2. Who is the Ashland Elementary Charter
School For?
 All families with students, grades 3-5, who are
interested in a project based learning experience for
their child.

3. What is Project Based Learning?
• Project Based Learning can work for children of all abilities and interests who
would like an alternative to the traditional model and a “hands on” approach to
their education.
• In Project Based Learning (PBL), students go through an extended process of
inquiry in response to a complex question, problem, or challenge. Rigorous
projects help students learn key academic content and practice 21st Century
Skills (such as collaboration, communication & critical thinking).
For more information
about project based
learning visit:
The Buck Institute for
Education
www.bie.org

4. What a charter school is and isn’t
Is:
 A public school, open to all children.
 Part of the school district.
 Authorized by the school board by means of a performance contract.
 Governed by a separate charter council.
 Ours is an instrumentality, staffed by certified teachers who are employed by
the district.
Isn’t:
 A voucher school
 A private school
 A magnet school
 Ours is not run by a for-profit corporation
 Intended to serve either at-risk or high-performing students.

5. Things to know about the Ashland
Elementary Charter School
 The maximum number of students is 100 in grades 3-5.
 It will be located in the 3rd grade pod at LSI.
 It will be ateacher led school.
 It will be project-based, multi-age,and will use advisory based learning
communities of 20 students/teacher.
 Grant funds will be used for training and start up costs It will be budget
neutral, operating on the same per-pupil dollars as the rest of the district.
 The board has decided that there will be no layoffs to staff the charter school;
charter teachers will be district employees.

6. During the planning year the charter
council, teachers, and administrators
will plan the details of our new school.
 The curriculum
 Schedule and school day
 Encore/related arts integration
 Report cards/student assessment system
 The role of volunteers
 Technology plan
 Administrative support
We will have lots of support from other schools and project based
learning and charter school consultants.

7. How will enrollment work?
• Wisconsin state law determines much of the enrollment
process in public charter schools.
• All district students will have a chance to enroll in January
2013 prior to open enrollment.
• If more than 100 students enroll a lottery will be held to
determine enrollment.
• If less than 100 students enroll, out of district students will
have the opportunity to open enroll in February 2013.

8. A quick history of the Ashland
Elementary Charter School project…
 Community members have been talking about the need for educational options for the past
few years.
 A team of teachers, administrators and school board members did research last fall, visiting
several charter schools.
 The board approved a recommendation for a planning group to draft a grant for a project-
based charter last December. The board also approved planning for a middle school charter
grant in 2013 and a high school charter grant in 2014.
 A committee convened in January (administrators, teachers, parents and community
members) to draft the grant and met weekly through March.
 August 2012, DPI awarded the School District of Ashland a Charter School Planning Grant.
 The charter planning team and appointed governance council continue to plan for the schools
opening in fall of 2013.

9. Next Steps for creating the Ashland
Elementary Charter School
 November 2012: Hire Lead Teacher
 November 2012: Learning opportunities for teachers and community about
Project Based Learning (PBL)
 December2012 /January 2013: Begin Open enrollment, hire teachers, begin
planning for charter implementation grant.
 Spring-Summer 2013: Teachers begin planning school curriculum and
schedule
 Fall 2013: Ashland Elementary Charter Opens!

10. Questions:
Contact School District of Ashland Office:
715-682-7080
or visit
ashland.k12.wi.us
Look under the “Departments” menu for “charter school project”
You can also stay tuned to charter school
developments through:
•LSE school newsletter
•School District of Ashland Facebook page.