter school model.
In addition, WASC accreditation opens the door to our college prep students
who are interested in pursuing higher education through the U.C. and
C.S.U. state school systems."
Through this Fall, the APLUS+ Network is working together to facilitate
several open house events at several APLUS+ member's learning center
facilities throughout the state of California to help foster greater
public understanding as to how Personalized Learning schools effectively
use facilities for a variety of instruction-related services for their
students.
APLUS+ is a statewide network association representing 20 Personalized
Learning™ charter schools throughout California comprising nearly
10,000 students, several thousand parents, several hundred certificated
public school teachers, and several hundred administrators and staff.
APLUS+ is exclusively dedicated to promoting the benefits and successes
of a leading educational approach in the public school system called
Personalized Learning™, a unique model that tailors learning to
the individual needs of each student using learning environments both
within and beyond the classroom. Personalized Learning™ is effectively
serving students particularly at the higher and lower ends of the performance
bell curve whose needs are not being adequately served in a full-time
classroom environment. These are the students who are in the greatest
need of more individualized one-on-one attention, different choices in
curriculum, different learning pace or learning style approaches, learning
time outside a classroom-structured setting, and more. Personalized Learning™ provides
them with an educational program choice that is tailored specifically
to meet their individual needs in a manner that will help them learn
successfully, thus helping to ensure, through practical application in
public education, that no child is left behind.
The following APLUS+ Personalized Learning™ Network events have
been scheduled to facilitate greater understanding among the greater
public and public decision-makers as to how Personalized Learning™ schools
provide an effective, tailored educational approach using learning environments
both within and beyond the classroom. The Personalized Learning™ facilities,
also known as Learning Centers, provide a wide array of education-related
activities for students, including traditional classes, science and computer
labs, tutoring, testing and assessment, resource libraries, and teacher
and parent training development. Our network welcomes your attendance
to learn more about the Personalized Learning™ model, and about
the many high quality schools that passionately support this leading
edge approach in public education. Many of these events will feature
presentations of Certificates of Recognition by legislative representatives
to these charter school directors for their innovative approach to serving
students in need in public education. Please RSVP to Jeff Rice, Director,
APLUS+, at the above contact information. Directions to each school learning
center will be provided to all confirmed attendees.
Address: 1401 Gold St., Redding, CA. 96001, (530) 245-2600
Address: 4700 Calaveras Avenue, Fremont, CA. 94538, (510) 797-0100
Address: 140A Independence Circle, Chico, CA 95973, (530) 566-9810
Address: 8050 San Miguel Canyon Road, Prunedale, CA. 93907, (831) 663-1611
Address: 130B West Woodward Ave., Escondido, CA 92025, (760) 546-0101
Address: 13881 Campo Rd, Suite A3-6, Jamul, CA. 91935, (619) 669-3050
Address: 31620 Auto Center Drive, #A-1, Lake Elsinore, CA 92530, (909)
471-4151
Address: 25190 Hancock Ave., Murrieta, CA 92562, (909) 304-9544
Address: 1135 Pine St, Suite A, Redding, CA. 96001, (530) 229-0948
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Jeff Rice, Director,
APLUS+
September 26, 2003 Voice: 530-478-7726, Fax: 530-478-7571
Email: jeffrice@jps.net Web: www.theaplus.org
Nevada City, CA. APLUS+, the Association of Personalized
Learning Services, of Nevada City, a growing statewide network association
of charter schools that offer students a unique Personalized Learning™ approach
to education, successfully hosted its first ever statewide network conference
at the Red Lion Inn in Sacramento on Monday September 22nd.
This initial APLUS+ network conference also marks a landmark event in
the growing California charter school movement as the first conference
ever offered that is exclusively dedicated to Personalized Learning™ charter
school issues and best practices. Personalized Learning™ is a growing
model of education in the California public school system for K-12 students
that tailors learning to the individual needs of each and every student,
offering students broader and more in-depth educational flexibility through
learning environments both within and beyond the classroom, choices in
curriculum, more one-on-one time with teachers, smaller class sizes,
online learning options, and greater parental involvement. This Personalized
Learning™ approach is proving to be an effective and successful
alternative educational model for students particularly at both the low
end and high end of the bell curve, those students who tend to have the
greatest need of a tailored learning approach beyond the traditional
full-time public classroom model.
Featured at the APLUS+ Network conference were presentations from several
prominent leaders representing both the charter school and greater public
education communities.
Conference speakers included Caprice Young, the new CEO of the new California
Charter Schools Association (CCSA); Eric Premack, Co-Director of the
Charter Schools Development Center (CSDC) and CharterVoice; Dr. David
Patterson, Executive Director of Rocklin Academy and former Director
of Governmental Relations for CANEC; Sandy Steiger, President of the
California Consortium for Independent Study (CCIS), Rebecca Parker and
Keith Edmonds of the California Department of Education (CDE); Lisa Corr
of Spector, Middleton, Young, and Minney law firm; Dr. David Guthrie
of Education Synergy Consulting; Susan Baker of EdTec; Paul Keefer and
Sonja Cameron of Antelope View charter school; Diane Grotjohn of Excelsior
Education Center; Janet Asiain of Monterey County Home Charter School;
and Tessa Kaganoff and Cassie Guarino of RAND Research.
