3. MISSION & VALUES
Our Mission:
To decrease the number of student drop outs by
providing an alternative environment where they can be
successful.
Our Vision:
We strive to provide a safe haven for those students
that do not reach their full potential in a traditional
school setting
Our Values:
Responsibility
Integrity
Compassion 3
4. DEMOGRAPHICS
4
9th Grade 200 White 60
10th Grade 150 Black 25
11th Grade 50 Hispanic 10
12th Grade 100 Asian 3
Other 2
T O T A L 500
T O T A L 100
EconomicallyDisadvantagedStudents
FreeLunch 60%
Female 60% Reduced-PriceLaunch 10% ELL/ESOLStudents
Male 40% Total 70% Total 13%
IDEAandIEPStudents
IDEA/IEP 25%
Total 25%
Ethnicity
GenderDistribution
InitialStudents
Population
DREAMCHARTERHIGHSCHOOL(DCHS)
White
60%
Black
25%
Hispanic
10%
Asian
3%
Other
2%
DreamCharter HighSchool
2018 May:EthnicityDistribution
White
Black
Hispanic
Asian
Other
60%
40%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%
FEMALE
MALE
Dream CharterHighSchool
GenderDistribution
9thGrade
10th Grade
11th Grade
12th Grade
0
50
100
150
200
Dream CharterHighSchool
2018-May: PopulationbyGrade
5. EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
GradPoint.
A place for teachers to post materials, assignments, and
to monitor student progress.
It also allows students a simplified way of asking a
question outside of the classroom.
Infinite Campus
Online portal designed for parents and students to
access student records and to plan for future classes.
Hardware
Most of our classwork is online. We help students with
financial difficulty to purchase laptops at reduced low
prices. We also provide technical support for students. 5
6. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS
To provide Curricula and Methodologies that are:
Student Friendly
Individualized
Self Paced
24-7 Access to course work
6
7. TEACHER QUALIFICATIONS
At DCHS we hire professionals that are certified or
eligible for certification as defined by the Georgia
Department of Education.
Teachers at DCHS must meet the “highly qualified”
requirements under Title IIA of No Child Left
Behind.
All employees are subject to background clearance
and drug tests.
7
8. TEACHER EVALUATIONS
All Evaluations will be conducted in Teacher Keys
Effectiveness System (TKES)
Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards (TAPS)
Professional Growth
Student Growth
Teachers will be evaluated against Charter Goals
8
9. TEACHER STANDARDS
To provide multiple educational operational,
comprehensive management by the following:
Curriculum Design
Instructional Resources
Professional Development
Financial Management
9
10. ISSUES & TRENDS
Security and protection in the area are deficient and
requires improvement. Students need to feel safe.
Urgent need for innovative approaches to improve
discipline, attendance and eliminate bullying.
Out of school suspension rates are high.
Improve actions to support students that are
academically running behind.
Improve on curriculum and target STEM programs
to industry needs.
Tight budget.
10
11. PROFICIENCY STANDARDS
Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE)
ELA
Mathematics
Social Studies
Foreign Language
Career, Technology and Agricultural Education (CTAE)
College/Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI)
Student Achievement
Graduation Rate
School Climate
End of Course Test (EOCT)/Georgia Alternative Test
(GAA)
11
13. REFERENCES
Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education (CTAE). (2015). Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/pages/BrowseFrameworks/CTAE.aspx
Charter for Costal Plains Education Charter High School. (2017). Retrieved
fromhttp://www.coastalplainscharter.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_779378/File/Governance%20Board/Charter%20Document
s/Coastal%20Plains%20%20&%20SCSC%20Charter.PDF
Charter School Basics. (2017). Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-
Policy/Charter-Schools/Pages/General-Frequently-Asked-Questions.aspx
FAQ. (2018). West Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.coastalplainscharter.org/about/f_a_q
Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). (2015). Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/pages/BrowseFrameworks/ela.aspx
Governance Board. (2018). West Corporation. Retrieved
fromhttp://www.coastalplainscharter.org/cms/One.aspx?portalId=779462&pageId=923646
GradPoint. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.pearson.com/us/prek-12/products-services-teaching/online-blended-learning-
solutions/gradpoint.html
McDonald, L. (2014). TKES & LKES Erode Charter Flexibility. Georgia Charter Schools Association. Retrieved from
https://gacharters.org/blog/tkes-lkes-erode-charter-flexibility/
Soto, S. T. (2015). An analysis of curriculum development. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 5(6), 1129-1139.
Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.contentproxy.phoenix.edu/docview/1688646201?accountid=35812
State Charter Schools Commission of Georgia. (2015). The Legal Obligations of Operating a State Charter School as a Local
Education Agency (LEA). Retrieved from
https://scsc.georgia.gov/sites/scsc.georgia.gov/files/related_files/site_page/Legal_Obligations_of_a_State_Charter_School_v
2.3.pdf
TAPS Standards Reference Sheet Performance Standards and SAMPLE Performance Indicators. (2014). Georgia
Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Teacher-and-Leader-
Effectiveness/Documents/FY15%20TKES%20and%20LKES%20Documents/TAPS_Reference_Sheet%206-5-14.pdf
Teacher Keys Effectiveness System. (2017). Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from http://www.gadoe.org/School-
Improvement/Teacher-and-Leader-Effectiveness/Pages/Teacher-Keys-Effectiveness-System.aspx
Qualifications for Opening a Charter School (2017). Georgia Department of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.gadoe.org/External-Affairs-and-Policy/Charter-Schools/Pages/Frequently-Asked-Questions-for-New-
Petitioners.aspx
13
Editor's Notes
This powerpoint will help to present to the viewer a better understanding of Dream Charter High School (DCHS). By first discussing the schools mission and values and then the demographics of the school. The discussion will move to the different technology used in classes and the methods that DCHS teachers use and how the teachers are evaluated. Also being discussed is the standards that DCHS teachers are held too. Finally, issues and trends in charter schools will close out the discussion.
According to the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) a charter school is a public school that is governed by a board of directors rather than a board of education and must meet the terms of the their Charter. (“Charter School Basics, 2017) The Charter school has more flexibility due to the fact that they are responsible for determining how to achieve success in this task.
Given that Charter schools like DCHS are funded in the same matter as any public school therefore “cannot charge tuition, must have fair and open enrollment, must be secular” (“Charter School Basics”, 2017, para 3).
The DCHS mission is to decrease drop-out rates by giving students an alternative environment to be successful. We believe that students are more successful when they are in smaller settings and can take in information at their own pace with additional instruction from teachers. The vision is to provide a safe haven for those students that do not reach their full potential in a traditional school setting. The hope is that all students at DCHS will learn the core values of responsibility, integrity, and compassion while spending time here.
Since DCHS is a publicly funded institution it must serve all populations to include students with disabilities and English Language Learners (“Charter Basics”, 2017)
Attached are the demographics for the DREAM charter High School. As you can see from the charts, there are 6 main categories:
1) Initial Population totaling 500 students.
2) Ethnicities' percentages
3) Gender distribution percentages
4) Economically disadvantage students
5) IDEA and IEP percentages
4) ELL/ESOL students’ percentages
DCHS has many different software programs that are used to assist students, parents and staff. DCHS utilizes GradPoint which allows faculty to post materials and assignments online for students to access and complete. Another useful tool is Infinite Campus, an online portal for parents to access their students’ records. The school also provides financial assistance in purchasing equipment such as projectors and Chromebooks. The school utilizes Title I funding allocated to these technology assets. DCHS has an onsite technical support team to assist with issues that may arise.
The DCHS curricula and methodologies are user friendly to make it easy for the students and make individualized graduation plans to cater to them. The program will be self-paced to enable the students to not feel rushed or pressured, when students feel the need to take a break from a subject they are struggling with it is simple to switch to another class. This will result in them doing their best work.
