http://info.firn.edu/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-719/Choice17.pdf

http://info.firn.edu/dscgi/ds.py/Get/File-719/Choice17.pdf
1. The FSU Charter School Accountability Center (CSAC) introduces its new website:

Issue

Seventeen

Jodi Broussard helps Keith Brown get ready to take a

reading test at Brentwood Elementary School.

--Photo by Michael Spooneybarger

From 'F' to honor roll

by Jenny LaCoste

Just three years ago, Brentwood Elementary was

struggling to keep its doors open.

Enrollment was declining, fewer than half of the

students met the minimum criteria for writing on

standardized tests and the state labeled the school

as failing.

But Brentwood's reputation has changed from the

little school that couldn't to the little school that

could. Now it's touted as one of the greatest

success stories in the Escambia County School

District.

When it comes to school grades, Brentwood has

remained on the state's A-B honor roll since 2000,

even as state standards rose yearly. And low

enrollment is no longer a problem - the school has

a waiting list of 400 students.

"When you have a quality school, with a quality

staff and state-of-the-art technology, people will

come," said School Board Chairman John DeWitt.

"That's what school choice is all about. Public

schools have to compete, and we're doing it."

The success is largely because of Brentwood's

magnet program focusing on communication and

technology. The school remade itself last year after

scoring a $1.9 million federal grant to buy cutting-

edge equipment and develop a savvy, technology-

rich curriculum. The school still serves children in

its attendance zone, but now can attract children

from all over the county.

The magnet program began last year and drew 130

students out of Brentwood's district. Though

organizers thought it would take about three years

before the program really took off, the school had

500 applications this year for 65 available spots.

"I never thought we would be this successful this

quickly," said Reggie Lipnick, the school's magnet

coordinator. "We have parents coming from home

school and private schools who want to put their

children here. All it takes is one tour."

Peek into a classroom at Brentwood and you might

see a fourth-

grader giving a PowerPoint

presentation, a 5-year-old practicing keyboarding

skills in a computer lab or a team of fifth-graders

producing an IMAX movie.

So far, the school has spent $850,000 on

computers, digital cameras, projectors and smart

boards -

a classroom white board that teachers

operate like a computer screen, using a finger as a

mouse. By the end of 2004, Brentwood will have

spent almost $2 million on technology and training.

Technology is incorporated into every aspect of

education, even art, music and physical education.

Magnet programs are a national trend in education.

Anyone in the . . . district can apply to a magnet

program. In some cases, transportation is up to

parents. In others, limited bus service is available.

One goal of magnet programs is to create a diverse

population of students that mirrors the entire

district.

--excerpted from the Pensacola News Journal

2002 Annual Statewide

Public Charter School Conference

The Department of Education Choice Office would

like to offer our appreciation to all who worked to

ensure the success of the 2002 Annual Statewide

Public Charter School Conference!

With an attendance of over 800, the conference was

enthusiastically received. Vendors from across the

education spectrum displayed their materials and

services.

Workshops were offered, focusing on

infrastructure,

ograms, accountability,

communications, relationships, policy, legislation

and sustainability. Attendees also had opportunities

to network with other charter operators, offering

assistance in their specific area of expertise.

We would like to offer special thanks to Lieutenant

Governor Frank Brogan and Secretary of Education

Jim Horne or delivering inspiring

eynote

addresses.

The Choice Office would also like to

thank the Florida Consortium of Charter Schools,

the Orange County School District, the Osceola

County School District and the Southeastern Equity

Center for co-hosting the conference.

The FSU Charter School Accountability Center

(CSAC) introduces its new website:

http://csac.fsu.edu

The website has been created with the following

interactive features:

�

Daily News Feed About Charter Schools

�

“Ask Us a Question”

�

Charter School Events Calendar

�

On-line CSAC Workshop Registration

Website Registration

In order to provide current information and

resources to new and operating charter schools,

the site also provides links to:

�

School District web pages

�

Best Practices

�

Communications from the Department of

Education

�

Florida Department of Education Monday

Report

�

Accountability Resources

Start-up Grant Information and Resources

2002 Charter School FCAT Scores

�

2002 Accountability Information

The CSAC website has a unique knowledge

management system. This system will allow

website visitors to share information and

documents with others in the charter school

movement.

The Accountability Center is striving to create a

comprehensive database for Florida charter

schools. The Center asks that your charter school

knowledge management system at

http://csac.fsu.edu.

Alee Academy, a progressive alternative education

charter school in Lake County, was among the

winning recipients of the annual Crystal Star of

Excellence Awards in Dropout Recovery, Intervention

and Prevention presented by the National Dropout

Prevention Network.

Alee Academy was chosen for the award based on

clear evidence of strong leadership in furthering the

mission of the network:

to assist in reducing the

number of youth dropping out of school by linking

research and practice and by providing the most

current information about dropout prevention to

educators, policy makers, community members,

business people, labor groups, parents and other

concerned persons.

The Academy was also selected

for its outstanding contribution to effective dropout

prevention strategies, research and development.

Alee Academy has demonstrated the use of a variety

of strategies shown to be effective in working with

youth in at-risk situations.

Strategies include direct

teacher instruction, one-on-one tutoring, computer-

assisted learning, field trips, individualized instruction,

collaborative learning and work site training.

Graduation rates and test scores have increased

each year that Alee has been in existence.

Florida Charter School Resource Center

The Florida Charter School Resource Center

recently unveiled updates to the Center’s

website at:

http://ari.coedu.usf.edu/fcsrc/.

Debuting on the site is a

Charter Teachers

Chat

bulletin board, where teachers may

share information online.

Links

section of

the site is now divided into general resources

and teacher resources, such as lesson plans.

New products

from the Florida Charter School

Resource Center will soon be introduced. The

Center has completed a draft of a charter

school self-assessment tool, which will help

charters to identify both their strengths and

their weaknesses.

This tool will assist

administrators and

verning

oards in

reflecting on the progress of the school. A

brochure for guiding parents of exceptional

students in considering a charter school is

also available in the draft form.

As always, the

lorida Charter School

Resource Center looks forward to working

with charter school operators, as they address

the needs of their school. The Charter School

Resource Center may be reached at

1-800-214-4247