More than 100 administrators, teachers, and board members representing
20 APLUS+ network schools from all over the state of California were
in attendance for the initial launching of this annual event sponsored
by APLUS+, as well as representatives from five APLUS+ Preferred Partner
business service organizations. According to Jeff Rice, Founder and Director
of the APLUS+ network, “This was a positive first step toward making
this an annual event of tremendous value and benefit for our Personalized
Learning program members. We started conservatively with this first conference
as a one day event. Most attendees left wanting more, suggesting overwhelmingly
that we make it a two day event next year! They very much appreciated
the fact that every issue covered was relevant to their program.”
The APLUS+ Network is exclusively dedicated to promoting the benefits
and successes of the Personalized Learning™ model in public education,
and facilitates collaborative partnerships among its Personalized Learning™ charter
schools and between its member schools and preferred business service/resource
organizations that specialize in serving them. Currently, the APLUS+
network has 20 member schools comprising nearly 10,000 students, several
thousand parents, and several hundred teachers, administrators, and staff,
as well as 6 Preferred Partner business service organizations. APLUS+
Preferred Partners include EdTec, CharterWorks, Scantron, Education Synergy
Consulting, Power-Glide, and Scion Creative/OPS. For more information
about APLUS+, its network association, and the Personalized Learning
model of education, please visit the APLUS+ website at www.theaplus.org
or contact APLUS+ directly at 530-478-7726.
###END###
AB1137 is a bill that imposes significant additional
and redundant accountability and oversight mandates, and forces charter
schools to be further intimidated by subjective procedural mandates from
oft-times hostile school Districts and County Boards of Education. In
addition, AB1137 requires charter schools to meet academic performance
standards based solely on API rankings as a condition of renewal. For
our charter school programs, API does not accurately reflect the true
learning success that is taking place, as has been verified by the recently
released Rand Education Research Report on charter schools. (Ref: Charter
School Operations and Performance. Evidence from California, c-2003).
AB1137 does not include specific allowable alternative academic performance
assessments for Personalized Learning programs. Specifically, AB 1137
imposes:
Requirements
for charter schools to submit additional financial reports to school
district and county boards of education four times each year, entities
that in many cases throughout the State are actively seeking unjustifiable,
politically-based reasons to eliminate charter schools. In addition,
this requirement comes on top of other audit and financial reporting
requirements that were imposed on charter schools last year. This trend
runs contrary to the intent of the Charter Schools Act to reduce needless
paperwork and red tape so that charter schools may focus instead on school
performance.
Rigid
and costly oversight requirements for charter authorizers that further
restrict the inherent flexibility and innovation originally intended
for the charter school movement.
An unreasonable
and inaccurate academic accountability system on many charter schools
(specifically Personalized Learning schools) as a condition of charter
renewal, in addition to recently expanded state and federal systems and
on top of accountability requirements written into our schools’ charters.
Personalized Learning schools serve a significant student population
who were dissatisfied with the education provided through the mainstream
public school system and enrolled with the Personalized Learning school
as a better alternative. Therefore, API rankings are severely flawed
as relative comparative indicators of student success because there is
no equivalent comparison of student populations between Personalized
Learning schools and traditional public schools. In addition, student
populations in Personalized Learning schools are highly transient, meaning
that these schools receive new populations of “at risk, in need” students
every year, after having successfully advanced the previous year’s
at risk student population in core subject areas, often resulting in
suppressed and inaccurate API cumulative scores.
AB1197 requires board members and managers of charter
schools to comply with the Political Reform Act. The APLUS+ Network opposes
this bill for the following reasons:
Most of
California’s charter schools are incorporated as nonprofit public
benefit corporations. As such, board members are not public officials,
but members of a nonprofit board of directors. Charter schools that are
incorporated already have to follow conflict of interest laws that apply
to nonprofit corporations, so this bill is unnecessarily duplicative.
This bill
serves as an intimidating deterrent to attracting quality private citizens
to serve in decision making roles on behalf of charter schools. By forcing
charter school boards to comply with provisions of the Political Reform
Act, it will be extremely difficult for schools to attract and retain
quality board members. Charter school board members are private citizens
who do not wish to disclose all of their personal financial information
to the public, and many of them might not stay on our board if they are
forced to do so. This bill undermines the intent of charter school law
to be run by citizens representing local communities.
The
Fair Political Practices Commission is currently studying incorporating
the text of Government Code 1090 into the Political Reform Act. If this
is done, teachers and staff will be prohibited from serving on the board
of charter schools. Having teachers and other school staff serve on charter
school boards is common practice around the state and has greatly contributed
to the increased understanding by charter school boards of the needs
of students.