Classes are considered non-failure meaning that students can take the course as many times as required until mastery is achieved (“FAQ”, 2018). The information for each class will be available at anytime. We strive to communicate effectively and efficiently. There is always room for improvement and we are opened for suggestions.
Dual Enrollment, Work Based Learning (WBL) and CTAE course will be made available to DCHS students.
Teachers at Dream Charter High School are hired professionals that have obtained a Bachelor's Degree and are either certified or are working towards certification through a traditional or an alternative program. Teachers must meet the qualifications for "highly qualified" status which consists of holding a Teaching Certificate or License and are currently teaching in their subject area. At DCHS, all employees must undergo a pre-employment background clearance as part of the hiring process.
Given that Charter schools in Georgia fall under the Georgia Board of Education, they are directed to use the same TKES system as public schools. Prior to the implementation of TKES for evaluating teachers, Charter schools had significantly more flexibility in their operation (McDonald, 2014).
TKES is based on three factors: Teacher Assessment on Performance Standards, Professional Growth and Student Growth (“Teacher Keys”, 2017).
TAPS includes 5 areas with 2 factors includes in each: Planning (Professional Knowledge, Instructional learning), Instructional Delivery ( Instructional Strategies, Differentiated Instruction), Assessment of and For Learning (Assessment Strategies, Assessment uses), Learning Environment (Positive Learning Environment, Academically Challenging Environment), Professionalism and Communication (Professionalism, Communication) (“TAPS Reference Sheet”, 2014).
The focus was centered around student achievement above the state average and the charter goals.
Public schools are not held to this additional standard. If a Charter school does not meet their goals as established when it is agreed upon by the state, they run the risk of losing their Charter for the following year.
Curriculum design is a broad and complex process. The curriculum provided is all the learning experiences planned and directed by the school to reach the school's educational goals. Along with goals are the objectives and organization of content that will be incorporated in this learning plan. The DCHS curriculum will be visited regularly to ensure the application is within the state standards. Instructional resources provided will be videos for subject areas such as math, reading, wiring and science. The videos will be elements of instructions. These videos will be updated as needed to reflect the course work. Professional development will involve comprehensive exams and teacher sessions consisting of teachers work. This will be used to steadily improve teaching and learning. School goals will play a very important part in professional development Keeping in mind the vision of the school.
One of the major concerns in this community is the safety of the students attending. DCHS will work closely with the law enforcement authorities to guarantee that everyone feels safe and protected on campus. Also, DCHS will install one of the most technologically advanced surveillance systems with 24 hours monitoring personnel to ensure that areas with issues get immediate attention from the internal police assigned by the village and from the management team.
All these measures in conjunction with supportive approaches, community, and parents involvement will help us to provide a safe learning environment that our students need.
Given that DCS is a publically funded school DCS must follow the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). GSE was developed by the Georgia Department of education replacing the Georgia Performance Standards (GPS) in the 2015-2106 school year. They were created to “provide a consistent framework to prepare students for success in college and/or the 21st century workplace” (“Georgia Standards”, 2015).
CTAE has 10 pathways that help to develop students in order to prepare them for the workforce after graduation or after college. (“Career, Technical”, 2015).
CCRPI was developed to meet the Title I standards for a single statewide accountability system when Georgia was granted a waiver under ESEA. EOCTs are the Assessment system used by the state of Georgia for high school students. Certain classes require these EOCTs at the end of the course and are factored into the CCRPI. The GAA is used for those who disabled and unable to take the EOCT. “Sate Charter schools, like all LEAs must participate in the National Assessment State Charter School Commission of Georgia, 2015of Education Progress (NAEP) assessment program” (State Charter School Commission of Georgia, 2015). Failure to meet the standards would result in a failure for the DCS to meet their charter goals. Ultimately, this would mean revoking or refusal to renew DCS’ charter in following years.
