May 2018 DC Public Charter School News

Read our May newsletter. 

Achieving Results
Celebrating DC's Public Charter School Community

Every May, the nation celebrates National Charter Schools Week and Teacher Appreciation Week.  These weeks give us a moment to reflect on achievements over the last year and opportunities for the future.  In DC, students, families, teachers, and school leaders are creating a thriving public charter school community.  Students are showing impressive results on statewide and national assessments.  Families are partnering with schools to ensure their children get the most out of their experience. Teachers are leading their classroom in a way that meets the individual needs of the students.  And, school leaders have the flexibility to create a school culture that fosters a safe, inclusive, and academically stimulating environment.  

All of these factors translate to a growing public charter school sector in DC that has dozens of diverse and quality options for our families.  If you missed our executive director's piece about the broad, long-term success of DC's public charter school sector, read it here.  And, learn more about our public charter schools here.
Fourth Grade Public Charter School Students Make Notable Gains on NAEP
 
Over the past eight years, DC's public charter school students in all grades scored higher in nearly every subject on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP).  The test examines a sample of students in grades 4 and 8 on reading and math every two years.  
Even more impressively, fourth graders in DC's public charter schools improved dramatically in reading on the 2017 NAEP.   Since 2007, these students have improved by 16 points to the state's 11 points (see graph above).  See our analysis of the 2017 NAEP results for DC's public charter school students here. 
Thank You Teachers

Photo Credit:  DC Councilmember Brandon Todd, Ward 4

In partnership with DC Public Schools, we hosted a Teacher Appreciation Social on Teacher Appreciation Day to celebrate the dedication and hard work of all of DC's public school teachers.  Teachers, thank you for all that you do for students!
A Day in the Life
Roots PCS
Video Credit: Roots PCS
Watch the video (above) to see what life is like for students and teachers at Roots Public Charter School, an African-centered school in Ward 4. 
School Stories
E.L. Haynes PCS Students Participate in a Civil Rights Tour of the South

Photo Credit:  E.L. Haynes PCS

"You could feel the movement...it gave it a more "real" feeling, something not achievable by simply reading texts in History class. The trip also gave me a modern view on segregation and racism, something that also cannot just be communicated through books and writing. The whole experience allowed me to truly connect with the Civil Rights Movement in a way I didn't think possible." - Diego Flores, 10th Grade
 
During Spring Break, a group of 32 E.L. Haynes high school students and eight chaperones participated in Looking Back to Write a Different Future - A Civil Rights Tour of the South.  They visited major sites of the Civil Rights Movement, driving from DC to Greensboro, Atlanta, Montgomery, Birmingham, Tuskegee, and Selma. The school-sponsored trip provided students with the unique opportunity to witness the location where four students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) began the sit-in movement, meet with the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights (GLAHR), reflect on Dr. and Coretta Scott King's legacy at Dr. King's childhood home, explore the Center for Civil and Human Rights, and remember those we lost in the fight for justice at the Southern Poverty Law Center.  To read about their in-depth reflections and view pictures, click here or follow @elhcivilrights on Instagram.
Founders of North Star Academy PCS Appear on The Steve Harvey Show
North Star College Preparatory Academy for Boys PCS is a new middle school opening in school year 2018 - 2019 in Ward 7.  The founders of the school recently appeared on the Steve Harvey Show.  Watch the show to learn more about the school's program and goals here. 
Center City PCS Students Visit the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

Photo Credit:  Center City PCS

As part of Center City's Global Ambassadors Program, students from the school's Petworth campus went to the Dominican Republic and students from the school's Shaw campus went to Costa Rica.  Leading up to the trip, students from both campuses learned about the geography, culture, language, and physical environment of the countries.

The Petworth Campus students visited three different cities on their trip - Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, and Santiago.  Their highlights included visiting San Isabella, where Christopher Columbus landed on one of his early voyages.  They also enjoyed ziplining at the Monkey Jungle in Puerta Plata.  Since the ziplining company invests their profits in a free health and dental clinic, the students are figuring out a way to support the Monkey Jungle - either through fundraising or service.
 
The Shaw Campus students learned a lot about animals and the environment on their trip to Costa Rica.  They visited the Costa Rican Animal Rescue Center where they learned about how animals are rescued and how peoples’ actions affect the animals environment.  The students then contributed to a painting in one of the social spaces and presented a donation to the Costa Rican Animal Rescue Center.  The students also went on a river tour of the Tarcoles River and toured the city of Puntarenas, where they learned about daily life in the city. 
Upcoming Events
June 18 - Board Meeting
The Board will hold its next monthly meeting on June 18 at 6:30 p.m. *The meeting will be held at AppleTree PCS - THEARC (1901 Mississippi Avenue SE). A meeting agenda will be available here. 

Watch the meeting on our website. Missed last month's meeting? Read a summary here. 

*Meeting location is subject to change.

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