Because
the Political Reform Act only applies to specified public officials and
public agencies, this bill might cause courts to infer that charter schools
are public agencies for other purposes, despite the fact that the Charter
Schools Act expressly allows charter schools to be operated by, or as,
California nonprofit public benefit corporations.
The terms
of the Political Reform Act and the associated reporting requirements
are extremely complex and difficult for charter school staff and board
members to understand. Charter schools are already suffering from a growing
pile of administrative paperwork. We need to reduce this crush of paperwork
so that we may attend to our primary mission of educating students. This
was the original intent of charter school law, to free charter schools
of unnecessary bureaucratic burdens so that they could instead focus
on creating innovative educational programs that lead to successful student
performance and achievement.
After months of discussions, hard work, and assurances from the CDE and
the ACCS that a solution to the ongoing Facilities Costs issue would
be forthcoming, the ACCS voted to go along with the CDE's recommendation
to maintain the status quo and keep facilities costs as a subjective,
unpredictable mitigating factor in the SB740 funding determination process.
At the ACCS meeting on Friday, the CDE presented the ACCS with three
options, along with the pros and cons of choosing each one of the options.
In summary, the options were as follows:
1. Develop a formula
2. Reduce the instructional cost percentage required
3. Maintain the status quo
Under option #1, the CDE referenced three choices:
a. the original three variable formula that APLUS+, Lisa Corr, and a
group of stakeholders had developed.
b. the AB1638 formula that included "option a" and the additional
three variables that APLUS+ developed for "reasonable use" consideration
c. An alternative reasonable use formula that the CDE developed which
included a requirement for calculating student instructional minutes
at the facility
In its summary paper, the CDE stated that if the ACCS chose this formula
option, then the CDE recommends option c, their formula with the instructional
minutes calculation.
Under option #2, the CDE cited conclusions from three data gathering
methods:
a. Average ongoing facilities costs incurred by small school districts:
7%. Suggestion: reduce instructional cost percentage from 80% to 73%
b. Average ongoing facilities costs incurred by non-classroom based charter
school as reported on 2002-03 funding determination forms: 5%. Suggestion:
reduce instructional cost percentage from 80% to 75%
c. Average instructional-related facilities costs incurred by non-classroom
based charter school as reported on 2002-03 funding determination forms:
5%. Suggestion: reduce instructional cost percentage from 80% to 75%
In its summary paper, the CDE stated that if the ACCS chose this instructional
cost percentage reduction option, then the CDE recommends a 5% reduction
to 75%.
Option #3 was to maintain the status quo, that is to continue the current
practice of dealing with facilities issues on a case-by-case basis when
requested by a school. Even though the CDE has acknowledged for months
the need to develop a facilities cost solution, the CDE recommended this
option to the ACCS. They cited the following pros and cons:
Pros:
No
regulatory changes necessary
Simpler
than a formula and no additional data to be
collected systematically
Less
workload for most charter schools and CDE staff
than a formula
Cons:
Requires
judgement
No
predictability for schools in how facilities expenditures
will be considered
More
workload for schools requesting consideration of facilities
as a mitigating factor
During the discussion of these three options, every charter school stakeholder
speaker who testified recommended that the ACCS choose either option
one or two. Most speakers chose option #2 for its simplicity. I gave
compelling evidence as to why a solution is needed, why we need objectivity
and predictability, and why a formula including instructional minutes
is inappropriate for the Personalized Learning model. Some speakers who
felt that a reduction in the facilities cost percentage was the best
option also suggested that consideration (through mitigating factors)
be given for higher cost urban areas.
Virtually every ACCS member acknowledged the lack of predictability in
the current system and an understanding as to why that was of importance
to charter school directors and this process. Following the discussion,
Chair Mark Kushner suggested that the ACCS table a decision until the
next meeting so that people could review the options more closely. However,
Steve Barr then immediately made a motion to accept the CDE's recommendation
to maintain the status quo. It was seconded by Tom Conry. A vote was
then taken.
Voting yes for the motion were: Linda Frost, Tom Conry, Mike Piscal (new
commission member), Steve Barr, Jan Sterling, and Johnathan Williams.
Voting no alone was Mark Kushner. The motion passed on a 6-1 vote. Commission
members Marta Reyes and Beth Hunkapillar were not in attendance.
As you may recall, former State Superintendent Delaine Eastin declared
last year that homeschoolers were in violation of the law and considered
truant because they did not have oversight from a credentialed teacher.
Current State Superintendent Jack O"Connell recently sought a review
of that opinion, resulting in a reversal of Eastin's interpretation.
This is good news for homeschoolers as well as for our blended classroom
and beyond classroom based Personalized Learning approach. According
to the Oakland Tribune article published today, by validating the parent-driven
home-based model, Superintendent O'Connell is recognizing and affirming
the positive benefits of education beyond the classroom and the positive
role that parents play in the success of their children's education.
We should applaud State Superintendent O'Connell for his decision, and
consider this a validation of the proven positive benefits and successes
of learning beyond the classroom alternatives.
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